school The Divine Foundation: Adhara Shadjam & Overtones
In Carnatic music, all melodic movement begins and ends in Adhara Shadjam (the fundamental tonic). Unlike Western harmonic music where the tonic can shift between key changes, Indian classical music is strictly modal and grounded in an unwavering drone.
The acoustic Tambura produces a rich harmonic cascade through the Jivari (thread placed on the bridge), generating overtones that align the singer or instrumentalist with the cosmic sound (Nada Brahma).
Standard String Tunings:
The acoustic Tambura produces a rich harmonic cascade through the Jivari (thread placed on the bridge), generating overtones that align the singer or instrumentalist with the cosmic sound (Nada Brahma).
Standard String Tunings:
- Panchama Sruti (Pa-Sa-Sa-Sa): The most common tuning (Pa - Madhya Sa - Madhya Sa - Mandra Sa). Used for sampurna ragas containing Panchamam.
- Madhyama Sruti (Ma-Sa-Sa-Sa): Used when singing or playing ragas without Panchamam (such as Hindolam or Shuddha Saveri) or for Panchama-varjya ragas.
- Nishada Sruti (Ni-Sa-Sa-Sa): Used for ragas like Madhyamavati or Bhupalam where Nishadam creates a distinct meditative atmosphere.