The bansuri, also called a flute, is an ancient musical instrument made from bamboo. It comes from the Indian Subcontinent and is used in folk songs from India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal. Traditionally, it is made from a single hollow bamboo tube with seven finger holes. Some modern versions are made from materials like ivory, fiberglass, or metal. The bansuri is usually 30 to 75 centimeters (12 to 30 inches) long and as thick as a human thumb. The sound it makes depends on the size of the bamboo used. One end of the flute is closed, and the blow hole is a few centimeters away from this closed end. Longer bansuris produce deeper and lower sounds. The traditional bansuri does not have mechanical keys; instead, the musician covers and uncovers the finger holes to create different notes.
The bansuri is shown in ancient paintings and carvings from Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain temples. It is often linked to images of the Hindu god Krishna. The instrument is closely connected to the story of Krishna and his love for Radha. The bansuri is considered a sacred instrument of Krishna and is often seen in scenes of Krishna’s Rasa lila dance. In some stories, the bansuri is called "murali." The instrument is also used in other traditions, such as Shaivism. In early medieval Indian texts, it was called "vaṃśi." In ancient Indonesian Hindu and Buddhist art from Java and Bali, dating back to before the 10th century, the flute was called "wangsi" or "bangsi."
Etymology and nomenclature
The word bansuri comes from two parts: bans (bamboo) and sur (melody). In old writings from the medieval period, a similar name for the same instrument was vaṃśi, which comes from the word vaṃśa (bamboo) in Sanskrit. A person who plays the flute in these writings is called vamsika.
Other names for bansuri-style bamboo flutes in India include bansi, baashi, eloo, kolakkuzhal, kulal, kulalu, kukhl, lingbufeniam, murali, murli, nadi, nar, odakkuzhal, pawa, pullankuzhal, pillana grovi, pulangoil, vansi, vasdanda, sipung, and venuvu. In Nepal, the instrument is called Bām̐surī (बाँसुरी). The word murli (मुरली) is also used in Nepal, but it can refer to a flute, a fife, or a reed instrument.
In ancient times, people in the Himalayan foothills of India created more complex versions of the flute. One example is the algoza, which is like two bansuris joined together in different musical keys, allowing the musician to play more complicated music. In central and southern India, a similar design is called nagoza or mattiyaan jodi. Carvings on Buddhist stupas in central India from around the 1st century BCE show both single and double flute designs.
History
According to Ardal Powell, the flute is a simple instrument found in many ancient cultures. Legends say the flute’s three birthplaces are Egypt, Greece, and India. The transverse flute (side-blown) was only found in ancient India, while fipple flutes (with a mouthpiece) appeared in all three regions. Powell suggests that the modern Indian bansuri has changed little since the early medieval period. However, ancient China had a flute called the dizi, which Powell, quoting Curt Sachs’ The History of Musical Instruments, notes may have evolved from an older Central Asian design. It is unclear if the Indian and Chinese flutes were connected.
The early medieval Indian bansuri influenced other cultures. Its size, style, and decorations, as shown in medieval European artwork, led scholars like Liane Ehlich, a flute expert at the University of Lucerne, to believe the bansuri (also called venu) moved from India to the Byzantine Empire by the 10th century and later spread to medieval Europe, where it became popular.
The flute is described in the Natya Shastra (~200 BCE to 200 CE), an ancient Sanskrit text about music and performance. In Hindu texts, the flute (venu or vamsa) is often paired with the human voice and the veena (a string instrument). The flute was not called bansuri in ancient times but was known by names like nadi and tunava in the Rigveda (3000–2500 BCE) and other Vedic texts, or venu in later texts. It is also mentioned in Upanishads and Yoga writings.
Bruno Nettl, a music historian, notes that ancient Indian sculptures and paintings mostly show transverse flutes being played horizontally (with a slight downward tilt). However, by the 15th century, vertical end-blown flutes became more common in artwork. Nettl suggests this change likely reflects the influence of West Asian music traditions during the Islamic rule period in India.
Construction
A bansuri is made from a special kind of bamboo that grows long between its knots. This bamboo is found in the Himalayan foothills up to about 11,000 feet, where there is a lot of rain. It is also common in northeastern states of India, such as Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Nagaland, Sikkim, and Tripura, as well as in the Western Ghats near Kerala. These areas have many bamboo species with sections between the knots longer than 40 centimeters (16 inches).
After harvesting, the bamboo is cut to the desired size, dried, and treated with natural oils and resins to make it strong. Artisans check the bamboo for smoothness and straightness, then measure the hollow tube. They mark where the holes will be placed and use hot metal rods of different sizes to burn the holes. Drilling is avoided because it may damage the bamboo’s structure and affect the sound. Once the holes are burned, they are smoothed with sandpaper. One end is sealed, and the flute is decorated with rings to keep its shape. The instrument is tested for sound quality. The distance between the finger holes and the mouth hole, as well as the size of the holes, determines the notes played. Artisans adjust hole sizes to ensure the notes are clear and accurate. The thickness of the bansuri’s walls affects the tone, range, and pitch. After all holes are properly shaped, the bansuri is soaked in natural oils, cleaned, dried, and decorated with silk or nylon threads.
There are two types of bansuri: transverse and fipple. The fipple flute is often used in folk music and is held at the lips like a tin whistle. The transverse type is preferred in Indian classical music because it allows better control and more musical variations.
Six holes are enough to create seven basic notes: sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni. When all holes are closed, the bansuri plays the lowest note, pa. Opening the hole farthest from the closed end produces dha. Two farthest holes open create ni, three open make sa, four open produce re, five open create ga, and all holes open play ma.
Each bansuri is designed to play in a specific key, matching the note sa (shadja, the natural tonic) of the swara scale. This key is achieved by adjusting the length, inner diameter, and size and placement of the finger holes. This allows musicians to choose a bansuri that matches the key of the music they want to play.
Playing
A bansuri is usually held horizontally, slanting downward toward the right by the player. The index, middle, and ring fingers of the right hand cover the outer holes, while the same fingers on the left hand cover the remaining holes. The instrument is supported by the thumb and little finger of the same hand. The airhole is placed near the player’s lips, and air is blown over it at different speeds to produce different octaves. On a seven-hole bansuri, the little finger (pinky) of the right hand is typically used to cover a hole.
Like other air-reed wind instruments, the bansuri creates sound through the vibration of air inside it. The length of the air column changes when holes are closed or left open. To play flat or minor notes, players partially cover holes. The note 'sa' (which is equivalent to 'do' on the octave in the Indian sargam scale) is made by covering the first three holes from the blowing end. Octaves are changed by adjusting how the player shapes their mouth (embouchure) and controlling the strength of their breath. Bansuri players use either the tips or pads of their fingers to fully or partially cover the holes.
To play the diatonic scale on a bansuri, players must locate the positions of the notes. For example, if the note 'sa' (the tonic) is always produced by covering the first three holes and is equivalent to the note C, players can use finger notations to match sheet music to specific notes. A flutist can perform complex elements of Raga music, such as very small pitch changes, decorative notes, and sliding between notes, by controlling their breath, using fast and precise finger movements, and slowly opening or closing holes with smooth motions.