BANSURI

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Sound Sample

CONSTRUCTION OF THE BANSURI AND PLAYING TECHNIQUE
The majority of Bansuris are made of an untreated piece of bamboo cane around which strings are tightly wrapped in several places. This is to prevent the bamboo cane from cracking. The Bansuri has a mouthpiece that is played in a similar way as the western transverse flute and either 6 or 7 finger-holes. These have to be precisely covered either fully or half by the phalanxes of the fingers and not by the fingertips. This technique also simplifies the playing of longer Bansuris. By fluent movements of the fingers the typical sliding transitions between notes, so typical of Indian music, are achieved. The basic note given by us describes the Indian note "Sa" which is obtained by closing the first three finger-holes and then blowing the Bansuri. If you have experience in playing a transverse flute, this will be advantagous for learning how to play the Bansuri.

HISTORY OF THE BANSURI
Up to the 20th century the Bansuri was regarded as a purely folkloristic instrument. Great Bansuri maestros such as mainly Pannalal and Hariprasad Chaurasia, further developped the playing technique of the Bansuri in such a way that the status as a classical instrument was achieved. Thanks to Hariprasad Charasia the repertoire of the instrument was extended by elements from the style of the plucked stringed instruments and by elements from the Dhrupad-Alap. Pannalal Ghosh, on the other hand, adapted the Khyal singing style and thus enriched the repertoire. As solo instruments mostly the longer Bansuris are in use whose basic note usually is D - E.

DIFFERENT QUALITIES OF BANSURIS
The main features of a goos Bansuri quality are durabiltiy, the abiltiy to vibrate and precision of the vibration. The choice of the bamboo in manufacturing is also an important quality factor. TARANG offer both, plain Bansuris from India, and also instruments for professional requirements with precise tuning, every one of which is checked by an Indian Bansuri maestro regarding quality. The standard quality of the Indian Bansuris produce a quite beautiful sound, but their tuning is often not exactly to the western standard notes. It can happen that they sometimes sound slightly out of tune. Inspite of this we have a good quality on offer which is appropriate to the price.

MAINTAINING TIPS FOR THE BANSURI
As Bansuris are made out from a natural material it is recommend to follow some instructions for longevity of the instrument and obtaining the good quality. It is recommend to avoid sudden changes in temperature (from very cold to very warm). Before playing the Bansuri let it stay and adjust to the new environment. The it is suggested to oil the inner side of the Bansuri. Please follow the following instructions:

1. The oil should be of good quality, any nutoil you can use.
2. The oil must be such in quantity that it must not be too wet
3. It is very much necessary that the Bansuris must be dried after oiling
4. If regularly playing then the bansuri should be oiled first after 1 month, then 2 months and then after 3 months
5. If not regularly playing (say for one year) then one should oil it regularly after 2 months.
6. For oiling, take a stick,thin (so that it can get inside the hole easily), about the size bigger than the Bansuri,tie a piece of cotton at its anterior end and dip it in the oil. Then with that, oil the Bansuri only from the inside.

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TARANG offers on principle only high-qualtiy musical instruments. This is made possible by close personal contact to the suppliers and a strict selection of the instruments that are included in our range of goods. We do not offer any instruments which reach the west from unknown sources via importers and which are often resold by middlemen without any quality check and setting of the instrument. The demand from the west is relatively high in India. The purchase prices are negotiated to the lowest limit by the western countries, especially for high ordered quantities. This has effects on the required care and circumspection in craftsmanship, on the experience and mentality of the commissioned manufacturer and the use of parts of the instruments that are often of a poor qualtity. Irrespective of the qualification of the skill in craftsmanship, this leads, in some cases, to results that do not deserve the name instrument. Thus it is easily comprehensible that it is essential, when bying an Indian instrument, to know the sources. TARANG only supplies instruments from indisputable sources. All instruments are delivered adjusted and ready to be played.

Of course, we understand that somebody who purchases an instrument is also dependent on accessories and spare parts. Also in this respect we can satisfy the needs of our customers. Should an instrument be defective at any time, we can arrange for appropriate restoration. As a rule we can deliver any instrument offered on our website within 1 - 2 weeks. Our international lists of teachers enable everybody to find information about a teacher in their proximity. You can expect from us: reasonable prices, prompt service and straightforward processing of purchase and delivery.

The financial aspect also has to be mentioned. Despite the high quality we offer, we also do our best to offer you these instruments at very competitive and reasonable prices.