Instrumental Music
Harmonica
Harmonica is a Free-Reed Wind Instrument, a mouth organ which is known also as French Harp. It is used in various musical genres like Classical Music, Jazz, American Folk, Rock, Country etc. Harmonicas are of different types like Diatonic, Chromatic, Tremolo, Octave, Orchestral, Bass etc. Playing a Harmonica is using the lips and tongue by directing air into and/or out of the holes along a mouthpiece. The number of holes vary between the different types. A Chromatic type has 16 holes whereas a Diatonic type of Harmonica has 10 holes. The basic parts of a Harmonica are the Comb, Reed Plates and Cover Plates where Comb is the main body of the instrument. When assembled with the Reed Plates, the Comb becomes an air chamber for the reeds. Cover Plates cover the Reed Plates and are usually made...
Instrumental Music – Master Pravin Pundit – Saxophone
Master Pravin Pundit is an upcoming Saxophone Artiste and a child prodigy. He is the disciple of Padma Bhushan Dr. T.V Gopalakrishnan. His father is Shri Shimoga K. Kumarasamy one of the popular Saxophone Artist. He Joined Dr. TVG’s academy TVGAIMA at the age of five to learn Carnatic Vocal. Observing his extraordinary interest, love and commitment for Saxophone, Dr. TVG adopted him as a Prodigy Scholar in AIMA. Let us now watch and listen to the Child Prodigy Master Pravin Pundit rendering a beautiful song on his Saxophone. It is his first Premier Performance on Carnatic Saxophone. Video used for illustration only – Credit: Saxophone Kumaraswamy 00
Instrumental Music – Veena Chitti Babu
Sri Chitti Babu was a Veena Maestro and known popularly as Veena Chitti Babu. He was born on 13th October 1936 in Kakinada, Andhra Pradesh. Chitti Babu was his nickname at home and his first name was Hanumanlu but latter changed to Chitti Babu. He started playing Veena at the age of 5 and gave his first performance at 12. Chitti Babu had received a number of awards and accolades from major cultural organizations in India and abroad. He died due to a massive cardiac arrest on the 9th of February 1996 in Chennai. Let us now listen to one of his wonderful Veena recitals. The famous “Nagumomu Ganaleni” in the Abheri Raga, Adi Tala composed by Sri Thyagaraja Swami. Video used for illustration only – Credit: Carnatic Ecstasy 00
Instrumental Music – Drums Shivamani Solo
Here is a man who can create music from anything and that is none other than our Drums Shivamani. He is born on 1st December 1959 and a Percussionist cum Music Director. Shivamani does not need any introduction and is popular among Indians and Foreigners for his amazing performance on Drums. He plays many instruments – Drums, Octoban, Darbuka, Udukku, Ghatam, Kanjiara are a few to list. Shivamani is based in Chennai and began drumming at the age of seven and started his musical career at the age of eleven. Shivamani has performed with many Indian as well as Foreign musicians and artists. He was conferred upon with the title of “Kalaimamani” by the Tamil Nadu Government in 2009. He was honoured with the “Best Instrumental Act” at the prestigious Live Quotients ...
Instrumental Music – Ghatam Ensemble
We saw about Ghatam already. Let us now watch a very interesting Ghatam Ensemble termed as “Pongal With Ghee”. This is a five Ghatam Ensemble performed by the following artists. Ganesh Murthi Sachin Deviprasad R P Ravi Shankar Srinidhi R Koundinya Sumana Chandrashekhar The composition is an interplay of Chaturasra ( 4 ) and Tisra ( 3 ). The arrangement of notes is an attempt to explore harmony and melody on this instrument. This piece was created for Sankranti. They have chosen the 21st melakarta raga Keeravani as their anchor raga. The Ghatam Ensemble was recorded by Saitejas Chandrashekar. Enjoy this piece and amazing sound of Ghatam. Picture and Video used for illustration only – Credit: Sunaadam Trust 00
Instrumental Music – Bulbul Tarang Music
Enjoy this Bulbul Tarang Music video. There are different Bulbul Players playing the instrument. Various Hindi and Marathi songs are played by the artists. Bulbul Tarang is an alternate form of Banjo, an Indian or Punjabi Banjo. It is a string instrument originally from Punjab and evolved from the Japanese Taishogoto. The name Bulbul Tarang literally translates to “Waves of Nightingales”. Picture and Video used for illustration only – Credit: Hussain Nashik Dhol Sharif Benjo +10
Bulbul Tarang
Bulbul Tarang is an alternate form of Banjo, an Indian or Punjabi Banjo. It is a string instrument originally from Punjab and evolved from the Japanese Taishogoto. The name Bulbul Tarang literally translates to “Waves of Nightingales”. Bulbul Tarang has two sets of strings, one set for drone and the other for melody. The strings run over a fretboard and there are keys above them. The keys, similar to typewriter keys are used to control the pitch by depressing them. The two main melody strings are tuned an octave apart and the drone string tuned to the fifth. The notes are fretted with the left hand using the keys and the strings are plucked with right hand using a guitar pick. It has a range of two octaves. There are manual and electric versions (using pickup) of Bulbul Tarang....
Instrumental Music – Oud Concert
Naseer Shamma is an Iraqi Musician and Oud Artist. He was born in Kut, a city on the Tigris River, in 1963. Completed his diploma from the Bagdad Academy of Music in 1987 and has composed music for films, plays and television. He has created a Oud school named “Arabic Oud House” in Cairo, Egypt in 1999. It is the first school completely dedicated to teaching Oud as a solo instrument. Let us watch and listen to the “Cities of Daffodils” by Naseer Shamma and the Peacebuilders, performed at the historic Citadel of Erbil. Artist Line-Up Naseer Shamma – Oud and Composition Karen Briggs aka “The Lady in Red” – Violin Hussein Zahhawy – Kurdish Daf Aytac Dogan – Kanun Ashraf Sharif Khan – Sitar Luis Robisco – Flamenco Guitar A...
Oud
Oud is an Arabic Musical Instrument belonging to the Chordophone family of instruments. It is a short-neck, lute-type, pear-shaped stringed instrument having no frets. Normally an Oud has 11 strings grouped in six courses. There are Ouds with 5 or 7 courses having 10 or 13 strings respectively. It has a Fingerboard and Tuning Pegs. A Lute is a Plucked String Instrument having a neck and a deep round back enclosing a hollow cavity. Usually Lute instruments have a sound hole on its body. Ouds have been used in the Middle East, North Africa and Central Asia for many years. There are three main categories of modern-day Ouds – Arabian, Turkish and Persian. The Arabian Ouds are larger than the Turkish and Persian ones. They produce a full, deep sound. The Persian one is also called as Barb...
Instrumental Music – Banjo and Fiddle
This one is an Irish Set with Banjo and Fiddles (Violin), performed by Seph Peters, Anna Ludlow and Gillian Boucher. They perform a set of Irish tune from a Celtic Umbrella Concert at Chester Playhouse, Nova Scotia in June 2011. Seph Peters is one of the best Banjo artists. Anna Ludlow, is a Fiddler and Vocalist, who has performed on many shows and captivated audiences throughout North America and Europe. Gillian Boucher who is again a Fiddler, who has performed with Seph Peters on many stages. Let us enjoy this short piece of music. Picture and Video used for illustration only – Credit: Arcadiapictures 00
Banjo
Banjo is a stringed instrument of African-American origin, in the United States. It is an adaptation from the African Instruments of similar type. Though Banjo is associated with the Country and Folk Music Genre, it is used in Rock, Pop and Hip-Hop songs. Banjo has a thin membrane stretched over a frame or cavity, which forms as a resonator. The membrane is usually of plastic and animal skin can also be used. Modern Banjos come in four, five and six string versions. Sound is produced by plucking the strings by fingers. The body of Banjo is usually made of wood and of circular shape. A thin membrane is stretched over the open end of the pot shaped body and tensioned similar to a drum head. There are Frets on the long arm in the modern Banjos. The fourth string is usually wound with either s...
Instrumental Music – Bongos – Conga – Cajon
Here is a Bongos – Conga – Cajon Afro-Peruvian percussion performance which you will enjoy for sure. The artists are Peruvian Artists Marquitos Mosquera, Marco Oliveros, Makarito Nicasio and Edu Campos Duenas. Cajon is a box-shaped percussion instrument. Its origin is Peru and it is played by slapping the front or rear faces with hands and fingers. Cajons are mainly played in Afro-Peruvian music. Conga is a tall narrow, single-headed drum. Its origin is Cuba and again played hands. They were originally used in Afro-Cuban music genres. Congas have become popular instrument in many forms of Latin music. Enjoy the performance. Video used for illustration only – Credit: Meinl Percussion 00