![]() In fact, Missy Elliott’s 2001 superhit “Get Ur Freak On” features a sample of a punjabi tumbi as the main instrumental hook. This body of text has been adopted in sufi music, Guru Granth Sahib and Hindu bhajans.ĭespite its ancient heritage, the ektara (and similar single stringed instruments) are still heard in modern songs. Performances of the bani of Kabir often use this instrument. Other folk instruments include the aforementioned tumbi, which has a place in traditions across Punjab.Įarlier, recitations of the holy text of Gurbani were performed with this musical instrument. However, there are other examples of a single string instrument used in religious practices across the Indian Subcontinent. Traditionally, the ektara would be used to accompany folk songs or religious poetry, particularly in Hindu, Sufi and Baul cultures. The One-string musical instrument in Traditional Music With this particular version, squeezing the sides of the neck with the hand lowers the string’s pitch. The larger has a different neck instead of being one straight block of bamboo or wood like a traditional lute or guitar, it’s split into two, attached on either side of the bowl to form a triangle, which the string is stretched through the middle of. There are two main variations of the ektara – one is a smaller instrument intended for playing melodies, and one that is larger. Some even hold bells while they play for variation and additional musical elements. Some players may hit the gourd or body of the instrument with their palm to add a percussive element to the performance. When playing an ektara, the instrument is held with the gourd in one hand, and the neck supported by the other. It’s also worth noting that these instruments (tanpura/tumbi) are not made from bamboo, but are constructed with the skin of a gourd. It’s versatility allows it to take on both roles that those instruments provide (drone and rhythm). But it can also be used to lead melodies, separating it from similar wooden folk instruments like the Tanpura and Tumbi from other regions of India. This gives the ektara a resonant sound, which players make use of when playing it as a drone instrument to provide rhythm. ![]() The body of the ektara is a wooden bowl that can be covered with skin. The ektara is considered to be a contender for the oldest stringed musical instrument in the Indian subcontinent. This is different to a more familiar musical instrument, the sitar, which has many strings and is made of wood. ![]() It is one of the many musical instruments used in the folk or devotional music of India, that makes use of an individual steel string tightened over the length of a long neck made of bamboo. The word “Ektara” translates into English as “one-string” – which is no coincidence. ![]()
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