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Friday, April 13, 2012

MANDOLIN - A POPULAR LUTE




               THE  STRING  INSTRUMENT
  
So friends, I think most of you know about the instrument MANDOLIN. But still I want to share some information which I know about this instrument........

Mandolin is a musical instrument from lute family . Lutes are the instruments which produce sound by vibration of the stings . As this instrument is a descendent of the lute , the mandolin reaches back to some of the earliest musical instruments .

FEW TYPES OF MANDOLIN :
1. Genuese  Mandolin
  1. Genuese Mandolin
  2. Cremona Mandolin
  3. Mandolin Neapolitan
  4. Mandolin (modern)
  5. Mandocello
  6. A-style Mandolin
  7. Mandolin Gelas
  8. Mandolin Banjo
  9. Lyre Mandolin or Harp Mandolin


2. Cremona Mandolin

4. Mandolin (modern)

7. Mandolin  Gelas
7. Mandolin Gelas - The part where
sound produces

                7. Mandolin Gelas



9. Lyre Mandolin                                              


So , let me tell you something more about mandolin . Normally people find only 2 variations in the original form -the acoustic and the electric . But I want to tell you all that Mandolin in its original form is typically an acoustic stringed instrument which is about 60 cm which means 2ft long with deeply vaulted ribs and a table slanted downward at the lower end . It has a neck-cum-peg head attached to a hollow oval shaped sound box . It has 4 pairs of loop-ended double rib fastened metal strings secured to hooks on the body on one end, which passes across a low bridge (on the sound box) and a nut (on the finger board) to the pegs inserted into a rectangular peg-box

Ghatam (Additional Information)

                                  GHATAM
        Ghatam is a south Indian percussion instrument. It is an earthen pot.The artiste uses his fingers, palms, heels of the hands and thumbs to strike the outer surface to produce sound. When the mouth of the Ghatam is hit with an open hand, an airy low pitched sound is produced. This sound is called Gumki. Another way to produce Gumki sound is by pressing the mouth of it against the belly. In this way the tone of the stroke is deepened. By hitting different areas of Ghatam with different parts of hand, different tones are produced.
        Ghatam is like an ordinary clay pot but it is specially made to be played as an instrument. The walls of the instrument should be of even thickness to produce an even tone. There are two types of Ghatam - Madras Ghatam and Manamadurai Ghatam. Less force is required to play Madras Ghatam and it is light weighted. On the other hand, it is harder to play Manamadurai Ghatam, which is heavier. But the sharp metallic ringing sound produced by it is favored by some players.
        Madga (Matka) is the north Indian version of Ghatam. Some kind of metal or graphite dust is added to get a different color and special sound. Madga can also be played with sticks or mallets. South Indian Ghatams are fired at a much lower temperature for a shorter time as compared to instruments like Ghara (Ghada), which are fired at much higher temperature.
          Some noted Ghatam players are Ghatam Suresh, Ghatam Karthik, Bhusurapalli Venkateswarlu, Thetakudi Harihara Subash Chandran.

Saxophone - An Integral Part of Carnatic Music


 
Though very short, these video clips give us a feel of how Carnatic music is played on saxophone.
                            

SAXOPHONE

In the last century, many of the western musical instruments were adopted by Indian musicians for their repertoire. The oldest of such instruments is harmonium, which has become an integral part of Hindustani music. The other such instruments are violin, mandolin, guitar, clarinet and few others.

In this case, wind instruments have become more acceptable since no more modifications were needed. Clarinet and saxophone are the examples to prove this fact!

In the field of Carnatic music this instrument has gained its place due to the contribution of the famous maestro Kadri Gopalnath.


Saxophone
Saxophone is a member of the woodwind family. It was invented by Adolphe Sax. It is commonly associated with jazz and classical western music. It is a conical tube of thin metal usually of brass and sometimes plated with silver, gold or (and) nickel. The keys are controlled by the buttons pressed by the fingers. The right thumb is placed under a thumb rest to help balance the instrument. The U-shape has become an iconic feature of the saxophone family, but other members of the same family like tenors and baritones have sometimes been made in the straight style.

         The saxophone uses a single-reed mouthpiece similar to that of a clarinet. Since 20th century, reeds have been made of fiberglass and of composite materials. After the basic structure is constructed a thin coating of lacquer or silver plate is applied over the brass. This plating prevents oxidation and maintains its shiny appearance. Gold plated saxophones have also popular.
   The saxophone was designed for the military band where it first gained popularity. Nowadays it has found a place in concert bands  and big band. It has been recently introduced into symphony orchestra.

        Inexpensive folk versions of the instrument were developed in 20th century. These were keyless and were made of bamboo by instrument makers in Hawaii, Jamaica, Thailand, Indonesia etc. It was called xaphoon and was marketed by the name "bamboo saxophone". 
 Kadri Gopalanath is the most celebrated saxophone player in the field of Carnatic music. Lynn Klock, Joseph Lulloff, Manohari Singh are some of the maestros who have gained much popularity in various styles of Saxophone playing.

RELIGIOUS INSTRUMENT TAMBILA

A peculiar kind of an instrument often used in the religious events in the south. Here is a video clip showing how it is played.
TAMBILA
 
Indian religious events are always witnessed with much joy and fervor accompanied by sturdy musical instruments. Ancient religious texts like Rigveda, Bhagavtgeeta also mention a number of musical instruments played at the time of Yaga, Griha-Pravesha, Maha-Aarati, Maha-Abhisheka, Kalasharohana etc. At the auspicious moment of a marriage also loud sound of percussions was (and still is) a necessity.
In south, one can find a large number of percussions played in the holy premises of the temple on important occasions. One of such  instruments is Tambila. It is a drum weighing around 3 kilograms made of jack wood, tied either with ropes or with chords of animal bowels. Right end is smaller in diameter compared to the left. Both sides are covered with goat skin. Both the ends are played with help of sturdy sticks. The left one is fat and the right one is always thin. 
This instrument is played along with other tonal instruments. Many times it is played solo with two or three other players of the same instrument. It is importantly played at the time of a procession of the deity around the temple premises.