Can we discuss in detail TVG - so far as his mridangam playing skills are concerned - not his singing. I am sure there should be more than 3 - 500 hours of concerts available especially because, TVG has been in the field of mridangam playing for the last over 55 years (may be even more).
Let's be choosy of songs - what I say is that let's take one song for example Vaatapi and post all those pieces that we have by Chembai, Balamurali and any such other artistes that we have (the only restriction is that TVG should be on the mridangam). :rolleyes:
This way, a new lesson in mridangam playing will be on display - How to change the way of playing the instrument depending on the main artiste - I am sure all of us would be enriched by this exercise.
I would also propose later at the right stage of introducing other mridangists to understand better the changes that have taken place over the years. :rolleyes:
I am sure we dont want a disorderly analysis, but I am posting Chembai's Dvaithamu Sukhama here again, since the mridangist is TVG. It is preceeded by swaras for Nidhisala Sukhama. Interesting thing is that TVG tries to play the swaras on the mridangam. I will be able to upload a better example of this habit of his soon.
TVG's trademark is playing swaras on left-hand side of mridangam.
I believ he was the first to experiment with using synthetic rope instead of vaar in stringing the instrument, giving a result that is less affected by changes in humidity and temperature. He has also experimented with stringing left and right sides indipendently to aid in tuning, and with different compounds alternative to rava for the left hand side.
That requires three things, knowledge, stamina and great amount of practice together and anticipation - once u have these qualities in you, u can outperform anybody - last week was hearing a concert of TVG with MSG - where he has outplayed MSG in most portions.
Shri TVG is amazing on the mridangam. He is a very versatile musician
I had an opportunity to travel with TVG and a student of his for a concert. TVG was singing and his student was playing the mridangam. On the road, He was taking a nap when suddenly he got up and told his student to take a paper/pen. He taught a couple of korvais that he came up on the spot and made him play at the concert that evening.
as a disciple of TVG - I am sure you must have hoarded a lot of tanis of TVG in your closet well guarded from the sight of other fellow musicians. Why dont you upload the same for our listening pleasure?
I am sure we all will appreciate the marvellous handling of the instrument by the great maestro.
Dear all,
I am at the fag end of my vacation - all of you can look forward to uploads of TVG concerts to begin with before next weekend for sure. All this is only possible for the valuable time that Sabari and Muthukumar (TNS' disciple) took out to train me in the art of creating concerts in digital format. I now feel confident to do what is needed and hope to upload these and other concerts that my father and I have in our collection.
If any of you are interested, I would only be too happy to upload some tani avartanams too.
Thank you for your responses.
As Lord Rama demands, I will definitely try my best to elaborate on the tanis that I upload. However, before I do that I need to know from you all what kind of discussion would you want esp on the highlights of the laya of each of the tani - this would assist in my notes for each tani.
Many thanx in advance
Param
Please split the tani into different sections with timings and explain in a way you do to your students on the first day after enrolment in your dad's school.
I agree with Coolkarni. I want to know right from the basics from your point of you. Iam only a vocalist an violinist. So good to see and learn lthings from your view.
Pl indicate using the timeline the gati changes. Also tell us when kuraippu is done and the avarthams. It is also important for us to know the eduppu from the sahityam perspective.For the standard korvai patterns please indicate the timelines so that we may get used to them!
Wow,
A nice addage by Meena Cyber Mridangam Vidyalaya
And I consider myself lucky indeed to be its first teacher - I am sure Upendran sir will be immensely pleased with this. I call for his blessings on all the disciples on this cyber vidyalaya.
Well - I have noted all your requirements/requests - give me some time and I will come up with (hopefully) pleasing reviews.....Pls note I will try my best not to post anything negative....Let's appreciate the positive points first....
(From the jaTa (matted hair) noisily wanders the pellucid spring (ganga) with playful foam like a creeper decorating the forehead; in whose sacred plain of forehead the young crescent moon glitters (dances),entertain us every moment)
(adapted form the SivastOtra of RAvaNa, the master of shruti-laya)
Looking forward to your analysis of several Thanis with timeline for the various portions of the thani.
You asked about what we would like to see pointed out in those thanis. Here is my wish list:
1) Descriptions of terms, as unambigous as possible. Some terms to start with: Korvai, Arudhi, Karvai, Vishranthi, Faran, Mohra, Theermanam, Sarvalaghu, Kanakku, Koraipppu. Describe those and point those out on the timeline. I am sure the definitions are available elsewhere but having them described here along with sample audio is very useful. If we have questions on the descriptions, we can then discuss them here as well to understand them better. One issue I commonly face reading the description of terms is using terms in the descriptions that have not been defined yet.
2) As others have indicated, feel free to treat us as KG students and go into fundamentals and with repetitions as you feel fit ( err on the side of too much repetitions ). That is a sure way for us to catch on.
3) Point out the various Nadai changes. One thing I want to get out of this is to get the feel for the various naDais without counting the subdivisions to figure that out. ( both in Thanis and Kalpanaswarams ).
4) Is Kanakku and naDai very interrelated from a thani ( and kalpanaswaram ) structure point of view?
5) How are the various angAs of a thala used by the mridangamist? How does he indicate those while playing the thani? If we start listening to the thani in the middle, for example, can we figure out the varigous angAs and hence the beginning of the thala cycle? Point out what we should pay attention to figure this out.
6) Anything to demonstrate the Koraippu. For now, only thing I want to get at is a feel that it is happening during the thani ( and kalpanaswarams )
7) For each thani, point out the ending sequence as accurately as possible in the timeline, the clues the performer gets that the thani is ending and (s)he should pick it back up.
As you may remember, we started this at sangeetham.com with your major contribution on a couple of Thanis. That was very useful and we need to expand on that with more descriptions and more thanis.
To begin the class for all the students attending the course in layam in general or mridangam in particular, here's, Parameswaran at your service. Let me first give you all a brief introduction about myself --
I was inducted into the art of mridangam playing by my father who has spent a major part of his music-life to the art of mridangam teaching. My father who is also on this forum now will also post his comments and posts in addition to what I write for the benefit of ye all.
Then came Sri Upendran sir (we call him Upendran mama) a very pious gentleman - a personality I have never met before or after - a unique human being born only and solely for the cause of music. I was groomed into the unique art of mridangam playing and was imbibed with the art of the Tanjore school. Tanjore school is different from the others due to its uniqueness in so far as mathematical calculations are concerned. Instead of going into the details about the Tanjore School of mridangam playing - I will sum it up by saying that this style incorporates basically the Thavil style - where one can find all the basic requirements viz., maths, speed, strokes, harsh and subtle sounds, clarity, etc.
Later I found that the number of mridangam players kept growing and in order to be one amongst most of them, I took up the Ghatam with coaching by Sri Palghat Sundaram - who taught me the art of ghatam playing - the way strokes are to be played - how it were different from the mridangam - what was easier than the mridangam and what was not...
I have a total of more than 32 years of playing experience and hope to be of use to you all.
To begin the dialogue on the various phases in a Thani avartanam, I will first take up a tani which has mridangam and ghatam - the artistes are Guru Sri Karaikudi R Mani and Sri T H Vinayakaram. I will arrange to have this tani digitized and then upload it for your listening first. And within the following 48 hours you will have my commentary too ... thus, giving you a complete picture (I hope it turns out to be clear).
I would very much appreciate questions and queries from all and will definitely do my best to answer all of these.
Is it possible to request Sriram too (time permitting) to join in the discussions? Of course it will be a great honour to hear from Guru
Manakkaal from time to time.
I am Kalyanakrishnan - in other words, Parameswaran's father who you all know quite well.
Please accept my pranams too.
I note that Parameswaran is trying to do some good work for the benefit of mankind. I will be watching what he writes and will add my comments too as and when found necessary.
Let's all enrich ourselves with the little knowledge that we have by sharing our bit with each other.
Namaskarams to the elders and blessings to the younger ones,
Maamoondi
(this title was bestowed upon me by Sri TNS)
Namaskaarms and welcome to Shri Kalyanakrishnan and thanks to Param for this start. I request Coolkarniji to get in touch with regard to Manakkal Sriram's participation. Thanks.
I will invite my good friend Salem Shriram (himself a performing vocalist) to participate.
A very warm welcome and for the sentiments expressed. That title you got from TNS is engraved in gold in the hearts of the older generation (my kind) of CM lovers!
vijay
So nice to hear from you! Let us ask the tough questions to the profs
Param Guruji,
Namaskar,
God bless you for your yeomen service to educate us lay rasikas in the intricaices of laya with particular reference to mridhangam.
And regards to your father Sri kalyanakrishnan, for his unstinted cooperation in this Cyber Laya Vidyalaya venture.
For decades I used to be thrilled at the prospect of identifying the exact moment the violinist (in a concert) would reach out for his violin at the end of the thani.(I could never bear the suspense).
Not any more guess.I will only have the task of raga identifying to keep me on the edge of my seat,hereafter.
Param,
I never got round as to when I should start my song after tani. I always ask the Mirdangist to give me a secret sign for me to sing.
Iam holding my breath for you to enlighten me in this aspect...
For decades I used to be thrilled at the prospect of identifying the exact moment the violinist (in a concert) would reach out for his violin at the end of the thani.(I could never bear the suspense).
I always ask the Mirdangist to give me a secret sign for me to sing.
LOL.
Me too. And it is all going to be unravelled in a couple of days by Param. Too bad, the magic is going to be gone...
It is interesting that a standard for the ending portion of the Thani has developed among the performers. An uncle ( the family friend type ) used to make up fanciful stories as to how all that happens and it was like Santa Claus when I learnt it is lot more mundane ( though I still do not know the exact details which Param is going to explain to us).
Is the tiltle mamoondi connected to the great mamoondi pillai the inventor of the kajira and guru of palani subramania pillai?
param, coolji and others
there is a three part analysis and explanation of palani's style of playing in his website including the thani avarthanam and when the vocalist actually joins the mridnagist back after the thani. I have already downloaded the same - it is nearly about 90 minutes ( all three put together). it is available at http://www.vidvan.com/musician/palani/index.htm
I am responding on behalf of my father - my father sports a big moustache and it was due to this that Sri TNS chose to award him the nickname of Maamoondi.
I am unable to download the files from the URL provided by you. Could you so very kindly send the same as attachments to irdgr8@yahoo.com
I cannot download the files from the URL provided by you. Could you so very kindly send the same as attachments to q8maniac@yahoo.co.in
These are for my father.