Question

Explain the structure of the percussion instrument of your choice with the help of a diagram, and also briefly mention how to tune the chosen instrument. Mention a prominent artist in this field.

Hint:

Pick one instrument. Describe its parts, label a sketch, say how it is tuned to the sruti and name one great artist.

Answer 1

Step 1: Understanding the Question:
The question is for the student's own chosen instrument (2 + 2 + 2 marks): the structure, a labelled diagram drawn by the student, and the tuning with a prominent artist. Here we take the mridangam.

Step 2: Part 1: Structure of the mridangam:
The mridangam has a hollow barrel-shaped body, called the shell. It is made from a single piece of jackfruit wood.
The two openings are covered with skin heads. The right head, the valanthalai, is smaller and gives a high, clear note. The left head, the thoppi, is larger and gives a deep bass sound.
The right head has three layers of skin. At its centre is a black circular patch of paste called the soru (also called karanai) which gives the clear sound. The two heads are joined by leather straps (vaar) that go round the shell.

Step 3: Part 2: Labelled diagram (to be drawn by the student):
Draw a horizontal barrel with a wider middle. Label:
1) Right head (valanthalai) with the black patch (soru) at its centre.
2) Left head (thoppi).
3) Wooden shell.
4) Leather straps (vaar).
5) Wooden tuning blocks (gattai) placed under the straps on the right side.
Show the three layers of skin at the right head and mark the soru in the middle.

Step 4: Part 3: Tuning:
The mridangam is tuned to the tonic (sruti) of the main artist. To change the pitch, the player taps the wooden blocks (gattai) that sit between the shell and the straps on the right head, with a small hammer. Tapping them in one direction makes the straps tighter and the pitch higher.
Tapping them the other way loosens the straps and lowers the pitch. The pitch is checked by playing the open stroke and listening. For the left head, a small ball of semolina or wheat flour paste is placed on the head before playing to get a deep bass.

Step 5: Prominent artist:
Palaghat Mani Iyer (Tanjavur style) is one of the greatest mridangam artists. Other well known names are Palani Subramania Pillai, Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman and Trichy Sankaran.

Final Answer:
The mridangam has a wooden shell with two skin heads joined by leather straps and is tuned to the sruti with the wooden blocks. A prominent artist is Palaghat Mani Iyer. \[ \boxed{\text{Mridangam structure, diagram, tuning and artist}} \]