Page:The Music of India.djvu/144

 The Drone or Pongi is an instrument shaped very much like the nagasara, and about the same size, except that the conical arrangement is a little larger. Only one note is produced which is called the Sruti, that is the key-note or drone to the melody. The instrument has four or five holes, so that the performer can vary the pitch of the note. It is usually played in combination with either the nagasara or the ninkairna or with both.

The Nosbug, or Sruti Upanga or Bhajana Sruti, is another instrum3nt used almost exclusively for the drone. This is the Indian bagpipe. The bag is made of a kid's skin and is inflated from the mouth. The mouth pieces, of which there are usually two, are of cane, one being smaller than the other. One is used to inflate the bag, and one for playing the drone note. There is usually a little piece of wire or silk tied round the tongue, in order the better to control the sound.

The Punji, or Jinjivi or Tombi, is the instrument beloved of jugglers and snake-charmers. The body and mouthpiece are formed from a bottle-shaped gourd, in which are inserted two cane pipes, the interior ends of which are cut so as to form reeds. One of the pipes is pierced with finger holes so that it can be played upon, the other being sounded on the tonic as a drone. The Punji is constructed in the scale of Bhairavi (Southern-Hanumatodi) and is played in the Nagavarali raga, which is supposed to be peculiarly pleasing to serpents.

An instrument something like this, but having five to nine different reeds inserted into a gourd, is shown in the Indian Museum. The pitch is determined by the length of the reed. This instrument is made on the principle of the organ. It is found among the Assam hill tribes, and it is said that a somewhat similar instrument is found in China.

The Nallatarang is a pipe instrument, made on the principle of the organ with nineteen pipes. It is played with a bellows, and each pipe is opened by a small key attached to a primitive keyboard.

There are a number of trumpets found in India. The most important of these are the following : —

The Kuma is a straight trumpet of brass, and is