Question

write a short note on any two of the following and make a diagram by labelling it. any 2 . a ) harmonium , b ) table, c ) sitar, d ) tanpura.

Answer 1

A sitar is an Indian musical instrument with two layers of strings, a long neck, and a round body.The sitar is a plucked stringed instrument used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument flourished under the Mughals and it is named after a Persian instrument called the setar(meaning three strings). The sitar flourished in the 16th and 17th centuries and arrived at its present form in 18th-century India. It derives its distinctive timbre and resonance from sympathetic strings, bridge design, a long hollow neck and a gourd-shaped resonance chamber. In appearance, the sitar is similar to the tanpura, except that it has frets.

Harmonium a keyboard instrument in which the notes are produced by air driven through metal reeds by foot-operated bellows.A harmonium, also called a "melodeon", "reed organ" or "pump organ", is a keyboard instrument that is a lot like an organ. It makes sound by
blowing air through reeds, which are tuned to different pitches to make musical notes.

Hope it helps......

Answer 2

Tanpura

shown in the picture are some parts of a Tanpura. A Tanpura is a very vital instrument in a Hindustani music a concert. It gives a scale or a constant vibrating note to the singer. Now I’ll explain each part and their use one by one. Starting from the left side of the picture and moving anti-clockwise-

Tuning Pegs – There are generally 4 pegs in a tanpura or sometimes maybe 6 too as per the number of strings in the tanpura. Each string is attached to one tuning peg at the top of the tanpura. These pegs are used to tune the strings of a tanpura to a particular note.

Strings – There are 4-6 strings in a tanpura. As told before also the strings are tuned to a particular set of notes. The 1st string is tuned to Pa or the Ma of the lower octave (Mandra Saptak). The 2nd and the 3rd strings are tuned to the Sa of the middle/singing octave (Madhya Saptak). These two strings are also known as the air strings or the Jodi ki taar. The 4th and the last string is tuned to the Sa of the lower octave (Mandra Saptak). If there are 6 strings then 2 more middle octaves Sa are added along with the jodi ki taar.

Tabli- The face of the Tanpura is known as tabli. This is made up from wood and is the frontal designed part of the tanpura.

Beads and Threads- The strings of the tanpura starts from the tuning pegs and go up till the base of the tanpura and are tied up there with the help of an iron nail. On the face of the tanpura (tabli) there is a bead in each string and a soft thin thread is inserted in between the strings and the wood. These are very essential components of a tanpura as they help in very fine tuning of the strings. A slight change in the position of these beads and threads can detune the instrument.

Tumba- Tumba or the base of the tanpura is hollow and made up of a Gourd or a pumpkin.

Gul- It is the point where the tumba of the tanpura ends and the neck of the tanpura start. It is the connecting point between the base and the neck of the tanpura.

Daand- It is the long part of the tanpura also known as the neck of the tanpura.

Parts of Tanpura
Parts of Tanpura
Above shown in the picture are some parts of a Tanpura. A Tanpura is a very vital instrument in a Hindustani music a concert. It gives a scale or a constant vibrating note to the singer. Now I’ll explain each part and their use one by one. Starting from the left side of the picture and moving anti-clockwise-

Tuning Pegs – There are generally 4 pegs in a tanpura or sometimes maybe 6 too as per the number of strings in the tanpura. Each string is attached to one tuning peg at the top of the tanpura. These pegs are used to tune the strings of a tanpura to a particular note.
Strings – There are 4-6 strings in a tanpura. As told before also the strings are tuned to a particular set of notes. The 1st string is tuned to Pa or the Ma of the lower octave (Mandra Saptak). The 2nd and the 3rd strings are tuned to the Sa of the middle/singing octave (Madhya Saptak). These two strings are also known as the air strings or the Jodi ki taar. The 4th and the last string is tuned to the Sa of the lower octave (Mandra Saptak). If there are 6 strings then 2 more middle octaves Sa are added along with the jodi ki taar.
Tabli- The face of the Tanpura is known as tabli. This is made up from wood and is the frontal designed part of the tanpura.
Beads and Threads- The strings of the tanpura starts from the tuning pegs and go up till the base of the tanpura and are tied up there with the help of an iron nail. On the face of the tanpura (tabli) there is a bead in each string and a soft thin thread is inserted in between the strings and the wood. These are very essential components of a tanpura as they help in very fine tuning of the strings. A slight change in the position of these beads and threads can detune the instrument.
Tumba- Tumba or the base of the tanpura is hollow and made up of a Gourd or a pumpkin.
Gul- It is the point where the tumba of the tanpura ends and the neck of the tanpura start. It is the connecting point between the base and the neck of the tanpura.
Daand- It is the long part of the tanpura also known as the neck of the tanpura
----------------Or----------
Tanpura is a drone instrument.  It resembles a sitar except it has no frets.  It has four strings tuned to the tonic.  The word "tanpura" (tanpoora) is com­mon in the north, but in south India it is called "tambura", "thamboora", "thambura", or "tamboora".  The tanpura is known for its very rich sound.  There are three main styles; the Miraj style, the Tanjore style and the small instrumental version some­times called tamburi.