The instrument is being used and benefits documented at St Michael’s Hospice in Hereford, with the study so far showing that distress levels are dropping from almost 8 out of 10 at the start of a session down to about 2 out of 10 after only 10 minutes.
Complementary therapies co-ordinator at St Michael’s Hospice, Anthony Hall, is conducting a study asking the question: ‘What affect does 10 minutes of listening to tambura music do to a patient?’
The science behind it centres on matching the vibrations of sound with the cells’ vibrations in the body. Techniques include matching the length and speed of the stroke with the person’s breathing, and if agitated, the player slows the length and speed down which provides a calming effect.
The hospice first brought the instrument to the UK in 2011 and have been using it with patients and family members since, in recent months documenting the benefits it is having for users.
The body tambura is a simple-to-use instrument stemming from, but different to, the traditional Indian tambura. It is made of lightweight wood and is concave shaped to fit comfortably on the chest or back of a patient while they are lying down or on the lap of a patient, so they can feel the music, or it can just be listened to.
Anthony Hall explained how easy it is to use at a demonstration: “People can play this with one finger; there is no need to be a trained musician. It’s simply a matter of strumming the 28 strings in a fast or slow motion, applying different levels of pressure to the strings, as one wishes.”
Following a session with the body tambura, one patient described the effect of their experience: “My head feels clearer; it has calmed down my thoughts.” While another said: “I feel enveloped by peaceful sounds.”
A short film highlighting the benefits of the body tambura and is available to view on YouTube.
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