All scales of Bansuris in a set The flute is discussed as an important musical instrument in the (200 BCE to 200 CE), the classic Sanskrit text on music and performance arts. The flute (Venu or Vamsa) is mentioned in many Hindu texts on music and singing, as complementary to the human sound and (vaani-veena-venu).
The features of this site include a growing library of bansuri music,improvisations of the Ragas for the beginners and advanced learners in Bansuri.
The flute is however not called bansuri in the ancient, and is referred to by other names such as nadi, tunava in the (1500–1200 BCE) and other Vedic texts of, or as venu in post-Vedic texts. The flute is also mentioned in various and texts. According to, a music historian and ethnomusicologist, the ancient surviving sculptures and paintings in the temples and archaeological sites of India predominantly show transverse flutes being played horizontally (with a downward tilt). However, beginning in the 15th century, vertical end blowing style are commonly represented.
This change in the relevance and style of bansuri is likely, states Nettl, because of the arrival of Islamic rule era on the Indian subcontinent and the West Asian influence on North Indian music. Construction. Bansuri is traditionally made from bamboo A bansuri is traditionally produced from a special type of bamboo, that naturally grows to long lengths between its nodes (knots). These grow abundantly in Himalayan foothills up to about 11,000 feet with high rainfall. These are particularly found in the northeastern (near Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, Tripura) and Western Ghats (near Kerala) states of India where numerous bamboo species grow with internodal lengths greater than 40 centimetres (16 in). The harvested bamboo with a desired diameter is cut, dried and treated with natural oils and resins to strengthen it.
Once ready, the artisans examine the smoothness and straightness and measure the dried hollow tube. They mark the exact positions for the holes, then use hot metal rod skewers of different diameters to burn in the holes.
Drilling and other methods of hole making are avoided as it is believed they damage the fiber orientation and the splits affects the music quality. The burnt-in holes are then finished by sanding, one end plugged, the flute ringed at various positions to stabilize its form and shape over time and the unit tested for its musical performance.
The distance of a finger-hole from the mouth-hole, and the diameter of the finger-hole controls the note it plays. Adjustments to the diameters of various holes is made by the artisans to achieve purity of the musical notes produced. The wall thickness of the bansuri determines the tone, range and octave tuning. Once all the holes have reached the their performance range, the bansuri is steeped in natural oils, cleaned, dried and decorated or bound with silk or nylon threads. There are two varieties of bansuri:.
The fipple flute is usually played in and is held at the lips like a. Because the transverse variety enables superior control, variations and embellishments, it is preferred in Indian classical music. The swara notes as designed into a bansuri (descending representation). Musical notes Six holes are sufficient to produce the seven basic: sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni. When all holes are closed, it produces the bass scale that is the root note of the bansuri ( pa). With one hole farthest from the closed end of the bansuri open, the instrument plays the dha. Similarly, ni is produced with two farthest holes open, sa with three farthest open, ri with four, ga with five, and ma is produced with all holes open.
Every bansuri by its design and construction has a specific key and tonal center, corresponding to sa ( shadja, natural tonic) of the swara scale. This key is achieved by variations in length, inner diameter of the instrument and the relative size and placement of the finger holes. This allows the musician to select a bansuri constructed in the key of the music she wants to create and share.
South Indian, E-key (39 sec) Problems playing these files? A bansuri is typically held horizontally slanting downwards towards right by the bansuri player. The index, middle and ring fingers of the right hand cover the outer fingerholes, while the same fingers of the left hand cover the rest. The bansuri is supported by the thumb and little finger, while the airhole is positioned near the lips and air blown over it at various speeds to reach the desired octave.
For the seven-hole bansuri, the little finger of the right hand is usually employed. Fingering chart for a bansuri As with other air-reed, the sound of a bansuri is generated from of the air column inside it. The length of this column is varied by closing or leaving open, a varying number of holes. Half-holing is employed to play flat or minor notes.
The 'sa' (on the Indian scale, or equivalent 'do' on the octave) note is obtained by covering the first three holes from the blowing-hole. Octaves are varied by manipulating one's and controlling the blowing strength. Either finger tips or finger pads are used by bansuri players to partially or fully cover the tap holes.
In order to play the scale on a bansuri, one needs to find where the notes lie. For example, in a bansuri where Sa or the is always played by closing the first three holes, is equivalent to C, one can play sheet music by creating a finger notation that corresponds to different notes. A flutist is able to perform complex facets of music such as, and by varying the breath, performing fast and dextrous fingering, and closing/opening the holes with slow, sweeping gestures. See also. References.