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# Indian Classical Music - Sitar, Tabla, and Tamboura ## Introduction Indian classical music has been passed down through generations for over 3,000 years. While the music styles vary across India, the pieces commonly share a common structure of three main components: the raga (melody line), the...

# Indian Classical Music - Sitar, Tabla, and Tamboura ## Introduction Indian classical music has been passed down through generations for over 3,000 years. While the music styles vary across India, the pieces commonly share a common structure of three main components: the raga (melody line), the drone (constant fixed note), and the tala (rhythm). The sitar, tabla, and tambura are a group of instruments playing these parts. ## Sitar * A long-necked string instrument with three sets of strings. * One set for melody (raga), another for rhythm (drone), and a final set of sympathetic strings for a jangling sound. * A player sits with the base of the sitar balanced between the left foot and the right knee. ## Tabla * A pair of drums (dayan - right, often made of wood; bayan - left, often made of metal). * Drumheads are covered with goat or cowhide. * Different parts of the drums produce different sounds. * Plays the tala (a cycle of beats) throughout the piece. ## Tamboura (or Tanpura) * Plays only the drone part. * Has four long strings that are plucked one after another. * Creates an atmosphere that sets the mode or scale of the raga. ## Surpeti * Small reed-free organ, no keys. * Uses hand-pumped bellows to produce a drone sound. * There is an electronic version used today. ## Top Indian Classical Music Players * **Ravi Shankar:** Received international fame as a sitar player, influenced by George Harrison. * **Annapurna Devi:** Shankar's former wife, exceptional sitar player. * **Anoushka Shankar:** Shankar's daughter, exceptional sitar player. * **Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain:** Legendary tabla players, both made the instrument more popular. ## Additional Notes * Traditional instruments such as tabla and sitar are now more prevalent in many contexts outside South Asia. * The focus in Hindustani music (northern India) is more on the solo singer who improvises. * Carnatic music (southern India) relies on a rigid musical structure, with vocals usually accompanied by instruments like violin, tambura, and veena. The rhythm (tala) is also crucial in Carnatic music and plays an important role to the mood. * The image shows various people playing the different instruments.