Bansuri (Indian bamboo flute)

The bansuri is the cardinal opposite of a usual instrument that consists of different pieces assembled by a master. It represents an outcome that has been achieved not by an adding together of various component parts but rather by cutting them off of the natural bamboo stalk in ready-made form. As an instrument, it is almost completely empty? Its perfection lies in the fact that it can be used on a par with any contemporary musical instrument: although it is very simple in terms of its build, the playing techniques it allows do not yield to those of any other instrument?and yet the flute has retained its original form. Compared to contemporary flutes, its sound is resonant and mellow. As all flats and sharps on it are played using only half-holes, the bansuri offers an incredible flexibility for gradually changing the pitch of the sound. Historical research suggests that a transverse flute in many ways resembling it was also used in medieval Europe. This permits us to engage in a direct comparison of the respective playing techniques. The bansuri has been used for millennia in Indian folk music and Southern-Indian classical music. In Northern-Indian classical music its use was introduced by Pt. Pannalal Ghosh in the 1950s.