The tanpura is a drone instrument of Indian music prevalent in both the Hindustani and the Carnatic systems. It plays an important role in a concert of classical music by providing the base note (adharaswara) and by creating an aesthetic ambience on the stage. A well-tuned tanpura can emit possibly all the seven notes of
A two-headed hand drum, Dholak is a folk percussion instrument. Around 45 cm in length and 27 cm in breadth, it is widely used in qawwali, kirtan, lavani and bhangra. The smaller surface of the dholak is made of goat skin for sharp notes while the bigger surface is made of buffalo skin for low
the classical drum of South Indian music is the mridanga. This is an indispensable accompaniment in the concerts of both the vocal and instrumental music in south India. It is also known by the name of maddal or maddalam. The body of the mridangam is scooped out of a single block of wood. Jackwood or
Harmonium is a stringed instrument made of wood, metal, brass, and cloth. A kind of a portable wooden box, it was originated in West Bengal. The harmonium has thus become an integral part of Indian Music. It is extensively used to accompany folk, classical, Sufi, and ghazal compositions for both music and dance. The keys
