Krsna Kirtana Songs est. 2001 www.kksongs.org
Tuning an Esraj
It
is very essential to be able to tune an esraj correctly. This instrument is not
like a violin where there are only a few strings. In the esraj, you have many
sympathetic strings along with four main strings. Tuning them to perfect
accuracy is very important.
Of
course, tuning an Indian instrument will vary amongst musicians. As long as
their techniques remain consistent, then it is no problem. I will present two
standards of tuning strings. The first method is the common method, while the
second method is my method.
Common Method
The
common method is based on tuning the first main string (on the right) to ma
below madhya sa. The second string tuned to sa one octave below madhya sa. The
third string tunes to pa below madra sa. The fourth string is tuned to sa one
octave below mandra sa.
The
sympathetic strings are tuned to the notes of the raga. The picture of the
common method can be found on Silverbush's Esraj
Tuning Page. The Esraj tuning chart is linked from their site.
My Method
My
opinion is that the tighter the strings are, the stronger the sound will be and
its sympathetic effects will be stronger. Look at the diagram below.
With
my model, Pa is the most ideal way to start the first string, since its a
little more tighter than Ma. The middle two strings could be lower sa to
emphasize the importance of the tonic. In addition, those two middle strings
resonante whenever Pa or Ma are played too. The final string tunes to Ma of the
lower octave. Again, this is pretty much for resonating purposes. If a raga
contains tivra ma, then the last string is tuned to Tivra ma.
The
sympathetics are tuned in a way to accomodate the raga. For instance, if R in
the raga is komal, then you tune the R strings into komal re. This holds true
to all notes except for ma. The tivra-shuddha ma is handled with the first
string.
Tuning the Instrument
What
was just discussed was on how to tune the strings. Even though the strings are
in tune, the instrument may not be. Esraj is a fretted instrument. Since frets
will be used as note markers, we want to make sure they really do mark the
correct notes. Indian music is not like Western music which is based on a fixed
equally tempered scale. Indian music is based on uneven pure intervals. Since
esraj's frets are moveable, let's take advantage of moving frets to fix correct
tunings.
Traditionally,
esraj players do not really use frets. They are just there to show you where
the notes are. The method of producing a note is to touch the section of the
string above the fret of the desired note. Since the strings are floating in
air, you aren't going to get full sound. I actually use the frets since they
define it more clearly and you get a much fuller sound and less scratchy sound
than the traditional method.
Whichever
method you chose, the general method of tuning the instrument is the same.
First,
bow your esraj's main string and find your sa. This should create a lot of
vibration as many strings are tuned to that note. Remember where that note is.
On the traditional method, this is the 7th fret, while my method has this to be
the 5th fret. Move the fret such that when you touch string to the fret while
bowing, you get Sa to be vibrant sound. You defined this to be your Sa fret. Do
the same for the higher Sa.
After
doing this method, work for the
After
doing that, fix all of the unaccounted notes for in between. Note, in the traditional
way of tuning, your Re and Dha fret will be the one which will move a lot,
while my method has Ga and Ni fret moving frequently. This sort of copies, the
sitar's motif on frets. If your raga has a komal re and komal dha, then you
have to tune those notes accordingly through the traditional way. If I had a
komal ga and komal ni, then I would have to those frets accordingly.
Play
each note. When playing, listen for that vibration. If you hear no vibration or
sympathetic sounds coming, then either your fine tuned your fret incorrectly,
or your sympathetic strings went out of tune. Always check!
Final
tip: When moving frets, do it gently. These frets are supported with a plastic
fishing line. It is really easy to break the fret strings. Push both ends up or
down when moving them.
Also,
the frets are used to fine tune the main melody string only. The other strings,
if used for melody, will have to be based on proper intuition. The frets will
lead you to an approximate area of where the note is located, but not
necessarily the correct pin-point.