How to Tune the Tambura

The term tambura refers to one of any number of musical instruments found from Eastern Europe to India. Tamburas are all basically the same regardless of which part of the world they come from. They're stringed instruments with long necks and 4 tuning keys. All tamburas can be tuned the same way to produce a fairly uniform sound.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Melody instrument

1. Use a melody instrument, such as a keyboard or sitar, to help tune the tambura.

2. Find the key notes on the melody instrument. You'll usually tune your tambura to D and A, although you can use different tuning notes if you prefer.

3. Play the tuning note on the melody instrument then play the same note on the tambura. Adjust the tuning on the tambura using the tuning keys as the note resonates on the string.

4. Adjust the tuning with the fine tuning bead at the bottom of the string if it remains sharp or flat after tuning with the tuning key.

5. Continue making minor adjustments to the tuning key and fine tuning bead until the tuning is correct.

6. Move the strings that are tied to the bottom of the instrument strings until you have your desired amount of resonance.

Tips & Warnings

• Remember that the last string on the tambura is an octave lower than the other strings, so you'll need to tune it to a note that's an octave lower on the melody instrument.
• Play the note on the melody instrument followed by the same note on the tambura several times to ensure that you've tuned it correctly. After tuning is complete, the tambura should carry the same pitch as the melody instrument.

Resources

• Tambura Tuning Explanation
• Tambura Tuning Demonstration