The Shruti Box (Surpeti) is an Indian musical instrument developed from the Harmonium - an instrument that quickly spread in India after being introduced by French missionaries in the 19th century.
Surpeti is traditionally used in India as a basic accompaniment to vocal folk or religious music.
The Shruti Box is an excellent tool for creating a drone (foundation) for other music.
It does not have keys like a harmonium, so the Shruti Box is a drone instrument - Drones continuously play individual or multiple tones, which you activate by moving the tone controls on the front side.
The concept of the drone is a significant part of Indian music. However, drones are also known in Western music, especially in more ancient forms. Some western instruments like the bagpipes or Hurdy-Gurdy even have built-in drones.
The Shruti box, also called surpeti, is a perfect accompaniment for modal music, improvisation, voice work, overtone singing, music therapy and all kinds of Indian music. It provides a full, supportive drone sound and is robust, mobile and extremely easy to operate. To start, you first need to unlock the wooden bellows tabs on both sides. Then you open the levers for the tones you want to sound. Finally, gently move the open bellows on one side - and there your drone unfolds!
The Shruti Box does not require tuning or sophisticated playing technique. Thus it is equally suitable for musical beginners as well as professional musicians, teachers, therapists and performers. It creates a pleasant natural acoustic field of sound for any kind of music and allows you to fully concentrate on singing, storytelling, observation or movement while playing.
The Shruti Box produces a strong, transmitting drone sound and is extremely easy to play. It is very suitable for accompanying any kind of Indian music, vocal music, modal improvisation, overtone singing and also for accompanying Indian wind instruments - especially the bamboo flute bansuri. The sounds and tones are similar to a harmonium or accordion: metal tongues create vibrations using compressed air passing through them. The air movement is controlled by two bellows on both sides of the shruti box. One side has 13 levers. Opening them allows air to flow from inside and the tongue under the lever emits a tone.
The Shruti Box contains a full octave of 13 chromatic semitones. You can freely choose the tone that suits you best. For a beautiful rich and full sound, it's great to add a fifth or lower fourth to the tonic. Of course, other combinations are also possible.
Advantages over the harmonium: it's smaller, lighter, cheaper, easier to transport and above all easier to play.
How to play?
The Shruti Box can be played with one hand while sitting, standing or even walking. First, you need to open the side levers that lock the entire instrument. Then you open the levers for the desired notes - this side should face you. Now place your hand on top of the instrument and push the side without levers towards you. The volume can be adjusted by changing the pace and pressure applied to the bellows. When you release finger pressure, the bellows automatically unfold and you can press again to achieve continuous sound. If you slip your hand over the handle on top of the instrument, you can carry it and play simultaneously with just one hand. Alternatively, you can also slip a strap over the handle and hang it around your neck.
Tips for playing
It's best to let the Shruti Box stand on flat ground or any stable support. Alternatively, it can be carried on the handle to move freely while playing. The volume and continuity of sound depend on the speed and pressure of the bellows movement. You will feel it after a while. A particularly round and beautiful drone is created by adding a fifth or fourth above the chosen base (also called "tonic"). Other combinations of notes are possible, according to individual preferences - from straight major chords to dissonant clusters. But beware: More sounding tones mean greater air consumption – stronger pumping is needed to maintain a stable sound!
