Tirupati Basic Pro
The Tirupati Basic Pro is a particularly simple, small, light, robust and inexpensive harmonium with a warm, rich sound. It‘s a perfect second instrument for classes, workshops and rehearsals and a great mobile accompaniment for frequent travellers.
The Tirupati Basic Pro, just like almost all common harmonium models, has two sets of reeds for sound production in bass and male register. This makes it sound similarly rich, warm and full as other harmoniums. The absence of extras like separate air chambers, drone notes, octave coupler or scale changer makes this harmonium surprisingly light. Despite its small size, it is relatively easy to play simple chords evenly without getting disturbing volume fluctuations, or to produce softer notes. Thanks to the very simple construction without any frills, the Tirupati Basic Pro is also particularly robust. All this makes it a perfect accompaniment for mobile people who usually have to carry the instrument by themselves. It offers little scope for higher artistic ambitions, though.
"BONUS: One month free online access to comprehensive harmonium teaching material at the Bhakti Breakfast Club with harmonium purchase!" - more info here!
Sound sample Tirupati Basic Pro
- complete melodic range
- three-note chords in middle range
- complete melodic range without cover (jali)
- 27 simple stick keys
- range of two octaves and one whole tone from G2 to A4
- two reeds per note in bass and male register
- top fold bellows
- cabinet made of pine wood
- removable cover (jali) over key mechanism
- metal handles
- incl. padded bag with shoulder strap
Pine wood is mainly used for harmoniums in the area around Delhi. It is lighter, but also much softer than the teak wood used in Mumbai and Kolkata. Therefore many pine harmoniums get small dents or other blemishes during production and transport to Europe - these are caused by the material and are not to be regarded as defects.
TIRUPATI is the international brand name for instruments from Sharma Musicals in Ghaziabad, a neighbouring city of Delhi. Sharma Musicals was founded in 1934 by Jagdish Prasad Sharma and is today one of the leading Indian harmonium makers. The current manager Mayank Sharma runs the business in the fourth generation. Thanks to solid infrastructure, long experience and good quality awareness, Sharma Musicals is a reliable supplier of all harmonium models typical of Delhi and North-West India. In 2014 and the following years, instruments from Sharma Musicals had temporarily been sold in the USA under the name Bhava Harmonium and were recommended by renowned kirtan teacher Daniel Tucker back then. Sharma Musicals is a partner of India Instruments since 2016.
In India, our harmoniums are tuned to international concert pitch of a = 440 hertz. In Europe, however, they usually sound slightly higher at a = 441 to 442 Hertz due to the colder climate. The difference is small and not necessarily noticeable even to trained ears.
On request we can tune exactly to 440 hertz for 28 € additional charge.
Tuning to 432 hertz is also possible by arrangement for an additional charge.
NOTE:
Air temperature and blowing pressure influence the vibration frequency of harmonium reeds. At higher temperature and higher pressure, it decreases; at lower temperature, it increases. In our workshop in Berlin we tune at room temperature around 20 degrees Celsius.
Dimensions: height 23 cm, width 40 cm depth 23 cm, weight 5.2 kg (5.8 incl. bag).
Each instrument is individually made by hand and may differ from our description.