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GuideThe tanpura7 min read

Which tanpura tuning for which raga

A four-string tanpura is tuned Pa–Sa–Sa–Sa (low Sa) for most music. The first string is the one that changes, and changing it colours the whole drone to suit a raga.

By SangatAll eighteen tunings, to play on this page

123456PaSa · Sa · Sa

  1. Khunti खूँटी

    The pegs: rough tuning.

  2. Dand डाँड

    The long hollow neck. No frets.

  3. Jawari जवारी

    The wide bridge. Its curve gives the drone its buzz.

  4. Jiva जीवा

    A cotton thread under each string, on the bridge, to set the buzz.

  5. Manka मनका

    Beads on the strings, slid for fine tuning.

  6. Tumba तुम्बा

    The gourd: the body that resonates.

A tanpura, from above. Three of its strings hold Sa; the first, drawn in teal, is the one you retune to suit the raga.

The rule of thumb

  • Pafor most ragas.
  • Mawhen the raga has no Pa — Malkauns, Chandrakauns.
  • Niwhen Ni is prominent — Bihag, the Kalyan family; komal Ni for Kafi, Bhairavi, Jaunpuri.
  • Teevra Maor komal Re for ragas built around them — Marwa, Puriya, Sohini.
  • Kharaj Sa— Sa an octave down — for a deep drone, as in dhrupad.

Many singers keep Pa for everything and only change when a raga omits Pa. That is a sound default: a drone tuned to a note the raga avoids will pull the ear towards it.Why it mattersThe tanpura sounds its first string every cycle, for the whole performance. Whatever note it holds becomes part of the raga’s colour.

Hear the four strings

Choose a first string and press play. The three Sa strings stay where they are; only the first one moves. Set Sa to your own key if you know it.

First string
SaC♯ · kali ek

Sa C♯ · 138.59 Hz

Open in Sangat
Pa and Ma play the app’s recording of a real tanpura. The other tunings are built string by string from recorded plucks, the way the app builds them.

Hearing the difference

Malkauns has no Pa. Play its scale over the tanpura with the first string on Pa, then switch to Ma while it plays. With Pa the drone keeps asking for a note the raga never gives it; with Ma it settles. That single comparison teaches more than any table.Malkauns मालकौंसA late-night raga of five notes: Sa, komal Ga, Ma, komal Dha and komal Ni. No Re, no Pa.

Malkauns, up and down, on the harmonium. The teal line is the tanpura’s first string: on Pa it sits outside the raga, on Ma inside it.

All eighteen tunings

These are the tunings Sangat offers, from the deepest to the highest, each labelled in the app with the same notes. The line shows where the first string sits against the other three. Press any row to hear it.

  1. Kharaj Sa खरज साC♯A deep Sa drone for low voices
  2. Komal Re रे॒DRagas that rest on komal Re (Bhairav, Marwa)
  3. Re रेD♯Ragas emphasising shuddha Re
  4. Komal Ga ग॒ERagas like Kafi and Bhairavi
  5. Ga गFRagas resting on Ga
  6. Ma मF♯Ragas without Pa (Malkauns, Chandrakauns)
  7. Teevra Ma म॑GMarwa, Puriya, Sohini
  8. Pa पG♯The default for most ragas
  9. Komal Dha ध॒ARagas resting on komal Dha
  10. Dha धA♯Ragas emphasising Dha
  11. Komal Ni नि॒BKafi, Bhairavi, Jaunpuri
  12. Ni निCRagas with a prominent Ni (Bihag, Kalyan)
  13. Sa साC♯Unison drone; very focused
  14. Komal Re (high) रे॒̇DBright drone above Sa
  15. Re (high) रे̇D♯Bright drone above Sa
  16. Komal Ga (high) ग॒̇EBright drone above Sa
  17. Ga (high) ग̇FBright drone above Sa
  18. Ma (high) म̇F♯The highest tuning, for light and film songs
The first string of each tuning, placed between kharaj Sa (left) and Ma above Sa (right); the tick marks Sa. Notes are given for Sa at C♯.

The other strings stay on Sa, so the drone keeps its home whichever colour you choose. The five highest tunings put the first string above Sa, which makes a lighter, brighter drone.

Tuning a real tanpura

  1. Tune the two middle strings to Sa.They are the centre of the drone. Match them to each other, then to your harmonium or a reference.
  2. Tune the fourth string to kharaj Sa.The thick string, an octave below the middle two.
  3. Tune the first string last.To Pa, Ma or Ni — whichever the raga wants — against the Sa strings.
  4. Fine-tune with the beads.Slide the manka on each string for the last small changes. The jiva threads under the strings set the buzz; moving them is fiddly, and many players leave it to someone experienced.PluckingThe first string is usually plucked with the middle finger and the other three with the index finger, in an even, unhurried cycle.

Questions

How is a tanpura usually tuned?

Pa–Sa–Sa–Sa: the first string to Pa of the middle octave, the two middle strings to Sa, and the last string to the lower Sa.

Why is the tanpura tuned to Ma for Malkauns?

Malkauns has no Pa. A drone on Pa would keep sounding a note the raga avoids, so the first string is tuned to Ma, which the raga uses.

Which tanpura tuning for Yaman or Bihag?

Pa suits most performances of Yaman. For Bihag, and for Kalyan-family ragas where Ni is prominent, many musicians tune the first string to Ni.

What is jawari?

The tanpura’s wide, gently curved bridge. The strings graze it as they vibrate, which gives the drone its buzzing, singing overtones.

Can I use one tuning for everything?

Pa suits most ragas, and many singers keep it. Change it when a raga leaves out Pa, or when a note such as Ni is central to it.

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