Indian Classical Music - Dhrupad Instruments: Rudra Veena, Tanpura, Surbahar

This site describes instruments that are mainly used in the Dhrupad genre of Indian Classical Music. Dhrupad enjoyed wide popularity in India till about the 18th century. At present Dhrupad has very few practitioners in India and is rarely heard in concerts there. Not surprisingly many of the instruments of Dhrupad are nearly extinct now in the sense of having few or no performers left such as the Sursringar. The most important instrument of solo dhrupad performance is the Rudra Veena. The bass sitar called Surbahar is also used to play Dhrupad style alap mostly by sitar players who claim to belong to Dhrupad lineages. In the picture is shown a sculpture of Goddess Sarasvati playing the Ekatantri veena, a fretless precursor of the Rudra Veena with a single string and single resonator that was played with a slide.

The Tanpura is a drone instrument that accompanies Dhrupad singing and is the most fundamental of all instruments of Indian Classical Music.. The most fundamental principles on which Indian classical music is based are embodied in the Tanpura. The curved bridge of the Tanpura and its unusual shape produce a sound that is very rich in overtones. When a string of the Tanpura is plucked what is produced is not a pure note fixed in pitch, but a note that oscillates by a miniscule amount owing to the curved bridge. In this way the Tanpura embodies the concept of a note that is not fixed but is fluid with infinite microtonal shades. The tuning of the Tanpura is a complex task and advanced practitioners of Dhrupad especially in the Dagar Tradition -can tune a Tanpura to reflect the flavour of the raga to be performed. Here a few tanpuras made by a famous maker from miraj in India are on offer for private sale. The Tanpuras on offer are of a high quality and many famous Indian musicians get their Tanpuras made by this craftsman from Miraj. please click on the link below for details. Also on offer are a few Surbahars and Rudra Veenas including veenas made by the famous Calcutta veena maker late Murarimohan Adhikari the last master craftsman of the house of Kanailal and brother.

contact gsnellgrove(at)gmail.com

( a few instruments are on offer for private sale)

Tanpura

Surbahar

Rudra Veena (traditional)

Rudra Veena( Dagar Style)