Highlights
1. The Tambura and Veena are two types of musical instruments used in India. The Tambura is a plucked stringed instrument used to fix the voice alignment during a musical performance, while the Veena is also a plucked stringed instrument used in the Carnatic music tradition.
2. The Tambura is a long necked plucked lute with no frets, resembling the Sitar. It has four or five wire strings, which are plucked in succession to create harmonic resonance on the basic note called the Shruti. The Tambura comes in different sizes, with male and female singers using different sizes.
3. The Veena comes in various varieties, such as Rudra Veena, Saraswati Veena, and Raghunatha Veena. The Tanjore Veena, used in performances, is the most well-known standard size. The Veena is popular in Carnatic music and is associated with religious and mythological characters in India.
Introduction
Tambura and Veena are two types of musical instruments used in India. Tambura is a plucked stringed instrument primarily used to fix the voice alignment during a performance, while Veena is a plucked stringed instrument used in Carnatic music.
Tambura
Tambura is a long-necked plucked lute that resembles the body of a Sitar. It has no frets like the Veena and usually has four or five wire strings. These strings are plucked in sequence to create a harmonic resonance on the basic note called the Shruti.
The size of Tamburas differs for male and female vocalists. The Tambura used by male singers has an open string length of approximately one meter, while the Tambura used by female singers is three-fourths the size of the male Tambura.
The word “tambura” is a combination of the words “tan” and “pura”, where “tan” refers to the musical phrase and “pura” means “full”. Tambura comes in three different styles: the Tanjore style, Tamburi, and Miraj style. The Miraj style is used by classical Hindustani musicians, the Tanjore style is used by Carnatic musicians, and Tamburi is used as an accompaniment for instrumental soloists.
In the early stages of music practice, Tambura is often replaced by the harmonium. Skilled Tambura players assist the main performer with precision and dedication, earning recognition for their contribution to music.
Veena
There are different types of Veena, such as Rudra Veena, Saraswati Veena, and Raghunatha Veena. The well-known Tanjore Veena, used in performances, comes in one standard size.
Veena is a popular instrument in Carnatic music, with renowned musicians like Dhanammal, Emani Sankara Sastri, Chittibabu, and Mysore Doreswamy Iyengar making significant contributions to Veena music.
Veena is also associated with religious and mythological figures in India. The goddess of Learning, Saraswathi, is often depicted with a Veena on her lap. Sage Narada is known to always carry his Veena, and Ravana, the king of Lanka, is said to be an expert Veena player. His brother Vibheeshana is also believed to be skilled in playing the Veena.
