Sarangi tuner for Hindustani practice
A Hindustani sarangi is tuned around the chosen Sa rather than one universal concert-pitch chart. This page uses a chromatic reading so you can measure the notes your teacher, singer and instrument require.
Main-string relationships: a worked example
Illustration with the first playing string’s Sa = E3, not a fixed sarangi pitch. Physical playing-string order is 1, 2, 3. The note frequencies below use A4 = 440 Hz and equal temperament; follow the selected Sa and musical intonation.
| System | Playing string | Example note | Frequency (Hz) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chargha · Sa–Pa–Sa | 1 · sur / Sa | E3 | 164.81 |
| Chargha · Sa–Pa–Sa | 2 · middle / lower Pa | B2 | 123.47 |
| Chargha · Sa–Pa–Sa | 3 · kharaj / lower Sa | E2 | 82.41 |
| Sa–Ma–Sa alternative | 1 · sur / Sa | E3 | 164.81 |
| Sa–Ma–Sa alternative | 2 · middle / lower Ma | A2 | 110.00 |
| Sa–Ma–Sa alternative | 3 · kharaj / lower Sa | E2 | 82.41 |
Joep Bor — The Classical Sarangi, section 2.3, printed pp. 29–30
How to use it
- Identify the Hindustani instrument: a Nepali four-string sarangi has another layout.
- Take Sa from the singer or tanpura and confirm the required octave and main-string system.
- Keep concert transposition off, enable the microphone, and bow the first string steadily.
- Check the other two playing strings against the specified intervals, without fingernail contact.
- Tune one sympathetic string at a time using your teacher’s raga and string-placement chart, then recheck by bowing.
Help and explanations
Joep Bor describes two main-string systems: Sa–Pa–Sa, called chargha, and Sa–Ma–Sa as an alternative. The frequency table illustrates them with the first playing string’s Sa set to E3. These are calculated examples, not instructions to move every sarangi to E.
An explicit example instead of a compulsory key
For a first-string Sa of E3, the low-to-high chargha example is E2–B2–E3. The alternative with Ma gives E2–A2–E3. With A440 equal-tempered note names, those examples are measurable as 82.41, 123.47 and 164.81 Hz, or 82.41, 110 and 164.81 Hz. If your chosen Sa changes, all those relationships must follow it.
Bor explains that accompaniment follows the vocalist and may use another main string as the reference for transposition. George Howlett’s recording survey also documents variation in the sarangi’s Sa register. Establish your own instrument’s reference before changing tension; a screen showing the right letter in the wrong octave is not a reason to keep tightening.
The tarabs are not another fixed three-note preset
The classical instrument has many fine sympathetic strings arranged in distinct groups. Bor describes chromatic tuning for the main tarab group and raga-dependent choices for others, with further changes between solo and accompaniment. Keep a written map that connects every peg to its string, target note and octave.
Start with the main playing strings, then measure individual sympathetic strings by a light pluck. Let the preceding note decay before measuring the next. Finish by bowing the relevant main-string notes to check the actual resonance, then repeat the main-string check. A microphone cannot certify a complete tarab set from its ringing cloud, and equal-tempered labels do not decide raga intonation.
Tips
- Use an open string, with the stopping fingernail completely clear.
- Let the bow settle into a stable stroke before reading the pitch.
- Keep the selected Sa, octave and tarab map together for the next practice session.
Frequently asked questions
Is there one standard sarangi tuning?
No universal absolute pitch. Hindustani setups use a chosen Sa and specified main-string relationships.
What does chargha mean here?
The documented Sa–Pa–Sa main-string relationship. The E2 B2 E3 chart is an illustrative transposition of that relationship.
Why is no fixed string preset selected?
Sa and sympathetic-string choices depend on voice, setup and raga. Chromatic readings let you check those agreed notes.
Can it tune the whole tarab set at once?
Measure each string separately, then listen to its resonance under bowing. Simultaneous ringing is not a reliable individual-string check.
Is the Nepali sarangi the same?
No. Its four-string layout and tuning traditions should be checked separately from this Hindustani guide.