Basic Instruments in Indian Classical Music: 

Part IV - Tanpura

Side view of Tanpura

Tanpura is the string instrument which does not play any song or different melodious group of notes, it is supporting instruments. It only plays Sa, Pa, Pa and Sa; continuously throughout the performance. 

Tanpura actual size: (female) L = 122 cm, W = 40 cm, D = 32 cm

Ready Crochet tanpura with size: L=20 cm, W = 6.3 cm and Diameter= 5.3 cm

First to know the name of each part of the tnpura in order to understand the description, let us have a look at this photo,

Material: Maroon /brown color for Dandi,  Golden color for resonator, light yellow for lower and upper bridge, tailpiece as well as some decorative part, crochet hook no. 11, wire, wooden stick, general needle, 4 small white beads, light ash color thread.

Finger Board / Dandi: With maroon or brown color make 10 ch and sc on each st starting from 2 nd. (thus 9sc) Ch 1 turn. Repeat this till the length becomes 14 cm.

First time I fill it with poly fiber and make complete tanpura but what I saw 😨, the tanpura didn't stand on its own. Thus the whole hard work is in vain. It was bending from the neck of Dandi.

So then I decided to insert a wooden stick in this Dandi. One more advantage of this is; 4 pegs found its holder!  

Front view

Turned the end 

Embroidery on pedals

Peg

Pegs: We make 4 pegs. Two pegs are in the upper portion 1 peg to the left and other to the right portion of the Dandi as shown in the photo.Take a piece of wire 6 cm turn one end to form knot there as shown in figure.With black color wool make a small crochet ball at one end with ch 2, then 3 hdc in second ch sl st in the first to close it.  Insert the knot part of the wire in a small black ball, we just made for peg, wrap the remaining wool to the wire and insert this in the dandi made above in proper place. Then wrap the remaining wire to the wooden stick to fix it. 

Make such 4 pegs and fix them in their places properly.

Resonator: Round 1: With golden color wool, magic ring of 6 sc. Ch 1 turn

Round 2: (sc 2 in the each st) repeat, close.(total 12 sts), ch 1,

Round 3: (sc 1 in each of the next 2 sts,sc 2 in next st), close,(total 16 sts), ch 1 turn,

Round 4: sc 1 in 6 sts, place marker pins at the first and the sixth st here. 1 hdc in the next st, 2 hdc in each of the next 6 sts, 1 hdc in the next st. (total 22 sts), ch 1,

Round 5: sc 1 in each of next 6 sts, (hdc 1 in each of 3 sts, hdc 2 in next) 3 times, hdc 1 in  3sts, (total 25 sts), ch 1,

Round 6: 1 sc in each of next 6 sts, dc 1 in each st, (total 25 sts), close, ch 1,

Round 7:1 sc in each of next 6 sts, (dc 1 in each of 4 sts, dc 2 in next) 3 times, dc 1 in next 4 sts, close, (total 28 sts), ch 1, 

Round 8: sc 1 in each of next 6 sts, hdc on each of 22 sts (total 28 sts). Ch 1 turn. 

Now we work only on 22 sts row wise, leaving 6 starting sts unworked.

Round 9: (sc 1 in each of 4 sts, 2 sc in each of next 3 sts, sc 1 in each of 4 sts) 2 times. (total 28 sts) Ch 1 turn.

Round 10: (sc 1 in 4 sts, 2 sc tog 3 times, sc 1 in 4 sts) 2 times (total 22 sts). Ch 1 turn

Round 11: sc 1 in 6 sts, 2 sc tog 5 times, sc 1 in 6 sts (total 17 sts). Ch 1 turn

Round 12: sc 1 in each of 2 sts, 2dctog 3 times, 1 sc, 2dctog 3 times, sc 1 in each of 2 sts (total 11 sts). ch 1 turn

Round 13: 2 sc tog, sc 1 in 7 sts, 2 sc tog. Bind off 9 sts.

Now we have to extend that dandi to cover the upper portion of resonator. Join the same wool as that of Dandi, to the last row of Dandi, at third chain from starting.

Upper cover of resonator: 

Row 1: sc 5 on 5 sts. Ch 1 turn. Put marker on the middle st of these 5 sts.

Row 2: sc 1 in each of 2 sts, sc 2 in next st, sc 1 in each of 2 sts. (6 sts). ch 1 turn,

Row 3: sc 2 in the first and the last sts, sc 1 on  all other sts. ( 8 sts) Ch 1 turn, 

Row 4: (sc 2 in 1 st and second st), sc 1 in each of next 4 sts, sc 2 in each of the next 2 sts, (12 sts). Ch 1 turn

Row 5: dc 2 in each of next 2 sts, hdc 1 in each of next 8 sts, dc 2 in each of next 2 sts. (16 sts)

Row 6, 7 and 8: sc 1 in the each st (16 sts) Ch 1 turn, 

Row 9; 2sctog, sc 1 in each st till last 2 sts, 2sctog, (14 sts), ch 1 turn

Row 10: As row 9, (12 sts) Ch 1 turn

Row 11: As row 9, (10 sts), ch 1 turn,

Row 12: As row 9, (8 sts), bind off.

Bridges: Upper bridge is worked only by chains with light yellow color.

Lower Bridge: Ch 4

Row 1: Sc 3 starting from second chain. Ch 1 turn

Row 2: Sc 3. Close.

Base of the lower bridge: (Make 2). Ch 3 and work 2 sc starting from second chain.

Tail piece: Ch 4

Row 1: Sc 3 starting from second chain. 

Remember that we have to sew 4 threads to this lower piece as 4 strings of tanpura.

Now by embroidery thread 

Embroidery: With embroidery off white yarn or if you have fine/ thin wool then with that, work front embroidery design as shown in front view of tanpura. Again I have small embroidery work on the two sides of neck band from front facing.

On real tanpura there can be seen beautiful designs on the front side of the resonator by tusk. If I make another piece of tanpura any time surely I will make better design on that. The gaps on the wool base do not allow me to work delicate design any way. 

Sew the upper cover of the resonator with our golden resonator. Also fill a light layer of fiber round the wooden stick and sew the Dandi.   

Five leaves part on back side: First I have tried to make this part separately and attached later on but that doesn't work. So I make it attaching and joining the parts. 

Join the dandi color to the first st where the cover of the resonator is extended. 

Row 1: sc 1 on 4 sts. ch 1 turn,

Row 2: (2 sc in next st, sc 1 in next) twice, (6 sts), ch 1 turn,

Row 3: (2 sc in next st, sc 1 in next) three times, (9 sts). Ch 1 turn,

Row 4: sc 1 in first, (sc 2 in each of next 3 sts, sc 1 in next) 2 times, (15 sts), ch 1 turn,

Row 5: sc 1 in each st, (15 sts), ch 1 turn,

Row 6: sc 1 in each of 3 sts, sc 2 in each of next 2 sts, sc 1 in each of next 2 sts, sc 2 in next st, sc 1 in each of next 2 sts, sc 2 in each of next 2 sts, sc 1 in each of next 3 sts, (20 sts)

Now we shall make five pedals.

Petal 1: 

R1: ch 1, sc 1 in each of the 4 sts, ch 1 turn,

R2: same as row 1, ch 1 turn,

R3: 2sctog 2 times (2 sts) ch 1 turn,

R4: 2sctog (1st), Bind off.

Repeat as in petal 1 and make such 4 more petals.

Fill the resonator by fiber and properly sew this five petal part to close the Tanpura completely. Also sew the five petals maintaining the shape of each pedal. 

Finishing: Then I work a long tail of chains with light yellow color. Sew it to the boarder all over from front side as well as on neck band and where there is upper bridge. Sew the lower bridge base and fix it. Sew the tail piece as seen in the photo. 

Then from lower bridge to tail piece sew 4 lines of single wool for the base of the 4 beads for fine tuning of tanpura. 

Strings: 

I] Take 4 small beads, thread them in a light ash color thread by small needle. Sew its one end at the right corner of the tail piece. (we shall sew one by one from right to left and go on passing string) Slide one bead and be it on the right most yellow yarn (out of 4 yarns we have already sewed in between lower base and tail piece) then let the ash color thread pass on lower bridge from right most position, pass the needle through upper base again from right most position and then join to the peg number 1 ( as in the photo). Twine it to the first peg 3-4 times and cut it properly. 

II] Then again sew the thread with beads to the second right position, slide one bead and be it on the second right yellow yarn then pass through lower base let it go to the peg 2 by passing needle through upper base, as shown in photo. Twine it to the second peg 3-4 times and cut it properly. 

III] Now again sew the beaded thread to the third position of the, slide one bead put it on the yellow yarn then pass the thread through lower base and let it go to the upper most top side position of the peg via upper base. 

IV] Lastly  forth bead in the same manner and twine it to the left most forth peg.

Small embroidery remains to work on those five petals as shown in the photo.

Waah! at last finally it is completed. 

The following video may help you to make this,