This style is shown at the top of this page. The Tanjore style of tambura is found in the south. This is the favourite for Carnatic musicians. It is also about 3 to 5 feet in length. Unlike the Miraj style, the neck tapers toward the top, and the front plate is very flat.
Resonators are almost always of wood.
An example of the Tanjore style is shown above. Its most striking characteristic is its size. It averages only about 2 to 3 feet in length. The tamburi's small size means that the playing technique is usually slightly different from the standard tambura . Although the tamburi is generally acknowledged to have an inferior sound, it is the easiest of all the tamburas to maintain.