Bansuri

The bansuri is a side-blown bamboo flute from northern India, the primary flute of Hindustani classical music and one of the oldest continuously played instruments in the world. Its presence in the Vedas and its association with Krishna give it a devotional depth that concert players carry into the raga tradition. The bansuri has no keys: pitch and microtonal inflection come entirely from breath pressure and partial covering of the finger holes, a technique that takes years to develop. The full concert bansuri, brought into its current form by Pannalal Ghosh in the mid-20th century, is now a central voice in Hindustani classical performance.