Web Harmonium
Web Tanpura
A free online tanpura for your practice.
This web tanpura (also called a shruti box) plays a steady drone you can sing or play the harmonium over. Pick your Sa, choose Pa-Sa-Sa-Sa' or Ma-Sa-Sa-Sa', and let it loop — no app, no signup.
Tap Start to begin the drone.
What is a tanpura?
The tanpura is a long-necked, four-string drone instrument at the heart of every Hindustani and Carnatic performance. It does not play melody — it holds the tonal centre (Sa) so vocalists and instrumentalists can hear the reference pitch and the complete harmonic spectrum at all times. This web tanpura reproduces the same function entirely in your browser using Web Audio synthesis, so you can practise raga, harmonium, or vocal music any time without a physical instrument.
How do I use the online tanpura with the harmonium?
Open this tanpura page in one browser tab, open the web harmonium in another. Start the drone here, then switch tabs and play — the tanpura keeps looping in the background. For most ragas, the Pa — Sa Sa Sa' pattern works. For Yaman, Marwa, and other ragas that avoid Pa, switch to Ma — Sa Sa Sa'. Use the Sargam tuner if you need to match your voice to the drone Sa.
What pitch should I set Sa to?
Most male vocalists sit around C (C4 standard), most female vocalists around F or F♯. If you are accompanying a harmonium, match Sa to the key you transposed the harmonium into. A common starting point for beginners is C4. Experiment — the lowest comfortable pitch where you can still reach the upper octave is usually right.