Timbre in Indian Music

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Timbre

Melody:

Sitar - A long-necked, plucked string instrument with a gourd sound box. There are 6/7 main strings which are plucked with a wire plectrum. There is also a set of 12 sympathetic strings running beneath the main strings which vibrate 'in sympathy' when the main strings are played. This gives the instrument it's characteristic distorted 'wangy' sound. A common playing technique is to alter the pitch of a note by pulling the string across the fret (pitch-bending). Another technique is a microtonal slide or portamento (meend)

Sarangi - A small fretless bowed string instrument. It is held upright in the player's lap.

Bansuri - A bamboo flute without keys.

Shenhai - A double-reed instrument, like an oboe without keys.

Voice - The most highly regarded of the Indian musical instruments. All other instruments are ranked according to how close their timbre resembles the human voice

Accompaniment:

Tabla- The main drums used in classical North Indian music. There are two drums of different sizes, the table is the smaller drum, the baya the larger one. The drum heads are made out of skin with a paste of iron filings and flour in the center. The tabla drum is made out of wood and the baya is made of metal.

Dhol - A large double-headed barrel drum, used in the Punjabi region of India in performances of Bhangra.

Drone:

Tambura/tempura - Similar in shape to the sitar, but with a smaller sound-box and a longer neck. It only has four strings which are tuned to the drone notes of the chosen rag.

Misc:

Sarod - Smaller than the sitar and has a fretless metal fingerboard which enables the player to slide his fingernails up and down the strings (meend). Like the sitar it has both plucked and sympathetic strings.

Harmonium - A reed organ that uses bellows to generate wind to activate the reeds. Missionaries introduced a larger instrument in the 19th century. This was adapted to make a small, portable version which is played by pumping the bellows with one hand while the other hand plays the keyboard.

Meend - Sliding between notes, a common playing technique especially on the sarod which doesn't have frets.

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