Real tanpura tone
The shimmer of a plucked four-string tanpura, not a flat synthetic drone.
Get the free tanpura app
Tirkit is free on Google Play — a tunable, seamless tanpura drone plus tabla, swar mandal and metronome.
Hear the tanpura before you install
Every key
Tune from A2 to E4 to match any voice or instrument, down to the semitone.
Dual drones
Two independent tanpuras — play them synced or apart.
A tanpura in your pocket, tuned to your Sa
The tanpura is the soul of Hindustani music — the steady drone that holds your Sa and gives every note its meaning. Tirkit recreates that sound faithfully on your phone, with the warmth and shimmer of a real four-string tanpura rather than a thin synthetic buzz.
Set your key anywhere from A2 to E4, choose Sa–Pa, Sa–Ma or Sa–Ni tuning, and adjust the spacing between plucks. The drone starts instantly and loops seamlessly for as long as you practise.
Dual tanpura — two drones, one screen
Tirkit gives you two independent tanpuras. Play them in sync for a richer, layered drone, or tune them differently and let each one breathe. Volume and interval for each are on the same screen as your tabla and swar mandal, so the whole accompaniment sits in one place.
Because everything is generated on your phone, the tanpura keeps playing in the background with lock-screen controls, and never needs a network connection.
Cheaper than an electronic tanpura box
A hardware electronic tanpura can cost thousands of rupees. A tanpura app gives you the same reliable reference drone — plus more tunings, every key, and a metronome and tabla alongside it — for a fraction of the price, on the phone you already carry.
Frequently asked questions
Is Tirkit a free tanpura app?
Yes. Download it, pick your key and interval, and the drone plays instantly — no account, no internet needed. It is on Google Play today, with the iPhone and iPad version coming soon.
What tunings does the tanpura support?
Three classic tunings — Sa–Pa (the default fifth), Sa–Ma (fourth) and Sa–Ni — and you can tune the drone to any key from A2 to E4 to match your voice or instrument.
Can I run two tanpuras at once?
Yes. Tirkit has a dual tanpura: two independent drones you can play together — in sync for a fuller sound, or set apart — which is unusual even among paid tanpura apps.
Does the tanpura drone loop seamlessly?
It does. The drone is generated by a native audio engine with a seamless loop, so there is no click or gap when the cycle repeats, even over long practice sessions.
Is a tanpura app as good as an electronic tanpura box?
For daily riyaz, yes — and it costs a fraction of a hardware tanpura box. You get the same steady reference drone, more tunings, every key, and it fits in your pocket.