Information About

Tambura




The tambura is a type of String Instrument found in different versions in different places around the world; most are plucked Lutes .


BULGARIA

The .

A few other modifications are available: the cello-tambura - a synthetic instrument made for the first time somewhere in the early 50s by a player (most of those were part-time luthiers) in the Ensemble of the National Radio. It was build to fill in the frequency gap in the traditional Bulgarian folk band, has six strings tuned GDAE or GDAD in four courses - the first two strings are doubled and the lower two are single. Even today it is not a very common instrument, though a few bands in Bulgaria use it as a solo instrument. Its sound is much more mellow than the the Tambura, but also quite deep and rich in tone.
A few years later a bass-tambura was also made, again by the same person. It is actually a bass- Guitar , but with a pear-shaped hollow body.
Also there are the so called Pirin tamburas which only have six strings in three courses - usually tuned DAD - the two lower strings are used as drones and the first (and rarely the second) are used as melody strings.
There is another kind of synthetic instrument - the soprano-tambura which is actually something between Mandolin and Baglama - its higher pitch and strong, sharp sound are perfect for solos, but the instrument is not very common since it does not really sound too good if played alone. All the members of the Tambura family have no ribs. The body is normally made of single piece hardwood and is pear-shaped, but also there are old examples of luteback tamburas made with the technique of bending and gluing thin pieces of wood together.

The Bulgarian tambura is played in two ways. As an accompaniment instrument it is tuned similarly to the first four strings of a guitar and played as such. As a melody instument it is tuned in Fifth s, with the strings that are not being played for melody sounding as drones.

:See also Music Of Bulgaria .


BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA, CROATIA, AND SERBIA

See Also: Tamburitza


In Bosnia And Herzegovina , Croatia , and Serbia , especially their Pannonian parts Slavonia and Vojvodina , tambura (often referred to by the Diminutive ''tamburica'') are the basic instruments for traditional Folk Music . This usually performed by small Orchestras of three to ten members, but large orchestras capable of playing even Classical pieces arranged for tambura also exist.

There are several types of tambura, with three to four strings. The basic forms are ''samica'' (three double strings), ''bisernica'' (two double strings and two single strings; four tones), ''prim'' (one double string and three single strings; four tones), ''bas-prim'' or ''brač'' (two double strings and two single strings; four tones), ''čelović'' (two double strings and two single strings; four tones), ''čelo'' (four strings), ''bas'' or ''berda'' (four strings), and ''bugarija'' or ''kontra'' (one double string and three single strings; four tones). The names of the instruments and method of playing them depends on the Tuning of the strings.


INDIA


A tambura (South India) or tanpura (North India) is a long-necked India n Lute , unfretted and round-bodied. It has four or five (rarely, six) wire strings, which are plucked one after another to make a drone sound.

). Both the instrument and how it is played look very simple, though in fact it takes a lot of experience and a very good ear to tune and play the tanpura.

It is designed in three different styles:
  • ''Miraj style'': the favorite form of tanpura for Hindustani performers; it is usually between three to five feet in length, with a well-rounded Resonator plate (''tabali'') and a long, hollow straight neck. The round lower chamber to which the tabli and the neck (''dandh'') are fixed is actually a selected and dried Gourd (''tumba'').

  • ''Tanjore style'': this is a South India n style of tambura, used widely by Carnatic Music performers. It has somewhat different shape and style of decoration from that of the Miraj. Typically, no gourd is used, but the spherical part is gouged out of a solid block of wood.

  • ''Tamburi'': this style has became more popular recently, due to its small size and portability. It is two to three feet long, with a shallow resonator and a slightly curved ''tabali''. It may have from four to six strings. The small five-string tamburi are tuned to the higher octave and are the preferred instruments for providing the drone for solo-performances by string-playing artists, as the lighter, more transparent sound does not drown out the lower register of a Sitar , Sarod , or Sarangi .



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