Goutam Hazra, a self motivated musician residing at a remote village of Namkhana Block, South 24 parganas, West Bengal, has experimented and proved such a new idea in music with EKTARA that may be unbelievable to all of us but it is true. He is from a Musical family but has not gone through the traditional learning method. As, from the childhood, he is very much passionate in music, basically in instrumental music; he has learned music himself from surroundings and his family background by his own efforts. Although, he is expert in playing various type of string instrument but where required he can perform vocal music also. In profession, he is a small businessman but his passion of music has inspired as well as compelled him to continue the culture of music with various musical experiments. Recently, he has almost completed his experiment on an ancient musical instrument manual/conventional EKTARA through making little bit modification of it; basically by addition of few extra components. Achievement of this experiment as follows:
Ektara (a kind of manual musical instrument made of stretched single string, empty gourd/pumpkin and a small part of a split bamboo) is a one string instrument most often used in traditional music from Bangladesh, India, Egypt and Pakisthan. It is an inevitable inseparable entangled instrument of the far –old singing such as Baul, Palligiti, Vatiali, Dhaki song, Sharingan etc, the capacitor and conductor of Indian culture. From the songs of Lalan Fakir to the world poet Rabindranath Tagore’s various composed story and song, the mention of the word “Ektara tune” is notable. The monk-compared Baul opera of Arjyabatya with Ektara in hand seems to be complement of each other. Ektara tune has changed the Bengali Loko Giti into a great spiritual feelings blended good hearing song. Now this Instrument can be used as a multi-toner instrument according the experiment of Sri Goutam Hazra.
Experiment & Result: • The music or tune of Hawaiian guitar can be played with the single string of Ektara. • Where any change in tune is required but which cannot be created in manual/conventional other instrument except key board or electronic instrument and processor, there it is possible only in conventional Ektara. • Violin music or tune can be played with conventional Ektara. • Any manual instrument cannot create duel tone. But in conventional Ektara, it is possible. The matter of creation of duel tone of the instruments like Guitar and Santoor with Ektara without any electronics musical support has been proved and it is the truth today.
Objective & Goal: Searching for an exposure to establish his new idea and experiment to all of us throughout country. He is ready to demonstrate his new invention to the interested Media / Reputed Musician also in musical exhibition throughout the country. Interested to develop as well as share & spread a concept of use of conventional/manual Ektara in different way to create the various tone of different stringing instrument but keeping the whole formation & tone of ancient Ektara intact. Want to see this new & proved concept as the part of subject of Indian Music in various Musical Institutions in future.
Few Advantages of This Musical Ektara: • Every manual musical instrument has its own fundamental, virtual and constructive tone feature; yet, the binding of the one string of Ektara, being a manual instrument is made itself variable. We find the pleasure of playing various manual musical instruments in conventional /manual Ektara.
• Economical advantages: If anyone doesn’t have sufficient financial support to buy the musical instrument but eagerly wish to learn as well as play those musical instruments, the following information & comparison are the solution. Say present prices of: Hawaiian guitar - Rs 3000/- (Minimum) Violin - Rs 5000/- (Minimum) Santoor - Rs 10000/- (Minimum)
Total Price of above those Instruments is Rs 18,000/- (Minimum)
But the making cost of Ektara is only Rs. 1,500/- along with pick up, Carry bag, violin bow, & Santoor stick which all are to be framed itself and all these tone / music can be played with this Ektara.
• Advantages to Carry: It works like 3 in 1 musical instrument. As three instruments are being played in one so, other musical hand with that particular musical instrument like Santoor, Violin etc which can be played in Ektara, are not always essential.
• Very Low Maintenance Cost: In case of Santoor, Guitar, as these instruments are configured by various types and many nos. of strings, hence, at the time of getting cut off the string, some time it is difficult to arrange the same string for these instruments instantly if it is not available with you. It will not be happened if the all type of strings is available with you always as spare, which is expensive compare to the maintenance cost of Ektara as it is configured by only single string.
• Tuning Time is less: For tuning purpose, it is time taking in case of Guitar, Violin etc as these are configured by so many strings But in case of Ektara being a single stringed manual musical instrument tuning, use and fixing as well as tuning of it are very easy and less time taking.
Bansuri
The bansuriis a transverse flute of India made from a single hollow shaft of bamboo with six or seven finger holes. An ancient musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral tradition, it is intimately linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha and is also depicted in Buddhist paintings from around 100 CE. The Bansuri is revered as Lord Krishna's divine instrument and is often associated with Krishna's Rasa lila; mythological accounts tell of the tunes of Krishna's flute having a spellbinding and enthralling effect not only on the women of the Braj, but even on the animals of the region. The North Indian bansuri, typically about 14 inches in length, was traditionally used as a soprano instrument primarily for accompaniment in lighter compositions including film music. The bass variety (approximately 30", tonic E3 at A440Hz), pioneered by Pannalal Ghosh has now been indispensable in Hindustani Classical music for well over half a century. Bansuris range in size from less than 12" to nearly 40".
History :
The word bansuri originates in the Sanskrit bans [bamboo] + sur [melody]. There are two varieties of bansuri: transverse, and fipple. The fipple flute is usually played in folk music and is held at the lips like a whistle. Because it enables superior control, variations and embellishments, the transverse variety is preferred in Indian classical music.
Pannalal Ghosh (1911–1960) elevated the Bansuri from a folk instrument to the stage of serious classical music.He experimented with the length, bore and number of holes, and found that longer length and larger bore allowed for better coverage of the lower octaves. He eventually pioneered longer bansuris with larger bores and a seventh hole placed a quarter turn inwards from the line of the other six finger holes.
Pandit Raghunath Prasanna (1913- June 1999) was an Indian classical shehnai and flute player. He was known for introducing the techniques of vocal and shehnai in flute playing, a new style of playing the Indianbansuri, different from the style of Pandit Pannalal Ghosh.
His flute playing has richly contributed by way of introducing novel techniques in blowing the flute, the manner of handling and fingering, methodical with emphasis on Gayaki Ang, the way of infusing shehnai techniques in flute playing particularly in playing the 'Jhala'- the fast pace culmination of a Raga. These novelties have gone a big way in strengthening the status of flute- from a folk instrument to the concert level.
He is mainly responsible for introducing various techniques of presenting light classical modes like thumri, chaiti, kajri and dhun in Bansuri playing, and play them with equal aplomb and telling effects.
Construction : Bansuri construction is a complex art. The bamboo suitable for making a bansuri needs to possess several qualities. It must be thin walled and straight with a uniform circular cross section and long internodes. Being a natural material, it is difficult to find bamboo shafts with all these characteristics, which in turn makes good bansuris rare and expensive. Suitable species of bamboo (such as Pseudostachyum) with these traits are endemic to the forests of Assam and Kerala.
After harvesting a suitable specimen, the bamboo is seasoned to allow naturally present resins to strengthen it. Once ready, a cork stopper is inserted to block one end, next to which the blowing hole is burnt in. The holes must be burnt in with red hot skewers since drilling causes the fibrous bamboo to split along the length, rendering it useless. The approximate positions of the finger holes are calculated by measuring the bamboo shaft's inner and outer diameters and applying certain formulae. Flute makers have only one chance to burn the holes, and a single mistake ruins the flute, so they usually begin by burning in a small hole, after which they play the note and using a chromatic tuner and a drone called tanpura, gradually make adjustments by sanding the holes in small increments. Once all the holes are perfected, the bansuri is steeped in a solution of antiseptic oils, after which it is cleaned, dried and its ends are bound with silk or nylon threads for both decoration as well as protection against thermal expansion.
Playing :Indian music is played in 3 octaves -- mandra (lower), madhya (middle), and taar (high) -- with ornamentations such as meends (glides) andgamaks (oscillations).
Bansuris range in length from less than 12 inches (called muralis) up to about 40 inches (shankha bansuris). 20-inch bansuris are common. Another common and similar Indian flute played in South India is the venu, which is shorter in length and has 8 finger holes (this type of Indian flute is played by the Carnatic musician Shashank Subramanyam). The index, middle, and ring fingers of both hands are usually used to finger the six hole bansuri. For the seven hole bansuri, the little finger (pinky) of the lower hand is usually employed. As with other air-reed wind instruments, the sound of a bansuri is generated from resonance 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 sargam 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 embouchure and controlling the blowing strength. Various grip styles are used by flutists to suit different lengths of Bansuris, the two prominent styles being the Pannalal Ghosh grip, which uses the fingertips to close the holes, and the Hariprasad Chaurasia grip, which uses the pads (flat undersides) of the fingers to close the holes. While playing, the sitting posture is also important in that one should be careful not to strain one's back over long hours of practice. The size of a Bansuri affects its pitch. Longer bansuris with a larger bore have a lower pitch and the slimmer and shorter ones sound higher.
In order to play the diatonic scale on a bansuri, one needs to find where the notes lie. For example, in a bansuri where Sa or the tonic 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 Raga music such as microtonal inflections, ornamentation, and glissando by varying the breath, performing fast and dextrous fingering, and closing/opening the holes with slow, sweeping gestures. These techniques are demonstrated by the famous Indian flautist Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia.
Care and maintenance : Since the bansuri is a natural woodwind instrument, it is prone to cracks and thermal stresses while playing.
Avoid playing in very cold conditions. This causes the bamboo to expand unevenly and develop cracks, because of the warm air blown into it.
Frequently oiling the bansuri is recommended as this conditions the bamboo and makes it to last longer. Usually, slight amount of mustard oil is used on the inside of the bansuri. Some bansuri players and makers prefer linseed oil or walnut oil to mustard oil, owing to its strong odour. Oiling must never be done on the threads or near the blowing hole on the inside. A small cotton swab (attached to any convenient piece of stick) soaked in the oil should be applied on the inside, about two inches away from the blowing hole. It must be made sure that the bansuri is cold (i.e., not recently played, because recently played bansuris have moisture on the bore surface) before oiling. After oiling is done, it is allowed to soak completely.
The frequency of oiling depends on the climatic conditions in which the bansuri is played. Dry hot climates require oiling as frequent as four to six times a year.
If, in case, cracks develop on the bansuri, they will most likely destroy the tuning of the bansuri. To prevent further damage due to cracks, apply instant glue (with lower viscosity, so that it can seep into the crack and bond it) on the crack and then bind the area with threads (nylon threads used in crochet can be used).