Musical Instruments
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
Bongo
Bongo drum is a percussion instrument of Afro-Cuban origin. It normally comes as a pair of small open bottomed drums of different sizes. Bongo is a Spanish word. The larger drum of the pair is called “Hembra (female) and the smaller one “Macho” (male). Together the instrument is called as Bongos and a hand drum played with bare hand. The Bongo drums were created in 1900’s in Cuba for Latin American Dance Bands. The diameter of the larger drum is about 25cms and that of the small one is about 20cms. Bongo drums have a height of 20ms. The Bongo drums produce relatively high-pitched sound and played by holding them behind the knees. For right-handed players the larger drum will be on the right. The skin of the drumhead are tightened using metal clips attached to the bo...
Instrumental Music – African Traditional Music
This is one typical African Traditional Music video using Djembe as the main instrument. The instruments used are Djembe, Balafon, Shereke and Dunum. Balafon is a ground-resonated xylophone associated mainly with people of West Africa. It can be a fixed-key or free-key type, usually having 17-21 keys tuned to tetratonic, pentatonic or heptatonic scale. The tuning depends upon the culture of the musician. It can produce 18 to 21 notes. Keys are made of Bene wood and suspended by leather straps above a wooden frame in a fixed-key balafon. Shereke is also a West African percussion instrument. It consists of a dried gourd with beads or cowries woven into a net covering the gourd. Usually it is vine gourd used for making the Shereke. The performance is by African Uniques Traditional Dance and M...
Djembe
Djembe is a drum instrument having its origin in the West Africa. It is a rope-tuned, skin-covered, goblet drum – a single headed drum which is played with bare hands. A Goblet drum has a goblet shaped body and is considered as the National Symbol of Egyptian Shaabi music. Djembe belongs to the Membranophone family of musical instruments. The name Djembe comes from two words “Dje” and “Be” meaning “Gather” and “Peace” respectively. Hence the folk saying “Everyone Gather together in peace” is used to represent the instrument. Construction The body of the instrument is carved of hardwood. The drumhead is made of untreated rawhide (animal skin that is not exposed to tanning). The skin is similar to parchment but lighter in colo...
Instrumental Music – Udukku and Ayyappan Pattu
Udukku as we saw already, is a percussion instrument and used for Ayyappan Pattu or Ayyappan Vilakku in Kerala. Ayyappan Pattu is a ritual performed by the devotees of Lord Ayyappa. It is also known as Sastham Pattu or Udukku Pattu. It is normally done before embarking on a journey to the Sabarimala Temple during the Mandalam Season. The Ayyappan Pattu starts with Ganapathi Talam a rhythmic beat. The songs rendered depict stories from the life of Lord Ayyappa. Temporary temple of Lord Ayyappa, similar to the Sabarimala Temple is created with extensive decorations. There are specific troups who perform the Ayyappan Pattu. The players sing songs in tune with the beats of Udukku. Let us see one typical Ayyappan Pattu. Picture and Video used for illustration only – Credit: Ratheesh K Tho...
Udukku
Udukku is again a double headed percussion instrument belonging to the Membranophone family. It is an instrument of Tamil origin, similar to Damaru and Idakka. Udukku is slightly larger than Damaru but smaller than Idakka. It has an hour-glass shape. It is used in Kerala, Tamilnadu and eastern parts of Sri Lanka. Udukku normally is played in folk culture or sometimes along with some temple rituals. It is also known as Udakkai The Udukku is about 10 inches long with 6 to 8 inches of diameter at the ends and having a tapering (towards centre) body. A single hollow block of Jack wood tree is used in making the body of Udukku. Goat Skin leather is used to cover the ends of Udukku across its mouth. Hoops are placed on the edge of the body. Strings are used to tighten the skins. Udukku is played...
Instrumental Music – Jugalbandi
Here is a Jugalbandi performance between Clarinet, Saxophone and Flute. Enjoy Late Dr. Kadri Gopalnath on Saxophone, Dr. Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati on Clarinet and Mr. Pravin Godkhindi on Flute. It is one of the rare piece of performance. Late Dr. Kadri Gopalnath, we know was a Saxophone maestro. Dr. Pandit Narasimhalu Vadavati was born in 1942 in Vadavati village, Raichur taluk of Karnataka, India. His father was Tabla Player, Grandfather a Shehnai Artist and mother a Devotional Singer. Mr. Pravin Godkhindi is an Indian Classical Hindustani Flute player, born in 1973 at Dharwad, Karnataka, India. He has mastered both styles (Tantrakari and Gayaki) of playing the Flute. All three are highly talented artists in their own areas and have received many awards, titles and accolades for their p...
Clarinet
Clarinet is a single-reed, straight cylindrical tube woodwind instrument. It has a single-reed mouthpiece. The body or the cylindrical tube has a number of Tone Holes and set of keys controlling the sound produced. Clarinets are used orchestrally and in military and brass bands. Clarinet was invented in the 18th century by Johann Christoph Denner, a renowned woodwind maker in Nurnberg – South Germany. Construction The tube or body of the Clarinet is made of different materials like wood, plastic, hard rubber, metal resin etc. Majority of the Professional Clarinets are made of African Hardwood, African Blackwood or Grenadilla. Mouthpieces are normally made of Hard Rubber but there are inexpensive plastic ones as well. The Reed of the Clarinet is made of Cane of Arundo Donax which is a...
Instrumental Music – Thayambaka
Instrumental Music – Thayambaka Thayambaka is another form of Chenda Melam where single or multiple Uruttu Chenda(s) and one or more Veekku Chenda is played. There are only three instruments used in Thayambaka unlike the Panchari or Paandi Melam. Uruttu Chenda is the main instrument, along with Veekku Chenda and Elathalam. It is an art form developed in the South Indian state of Kerala. Thayambaka is also mostly played inside the temple premises or for special festivals and related to temples. The rhythmic beats of Thayambaka starts off on a slow note. It gracefully picks up the pace gradually. A typical Thayambaka can last for 2 to three hours. It initially started as a solo performance – one Uruttu Chenda with accompanying Veekku Chenda and Elathalam. Then the Double, Triple ...