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Thursday, October 29, 2020

ANIMAL SKIN FOR PERCUSSIONS

In ancient days, man was a hunter. Hunting animals fulfilled his daily needs for living. He observed that the skin of the animals he hunted, became very hard and stiff after some days. After tanning it he must have seen that it could produce peculiar sound. He then tried striking it with a stick and entertained himself. Since rhythm is an inborn quality of man, he enjoyed dancing on its regular beating. 

Some might remember a story in primary school days that a tightened skin of an animal lied under a tree. Accidently a branch of the tree fell on it, which in turn produced a thumping sound. After hearing the sound, a fox was terrified and ran away! 

In the Puranas, it is mentioned that Shiva, the god of gods danced after killing demons. The dancing form of Shiva is Natraj, who holds the DAMRU डमरू in one of the four hands he has. The DAMRU is an instrument which looks like a sand timer. Its both ends are covered with monkey skin tightened with a rope at both ends. A thin rope is tightened again in the middle part of the tightened ropes with a small pebble fixed at its end. Shaking the DAMRU rhythmically made the pebble touch the skin at both the ends. It is also believed that the sound produced by DAMRU created basic vowels of ancient Indian language. Elated with the dance of his father, Ganesh beat the drum. This drum was called "BHOO DUNDUBHI" भू दुंदुभि which means a big pit on the ground covered with tightened animal skin, which in turn is transformed into a drum.

Based on the fables and myths, some gods are given credit of creating such ancient instruments. It must be noted that such instruments have not come into being suddenly or by a single individual or by a particular god. An invention has deep roots of experiments done for generations together. 

There are instances of Ground Drums, Slit Drums and Wooden Drums in the history. By the passage of time and thanks to scientific progress many instruments took convenient shapes and sizes. It is still in progress.

In ancient days, a hollow in a tree was covered with thin animal skin and it was used as a drum.

Deep pit on the ground was covered by thin planks of a tree, which produced deep sound. 

A human skull was also used as a drum and it was struck by bones of hands in stone age. The longer bones of leg were also used as blowing pipes. Other than these parts no other human bones were used as musical instruments. 

Skin of bull, buffalo, snake, bigger fish, deer, monkey, elephant have been seen for the use of such drums.

Percussions are known as अवनध वाद्य in Indian way.