Hi,
I have been tuning lately with a raagini tanpura (the new one) and I have noticed that my sitar just sounds better. I usually use a chromatic tuner. I guess the benefit is I train my ear as well. I have no problems with the sympathetic strings except for ni and 'sa, as the raagini doesn't go up that high when my tonic is C#. Currently, I match them to the ni and 'sa from the Ma string. I find the main strings a bit tougher. I use ma', sa', sa', pa'', sa, 'sa. Since they are all one or two saptaks down, I find it hard to match them. The pa'' is not bad because I can get it from Sa-Pa on the raagini (not sure why, but it seems to sound right). Any ideas on getting the other ones?
Pb, doesn't the raagini also have a N for special raags? / And maybe try tuning the instrument in itself, with SSSP as reference from the ragini: tune second & third to that tone. Tune the chikaris after the middle flageolet of the jods. Tune deep S by its flageolett in the middle to open jod S. Pick the steel P from the raagini sound, adjust the deep P in same manner.
Tune playing string on S fret after second chik Chick the kuntis, no, check with the S flagelets you will find near/over the S frets . . . adjust the reso strings so that they ring nicely . . . remember stiar has to be in just tuning, not in the tempered one tuners etc. show . . . . hope this helps . . . despite my pidgin Kauderwelsch . . .
Flageolets are harmonics: when you devide your string in half and lightly touch the string (don't fret it!) and strike the string you'l hear a harmonic. Since you devide the string in exact parts (half, quarter, third) you'll get exact notes, when fretting a note you;'ll have problems finding the exact note since we have movable frets.
Harmonics - thanks Remco - word was missing. And you can also use these harmonics for checking the fret setup: on Ma string you can adjust the positions of middle and high S and middle M that way - and position the other frets evenly (getting narrower towards bridge) from these points.
The real trouble with tuning starts when you try out the South Indian system:-)
