The tanpura (tambura) is a plucked string instrument, the indispensable foundation of the classical music of India. It has a long neck, a large resonating body, and usually four or five strings, but, unlike other instruments, the tanpura plays neither melody nor rhythm.
Its single yet all-important task is to create a continuous, hypnotic drone: the musician plucks the strings one after another without haste, and the dense weave of overtones forms a constant harmonic background. Upon this “sonic canvas” unfolds the entire improvisation of the solo vocalist or instrumentalist, who constantly checks their intonation against the unchanging sound of the tanpura. This creates the atmosphere of contemplation and concentration characteristic of Indian music, and the continuous sound itself has an almost meditative, spiritual nature.
