Shruti box: India musical instrument

A shruti box is a small wooden musical instrument that traditionally functions on a system of bellows. The musical instrument is analogous to the harmonium and it is used to provide drone in a practice session or in a concert of the Indian classical music. The musical instrument is used as an accompaniment instrument to other musical instruments and mainly the flutes.

source of picture: larkinam.com

 Use of this instrument has broadened with the cross cultural influence of the world music and the new age music to give out a drone for several other musical instrument and vocalists. Adjustable buttons permit tuning on the instrument. These days, electronic versions of this musical instrument are commonly used, which are called shruti petti in Tamil and Telugu and sur peti in Hindu.

Before the arrival of this musical instrument in India, musicians used either tambora or a specific pitch reference musical instrument like nadaswaram, to manufacture the drone. Some forms of music like the yakshagana used the pungi reed pipe as a drone. After the western small pump harmonium was made popular, players of music would adjust the harmonium to spontaneously manufacture the reference pitch. Typically, the player of the instrument would open up the cover and modify the stop of the harmonium to manufacture a drone.

Later, a keyless version of the harmonium was fabricated for the specific function of manufacturing the drone sound. This version of the harmonium was called shruti box. These musical instruments had controls on the top or on the side of the box for manipulating the pitch.

The shruti box is appreciating a renaissance in the West among traditional and modern day musicians who are using the instrument for a range of various styles. In the earlier 90s, traditional Irish singer Nóirín Ní Riain brought the musical instrument to Ireland, giving the instrument a minor position in traditional Irish music. Most recently, Scottish folk artist known as Karine Polwart has championed the musical instrument, using the shruti box on some of her music. Singers find the shruti box very useful as an accompanying instrument and instrumentalists relish the drone reference the musical instrument gives sideways with.