From theory — Eastern theory · Swara. Reference fingerings for those swaras on this page.

Fingering charts

Reference map for the seven swaras after you have started One hole at a time. On the Eastern bansuri, Sa is the top three finger holes covered (nearest the blowing hole), with the lower three open — not “all holes closed.”

Fingering chart (6-hole · Sa = three covered)

Holes left→right = upper (near embouchure) → lower. Filled = closed. “Top” means nearest the blowing hole.

SwarHolesAction
SaTop three closed
ReTop two closed
GaTop hole only
Ma♯ (tivra)All open — or alt. top three open / bottom three closed (000XXX)
Ma (shuddha)Half-cover the top hole (between Ga and Ma♯) — how to
Pa (above Sa)Alt. 0XXXXX — top open, five closed (common teacher fingering)
Pa (above Sa · overblow)All closed with faster air — same fingering as mandra Pa, higher partial
Pa (below Sa)All closed, gentle air — mandra Pa under Sa
Dha (below / also above Pa*)Five closed (*with stronger air after all-closed Pa, this can be madhya Dha)
Ni (below / also above Pa*)Four closed (*same idea as Dha)
Sa↑Same fingering as Sa, tighter embouchure / faster air into the upper octave

First week: practice Sa–Re–Ga–Ma♯ (three closed → two → one → all open). Add shuddha Ma, middle Pa, komal notes, and notes below Sa when the embouchure is steady.

Two ways to play Pa above Sa (both appear on the bansuriflute.co.uk chart): (1) all six closed with faster air (overblow the mandra-Pa fingering), then open from the bottom for Dha / Ni; (2) 0XXXXX — vent the top hole, close the five below (your teacher’s fingering). Beginners on that site are often told to half-open the top hole first. Always check a clean fifth against the Sa drone.

Komal & tivra (altered swaras)

Shuddha = natural pitch. Two kinds of alteration:

  • Komal (“soft”) — flattened. Used on Re, Ga, Dha, Ni.
  • Tivra (“sharp / intense”) — raised. Used only on Ma.

Sa and Pa never move. Match every altered note to the Sa drone — the ear is the final judge.

Basuri — how to get the sound

Main tool: half-holing. Leave a slit of the hole open (often the lower half of the pad) so the pitch sits between two full fingerings. Roll the finger slowly; tiny changes move pitch a lot.

Also useful on side-blown basuri:

  • Meend — slide from one fingering to the next by gradually uncovering; pass through the komal along the way.
  • Embouchure — roll the flute slightly in/out or soften the air to fine-tune after the finger is close.
Altered swarBetweenTypical half-hole (6-hole · this map)
komal ReSa → ReTop three mostly closed; crack open the 3rd hole
komal GaRe → GaTop two mostly closed; crack open the 2nd hole
shuddha MaGa → Ma♯Crack open / half-cover the top hole (see Ma section)
tivra Ma—All open (full fingering, not a half-hole)
komal Dha (below)Pa → DhaFive mostly closed; crack open the bottom hole
komal Ni (below)Dha → NiFour mostly closed; crack open the 5th hole

Same idea in the upper octave: keep the half-hole, use a bit more focused air for Sa↑ and friends.

Start with komal Re only: drone Sa, play Sa → half-open 3rd hole → full Re → back. When that slot is stable, add komal Ga the same way.

Murali (end-blown) — same idea, less bend

On a recorder-like murali you still half-hole for komal notes and for shuddha Ma. Tivra Ma is still the fully open (or next full) fingering on that tube’s map.

  • The fipple aims the air for you, so embouchure bends are weaker than on basuri — rely more on careful half-cover %.
  • Soft, steady breath; blasting sharpens and can jump octave instead of giving a clean komal.
  • Hole spacing on folk/toy muralis is uneven. Use the murali page notes and tune to the drone, not only to a printed chart.

Ma vs Ma♯ (tivra Ma)

In Indian music, Ma (madhyam) is the only swara that can be raised (sharpened). The others that change are flattened (komal Re, Ga, Dha, Ni). Sa and Pa never move.

  • Shuddha Ma (“plain Ma”) — the natural fourth above Sa (like F if Sa were C).
  • Tivra Ma / Ma♯ — the raised fourth (like F♯ if Sa were C). Usual fingering: all holes open. Alternate: top three open, bottom three closed (000XXX). Many ragas (e.g. Yaman) use tivra Ma.

Shop charts that write Ma# mean tivra Ma, not “play a Western sharp key.” If a lesson just says “Ma” without tivra / shuddha, ask which one — or match the raga.

How to play shuddha Ma

Ga Left index pad seals hole 1 fully
Shuddha Ma Same finger — uncover about half of hole 1
Ma♯ (tivra) Lift the finger — all open

Filled = closed · half-filled = shuddha Ma · empty = open. Left→right = top hole → bottom.

Shuddha Ma sits between Ga and all-open tivra Ma — half-cover the top hole with the left index pad.
  1. Start from Ga: left index pad fully seals hole 1 (nearest the blowing hole). Holes 2–6 open.
  2. Keep the same soft air. Slowly roll or slide the left index pad toward the open side of hole 1 so roughly half the hole stays covered and half vents. Do not lift the finger straight off.
  3. Listen against the Sa drone: shuddha Ma is a perfect fourth above Sa — lower than all-open Ma♯. If it is too high, cover a little more; too low, uncover a little more.
  4. When you lift the finger clear of the hole you get tivra Ma (Ma♯). Practice Ga → shuddha Ma → Ma♯ → back slowly.

Right-hand fingers stay off the lower holes for this note (same as Ga / Ma♯). Only the left index is moving.

Beginners often learn all-open as the first “Ma” because half-holing is harder. That note is tivra Ma (Ma♯). Add shuddha Ma with slow half-cover once Ga is steady — pad contact is the same skill as on Hold · Hands.

High register & alternate fingerings

Primary map below follows the 6-hole chart on bansuriflute.co.uk — beginners (Sa = top three closed). Faster, narrower air for higher octaves — not just louder blowing.

Notation

  • ,P ,D ,N or dot below — mandra (lower) saptak
  • S R G M P D N — madhya (middle)
  • S' R' … or one dot above — taar (upper)
  • S'' or two dots above — ati-taar (very high Sa)
  • Code 0 = open · X = closed · left→right = top hole (near blow) → bottom
That site’s tip for high notes: think of a garden hose — same air volume, smaller opening → faster stream. Soft high tone is the goal. Exact top-register response still varies by bamboo.

Full chart (bansuriflute.co.uk style)

SwarCodeHolesInterval / note
,PXXXXXXmandra Pa · perfect 5th below Sa
,DXXXXXOmandra Dha · major 6th below
,NXXXXOOmandra Ni · major 7th below
SXXXOOOSa · tonic
RXXOOOORe · major 2nd
GXOOOOOGa · major 3rd
M♯000000tivra Ma · aug. 4th
M♯ (alt.)000XXXtop three open, bottom three closed
PXXXXXXmadhya Pa · overblow all-closed
P (alt.)0XXXXXfirst hole open — teacher favourite; or half-open top
DXXXXXOmadhya Dha (stronger air after all-closed Pa)
NXXXXOOmadhya Ni
S'XXXOOOtaar Sa · overblow
R'XXOOOOtaar Re · overblow
G'XOOOOOtaar Ga · overblow
M♯'000000taar tivra Ma · overblow
P'0XXXXXtaar Pa · first open / five closed
D'XXOOOXtaar Dha · holes 1, 2, 6 closed
N'XXOXOOtaar Ni · holes 1, 2, 4 closed
S''XOXOOOati-taar Sa · holes 1 and 3 closed

Shuddha Ma (natural 4th) is not a full-hole row on that chart — half-cover the top hole between Ga and tivra Ma (see Ma vs Ma♯).

Other teachers’ high forks (optional)

If your guru’s sheet differs, keep theirs. These also appear in teaching circles:

  • Dha'' · XX000X (close 1–2 and 6 with three open in the middle — close cousin of XXOOOX)
  • Ni'' · X0XXXX or XXXX0X
  • Re' alt. · XX0XXX · Ga' alt. · X00XXX

Tune every option to the drone; keep the fingering that speaks cleanly on your flute.

How to practise

  1. Drone Sa. Climb ,P ,D ,N S R G M♯ with long tones.
  2. Lock madhya Pa both ways: overblown XXXXXX and 0XXXXX (or half-open top).
  3. Continue D N S' with stronger, smaller embouchure.
  4. Add P' (0XXXXX), then D' (XXOOOX), N' (XXOXOO), S'' (XOXOOO).
  5. One new high note per week. Soft tone beats loud squeak.
Murali (end-blown) rarely needs this chart — these fingerings are for side-blown basuri / bansuri.

Practice

  1. Drone Sa on the practice bar; finger Sa (top three closed) until it matches.
  2. Sa → Re → Sa, then add Ga.
  3. All open = Ma♯; return to Sa to check pitch.
  4. Optional: all closed = Pa below Sa — useful, but not your tonic.
  5. When ready: Sa → komal Re (half-open 3rd) → Re; then try komal Ga and shuddha Ma the same slow way.
  6. Later: middle Pa (overblow all-closed or 0XXXXX), then the full high-register chart.

Footnote: Western flute / “C flute” charts

Many beginner web tutorials (especially “C natural middle” shop guides) treat all six holes closed as Sa and open holes upward from the bottom. That matches a Western habit: the lowest tube note is “do” / the named key of the flute.

Eastern classical bansuri teaching usually sets Sa at three holes covered so you also have Pa–Dha–Ni below Sa without changing octave. Same bamboo — different tonic choice.

If your maker labels the flute “C,” that letter often names a Western pitch (sometimes the all-closed note). Still put the practice-bar drone on your three-hole Sa and train the ear to that.

Next

Listen