CHENNAI: The sound of 10-odd students singing Annamacharya’s ‘Brahmam Okate’ in unison, reverberates as we enter a music class in Valasaravalkam. The dial in the Radel electronic Shruti box is set to G sharp and their mentor Vijayalakshmi moves her hand and taps her fingers on her lap, measuring the Adi Thalam count.
As the song mounts to a crescendo, she prepares to unplug the shruti box, wraps up her class for the evening, and turns to us. "This is the shruti box that these children are familiar with. When I grew up learning music, we only used the manual shruti petti and the tambura,” she shares, looking away, at a wooden box tucked inside a shelf.
“Our guru made sure we knew how to use it. In fact, it was mandatory to know to use a shruti ‘petti’. The one that I own was presented to me when I won a competition. It’s about 40 years old. But now, it’s just something that adorns my shelf,” she sighs.
Though the traditional drone instrument is enjoying a resurgence in the West, the usage of the traditional petti in the city has plummeted considerably due to the emergence of electronic variants of the box and phone applications, including the famous ‘Tanpura droid’. Umashankar, a city-based musician-cum-mentor says, “These new phone applications and electronic shruti boxes are good for performers and professional musicians.
But, when it comes to students, especially beginners, they need to have basic knowledge on how to use it. The petti increases their concentration and also their music sense. There is a lack of awareness among youngsters even about the existence of such a manual shruti petti,” rues Umashankar who owns a 90-odd-year-old shruti box. “It’s a five-octave box and was passed down to me from my guru. Nothing can beat the feeling of singing with the traditional box…it’s so satisfying,” he smiles.
But, it’s not just the old-timers who find the shruti petti endearing. Janani Rajan, a young vocalist and founder of Dwijavanti, swears by her shruti box. “The shruti petti that I use was gifted to me by MS Subbulakshmi during Akshaya Tritya, when I was barely five. In my music school, we make sure that we teach the beginners (between age 7-8) to sing while playing the manual box. So, on the left hand they have to play the shruti petti, on the right hand count the thalam and simultaneously sing,” she explains.
Factors such as convenience, wider range and maintenance have led people to shift their loyalty to the electronic boxes and applications but, almost every other old timer has one wooden shruti petti as a reminiscent of the past. Shanthi Balasubramanian who has been practicing music for over 40 years now says, “Sometimes the range and tune in electronic shruti boxes differ. That’s not the case with the manual petti. I have had mine for years now and I have been repairing it every now and then and using it. Most instrument stores in the city take it for repair,” she says.
As we delve into how welcoming students are, when it comes to learning and using the manual shruti box, Janani remarks, “It might sound cliché but, the fact remains that today’s generation is so used to technological advancements. Everything is done by machines and is automatic…the shruti petti has also gone through this transition. Now, all you have to do is adjust buttons to set the tune, tempo, and notes. They prefer that kind of automation and comfort. But honestly, using the manual petti is fun, increases concentration and you learn to sing without looking at the book, faster. Everyone should take it up as a challenge and learn to use it…you don’t have to worry about a power cut and can use the shruti petti even without it!”
