A) DRUMS OF INDIA

Tabla Pakhawaj Mridagam

Dholak Dholki Dhol

Damru Madal Naal

Indian Tasha Drum Ghatam Nagara

Tabla : Shridhar Padhye Pakhawaj : Arjun Shejwal Mridagam : M.Kalyana Raman

DRUMS OF INDIA BY CHANDIRAMANI

India is a land of ancient culture and traditions, in which dance, music, art, literature, architecture and handicraft etc. play a very important role. 

We have chosen to concentrate on DRUMS OF INDIA , an essential part of MUSIC, in this article. For other articles on Classic Literature ,Folk Tales , Music and dance , visit www.chandiramani.com 

Also visit G.L.Chandiramani on google and yahoo. 

E mail : mrchandiramani@yahoo.com 

Some association , corporate firm or TV should organize a festival of drums of India . We can guide them 

ORIGION OF RHYTHM

Now what is rhythm? The most basic rhythm is that of heart. The heart beats in a very Rhythmatic fashion and you can count the beats. 

The whole Universe rotates in a Rhythm. 

When we walk, that also is in a Rhythm 

To start with, Rhythm was started by beating the ground with the feet; afterwards it was with the clapping of the hands. Sometimes, they would beat a tree, stone or a hard surface with the hands or with a stick to produce a Rhythm Afterwards leather skins were added to the hollow woods and we had an endless variety of drums. Many of them are not in vogue today. 

How the counting of rhythms started, nobody knows about it but evidently it is beyond doubt that the first rhythm was of two beats. It is the most important Rhythm of the world and even in tribal areas of India as well as of Africa and the whole world; they dance in two beats, of course without realizing it. 

Slowly in India, which was mathematically very advanced, a permutation

of two beats started and so in due course we had ,4, 8, 12 and 16 beats, each rhythm having variations of playing. 

With time, one more beat was added to the two beats and a basic Rhythm of three beats was evolved Slowly permutations and combinations yielded a rhythm of 5 beats, a combination of 2 beats and three beats. 

Also of 7 beats , a combination of 3 and 4 beats,With time, even 4 varieties of 7 beats were evolved. In due course, it was natural that numerous other combinations would be attempted and perfected throughout the centuries. So it has become a challenge for us to preserve our ancient drums, as well as Side Rhythm Instruments along with our rhythms. This is something that we are trying to do and so far have already collected information on 16 drums .. 

HISTORY OF DRUM PLAYING :

Incidentally the earliest proof of drum playing is in an Egyptian temple where they show Goddess Hather , Goddess of Music, playing drums in a frame ., Goddess Isis and Sekhmet were also known to play drums in a frame. 

There are also scores of ancient drums in South America , and Africa.The Chinese, Vietnamese and Indonesian have also ancient bronze drums.Artefacts in India show a great variety of drums . Outside India, at Borobudur in Indonesia Buddhist Statues show musicians playing on drums. 

It is only in India where our ancestors have developed very complicated rythms with mathematical precision from 2 beats to 16 beats onward. In most places of the world , they play mostly in 2 beats. 

In Panchatantra Classic written in 2 OO B.C in Sanskrit , there is a reference about the existence of 49 types of Rhythms. According to Bharatamuni*, an ancient sage , music consists of seven notes, three scales, twenty-one modulations, forty-nine rhythms and three speeds. There are also several Ragaas and Raginis* which have to be sung at the proper time and season. 

Refer to Panchatantra by Chandiramani (Rupa & Co ) page 233 . Classic Natya Shastra was also written in 2OO B.C and deals with Dance and Music. 

ATTACHMENT 

DRUMS OF INDIA

Tabla 

1. TABLATabla consists of two drums, one for the left hand and one for the right and accompanies classical vocal,Light vocal (Thumris) Ghazals as well as Bhajans and folk music. 

Amir Khusroo is credited with the creation and development of Tabla . A 22OO year Old Motif on a stone wall at Bhaja in Maharashtra shows a woman playing an instrument similar to Tabla . 

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Pakhawaj 

2. Pakhawaj

It is one of our oldest drums It is a barrel shaped drum with leather skin on both the sides . Phakhawaj is played with our most ancient type of singing namely Dhrupad and Dhamar and Bhajans. The most ancient drum in India is called Dundhubi, the earthenware drum. The word Pakhawaj is derived from Pakha which means Pure and Awaj means the sound . Pakhawaj finds mention in Mahabharat and Natya Shastra ( Written in 2OO B.C) Without doubt , it is the king of Indian drums . 

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Mridagam 

3. MridagamIt is the main drum of South India for Karnataka Music. 

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Khol 

4. KholIn eastern India khol accompanies the melodious Baul and Bhatialies sung by Bards going from village to village. It is also played with modern music . 

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Dholak 

5. DholakIt Is usually played with folk music and other type of light music. 

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Dholki 

6. DholkiIt is also played in folk music and other types of light music . 

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Dhol 

7. Dhol

It has an appearance of a barrel with leather skin attached to the Sides. It accompanies the fiery Bhangra in Punjab,Raas in Gujarat and folk music in Rajasthan and other places in India .. 

It is played with wooden sticks 

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Tavil 

8. TavilThis drum is played in south India only mostly in temples .It accompanies Nagaswaram a very important instrument of south India 

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Damru 

9. DamruThis percussion instrument is associated with the cosmic dance of Lord Shiva The two threads attached to the drum have beads at the end and when rotated with the hand touch the lather skin on both the sides and produce a peculiar musical sound . 

The villagers make monkeys dance to the accompaniment of Damru .. 

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Madal 

10. MadalIt is a two faced d rum. Both sides are used . It is usually played with dance and folk music. 

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Naal 

11. NaalIt is also a two faced drum played with both the hands 

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Kanjira 

12. KanjiraIt is played in South India to accompany singing , although it is nowadays played all over India.Only one face is there .It is held with one hand and played with the other.It is in the category of frame drums. 

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Indian Tasha Drum 

13. Indian Tasha DrumHand-made terracotta with a goat-skin head. This is a traditional Indian drum that can be played with the hand or with the bamboo beaters. 

Includes a beautifully carved wood tripod .stand and a pair of bamboo beaters. 

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Ghatam 

14. Ghatam - (Matka)It is made of clay .There is an opening of the top .One plays at the top with both the hands, In some cases , the opening is covered by the belly of the musician and he strikes the Ghatam to produce various sounds. 

Ghatam is used mainly with South Indian Music . Also Sind uses it extensively with folk music.It is called Matko in Sind 

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Nagara 

15. NagaraNAGARA is played in the (magrib) at sunset in Dargahs (mosques ) or as an announcement about the arrival of a royal personality. 

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Duff 

16. DuffDuff has a leather skin on the frame and rings and bells are in the frame. It is played with light music . 

There are so many drums in India that it is impossible to bring them under one article . 

However Contributions for different drums are welcome .Can anyone

send us photos of Hudki and Dimri? 

Information about other drums with photos will be appreciated. 

Saaz Raag aur Taal Vol-1

Saaz Raag aur Taal ( Instrumental Music of India)Volume I 

Instruments :Flute, Surbahar,Jaltarang,Taar shehnai,Santoor,Harmonium,Sarangi,Vichtra Veena,Tabla Tarang,Dilruba,Sarod ,Sitar,Shahnai 

Side Rhythm Instruments : Madal,Ghungroo,Kartal,Chimto.Damru.Bara Manjira,Hudki,Dimri,Duff.Matka,Dugi Tarang 

Drums:Khol.Pakhawaj,Tabla,Dhol,Dholki,Dholak,Nagara. 

VOLUME - I