Sangat

TanpuraSa at D♯kali do

An online tanpura in D♯ (D sharp)

D♯ — kali do — is where the male range starts to gleam. Qawwals and bhajan singers who ride over a full hall pitch here for the extra cut; it is also the shaded, velvet end of some female voices. A key with two doors, in other words.

Sa
155.56 Hz
Taar Sa
311.13 Hz
Pa
A♯
Ma
G♯
Ni
D
On a harmonium
kali do
First string

Sa D♯ · 155.56 Hz

Open in Sangat
A tanpura at D♯. Pa and Ma play the app’s recording of a real tanpura; Ni and kharaj Sa are built string by string from recorded plucks.

Sangat holds the drone either way: real tanpura plucks at D♯, a deeper or brighter voice, and 18 tunings, each annotated with where it is used.

Nothing to install and nothing to sign up for: the tanpura, whole, is free. Open the app and it is already humming in your key.

D♯ as Sa, in numbers

On a harmonium
kali do (black 2)
Sa
155.56 Hz (D♯3)
Taar Sa
311.13 Hz (D♯4)
Pa
A♯
Ma
G♯
Usually suits
high male voices, and the lower end of some female voices
The swaras with Sa at D♯, each on the key a harmonium player would press: from mandra Pa below Sa up to taar Sa.

Frequencies assume A = 440 Hz. Sangat has a fine tune in cents for an instrument that sits a little sharp or flat.

Tuning the first string

A tanpura's first string sets its colour; the other three hold Sa. With Sa at D♯:

  • Pa (A♯) — the default, right for most ragas.
  • Ma (G♯) — for ragas without Pa, such as Malkauns and Chandrakauns.
  • Ni (D) — for ragas where Ni is prominent, such as Bihag and Kalyan; komal Ni (C♯) for Kafi, Bhairavi and Jaunpuri.
  • Kharaj Sa — a deep drone an octave down, favoured in dhrupad.

Sangat has all eighteen tunings, each labelled with where it is used. Which tanpura tuning for which raga lists them all.

Is D♯ your Sa?

A good Sa lets you reach mandra Pa below it and taar Sa above it without strain. If you are not sure, how to find your Sa walks through it, and Sangat's Find my Sa listens to you sing and suggests a key — free, in the browser.

Questions

What frequency is Sa at D♯?

With A tuned to 440 Hz, Sa at D♯ is 155.56 Hz in the third octave (D♯3) and 311.13 Hz an octave above (D♯4).

What is Pa when Sa is D♯?

Pa is A♯, seven semitones above Sa. Ma is G♯ and shuddha Ni is D.

What is D♯ called on a harmonium?

D♯ is kali do (black 2) — the name many Indian teachers use for the key.

Who usually sings with Sa at D♯?

High male voices, and the lower end of some female voices. The right Sa is the one your own voice finds comfortable, not the one your group or recording uses.

Can I use an online tanpura in D♯ for free?

Yes. The whole tanpura is free in Sangat: real tanpura recordings at D♯, all eighteen tunings, in the browser with no account.

Every key

How to find your Sa