Basics

Basics

1. Selection Of The Right Bansuri (Bamboo Flute)

                    If you are a beginner, then first you have to select a Bansuri (Bamboo Flute) which suits your hand. If you hands are a bit small in size you can go for any of the  C# or D# bansuri. If your hands are medium then go for A. And if your hands are big then go with G or G#. And gradually with practice we can move on to higher bansuris such as F, F# or E. 

                    Once you are comfortable with the bansuri you start with then slowly advance to the next bansuri for example say people with C can try A and people with A can try G and people with G note can try F. E noted bansuri is commonly used in concerts.

                    Bansuri is played with a cordination of both your hands and your blowing. 

2. Blowing

                    You have to put the lower end of the lower lip on the blow hole of the bansuri and blow with pointed lips. For a start just look to produce the sound. The tuning we will learn afterwards. Just try to produce the sound by keeping the blow hole below the lower lip or on the lower end which produces sound. Its same like blowing in the pen's cap in our school days.

                      If you haven't got it right, then you can visit the following sites where they have described it in very much detail. 

http://www.bansuriflute.co.uk/p/beginners-how-to-play-bansuri.html (Beautiful Site)

http://www.bansuriflute.com/bansuri-for-beginners/getting-the-sound/

http://www.flutebansuri.com/learn-bansuri/start-here

                       Below are some YouTube videos which will help you to get the right sound more perfectly.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_28Opu-w5k

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hqB1uVeGjq0

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M0nC4pIcqzU

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUDr2CxDxuM

3. Surs

                          There are 7 main surs in Bansuri namely:

Sa - Shadaj

Re - Rishabh

Ga - Gandhar

Ma - Madhyam

Pa - Pancham

Dha- Dhaivat 

Ni - Nishad

                         These are the seven surs in Bansuri. In addition to this there are Octaves. There are 3 types of Octaves. Lower, Medium and Higher. On this website I will use an underline for lower octaves 'pa', small letters of Medium Octaves 'sa' and capital letters for Higher octaves 'SA'. In classical music these octaves are known as:

Lower - Mandra

Medium - Madhya

Higher - Taar

                       

                        In following ways we can play the above seven surs. Below 'X' means the hole is closed and '0' means the hole is open, 'D' means the hole is half covered and O is the blowing hole

Sa -    O     XXX000

Re -    O     XX0000

Ga -    O     X00000

Ma -   O     D00000

Pa -    O     XXXXXX

Dha -  O     XXXXX0

Ni -    O     XXXX00

                       Above all the surs are to be covered fully except Ma because Madhya Ma has to be played by covering half hole only. Taar Ma has to be played by covering 1/4th of the hole. When the hole is fully opened that is known as Teevra Ma.  

                      The limitations of bansuri are that the bansuri can not play all the 7 surs in all the 3 octaves. From the below information you will understand which all surs can be played in which all octaves.

pa dha ni sa re ga ma pa dha ni SA RE GA MA PA DHA NI

                     Instruments such as Piano or Harmonium can cover all the surs in all the three octaves. 

                    From the above image please ignore all the surs(except Ma) which are shown in grey because they are komal surs which we will learn later. 

                    In case you are still not finding the right tone then please have a look at the below link it should help. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XGoEyxUPXYY

                   For medium octaves if you are still having blowing issues try bringing your lower lip a bit front and blow normally.