Introduction to Music - Mridangam

1. Introduction to Music - Mridangam M. Ramanathan Department of Engineering Design, Indian Institute of Technology Madras http://ed.iitm.ac.in/~raman/ Lecture on Mridangam

2. Brief history • Importance of rhythm • Why Mridangam – importance of layam • Parts of mridangam, • Variations – size, kappi/kutchi • Thaalam • Role of mridangam in a concert • Thaniavarthanam • Other percussion instruments Lecture on Mridangam

3. Sample carnatic concert • 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

4. History • traced to an archetypical mridang • both masculine and feminine characters • Brahma as an accompanying Taala instrument while Lord Paramashivawa dancing after Thripurasamharam • was first played by Lord Ganesha? • Lord Nandi (the Bull God), the escort of Lord Shiva was a master percussionist (during Taandav). Lecture on Mridangam

5. Rhythm • Esp. in carnatic music – allows innovations and variations • Shruti Mata Laya Pita Lecture on Mridangam

6. 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. Lecture on Mridangam

7. Variations in mridangam • Large/smaller right diameter, length. Dia inversely proportional to pitch. • ThaguShruthi (24 to 26 in. and dia 6.5 to 7.5) and the other is SthaayiShruthi (20 to 22 in., and dia. 6 to 7). • Kuchi (used typically by Sivaraman, velloreRamabhadram) – with slender grass pieces that are inserted for better sound quality, which kappi does not have (mostly K. Mani, Raghu, TK Moorthy uses) Lecture on Mridangam

8. 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. Lecture on Mridangam

9. Thaalam construction • SasapthaKriyai and NisapthaKriyai • Sasapthakriyai part in a thaalam produces sounds • (Demonstration) • Shadangaas and Shodashaangaas Lecture on Mridangam

10. 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!). Lecture on Mridangam

11. 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. Lecture on Mridangam

12. 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. Lecture on Mridangam

13. 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. Lecture on Mridangam

14. Five jaathis – variations in Laghu • ChathurashraJaathi – 1 + 3 • ThisraJaathi – 1 + 2 • KantaJaathi – 1 + 4 • MishraJaathi – 1 + 6 • SankeernaJaathi – 1 + 8 Lecture on Mridangam

15. Various type of Thaalam • Soolathisapthathaalam • Desadhi and Madhyadhithaalam • ChappuThaalam • NavasandhiThaalam • Simhanandhanam and SarapanandhanaThaalams • AparoopaThaalam Lecture on Mridangam

16. SoolathiSapthaThaalam • 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 Lecture on Mridangam

17. Small Exercise Lecture on Mridangam

18. CHAPPU THAALAM • Mishrachappu (3+4) - 3 swaras for first thattu and 4 swaras for second thattu • Kantachappu (2+3) • Thisrachappu (1+2) • Sankeernachappu (3+6) Lecture on Mridangam

19. Aavarthanam and Two Kalai • AdiThaalam • Two Kalai Lecture on Mridangam

20. Create new Thaalam? • Discuss its structure and aksharams. Lecture on Mridangam

21. Basic strokes of Mridangam • Tha, Thi, Thom, Nam (Palani and Tanjore) Lecture on Mridangam

22. Basic strokes of Mridangam • Ta, Dhim, Chappu – Full, Half Lecture on Mridangam

23. Strokes of Mridangam • Using Gumki on the left, one can create different sounds. Lecture on Mridangam

24. Nadai • Combination of basic strokes • Used for following (accompanying) a song • Keezhkalam, MadhyamaKaalam and Mel kaalam • Chatushram, thisram, kantam, mishram and sankeernam Lecture on Mridangam

25. Korvai • Poorvanga and Utahraanga • Splitting the aksharams into different patterns • Basic math skill • Karvai (not Korvai!!) Lecture on Mridangam

26. Playing for a song • Pallavi/Charanam • Swaram • Chitta-Swaram • RagamTanamPallavi Lecture on Mridangam

27. Typical Thaniavarthanam • ChathurashraNadai – Korvai (slightly bigger – few avarthanams, repeated three times) • ThishraNadai – Korvai • Korappu (employed when more than one percussionist involved) • Mohra • Mukthayam Lecture on Mridangam

28. Eduppu vs. Samam • Example – Endharo • ½, 1, 1 ½, ¾ • In Thani – Eduppu to Eduppu or Samam to Eduppu Lecture on Mridangam

29. Other percussion • Thavil • Chenda • Maddalam • Kanjira • Morsing • Tabla • Pakhawaj Lecture on Mridangam

30. Movie songs where percussionbeen employed • Capture different Rasas Lecture on Mridangam