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Notes played

Off until you tap ● Record (or ● Rec in full screen). Strummed and plucked notes are written down; finger-only sounds are not. ↓ down, ↑ up.

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Tune strings

Each of the seven strings has its own pitch. With Move all strings together on, changing any string moves all seven by the same amount, so the whole instrument changes key; turn it off to tune one string on its own. Changes are saved on this device.

Reset to F♯3 · B2 · E3

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How to play

• Pluck: tap a string on the round body, or swipe across all three courses to strum.
• Change pitch: hold a finger on the neck over a string, then pluck with another finger. The dranyen has no frets, so any position works. Slide the finger to glide between notes.
• Finger sounds: pressing a finger onto the neck sounds the note softly on its own (a hammer-on), and lifting it off a ringing string sounds the lower note (a pull-off), so you can play notes with the fretting hand alone.
• Down and up strokes: a swipe from the left course toward the right course is a down stroke and sounds fuller; the return swipe is an up stroke and sounds lighter, like a real dranyen strum.
• Snap to notes (on by default) moves your finger to the nearest note, so small differences in finger position don’t change the pitch. Small ticks on the neck edges show each note. Turn it off for free sliding between notes.
• String names: each course shows its traditional name on the body. The left, middle and right courses are called Mi, La, Re; in the other naming system they are La, Re, So. In full screen the neck also shows the note names on each course from the open string up to guide mark 3, at the place to press; Do is in gold. Tap the Names button to switch between the two systems or hide the names, and Language to show them in English letters or in Dzongkha (མི ལ རེ). The names don’t change the tuning.
• Guide marks show where the whole-tone, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and octave fall. Turn them off once your ear takes over.
• Keyboard: A S D pluck each course, Space strums. Hold the mouse on the neck to stop a string.
• iPhone and iPad: if you hear nothing, switch off silent mode and turn the volume up.
• Low strings: phone speakers can’t reproduce notes as low as F♯2 or B2 fully. Use headphones to hear the octave strings clearly.

Play full screen

Tap Play full screen for a finger-sized neck that fills the whole screen. Turn the phone sideways for the longest neck: it lies along the screen with the body on the right, like holding the real instrument. Tap Exit to return. On iPhone, adding the app to your Home Screen hides Safari’s bars and gives the most room.

Tuning

Seven strings in three courses. Left to right, the default tuning is F♯3, B2, E3. Left (F♯3): two strings, the second an octave lower (F♯2). Middle (B2): three strings, the first a short string that starts from a peg partway down the neck, between guide marks 4 and 5. Right (E3): two strings.

Tap Tune strings to set each of the seven strings to its own note, one semitone at a time. When a finger presses the middle course, the short string is muted and only the two long strings sound.

About the instrument

The dranyen (“melodious sound”) is Bhutan’s long-necked, fretless lute. It usually carries seven strings grouped into three courses, and its pegbox ends in a carved water-monster head (chusin). It accompanies Bhutanese folk singing such as zhungdra and boedra.

Install on your phone

Android (Chrome): menu ⋮ → Add to Home screen. iPhone (Safari): Share → Add to Home Screen. Turn the phone upright for the best fit.