tambura
Raga's sustaining backdrop
A tambura (also tanpura) is a long-necked stringed instrument from South Asia that provides a continuous harmonic drone in classical Indian music.
Unlike the sitar, it has no frets and isn't used for melody—players pluck its four or five strings in a slow, repeating pattern to create a resonant backdrop for singers or soloists.
The tambura droned softly while the vocalist began the raga.
Implicit secondary meanings
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
- sustainKeep something going continuously
- pitchFrequency of sound
- shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
frequency · vibration · hum · continuous · ambient · tonic · fundamental · buzzing
Indian melodic framework
- dhrupadAncient Indian vocal style
- shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
- swaraIndian classical tone
- Ravi ShankarLegendary Indian sitar player
Thin flexible lines
- gourdHard-shelled decorative fruit
- resonatorFrequency-amplifying device
- pluckedPulled out forcefully
- fretlessHaving no fingerboard dividers
chordophone · neck · tuning pegs · bridge · soundboard · wooden · craftsmanship · luthier
Indian plucked lute
- tablaIndian paired hand drums
- sarodIndian fretless stringed instrument
- harmoniumFoot-pumped keyboard instrument
- veenaGourd-resonated plucked strings
accompaniment · concert · recital · performance · supporting · background · classical ensemble
Gourd-resonated plucked strings
- concertLive musical performance
- accompanimentSupplementary support element
overtones
Implicit secondary meanings
- resonanceAmplified oscillation at natural frequency
- sustainKeep something going continuously
- pitchFrequency of sound
shruti · frequency · vibration · hum · continuous · ambient · tonic · fundamental · buzzing · sympathetic
raga
Indian melodic framework
strings
Thin flexible lines
fretless · chordophone · neck · tuning pegs · bridge · soundboard · wooden · craftsmanship · luthier
sitar
Indian plucked lute
- tablaIndian paired hand drums
- sarodIndian fretless stringed instrument
- harmoniumFoot-pumped keyboard instrument
veena · accompaniment · concert · recital · performance · supporting · background · classical ensemble
veena
Gourd-resonated plucked strings
- concertLive musical performance
- accompanimentSupplementary support element
sitar
Indian plucked lute
- stringed instrumentsguitar, lyre, lute, mandolin, harp
- Balkan cultureSerbs, Croats, Bosniaks, Albanians, Macedonians
- BalkansAlbania, Bosnia, Croatia, Bulgaria, Kosovo
- Bulgarian musictraditional instruments, wedding music, ritual music
- folk instrumentsbanjo, bodhrán, mandolin, harmonica, fiddle
- Carnatic Musicraga, swara, shruti, veena, trinity
tamburatabla
Indian paired hand drums
sitar · sarod · percussion instrument · violin · flute
tamburatabla
Indian paired hand drums
percussion · drums · pizzicato · xylophone · harpsichord