Use the KalaSudha online tanpura

The KalaSudha tanpura plays a tanpura drone in your browser, free and with no account. Open the online tanpura, choose your Sa and press Play. The drone keeps going while you sing or play, and you can change the tuning, the strings and the sound as it runs.

Start the drone

1. Go to the tanpura page.
2. Under Tuning, open Sa and pick your note. Each note shows its harmonium key and kattai number, for example "C# · Kali 1 · 1½ kattai".
3. Choose the Register: Lower or Higher.
4. Press Play. Press it again to pause.

Tune the strings

• Fine-tune moves Sa up or down by up to 50 cents, to match an instrument that sits between two notes.
• First string sets the first string to Pa, Ma, Ni or Sa. Pa suits most ragas. Ragas that leave out Pa take Ma or Ni.
• Strings sets four, five or six strings. With five or six, choose the note of the fifth and sixth strings.
• Time between plucks sets how fast the strings are plucked, from 0.6 to 2 seconds.

Not sure which first string a raga needs? Its raga page lists the notes the raga uses.

Shape the sound

• Volume sets the overall level.
• Jawari sets the buzz of the strings. Turn it up for a brighter, buzzing tone.
• Room places the drone in a dry space, a room or a hall.
• String volume sets each string on its own, so you can bring one forward.

If this does not work

The page says the browser cannot play the tanpura

Open the page in a current version of Chrome, Safari, Edge or Firefox.

I press Play and hear nothing

Check that your device is not muted and that Volume sits above zero. Then reload the page and press Play again.

Still stuck? See Contact us.