Introduction to Music - Mridangam M. Ramanathan Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute...
-
Upload
rhett-crosswell -
Category
Documents
-
view
234 -
download
0
Transcript of Introduction to Music - Mridangam M. Ramanathan Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute...
Lecture on Mridangam
Introduction to Music - Mridangam
M. Ramanathan
Department of Engineering Design,
Indian Institute of Technology Madras
http://ed.iitm.ac.in/~raman/
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
• Brief history• Importance of rhythm• Why Mridangam – importance of layam• Parts of mridangam, • Variations – size, kappi/kutchi• Thaalam• Role of mridangam in a concert• Thani avarthanam• Other percussion instruments
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Lecture on Mridangam
Sample carnatic concert
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
• Play sample concert 1 – Mine• Play sample concert 1 – Mandolin• Play sample concert 2 – M.S.• Tabla and Thavil also has been used – esp.
by Srinivas
Lecture on Mridangam
History• traced to an archetypical mridang• both masculine and feminine characters• Brahma as an accompanying Taala
instrument while Lord Paramashiva wa dancing after Thripura samharam
• was first played by Lord Ganesha?• Lord Nandi (the Bull God), the escort of
Lord Shiva was a master percussionist (during Taandav).
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Rhythm
• Esp. in carnatic music – allows innovations and variations
• Shruti Mata Laya Pita
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Parts of mridangam
• Jack tree or Rosewood• Left, middle and right• Left – Rava mixed with water is used.• Right – Meetu and Chappu skins.• Karanai – mixture of manganese powder,
rice and iron powder• Strips connecting the two.
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Variations in mridangam
• Large/smaller right diameter, length. Dia inversely proportional to pitch.
• Thagu Shruthi (24 to 26 in. and dia 6.5 to 7.5) and the other is Sthaayi Shruthi (20 to 22 in., and dia. 6 to 7).
• Kuchi (used typically by Sivaraman, vellore Ramabhadram) – with slender grass pieces that are inserted for better sound quality, which kappi does not have (mostly K. Mani, Raghu, TK Moorthy uses)Introduction to Music,
IIT MadrasLecture on Mridangam
Lecture on Mridangam
Thaalam
• Tool for measuring the tempo and also to some extent the structure of the song.
• Maintaining the rhythm or the beats of a song constant.
• Reflects the mood of that song.
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Thaalam construction
• SasapthaKriyai and NisapthaKriyai• Sasapthakriyai part in a thaalam produces
sounds• (Demonstration)• Shadangaas and Shodashaangaas
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Thaalam
• Thattu - the downward beat with the palm facing down
• Veechchu - the wave (sometimes the downward beat with the palm facing up)
• Finger Counts - counts start with the little finger and the no. of counts depends on the type of the thaalam.
• Aksharam - Each beat of a thaalam is termed as "One Aksharam” (depends!).
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
SHADANGAA - Six Angaas"
• Laghu - A Laghu is one thattu followed by a specified number of counts.
• Dhrutham - It is one thattu followed by one veechu.
• Anudhrutham - It consists of just one thattu.
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Other three• Guru - It consists of a thattu and for the
remaining aksharas(depends on the type of Thaalam) hand (closed one) will be rotated in a circular motion.
• Plutham - It consists of one thattu, one krishyai and one sarpini.
• Kakapaadham - It consists of one thattu, One padhagam, one krishyai and one sarpini.
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
• 1 krshyai - Has 4 aksharams and is represented by waving the hand towards left.
• 1 sarpini - Has 4 aksharams and is represented by waving the hand towards right.
• 1 pathakam - Has 4 aksharams and is represented by raising the hand vertically.
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Five jaathis – variations in Laghu
• Chathurashra Jaathi – 1 + 3• Thisra Jaathi – 1 + 2• Kanta Jaathi – 1 + 4• Mishra Jaathi – 1 + 6• Sankeerna Jaathi – 1 + 8
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Various type of Thaalam
• Soolathi saptha thaalam• Desadhi and Madhyadhi thaalam• Chappu Thaalam• Navasandhi Thaalam• Simhanandhanam and Sarapanandhana
Thaalams• Aparoopa Thaalam
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Soolathi Saptha Thaalam• Dhruvam - laghu,dhrutham,laghu,laghu - 1011
- 14 • Matyam - laghu,dhrutham,laghu - 101 – 10• Roopakam - dhrutham,laghu - 01 – 6• Jhampa - laghu,anudhrutham,dhrutham - 1U0
– 10• Thriputa - laghu,dhrutham,dhrutham - 100 – 7• Ata - laghu,laghu,dhrutham,dhrutham - 1100 –
14• Ekam - laghu - 1 - 4
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Lecture on Mridangam
Small Exercise
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
CHAPPU THAALAM
• Mishra chappu (3+4) - 3 swaras for first thattu and 4 swaras for second thattu
• Kanta chappu (2+3)• Thisra chappu (1+2)• Sankeerna chappu (3+6)
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Lecture on Mridangam
Aavarthanam and Two Kalai
• Adi Thaalam • Two Kalai
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Create new Thaalam?
• Discuss its structure and aksharams.
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Basic strokes of Mridangam
• Tha, Thi, Thom, Nam (Palani and Tanjore)
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Basic strokes of Mridangam
• Ta, Dhim, Chappu – Full, Half
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Strokes of Mridangam
• Using Gumki on the left, one can create different sounds.
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Nadai
• Combination of basic strokes• Used for following (accompanying) a song • Keezhkalam, Madhyama Kaalam and Mel
kaalam• Chatushram, thisram, kantam, mishram and
sankeernam
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Korvai
• Poorvanga and Utahraanga• Splitting the aksharams into different
patterns• Basic math skill• Karvai (not Korvai!!)
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Playing for a song
• Pallavi/Charanam• Swaram• Chitta-Swaram• Ragam Tanam Pallavi
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Lecture on Mridangam
Typical Thaniavarthanam
• Chathurashra Nadai – Korvai (slightly bigger – few avarthanams, repeated three times)
• Thishra Nadai – Korvai • Korappu (employed when more than one
percussionist involved)• Mohra• Mukthayam
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Eduppu vs. Samam
• Example – Endharo• ½, 1, 1 ½, ¾• In Thani – Eduppu to Eduppu or Samam to
Eduppu
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Other percussion
• Thavil• Chenda• Maddalam• Kanjira• Morsing• Tabla• Pakhawaj
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras
Lecture on Mridangam
Movie songs where percussionbeen employed
• Capture different Rasas
Introduction to Music, IIT Madras