Top Quality "C" Pitched Mridangam For Sale!
Topic started by Rohan Krishnamurthy (@ 24.247.126.246.kzo.mi.chartermi.net) on Thu Jun 12 19:15:59 .
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.
A top concert quality "C" pitched (thaggu) mridangam is for sale. The mridangam is made of a special, permanent fiber glass shell specially selected by my guru, the famous Sri. Guruvayur Dorai. The pitch is shiftable by about +/- 0.75.
This instrument has been used only once, by Sri. Dorai himself just a few weeks back, and will be used by myself on the 22nd of June in a concert of mine in Los Angeles. Those in the LA area interested in purchasing this instrument can purchase it directly from me after the concert. For others, I can send the instrument shortly after my concert.
Please contact me if you are interested in this purchase. My email is: Rohan_Krishnamurthy@hotmail.com. My home phone number is 269-372-6653.
Thank you.
Responses:
- From: rani (@ 211-232-157-131.nexg.net)
on: Fri Jun 13 06:06:45 EDT 2003
can you tell me what are the different types of mrudangas available? do they differ in the sound produced? is there any difference in the way in which mridangam is played for a female and male artist?
- From: Idiappam (@ cache138.156ce.maxonline.com.sg)
on: Fri Jun 13 09:04:12 EDT 2003
Mridangams, as far as I have seen, are about the same - made of palA kattai (jack-wood) and bearing the same dimensions and proportions geometrically.
The fibre glass one is something I hear new!
Sound produced?? There are different mridangams set to different pitches - from lower than C through G. Slight adjucment - up to 1 tone down or up is possible.
There is no diffence in the way it is played for male or female artist, flute or veena - only a mridangam of suitable pitch is used.
Perhaps there is a diffence in the way it is played for bharatanatyam.
Maybe Nick would say something more.
- From: balakrishnan (@ adsl-64-175-243-13.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net)
on: Tue Jun 17 15:39:39 EDT 2003
fibre glassbody was an innovation by umayalpuram which he demonstrated in music academy few yrs bk during his lecdem.
- From: Rohan (@ 24.247.126.246.kzo.mi.chartermi.net)
on: Tue Jun 17 19:22:06 EDT 2003
Balakrishnan is right, although I heard he first demonstrated it in the 70's or 80's, but no one took it seriously then.
The main benefits with a fiber glass shell is, one, it does not respond to climatic change, which the traditional jackwood does, and two, it is lighter in weight (some fiber glass shells can be held in the palm of one's hand!). The mridangam I am selling here is not that light weight, since one like that that tends to roll when the instrument is played on the ground.
Hope that helps.
- From: balakrishnan (@ adsl-64-175-243-13.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net)
on: Tue Jun 17 20:19:40 EDT 2003
to avoid rolling if i remeber correct once TVG has demonstrated with a stand like jig to keep mridangam in place while playing. i want to know whether this is in practice at present.
- From: Rohan (@ 24.247.126.246.kzo.mi.chartermi.net)
on: Tue Jun 17 22:53:10 EDT 2003
I have also heard of his contraption and have seen some pictures of him using it. I do not think he made it specifcally for lightweight fiber glass mridangams, but just as a substitute for keeping the instrument on the artist's calf.
The contraption is basically fork shaped, and elevates the mridangam at the appropriate height. I have not tried it myself, but it seems useful for those who may have trouble keeping the instrument on their calf.
Sri. Palghat Raghu uses an especially heavy wood, in which case he does not even rest it on his calf; he keeps a folded cloth at the standard height and places it on that. I am not sure how he keeps it in place though.
- From: Nick (@ mridangam.demon.co.uk)
on: Wed Jun 18 06:10:58 EDT 2003
I have seen fibreglass mridangam that can be picked up with little finger alone!
The dimensions etc for male/female mridangams can be found in mridangam books. Or, as the reader will be sitting at a PC as they read this, it might be more convenient to see my web page http://www.mridangam.com/mrdangam.html :-)
I think you will find reference to playing for dance earlier in this thread. The style is very diferent, the mridangist has to understand the dance jatis and memorise much of the performance.
- From: balakrishnan (@ adsl-64-175-243-13.dsl.sntc01.pacbell.net)
on: Wed Jun 18 12:42:10 EDT 2003
it shd b noted that playing for harikatha also is considered little difficult and also needs skill. in early 60s palghat mani played mirudangam for thriuvaiyaru annasamy bhagavathar in thiruvaiyaru utsavam. shri bhagavathar[shri idiappam to pl excuse ] during his discourse casually mentioned that he was enthrilled by mani iyer's playing with definite kalapramanam which is a must for musical discourse.
- From: Nigam (@ ext-pau-proxy1.agere.com)
on: Wed Jun 18 16:13:25 EDT 2003
Hi,
Are the fiber glass mridangams priced higher than the traditional jackwood ones?
Thanks,
Nigam
- From: Rohan (@ 24.247.126.246.kzo.mi.chartermi.net)
on: Wed Jun 18 19:47:56 EDT 2003
Nigam,
The price is basically the same. Both materials require about the same amount of labor and cost.
- From: Traditional (@ 64.69.79.212)
on: Mon Jun 30 03:01:06 EDT 2003
Traditional must be better.
- From: Rohan (@ 24.247.126.246.kzo.mi.chartermi.net)
on: Mon Jun 30 11:33:16 EDT 2003
It's hard to say which is better, for they both do the job. However, they do produce slightly different tones. So it is entirely dependant on one's personal preferance.
- From: Nick (@ mridangam.demon.co.uk)
on: Tue Jul 1 05:59:50 EDT 2003
Traditional is only what has eveolved up to this point in time. If nothing ever changed nothing would ever evolve. If nothing ever evolved nothing would improve. What time is does is test; that is how the successful changes become 'tradition'.
The glass-reinforced plastic mridangams I have seen have been far too light; I don't think that this is good for either feel or sound. But there is no reason body should not be made thicker to give better weight, but still lighter than wood.
It is hard to know that there will always be supplies of appropriate wood, and I understand that that wood is, these days, often not properly seasoned before use, so it is important to experiment with new materials.
My emotions are, however, still happier to touch natural materials!
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