Here is a quote from PaNDit Kumar Gandharva (from memory): In my presentations, I do not sing. I just sing what the Tanpura asks me to sing.”
This is a point which is forgotten by users of the electronic tanpura. A real Tanpura produces harmonics or svayambhoo svara-s and they have tremendous evocative power — the power that PaNdit-ji poetically refers to as the source of his melodic ideas. As he had deep avadhAnam, he hears many of those harmonics (13 in all, some say) and those mysterious sounds stimulate his melodic imagination — this is my interpretation. I say this with the awareness that supporters of the electronic tanpura will shower abuse on me. Let them. God knows what a real Tanpura can do — both in the music creator and the listener. DKM Kartha
Shankar Krish's Blog 
Here is a quote from PaNDit Kumar Gandharva (from memory): In my presentations, I do not sing. I just sing what the Tanpura asks me to sing.”
This is a point which is forgotten by users of the electronic tanpura. A real Tanpura produces harmonics or svayambhoo svara-s and they have tremendous evocative power — the power that PaNdit-ji poetically refers to as the source of his melodic ideas. As he had deep avadhAnam, he hears many of those harmonics (13 in all, some say) and those mysterious sounds stimulate his melodic imagination — this is my interpretation. I say this with the awareness that supporters of the electronic tanpura will shower abuse on me. Let them. God knows what a real Tanpura can do — both in the music creator and the listener. DKM Kartha