Located in Southern Asia, India is a culturally rich landscape characterised by local customs and diverse forms of artistic expression. In Indian music, centuries-old musical traditions that are unique in the world continue to thrive alongside Bollywood hits and Indian pop music.
Indian classical music has a modal structure. Generally, one instrument solos, while being accompanied by rhythm and a bed of sound. The Carnatic music from the southern part of India is a very traditional form of Indian music that is rich in embellishments. The improvisation-heavy Hindustani music in Northern India has strong influences from Persian culture, which you can hear immediately. So let’s take a look at the various traditional Indian musical instruments used in these styles.
Sitar
The sitar is usually the first instrument that people associate with Indian music. In the 1960s, George Harrison of the Beatles and Brian Jones of the Rolling Stones played the sitar in songs such as “Norwegian Wood” and “Paint it Black” and popularised it in the West, after they had been influenced by the sitar virtuoso Ravi Shankar, among others.
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Whether in Indian classical music or British rock, the sitar offers a unique sonic experience with its movable frets, gourd body, and vibrating resonance and drone strings. The sitar is tuned according to the respective school or tradition or simply the player’s preference.
As the theory of Indian classical music differs wildly from Western music and the strings are played in a unique way, the first steps can be a little tricky. In the end, however, you will be rewarded with the spherical, expressive sound of the sitar. At Thomann, you will find instruments for beginners and advanced players, all of which are thoroughly checked before shipping:
Tabla
One of the main instruments of Hindustani music is the tabla. A tabla set usually consists of two small, differently shaped drums. These are constructed of straps, wooden hoops, and tuning blocks. The black area in the centre of the playing surface consists of syahi, a kind of tuning paste. Tablas are mostly used as a rhythmic instrument to accompany dance, vocal, or instrumental performances. But the small drums are also sometimes used as a solo instrument.
Mastering the intricate rhythms and sounds of the tabla requires a complex playing technique, with the player’s fingers and palms forming various patterns. But don’t let this discourage you. Start practising right away with the tabla sets from Thomann.
Shruti Box
One very important element of Indian music are droning instruments that create a bed of fundamental pitches over which the other instruments can improvise. Traditionally, this position is occupied by the tanpura, a sitar-like stringed instrument without frets. Alternatively, the shruti box serves the same purpose and is mostly used to accompany singers. The handy portable box is equipped with reeds similar to those of a harmonium and is played by hand using a system of bellows. The continuous sound of the pipes can be set to the desired key using the buttons on the front.
The Shruti Box is also ideal for meditation and music therapy. By the way, the term “shruti” refers to the 22 microtones that divide an octave in Indian music theory. Hence the name of the instrument. Exciting, isn’t it?
Folk instruments at thomann.de
The experts in our folk instruments department will be happy to help if you’ve got any questions.
Feedback: Instruments & Music from India
You can find all these and many more exciting instruments from all over the world at thomann.de and in the Thomann shop in Treppendorf. We recommend giving us a call before visiting to make sure the instruments you want to try out are available. Our knowledgeable staff will be happy to help you. Have fun exploring!
About the Author Sophie
Sophie joined the String and World Instruments department at Thomann in 2018. Originally working as a specialist advisor in the field of violins and string instruments, her interest quickly shifted to the diverse ethnic instruments of various countries. Today, her small apartment resembles more of a museum, filled with musical instruments from around the world. Sophie plays the violin, saxophone, bass, guitar, Guzheng, Hulusi, and Ruan, among countless other instruments.
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