How difficult is playing for dances, I got training for playing regular songs. But would like to know what type of adjustments do one need to learn for playing dances.
Any help would be apprecitated. my email:venravi@gmail.com
Mridangam Playing for Dances
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Nick H
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Very interesting question. My observation of my mridangam guruji playing for both concert and dance is that, with my eyes shut, I could be listening to two different people! Play for dance is very much more upfront; part of a drama rather than accompaniment for a dance.
My guess, though, for the first step, is to understand the dance as well as the music...
I hope we get answers on this thread from our mridangist members. It will be interesting.
My guess, though, for the first step, is to understand the dance as well as the music...
I hope we get answers on this thread from our mridangist members. It will be interesting.
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venravi
- Posts: 58
- Joined: 26 Oct 2005, 18:12
When I checked with the visiting artists at US, they said, they took special training in London for dance playing and at India, also they underwent training for playing dance.
Mridangam experts can enlighten the concept behind playing dances. That will help to analyze further and how to apply the already learned techniques in dance performance.
Ravi
Mridangam experts can enlighten the concept behind playing dances. That will help to analyze further and how to apply the already learned techniques in dance performance.
Ravi
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kranthikiranm
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- Joined: 23 Aug 2006, 10:08
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mridangamkid
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- Joined: 03 Sep 2007, 22:11
From the little I know, it is very different. As Nick H said, playing for dances is much more up front. You play less technical patterns, yet you are much more dependent on rhythm (meaning if you mess up the rhythm, the whole dance may be ruined). Some arguments I've heard is that it is much more difficult playing for a Kutcheri because (from what I have heard) it is much harder to make the transition from dances to kutcheri's than it is for kutcheri's to dances. Is it harder? I do not know. What I do know is that one must be mentally prepared for a different styles. In a kutcheri it is much more innovative, and you do what YOU want, rather than what the dance calls for. Because of this innovations, you may show you're mathematical and technical skills, play a thisra pattern, or khanda, or whatever. While in a dance, you would mostly memorize all the jathi's- play those exactly how they are sung- and play "nakuthadhim" or "na dhim dhim dhim" for the rest. However you would play those at such speeds and one's nadham has to be near perfect. Those are just a few difference I think.
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venravi
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Nick H
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I am hampered in my answers by not understanding, or even particularly liking, Bharatnatyam. Notwithstanding that, I've been lucky enough to join the musicians for the arengetrams of two youngsters in London, sitting next to my Guruji and playing my morsing.
It was an eye-opener to me, to see, as I never realised from the audience, how some of the rhythm patterns are reproduced in movement.
My teacher can't dance. In fact, he said that he once took a couple of classes, and never before or since had his whole body ached so much! However, his understanding of the dance and the choreography and natavangam is probably as complete as any dancer. I think that dance mridangists are often also involved in choreography, and dancers and natavangam regularly work with mridangists.
Leaving aside the thani... for kutcheri, the mridangist plays for the song: for dance, he plays for the song and the dance. Both must be right. There must be knowledge of the song, and of the feeling that it evoked, as well as understanding of the dance movements. Other than the handful who make a paricular speciality of layam, most of the calculations a kutcheri mridangist is presented with in kalpana swara are far simpler than, say, the sections of a varnam in Bharatnatyam. There is just as much maths!
I once asked my teacher how much was memorised: he said that about one third would be memorised, the rest is a combination of experience and improvisation. One sees, for instance, impromptu demonstrations that are not rehearsed.
I have always wondered that there seems to be a lesser respect given to dance accompanists. In view, they should be regarded as at least equal.
It was an eye-opener to me, to see, as I never realised from the audience, how some of the rhythm patterns are reproduced in movement.
My teacher can't dance. In fact, he said that he once took a couple of classes, and never before or since had his whole body ached so much! However, his understanding of the dance and the choreography and natavangam is probably as complete as any dancer. I think that dance mridangists are often also involved in choreography, and dancers and natavangam regularly work with mridangists.
Leaving aside the thani... for kutcheri, the mridangist plays for the song: for dance, he plays for the song and the dance. Both must be right. There must be knowledge of the song, and of the feeling that it evoked, as well as understanding of the dance movements. Other than the handful who make a paricular speciality of layam, most of the calculations a kutcheri mridangist is presented with in kalpana swara are far simpler than, say, the sections of a varnam in Bharatnatyam. There is just as much maths!
I once asked my teacher how much was memorised: he said that about one third would be memorised, the rest is a combination of experience and improvisation. One sees, for instance, impromptu demonstrations that are not rehearsed.
I have always wondered that there seems to be a lesser respect given to dance accompanists. In view, they should be regarded as at least equal.
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vasanthakokilam
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veeyens3
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- Joined: 09 May 2010, 23:19
Re: Mridangam Playing for Dances
Many years back.Sri. Umayalpuram Sivaraman, in a lec-dm, showed various ways or techniques, for not only vocal concerts but also for Bharatha natyam, Hari nama sangeertanam, bhajans etc