Execution of the Tamboura

• Left hand holds a chord while right hand thumb or middle finger strike the strings percussively
• Usually the fingers strike the strings close to the bridge (ponticello) to make the pitches clearer
• Closer to the sound hole, tasto, reduces the clarity of the pitches
• It is possible to bring out one note of the tamboura by using the nail of the thumb to hit the string holding the note

Example Explained

Notation appears below.

Example

Example Explained

The chord here is E major. The strike finger is indicated at above the chord and the indication for tamboura (tamb.) is below.