Tuning the Tambura

Video Transcript

The tuning of the Tambura is based upon tuning the strings to a melody instrument. The Tambura is a drone instrument. The melody instrument are usually a keyboard-based instrument called the harmonium or a sitar or some other melody carrying instrument. And the tuning is based upon the raga in which we play. So, in western music, you have a twelve note scale comprised of base or fundamental notes, say in the key of C that goes to the next highest C. And there are twelve notes in between. So you have. But in a raga, which is very different, it might only have five or seven notes in that scale. And just to give you a demonstration of a raga, you might have something like this. And that key is the fundamental note for the raga. You use the fifth, which is five notes up, five whole notes up from the fundamental, which in the case of D, would be A. And those are the two notes that you're going to tune the Tambura to. So, again just to reiterate, the key of D you would have a fundamental of D. And the fifth, which in this case is A, so those are the two notes we're going to tune to.

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