Lecture on Mridangam

Introduction to Music - Mridangam

M. RamanathanDepartment of Engineering Design,

Indian Institute of Technology Madrashttp://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• PakhawajIntroduction to Music, IIT Madras

Lecture on Mridangam

Movie songs where percussionbeen employed

• Capture different Rasas

Introduction to Music, IIT Madras