Tanpura
Tanpura is a traditional musical instrument that people play in India. It is a long, skinny instrument with four strings and no frets. It doesn't make a melody like other instruments you might know, like a piano or a guitar. Instead, it helps musicians keep track of the beat and tune their voices or other instruments to the right notes.
Here's how it works: when a musician wants to sing or play a melody, they start by playing a few notes on the tanpura. The tanpura strings are tuned to specific notes, and when they vibrate, they create a kind of musical background that sounds like a low-flying airplane. This sound is called the "drone," and it helps other musicians stay in tune and on beat while they play their own melodies.
Sometimes the musician playing the tanpura also sings or chants along with the other players, but most of the time they just play the drone in the background. It might sound like they aren't doing much, but the tanpura is actually a really important part of Indian classical music. Without it, music would sound a lot different and it would be much harder for players to stay in sync with each other.
Here's how it works: when a musician wants to sing or play a melody, they start by playing a few notes on the tanpura. The tanpura strings are tuned to specific notes, and when they vibrate, they create a kind of musical background that sounds like a low-flying airplane. This sound is called the "drone," and it helps other musicians stay in tune and on beat while they play their own melodies.
Sometimes the musician playing the tanpura also sings or chants along with the other players, but most of the time they just play the drone in the background. It might sound like they aren't doing much, but the tanpura is actually a really important part of Indian classical music. Without it, music would sound a lot different and it would be much harder for players to stay in sync with each other.