To convert love to devotion, you have to convert from bhairavi to Gauri.

One of the readers of the blog wrote to me recently about the usage of a real Tanpura versus electronic shruti boxes.

I must say having a well tuned tanpura resonating near your ear helps in recognizing and consolidating harmonies (its the same reason why avergae singers sing a lot more in tune in a 4-part choir). However, tuning, bridging and threading, apart from finger pressure and positioning, make tanpura playing an art; if you have not done it for a long time, it is not as easy to learn as it would seem. It might actually be quite cumbersome if you are in the middle of learning vocal technique.

Before buying a Tanpura try this
In my opinion, if you are trying to improve your singing, the difference between a real tanpura, an electronic box, or a tanpura recording is marginal. You can make some changes like making the shruti box louder and loser to your ear when you are rehearsing. If you think these sounds are too mechanical, the better upgrade to make is using the recording of a tanpura instead of buying a tanpura and learning it, in my opinion. For your convenience, Matt Rahaim, Assistant professor of music at University of Minnesota, has provided some tanpura recordings on his website that can be used (His website: http://www.ocf.berkeley.edu/~mrahaim/):

A sa-pa - safed che
B sa-ma - safed sat
C# sa-pa - pehla kaalaa
D sa-pa - safed do
D sa-ma - safed do
D# Sa-Pa - doosraa kaalaa

* Some of these recordings are not in perfect intonation relative to my keyboard, and might not match with your harmoniums either. But they are fine to sing along without any instruments or alternatively you can tune your instruments to these. You can also pitch shift them with music software if you have the inclination; I do that all the time!

So what do I do?
Singing takes a lot of concentration. I personally like the electronic versions of tanpuras especially for performance because of their convenience, volume control, stability of tone, and portability. However, for most classical recordings I tend to use either a real tanpura or a recording of one. Here are three recordings where I have used three different kinds: The first shabad (which was recently posted, so you might not have heard it), "Lost Time - Ab Main Kahaa Karaon Ri Mai," I use the recording of a real tanpura. In "Simro - Pearl of Bliss" I use an electronic tanpura. In "Four Blessings - Chaar Padaarath," we used a live tanpura as we recorded the shabad.




Hope this helps! I know I have other questions to respond to; am working on them!

Following is a recording of Guru Tegh Bahadur's shabad "Ab Main Kaun Upao Karoon" that I recently finished mastering. The original recording was made in 1999. This is the first of six shabads I collaborated with Pandit Rajendra Prasanna, an eminent classical musician from Delhi. The shabad is sung in Raag Dhanasri, and a downloadable version of this shabad, like others, is available on Reverbnation. Hopefully I will post some more shabads from that collaboration, and from others that I currently am in.

“Amazing grace, how sweet the sound...” So begins one of the most beloved hymns of all times, a staple in the hymnals of many denominations, New Britain or “45 on the top” in Sacred Harp. The author of the words was John Newton, the self-proclaimed wretch who once was lost but then was found, saved by amazing grace.

Newton was born in London July 24, 1725, the son of a commander of a merchant ship which sailed the Mediterranean. When John was eleven, he went to sea with his father and made six voyages with him before the elder Newton retired. In 1744 John was impressed into service on a man-of-war, the H. M. S. Harwich. Finding conditions on board intolerable, he deserted but was soon recaptured and publicly flogged and demoted from midshipman to common seaman.

Finally at his own request he was exchanged into service on a slave ship, which took him to the coast of Sierra Leone. He then became the servant of a slave trader and was brutally abused. Early in 1748 he was rescued by a sea captain who had known John's father. John Newton ultimately became captain of his own ship, one which plied the slave trade.

Although he had had some early religious instruction from his mother, who had died when he was a child, he had long since given up any religious convictions. However, on a homeward voyage, while he was attempting to steer the ship through a violent storm, he experienced what he was to refer to later as his “great deliverance.” He recorded in his journal that when all seemed lost and the ship would surely sink, he exclaimed, “Lord, have mercy upon us.” Later in his cabin he reflected on what he had said and began to believe that God had addressed him through the storm and that grace had begun to work for him.

For the rest of his life he observed the anniversary of May 10, 1748 as the day of his conversion, a day of humiliation in which he subjected his will to a higher power. “Thro’ many dangers, toils and snares, I have already come; ’tis grace has bro’t me safe thus far, and grace will lead me home.” He continued in the slave trade for a time after his conversion; however, he saw to it that the slaves under his care were treated humanely.

In 1750 he married Mary Catlett, with whom he had been in love for many years. By 1755, after a serious illness, he had given up seafaring forever. During his days as a sailor he had begun to educate himself, teaching himself Latin, among other subjects. From 1755 to 1760 Newton was surveyor of tides at Liverpool, where he came to know George Whitefield, deacon in the Church of England, evangelistic preacher, and leader of the Calvinistic Methodist Church. Newton became Whitefield’s enthusiastic disciple. During this period Newton also met and came to admire John Wesley, founder of Methodism. Newton’s self-education continued, and he learned Greek and Hebrew.

He decided to become a minister and applied to the Archbishop of York for ordination. The Archbishop refused his request, but Newton persisted in his goal, and he was subsequently ordained by the Bishop of Lincoln and accepted the curacy of Olney, Buckinghamshire. Newton’s church became so crowded during services that it had to be enlarged. He preached not only in Olney but in other parts of the country. In 1767 the poet William Cowper settled at Olney, and he and Newton became friends.

Cowper helped Newton with his religious services and on his tours to other places. They held not only a regular weekly church service but also began a series of weekly prayer meetings, for which their goal was to write a new hymn for each one. They collaborated on several editions of Olney Hymns, which achieved lasting popularity. The first edition, published in 1779, contained 68 pieces by Cowper and 280 by Newton.

Among Newton’s contributions which are still loved and sung today are “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” and ”Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” as well as “Amazing Grace.” Composed probably between 1760 and 1770 in Olney, ”Amazing Grace” was possibly one of the hymns written for a weekly service. Through the years other writers have composed additional verses to the hymn which came to be known as “Amazing Grace” (it was not thus entitled in Olney Hymns), and possibly verses from other Newton hymns have been added. However, these are the six stanzas that appeared, with minor spelling variations, in both the first edition in 1779 and the 1808 edition, the one nearest the date of Newton’s death. It appeared under the heading Faith’s Review and Expectation, along with a reference to First Chronicles, chapter 17, verses 16 and 17.

On a plane ride once, I started talking to the family sitting next to me. We talked about praising God and hymns, and I asked them their favorite song. They told me the story of John Newton and I came back and listened to this song and read it. Ever since then, this has become my favorite English songs ... reminds me of Guru Nanak's lines, "If everyone sings Lord's praises, he will not become bigger or smaller." We sing his praises for ourselves, not for him. And John Newton pours this out from a personal perspective:

Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound,
That saved a wretch like me.
I once was lost but now am found,
Was blind, but now I see.

T'was Grace that taught my heart to fear.
And Grace, my fears relieved.
How precious did that Grace appear
The hour I first believed.

Through many dangers, toils and snares
I have already come;
'Tis Grace that brought me safe thus far
and Grace will lead me home.

The Lord has promised good to me.
His word my hope secures.
He will my shield and portion be,
As long as life endures.

Yea, when this flesh and heart shall fail,
And mortal life shall cease,
I shall possess within the veil,
A life of joy and peace.

When we've been here ten thousand years
Bright shining as the sun.
We've no less days to sing God's praise
Than when we've first begun.