Tanpura tuner: Pa–sa–sa–Sa
The tanpura (called tambura in South India) plays no melody: its four open strings, plucked in a slow cycle, hold a drone of Sa and usually Pa. The standard tuning is Pa–sa–sa–Sa. The 1st string sounds the lower Pa, the 2nd and 3rd strings (the jora) sound your Sa, and the thick 4th string (the kharaj) sounds Sa one octave lower. This page opens with Sa = C♯3: G♯2, C♯3, C♯3 and C♯2.
Tanpura Pa tuning for common Sa choices
Pa–sa–sa–Sa with equal-tempered frequencies at A4 = 440 Hz. For the Ma tuning the 1st string goes a whole tone lower than Pa; for the Ni tuning it goes one semitone below the jora Sa.
| Sa | String 1 · Pa | Strings 2–3 · sa (jora) | String 4 · Sa (kharaj) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C3 | G2 · 98.00 Hz | C3 · 130.81 Hz | C2 · 65.41 Hz |
| C♯3 | G♯2 · 103.83 Hz | C♯3 · 138.59 Hz | C♯2 · 69.30 Hz |
| D3 | A2 · 110.00 Hz | D3 · 146.83 Hz | D2 · 73.42 Hz |
| G♯3 | D♯3 · 155.56 Hz | G♯3 · 207.65 Hz | G♯2 · 103.83 Hz |
| A3 | E3 · 164.81 Hz | A3 · 220.00 Hz | A2 · 110.00 Hz |
| A♯3 | F3 · 174.61 Hz | A♯3 · 233.08 Hz | A♯2 · 116.54 Hz |
How to use it
- In Tuning, pick the 1st-string note and your Sa, for example Pa tuning · Sa C♯3. Use the Sa of your teacher, harmonium or shruti box.
- Tap Turn on microphone. Damp the other strings with your hand, pluck one string gently and read the needle after the buzzy attack has settled.
- Tune the jora (strings 2 and 3) to Sa first, then the kharaj exactly one octave lower, then the 1st string. Tap a string button and press Play to hear its target.
- Use the pegs to get close and the beads (manka) for the fine adjustment. Then play the whole cycle and correct by ear until the combined drone sounds steady, without beating.
Help and explanations
The tanpura has no standard pitch, so C♯3 is only our starting preset. Male singers often take Sa somewhere around C3 to D♯3 (some go lower), and female singers usually about a fifth higher, around G3 to B3. In Tuning you choose your Sa and whether the 1st string goes to Pa, Ma or Ni. Only the 1st string changes from raga to raga; strings 2, 3 and 4 always stay on Sa.
Pa, Ma or Ni on the 1st string
Most ragas use the Pa tuning. For ragas that leave out Pa, such as Malkauns, the 1st string is tuned down to the natural fourth, Ma: with Sa = C♯3 that is F♯2. Many evening ragas, such as Marwa or Puriya, use the lower shuddha Ni. With Sa = C♯3 the tuner shows that Ni as C3, the same key as B♯2. Treat these raga pairings as teaching examples, not fixed rules: sources disagree on some ragas, and some singers keep the Pa tuning for everything.
Tuned by ear, a pure Pa (3:2) sits about 2 cents above the equal-tempered target shown here, a pure Ma (4:3) about 2 cents below, and a resonant shuddha Ni (15:8) about 12 cents below. Use the tuner to put each string on the right note and octave, then make the last small adjustment by ear. Five-string tanpuras add a second variable string (Pa with Ni, Ma with Ni, or Ma with Dha), and 6- or 7-string instruments have no single tuning: check those strings with the chromatic tuner.
The kharaj is the low Sa, not the high one
The thick 4th string, usually brass or bronze, sounds Sa an octave below the jora pair. On a male tanpura with Sa = C♯3 it sits at about 69 Hz (C♯2). Phone and laptop microphones pick up such low notes weakly, and the jawari bridge makes every string rich in overtones, so the display can jump to C♯3 or another harmonic. Check the octave and the Hz as well as the note name, and never tighten a thick string by a whole octave to follow a jumpy reading.
The tuner only measures pitch. It cannot judge the jawari or the cotton threads (jiva); slide the threads after the strings are at pitch. Tune in the position you play in, because lifting or laying down the tanpura afterwards can shift the pitch. New strings stretch, so retune them several times while they settle.
Tips
- Choose Sa before touching a peg: every target follows from it. If your harmonium or shruti box is not at A4 = 440 Hz, change the A reference so the targets match its Sa.
- Turn off any electronic tanpura, shruti box or second tanpura while measuring: the microphone follows the louder drone. Afterwards you can sing against the online tanpura drone.
- If the middle pair seems to need far too much tension, you are aiming an octave too high: with Sa = C♯ on a male tanpura the jora sound C♯3, not C♯4.
Frequently asked questions
What are the tanpura string notes?
In the Pa tuning, from the 1st to the 4th string: Pa, sa, sa, Sa. With Sa = C♯3 that is G♯2, C♯3, C♯3 and C♯2; with Sa = C3 it is G2, C3, C3 and C2.
What scale should a tanpura be tuned to for male and female voices?
There is no fixed pitch. Many men choose a Sa between C and D♯, many women one between G and B. Choose the Sa that puts your main octave comfortably in the middle of your chest voice, then keep it.
Which string is the kharaj?
The thick 4th string. It sounds Sa one octave below the two middle strings, so with Sa = C♯3 it is C♯2, about 69.30 Hz.
Can a tuner tune a tanpura perfectly?
It gets every string onto the right note and octave quickly. Finish by ear: pure Pa, Ma and Ni differ by a few cents from equal temperament, and only your ear can judge the jawari buzz.