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Shruti Box - Large, 440hz, Double Octave, solid teak wood
Sound Healing Instruments | Shruti Boxes
$789.00
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The Shruti Box: The sound of devotion
Deeply rooted in Indian musical tradition, the steady, resonant drone of the Shruti Box is the backdrop of kirtan – devotional chanting – and features prominently in classical Indian music.This enchanting instrument evolved from the harmonium when local musicians removed the keyboard to create a smaller, specialised instrument designed solely to produce the Shruti Box’s distinctive, sustained sonorous tone. Like its predecessors, the Shruti Box produces sound through brass reeds, which vibrate when air is pumped through them via the bellows.
The Shruti Box began its journey to the global music stage in the 1960s, when travellers discovered the instrument on their journeys in India. Among the Shruti Box’s earliest Western adopters was the Beat Poet Allen Ginsberg, who used it to accompany his spoken-word performances.
Now, the Shruti Box is used by contemporary and classical musicians all over the world, and to provide a soothing soundscape for sound healing, yoga and meditation practices.
All you need to know about Shruti Boxes
Where does the Shruti Box come from?
The Shruti Box originated in India. Ours are made by Sarangg Instruments, which was founded in Delhi over fifty years ago. Sarangg Instruments is world-renowned for its harmoniums and Shruti Boxes, which are made from the finest quality materials by craftspeople with decades of experience. Sarangg’s instruments have been used by notable music composers like RD Burman, Laxmikant Pyarelal, Ravi Shankar, Girija Devi, and Mohd Rafi Saheb.How do I play my Shruti Box?
Start by placing your Shruti Box on the ground or, depending on its size, on your knee. Your Shruti Box has adjustable feet to use when standing the Shruti box on a flat surface, and stowed away again when you’re storing it in its bag.On the front of the box, you’ll find the keys which correspond to the different notes in the scale. Open the keys you want to play; this will let the air flow through the reeds. With your other hand, gently pump the bellows by opening and closing the back of the box. You can shape the sound by adjusting the speed and intensity of your pumping. Experiment with different combinations of notes and pressures to discover your own unique sound.
Before you start to pump the bellows, it’s important to make sure you’ve released the two latches, which secure the bellows, and open at least one key so the air can flow through it. If the keys are all closed, you can damage the bellows.
What can I use a Shruti Box for?
Traditionally, the Shruti Box is used in classical Indian music and kirtan – devotional chanting. Shruti Boxes and other drone instruments – such as our High Spirits Double Flutes, which have both a melody and drone side – are popular with contemporary and traditional Western musicians, used by traditional Irish singer Nóirín Ní Riain and Scottish folk artists Karine Polwart and Julie Fowlis. The distinctive, sustained tones also provide a beautiful backdrop for meditation, yoga and sound healing.