Hello!
I am new to this forum, and I have a pressing question: How do I judge the quality of a mridangam?
I am an amateur player in the US. I have bought a drum, which I can return, and I am trying to decide if I should keep it. My questions are about the physical aspects of the drum, not so much sound quality. The drum was bought new,hand carried to the US, and has sat unplayed for nearly 2 years in California until I bought it. I live where it is dry and cold. I play the drum every day, and it sounds better and better. I'll reserve judgment on the sound until after another week of playing and another tuning.
I will say, though, that it is difficult to judge its sound quality in terms of whether it sounds like a mrd should. Recordings of mrds are a poor reference because of distortions and their quite different perspective--not from near the ears of the player. And I have to account for the much less than professional quality of my technique! I haven't heard a live mrd in 15 yrs, and they were all amplified. My only reference is my 15-20 year old smaller mrd, now woefully dead in sound with black that falls off every time I play it. I cannot found someone in the US to repair it.
The 24" drum I am testing is quite rough in finish. The wood is not sanded or stained; there are knots and blemishes on the wood, though the drum weighs a hefty 30lbs; cords on the bass end are bit cracked at places parallel to the head; some cords are thinner than others; the thick bundle of cords near the heads are not of even thickness. When I am playing, I have to turn the drum to be sure not to hit rough spots that hurt my hand. My 22" mrd clearly has better finish--a sanded and stained body, cords still soft, uniform thickness of cords near heads, no cracked or thin cords. I bought that one from a visiting SI player when I lived near Phoenix.
The man who sold it to said it was hand-chosen for him by SI master (he has vids on youtube; I won't name him, though) as the best professional quality drum available at the time when he when he was in Chennai a couple of years ago. He said he didn't see another drum of comparable quality. (The seller is tabla player and singer. I have his music on the web. He is quite good and seems to know what he is talking about.)
My friend from Kerala says the drum is terrible and the seller was scammed. I looks nothing like the drums he saw in shops on a recent visit home. He is afraid it will break if he tunes it!
If the drum sounds good, my concern about the physical aspects of the drum are only if it will last me 10-15 yrs. I paid $350 for the drum.
I would be grateful for any thoughts or assistance. Are there specific things I should listen for?
Barry
How to judge the quality of a mrdangam?
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Nick H
- Posts: 9385
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03
Hello Barry.
I think we up against the impossible in trying to know what might be right or wrong with your mridangam, or to put into words what you should listen to.
Whilst good appearance is not going to be necessary to good sound, I would think that a craftsman would not let a badly finished instrument out of his hands. Added to that, professionals in Chennai do not look for what is available, they order their instruments direct from the makers. When I was learning, and bought from Chennai, the order was placed a couple of months in advance by my teacher, the maker being under the impression that they had to provide something that would satisfy him, not some unknown, maybe never-to-be-seen-again foreign tourist. If the instrument was bought from an artist, then common sense suggests that will not pass on their best instruments --- but the difference between a first- and second-grade instrument is probably not something that we, the non-professionals, would ever be worried about.
As to the "cord" --- I am imagining that this is a (traditional) leather strip? If I remember right, it is called "waar". It is roughly cut in a spiral from a piece of skin, and then stretched to be straight. The thickness is very likely to be uneven, and it may break in some paces. Of course, it would be better if it were not so, as then you have some hard work to feed through some of the spare end and knot it.
If I was buying... Yes, I'd look at the quality of the wood and the finish; a mridangam should be a beautiful thing! On the other hand, I've seen old instruments with knot gaps and splits, and heard my teacher make wonderful sounds on them.
I'd look to the evenness and neatness of the lacing that holds the head skins together, and through which the waar is threaded. I'd look to the nice appearance of the skins and for some softness in the left skin. I'd look for an evenly shaped black spot, with even crack pattern; some like more domed, some like flatter, it is the different taste of the musician; dosa or idly!). I'd look for even tension in the strap, so that the instrument is not a nightmare to tune. Also nam and dhin should sound the same note.
Above all things, though, the sound matters... if you get on with it, that is fine. As to comparison: studio-recorded carnatic music CDs, selecting those with good balance, should give you what you need.
Of course, not all agree as to how a mridangam should sound anyway. For me, if it does not have that vibrant chapu sound, then we might as well be listening to thavil --- but there are great mridangists who would not agree!
Please ask your Kerala friend exactly what he finds at fault, then we can respond better. There are pro mridangists among our members who can answer these things 1,000 times better than I can.
Life of 15-20 years? The wood should last for ever, but the heads, on a much played instrument, are not likely to. The right head may not last one tenth of that time! Of course, players here are able to get a damaged black spot removed and re-applied --- in fact they not approve an instrument until this has been done at least once.
I think we up against the impossible in trying to know what might be right or wrong with your mridangam, or to put into words what you should listen to.
Whilst good appearance is not going to be necessary to good sound, I would think that a craftsman would not let a badly finished instrument out of his hands. Added to that, professionals in Chennai do not look for what is available, they order their instruments direct from the makers. When I was learning, and bought from Chennai, the order was placed a couple of months in advance by my teacher, the maker being under the impression that they had to provide something that would satisfy him, not some unknown, maybe never-to-be-seen-again foreign tourist. If the instrument was bought from an artist, then common sense suggests that will not pass on their best instruments --- but the difference between a first- and second-grade instrument is probably not something that we, the non-professionals, would ever be worried about.
As to the "cord" --- I am imagining that this is a (traditional) leather strip? If I remember right, it is called "waar". It is roughly cut in a spiral from a piece of skin, and then stretched to be straight. The thickness is very likely to be uneven, and it may break in some paces. Of course, it would be better if it were not so, as then you have some hard work to feed through some of the spare end and knot it.
If I was buying... Yes, I'd look at the quality of the wood and the finish; a mridangam should be a beautiful thing! On the other hand, I've seen old instruments with knot gaps and splits, and heard my teacher make wonderful sounds on them.
I'd look to the evenness and neatness of the lacing that holds the head skins together, and through which the waar is threaded. I'd look to the nice appearance of the skins and for some softness in the left skin. I'd look for an evenly shaped black spot, with even crack pattern; some like more domed, some like flatter, it is the different taste of the musician; dosa or idly!). I'd look for even tension in the strap, so that the instrument is not a nightmare to tune. Also nam and dhin should sound the same note.
Above all things, though, the sound matters... if you get on with it, that is fine. As to comparison: studio-recorded carnatic music CDs, selecting those with good balance, should give you what you need.
Of course, not all agree as to how a mridangam should sound anyway. For me, if it does not have that vibrant chapu sound, then we might as well be listening to thavil --- but there are great mridangists who would not agree!
Please ask your Kerala friend exactly what he finds at fault, then we can respond better. There are pro mridangists among our members who can answer these things 1,000 times better than I can.
Life of 15-20 years? The wood should last for ever, but the heads, on a much played instrument, are not likely to. The right head may not last one tenth of that time! Of course, players here are able to get a damaged black spot removed and re-applied --- in fact they not approve an instrument until this has been done at least once.
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bgrant
- Posts: 2
- Joined: 09 Oct 2009, 03:55
Nick,
Thanks for your nice reply! I know it is hard to help me without seeing or hearing the drum. My finds fault with everything! The thinness of some straps, uneven cords around the head, blemishes on wood, and all that I mentioned before. I think he may be comparing it to his pakwaj, which sounds much sweeter and melodic. My drum sounds to me like a mridangam, which is earthier, woodier sounding than a tabla or pakwaj. The drum I am auditioning seems to have a great chaapu sound-rings, kind of rattles--sound cool to me. Should the treble head ring when I play the bass head? I'll decide next week.
Maybe 10-15 years is a long time. My 22" mrd did not last nearly that long!
Thanks again!
Barry
Thanks for your nice reply! I know it is hard to help me without seeing or hearing the drum. My finds fault with everything! The thinness of some straps, uneven cords around the head, blemishes on wood, and all that I mentioned before. I think he may be comparing it to his pakwaj, which sounds much sweeter and melodic. My drum sounds to me like a mridangam, which is earthier, woodier sounding than a tabla or pakwaj. The drum I am auditioning seems to have a great chaapu sound-rings, kind of rattles--sound cool to me. Should the treble head ring when I play the bass head? I'll decide next week.
Maybe 10-15 years is a long time. My 22" mrd did not last nearly that long!
Thanks again!
Barry
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Nick H
- Posts: 9385
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03