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Indian Culture – Musical Instrument of RHYTHM OF RAJASTHAN

October 30, 2011 By umnetsol Leave a Comment

Sindhi Sarangi
Sarangi is one of the most important instruments, for the accompaniment of vocal music and dance of all types of northern India. It is found through out the country, but the instrument is confined only to the professionals of bouth communities, namely: Hindus and Muslims a like. In Rajasthan it is called Sindhi Sarangi which belongs to the professional caste of musicians “Langas”. They are playing this instrument from centuries for their patrons “Sindhi Sipahis”.

Sindhi Sarangi is made of a block of wood preferable of Mango or Shisham. The entire body is hollow from inside with two combined parts. Both the side of the lower part are punched and the whole is covered by the goat skin. The upper part serves the purpose of finger board. It has four wooden pegs, Known as Morna in local language of Langas. There are total 26 strings used in the Sindhi Sarangi.

Two main upper strings are made by the goat guts and rests are made by still wire. It is played with a bow, made of a hard round stick of wood to which too hair of tail of a horse are fixed a both the ends and a small wooden triangular but curved bridge is placed at one end to keep the hair tight. The bow is held in the right hand and moved from one end to the other vertically on the main guts to produce sound. The fingers, namely; fore, middle, ring and some times the little finger are also used to produce notes of different pitch at different length of the different guts.

Bin/Pungi
This particular type of wind instrument is played by the snake-charmers of INDIA. In western rajasthan it is played by nomadic caste like Kalbelia, jogi etc. It is made of a curved gourd of abut eighteen inches long with an opening at the narrow end. Two thin, straight and smooth bamboo pieces with usual holes similar to a flute are attached in the centre below the gourd. The open narrow portion of the gourd is blown by the mouth, to produce desired notes. The tune produced from Pungi is simple and stereo type but charming and the same exercise a great power over serpents of all types. It is strange no doubt how the weird sound of a pungi affects poisonous snakes in India. Pungi is confined to the snake charmers in India and it is also made only by those people and none else.

Khamachye
Kamaicha is a bow and string instrument, which is exclusively played by the Manganair community of western rajasthan. The kamaicha is made by mango wood. The lower part of the kamaicha is big hollow round covered by the goat skin. Total 14 to 17 strings used in the kamaicha, but 2 upper most strings made by the guts of goat. It is played with a bow, made of a hard round stick of wood to which too hair of tail of a horse are fixed a both the ends and a small wooden triangular but curved bridge is placed at one end to keep the hair tight. The bow is held in the right hand and moved from one end to the other vertically on the main guts to produce sound.

Kartals
The words ‘Kar’ means hand and ‘Tal’ means Rhythm. Rhythm of Hands. Khartaal is a kind of castanets, made of teak wood, and the artistes hold them in both hands and perform with tremendous ease. A young man’s Kartal play holding it in his hands was a thrill to watch for the way he created complex percussion sounds, while his partner was playing the dholak.

Aloogoza
Aloogoza belongs to the wind type of instruments. It is just like an ordinary flute having finger holes ranging from six to eight. Algoja has the two wooden flute, uneven in length. It is played by blowing straight through the mouth hole. Aloogoza is the most common and popular type of wind instrument used to the accompaniment of the folk singing. In Rajasthan, Algoza made by the local wood Ker and Sisham.

Morchang
Morchang is Jew’s harp is an elastic thin iron strip called the tongue a fixed to a circular iron ring. This strip projects a little beyond the right at one end at the other end is slightly curled. It passes right along the centre of the ring and between the two arms. the instrument is held in the left hand and the fork portion is held in the mouth. The curled end of the tongue is plucked by the forefinger of the right hand. The cavity of the mouth acts as resonator. When played along with the dholak, the combined effect is delightful and pleasing.

Dholak
The dholak is a classical North Indian, Pakistani and Nepalese hand drum. A dholak may have traditional lacing or turnbuckle tuning. The dholak has a simple membrane and a handle on the right-hand side. The left-hand membrane has a special coating on the inner surface. This coating is a mixture of tar, clay and sand (dholak masala) which lowers the pitch and provides a well-defined tone. The wood used for the membrane is usually made of teak wood, also known as “sheesham” wood. The process of hollowing out the drum is the determination of the sound and quality of the dholak. A dholak has 2 heads a small part for the high pitch, and the large part is for the low pitch and it’s pitched depending on size and tuning sounding like a bongo in playing mode.

Videos on Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/RajasthanFolkArts

Published by Winfried Brumma http://www.pressenet.info on behalf of Rajasthan Folk Arts, India

Written by Winfried Brumma
Chief editor at Pressenet, Germany

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Musical Instruments And Their Importance

October 30, 2011 By umnetsol Leave a Comment

Since times of yore, man has been associated with music. It is the expression of the heart. History tells us that Neanderthal man used bone flute. Evidence also exists that percussive instruments might have been used.

Defining a musical instrument: anything that produces sound can be called a musical instrument. The term usually is reserved for instruments that have a particular function in an orchestra. The academic study of musical instruments is known as organology.

Instruments can be identified by the way they are played and the tone they generate. Wind instruments, using power of the lungs, String instruments where strumming is required and electronic instruments that play automatic by touch of keys. Even the human voice can be termed an instrument as the singer generates the voice through the effort of his lungs and vocal cords acting together.

Wind instruments can be either built of wood or brass. A good example of the former could be the flute while trumpet is an excellent example of the latter. These instruments play when the musician blows into a tube. There are holes which one can open and close with the fingers to produce different kinds of sound.

String instruments are completely opposite. They are played by strumming on the cords. A good example would be the guitar. Some well known guitarist’s were the Beatles and Dire straits

Percussion instruments can be played when struck. The sound is determined by the material of which the striking surface is made and the cavity that is left to produce the sound. Drums are excellent examples of such instruments. They are used by rock bands across the world.

We now come to the electronic instruments. This category includes the keyboard and electronic guitar. These instruments often follow other types of instruments. The keyboard for example. It can play virtually any instrument ever discovered. Paddles and other accessories change the sound to match the instrument they are trying to imitate.

Of all the instruments we have talked about, the human voice is the most complicated. Through tightening of muscles, drawing breath in different ways, singers can generate wide ranging voices that affect us in strange ways. In medieval times, minstrels use to sing stories to the common people making them cry and laugh. They use to have immense power over the masses. Even today if you listen to a good singer, you are moved by his or her rich voice and emotions.

Music has always been and will be a part of us. It is straight from our hearts and the purest form of our emotions. The secret to every tradition is held in its music. Classical raaga in the case of India with its charming and emotional touch and haunting melodies from Ireland give us a taste of the mystery that lies in the fogs there.
 

Written by daisyda

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Top 7 of the Largest Musical Instrument in the USA

June 13, 2011 By umnetsol Leave a Comment

It is important for a musical store to provide their clients with the best quality and durability. Large music stores have lots of products you can choose from, especially if you have not yet decided on the type of instrument you would like to learn how to play.

There are around 4,500 musical instrument stores in the US. Some of the store names include Guitar Center, Sweetwater Sound, and Sam Ash Music among others. Many musical instrument establishments are full-line stores that offer pianos, guitars, sound equipments, instrument accessories, school music products as well as parts of any instrument. Some large music instrument stores are independent. This means that they usually sell most of their so-called “indie” labels. In addition to this, independent musical stores do not promote any major record labels or brands.

Listed below are the top 7 largest musical instrument store in the United States of America:

• Mally’s Traditional Music Instrument Store: This music instrument store is located at # 3 East Moorside Cleckheaton, USA. It sells different kinds of musical instruments ranging from the smallest up to the biggest variety.

To give you a detailed list of some of the items in this store, they have the following:

- bass guitars
- acoustic guitars
- electric guitars
- drums set
- accessories
- pianos
- music book
- and anything that is connected to music

This musical store has many branches in and outside of the US. It also offers drum lessons as well as violin lessons. It also has its own production outlet.

• American Musical Store: This store is noted as the store with the most excellent musical equipments. It is situated at #65 Greenwood Avenue Minland Park, USA. It offers huge choices of in-stock instruments such as keyboards, drums, guitars, recording equipments, electric guitars, bass guitars, effects, accessories, parts and many more. It even has payment terms and it accepts installment charges that can be settled between 3 up to 5 months. Its customers or buyers can order via phone, mail or fax.

• SIC 5736 Musical Instrument Store: This musical store has a total of 7,285 stores. Aside from this, it is eventually listed as one of the largest musical stores in the US. The exact location of this store is at # 1324 Boulevard Avenue California, USA. The store sells pianos, drums, percussion instruments, string instruments, keyboards, organs, electric guitars as well as brass instruments. This musical store insists that buyers opt for electric musical instruments. Thus, this store also has branches in Connecticut, Florida, Nevada, New York, Indiana and Ohio.

• Allegro-Music Store: This independent music store is located in North America. It has a store catalog. Some of their catalogs include instruments such as classical, pop, jazz and world. It also sells other products such as electric guitars, drums, cleaning instruments and many more. Thus, customers and buyers can order via email or fax, online, phone (toll free). Their store is open for 24 hours everyday.

• Metronome Music Store: This independent music store that’s owned by a musician/businessman sells amps, basses, drums, guitars, flute, recoding paraphernalia as well as PA equipment. This music store offers a huge line of musical instruments and accessories. They can also provide rentals for any type of musical instrument.

The Metronome Music Store is also well equipped with a spy cam, alarm and security guards. It also offers lessons for bass, piano, banjo, keyboards, trumpet, flute, alto sax, guitars as well as drums.

• KTJ Musical Instrumental Store: This music store sells used as well as new music equipments and supplies for a very low price. It sells acoustic and electric guitars, cymbals, drums, basses, amps, pianos, keyboards, processors and effects pedals. This is along speakers, and studio equipment. It is located in Arizona, USA. It also offers professional lessons for those who want to study guitars, pedals and flutes. This music store has support facilities for school band supplies and fund raising supplies. It also serves their buyers or customers 24 hours. Clients can order via email or fax, either by phone or online.

• Marshall Music Instrumental Store: This music store has seven braches located at Allen Park, Troy, Grand Rapids, Traverse, Kalamazoo and West Bloomfield. It has professional music instrument technicians that handle the repair of any string, percussion, woodwind, electronic equipment, brass, and related instruments. It even has a “School Service Department” that can accommodate a full range of musical needs. In addition, it also has an organ and piano department, which usually houses classrooms for keyboard and piano lessons, including auditoriums that house an amp and guitar department. It also offers complete guitar lessons.

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Categories Of Musical Instruments

June 13, 2011 By umnetsol 1 Comment

Article by James Brown

The music industry is a billion-dollar entity and it is no wonder that the categories for musical instruments is so large. A musician will have a large number of choices to make on the type of musical instrument they will play and some take it one step further by learning how to play several at one time. The categories for musical instruments pertain to those with keyboards, drums and musical instruments that perform from percussion mechanisms, and the instruments that are found in orchestras and bands throughout the world.

To these categories belong the musical instruments that one might expect to see on the floor of a music shop, an online retail site or a stage on Broadway. The keyboarding instruments are musical instruments that produce musical sounds through actual depression of knockers against a tightened string that remains taunt at all times. This percussion instrument category requires a trained professional to keep the notes tuned to perfection at all times.

The sound of percussion instruments can also be digitally enhanced to mimic the musical instrument notes that are produced by organs, horns, pianos and a wide variety of other musical instruments. Digital pianos fall under the percussion instrument category, and other technological machines are responsible for controlling the music that is produced through digital sounds. Midi controllers allow bands to control all levels of sound and synthesizers blend the music just right.

Musicians have more control over the music that is produced through musical instruments such as the guitar. The subcategories for guitars include those made from wood which allow an acoustic effect to occur to produce the musical sounds. The categories of musical instruments go further in this category by including electric and bass guitars to the mix to allow people to play music with inspirational certainty. The electric guitar amplifiers allow the strumming sounds to be heard but these are also musical instruments because they emit a musical sound.

The most common category of musical instruments are those used by orchestras and band around the globe. Some orchestras will seat several musicians with like instruments to produce the symphonic orchestra level of quality in the musical sounds heard by audiences in attendance. Musicians can select musical instruments such as the flute, clarinet, violins and saxophones as their instrument of choice. They could also choose instruments made of brass such as the trumpet and trombones.

The marching percussion instruments under the orchestra and band category will include musical instruments such as the renaissance drum, snare drum, hand-held cymbals, and a wide variety of other snare drums offered in marvelous colors such as midnight black, pure white and natural brass. This category of percussion instruments is very special indeed, because they are reserved for use at celebrations such as parades and the musicians must learn to play the instruments and march through the streets of a city at the same time.

Every category of musical instrument offers a musician the chance to create a whole new sound of music and that is why there are so many musical instruments in each category of instruments that are sold in a music store. The varying sheets of music are sold at every experience level to ensure that musician continue to develop their talents over a lifetime of learning to play the instrument well.

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Bizarre Orchestra: The World’s Most Unusual Musical Instruments

June 13, 2011 By umnetsol 1 Comment

The Moodswinger

The moodswinger is a guitar-like instrument which was created by Yuri Landman. In actuality, it is not a guitar per se, but more like a zither, because it has no frets. This 3rd bridge guitar has 12 strings and is electrically powered. The moodswinger was originally made by Yuri Landman for drummer Aaron Hemphill. Quite an unusual guitar, isn’t it?

The Great Stalacpipe Organ

The Great Stalacpipe organ was considered by many as one of the largest crafted musical instruments in the world. It is located inside the Lurray Caverns, in the Shanandoah Valley. Leland Sprinkle, the inventor of this unique instrument, discovered that stalactites inside the Lurray caverns produce melodic sounds. He then constructed a keyboard console and wired a mallet to each stalactite within a 3.5 acre cavern space! The sounds gathered from the stalactites are then regulated by this stalacpipe organ and can be played using traditional organ/piano keys. This became considered as the oldest natural litophone in the world.

The Zadar Sea Organ

The Sea Organ is a splendid example of impeccable architecture and sound engineering. Located on the shores of Zadar, Croatia, this is the first musical instrument naturally played by the waves of the sea. This unique instrument, made by architect Nikola Basic in 2005, looks like normal but elegant steps along the seashore. Underneath it, however, are 35 musically tuned tubes. Depending on the size, strength, and velocity of the waves that toss on the seashore, musical chords are played and the sound comes out from whistle openings on the sidewalk. Call it a main instrument in nature’s orchestra.

The Aeolian Wind Harp

The Aeolian harp is a musical instrument played by the wind. It originated in Ancient Greece, but was popularly used as home decorations during the Renaissance and Romantic Era. It is designed to play music without human hands. The wind causes the Aeolian harp to vibrate and produce random harmonic sounds and notes (sometimes chords). This is another instrument in nature’s orchestra!

The Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ

The Guiness Book of World Records consider the Atlantic City Organ as the loudest musical instrument ever created. It is also the world’s largest pipe organ. This instrument has 7 manuals (controls found in most traditional organs), 1,255 speaking stops, 455 ranks and 33,112 pipes! One of the natural speakers built inside this instrument can be six times louder than the world’s loudest train whistle! The Atlantic City Convention Hall Organ weighs approximately 150 tons (which explains why it’s stuck in that location possibly forever).

Aquaggaswack

Besides being hard to spell, this instrument was also uniquely built. It falls under the category of gong and cymbal instruments. Mallets, sticks and brushes form the Aquaggaswack. It is made of pot lids stuck together by galvanized plumbing pipe. It was created by Curtis Settino in 1996 as an experimental musical instrument.

Sandata Ng Lolo Ni Tatay

If we translate this from the Filipino language, this means “Weapon Of My Father’s Grandfather”. This instrument originated from the Philippines and was created by Lirio Salvador. It looks like a cello and can be played exactly like one, except that the sound is different. The sound is amplified by a magnetic pickup coming from mixing bowls. The ‘Sandata ng Lolo Ni Tatay” is a very interesting instrument to watch being played. The name is funny too.

Written by gentlehorizons

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