Newbie Question: Harmonium Drone Pitches

[Elliott]

I, a complete novice, have a question about the pitches of harmonium
drone stops.

I'm buying a harmonium for use in our multicultural church congregation.
I'm having the reeds retuned to A440, to allow it to be used with other
instruments in the congregation.

The harmonium comes with seven drone stops. I understand that these
drones are normally tuned to sharp keys (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#).

Are these drones are chosen because C#, D#, F#, G#, and A# are commonly
used keys on the harmonium?

I would like to retune some of the drones to keys that we western
guitar-oriented musicians are more comfortable with: C, D, G, A, and
possibly E. So obviously some compromise is called for.

Which of the standard drone pitches (C#, D#, F#, G#, A#) would Indian
musicians feel are indispensable? If I had to change some of the
standard drones to get some of the pitches I want to use, which standard
drone pitches should I lose?

Thank you for your consideration of this request.

Cheers,
Elliott

[David Courtney]

The use of these drones for the harmonium is merely convention. When you
go to any music store in India, the terms Kali Ek, Kali Do, Kali Teen, etc
are just the standard way of describing pitch. Feel free to tune to
anything that is practical and desireable for you.

For more information on the harmoniu,m check out:
http://chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/harmonium.html

Good luck

David Courtney

[Elliott]

Thank you for your help, Mr Courtney.

Cheers,
Elliott

[martijn...@hotmail.com]

I have found out that drones are used with mantra's. Mantra's come originally from the veda's. The mantra's need to be chanted in the tone and frequency of the inner sound that each person has within, a vibration. This, in my case is a C#. Also it is not 440 but lower. I suspect, I do not know this for a fact, that these are motivations to have the drones in the the keys they come with in India.