Indian Musical Instruments

There are many musical instruments in use in India. The origin of Indian music dates back to the Vedic period. Music was used to create the “mood” of the spectators in some emotional situation, to call nature for rain or flood, to fulfil spiritual needs of Gods and Rishis, for an invitation between two kings, to entertain guests, etc. In the Art and Culture Class 11: Indian Musical Instruments, you will study musical instruments in detail. 

Music is an integral part of ceremonies and the performing arts, such as dance and theatre. Each village has its unique musical style and song heritage. The basic theory employed to make the sound is used to classify the percussion instruments:

● Percussion Instruments: 

A percussion instrument is indeed a string instrument with connected or enclosed beaters or rattles that are pounded, scraped, or brushed by fingers or played against another similar instrument to produce sound. e.g., manjeera or cymbals.

● Wind Instruments: 

Wind instruments were used in the soundtrack of all civilizations from prehistoric times and also have a wide range of structure and harmonic overtones. The links and differences between the different variations must be reflected and categorised in a system of categorization for these instruments. e.g., bansuri or flute.

● String Instruments: 

A string instrument is indeed a musical instrument comprising vibrating strings that make a sound. Guitars, electric bass, and violins seem to be the most prevalent string instruments throughout the string family. Veena or ektara are other examples. 

• Drums: A drum is an instrument, which is made of wood. It is played by striking. e.g., mridangam or the dholak

Drums of India:

• This particular group of musical instruments is known as membranophones
• Dholak: With a specific mud-paste, wooden shells are smoothed and fiercely polished. Toughened thread is interlaced through hooks inside the shell. Goat leather flaps are edged on both sides to build a Dholak

⮚ Dholaks are worn by people from all walks of life

⮚ They are utilised during religious events and on significant occasions like marriages and the birth of a child

⮚ Dholakwallahs primarily hail from Barabanki, Gonda, Allahabad, and Kanpur in Uttar Pradesh

⮚ They are itinerant, travelling throughout the country to promote their ‘wonder drums’

•       Damru: It’s a little two-sided drum with a string and a stone attached that’s used by the madaris
•       Nagada: It is a big, booming drum used by folk artists in nautanki, as well as historically, to signal the advent of kings in North India

⮚ Drumsticks are used to play it

⮚ The harsh percussion that facilitates the Kathakali dance is produced by chhenda, its South Indian equivalent

Wind Instruments:

• Folk music features a wide range of wind instruments
• The kaddu (gourd) used in ‘Been’ is always cleaned and hollowed out

⮚ Percussion instruments such as the bugdu, duff, and dholki are used to accompany it

⮚ An orchestra comprising two bees, a bugdu, a dholak, and a duff is complete

Percussion Instruments:

•       Chikka: It’s an instrument that’s only found in Punjab

⮚ It’s similar to the cane snake, which can be found in various places of the nation

⮚ It’s made up of 14 wooden sticks that have been joined together to form a lattice

⮚ A harsh sound resembling clapping is generated by opening and closing the chikka quickly

• Chimta: The chimta resembles a pair of kitchen tongs in that it has little metal discs loosely connected to it that strike against each other when the chimta’s arms are hit
• Mashak: It’s similar to a simple bagpipe, Scotland’s national musical instrument. The Dholis of Rajasthan frequently play the Mashak as a background to popular folk music
• Kirla: It’s a stick topped with a carved squirrel or fish. The galad is jerked up with a harsh click by a cable attached to the top, while bells are attached to the bottom of the kirla jingle
• Meerabai as well as other Bhaktikalin authors of the Medieval period are frequently pictured with the Khadtal

⮚ The khadtal is constructed of two comparable pieces of wood containing brass fittings and is carried in one hand

⮚ A khadtal is quite similar to the Spanish castanets, which are used to accompany the famed Flamenco songs and dances

•       Manjiras: Manjiras are two flat metal discs pounded with each other to make a rhythmic metallic sound

⮚ The Terah-tali men and women wore manjeeras around their limbs and add ons on upper shoulders and arms, in addition to a pair in each hand

⮚ They wobble and spin while seated on the ground. The rhythmic sound of many manjeeras coming into touch with one another punctuates each movement

A pair of Manjeeras

What is String Instruments:

The main significance and components of string instruments are as follows. 

• Sound is created by striking strings made of iron, steel, brass, or other metals, as well as goa cotton, silk threads, and other materials
• Chordophone instruments are another name for them
• In traditional performances, instruments like the ektara, ravanhatta, and gopi yantra are employed as accompaniment instruments
• When performing Bapuji ka phad, a traditional Rajasthani story-telling performance, Bhopas (narrators) employ ektara

Conclusion

The sitar, sarod, tambura, shehnai, sarangi, and tabla are the most often used instruments in Hindustani classical music, whereas the vina, mridangam, kanjira, and violin are the most regularly used instruments in Carnatic classical music.