Medium 440Hz 13-Note One Octave C3-C4 Thetazen Shruti Box with Carry Case
Size: 15" x 10.25" x 3.5"
Average weight: 3000g
Scale: Third Octave 13-Note C3-C4
Includes: Carrying Case
This is the medium size in our Thetazen Shruti Box lineup, tuned to 440Hz with a 13-note third-octave range from C3 to C4 (covering the full chromatic scale across one octave, plus the upper C). The third octave sits in the lower-mid vocal range, which makes this size especially well suited to chant work, mantra practice, kirtan, and any setting where the drone needs to support a male vocal range or sit beneath a singer rather than above. The lower tonal placement also gives the drone a grounding, meditative quality that pairs naturally with sound therapy sessions, breathwork, yoga nidra, and contemplative practice. The medium size strikes a practical balance in the lineup, offering a fuller resonance and stronger bellows projection than the smallest box while remaining easy to carry to retreats, sessions, classes, and group circles. Crafted from solid teak with metal corner reinforcements and a polished finish, the box is built to hold its tone and travel well for years of regular use.
The shruti box has its roots in the classical music traditions of India, where it evolved as a portable hand-pumped reed instrument designed to hold a steady drone behind vocalists and other musicians. Its name comes from the Sanskrit word shruti, meaning "that which is heard," a term that in Indian musical theory refers to the smallest perceptible interval of pitch and to the foundational tones around which raga melodies are built. Historically, the shruti box replaced the older tanpura in many traveling settings, since it offered the same continuous drone in a far more compact and durable form. Today the instrument is used well beyond its classical origins, finding a place in sound therapy, meditation, kirtan and devotional singing, yoga and chanting practice, songwriting, and any setting where a sustained, breathing drone is needed to anchor voice or melody.
A shruti box is played by opening the bellows on one side of the box and gently pumping air through internal reeds, with the player selecting which notes to sound by opening or closing small stoppers on the front of the instrument. Any combination of notes can be held open at once, allowing the player to build single-note drones, fifths, octaves, or fuller chord-like tonal beds depending on the practice. The bellows breathe slowly and steadily, which gives the shruti box its distinctive living, rising-and-falling quality, closer to a sung note than to a synthesized drone. To play, sit with the box on the lap or a low surface, open the desired reed stoppers, and rock the bellows gently in a slow rhythm; the sound will sustain as long as the player keeps the air moving. The instrument requires no tuning, no electricity, and no musical training to use, which is why it has become a favorite for sound practitioners, yoga teachers, and singers looking for an unplugged drone they can carry anywhere.
Please note that the Thetazen Shruti Box is handcrafted from solid wood by skilled artisans, and small variations from instrument to instrument are a natural part of that process. Differences in wood grain, color, finish tone, and small variations in the hardware placement are normal and expected, and may differ slightly from the photos shown. Each box is tested and tuned before shipping, but because reeds are hand-set, very subtle character differences in tone and bellows response are part of what makes each instrument unique rather than identical to the next. These small variations are not flaws but the signature of a handmade instrument made the traditional way.
