Learn Indian Instrumental Music with Free Lessons & Tips

• It is one of the oldest Indian percussion instruments, originating 2,000 years ago.
• This traditional instrument is found in various parts of South India.
• It is a popular bifacial drum of Carnatic music and is used as an accompaniment in South Indian Classical music.
• It is also known by the name of maddal or maddalam.
• It is held across the lap and played on both ends with the hands and fingers.
• A similar instrument, the pakhavaj, is played in the Hindustani tradition of northern India, as well as in Pakistan and Bangladesh.

The Mridangam is a percussion instrument that has been used in traditional Indian music for centuries. It is not inherently unethical to use the Mridangam, but as with any cultural practice, it is important to approach it with respect and understanding. Appropriation of cultural practices without proper acknowledgement or understanding can be disrespectful and harmful. It is important to learn about the cultural significance of the Mridangam and its place in Indian music before using it. Additionally, it is important to recognize and respect the cultural origins of the Mridangam, and to avoid using it in a way that is disrespectful or offensive to the culture it comes from.

One major difference is that in tabla there are bols like dha, thirakita, dhin,thita,etc. while in mridangam it is dhim, tharikita, tham, dhom, dhiku, thaka, tha, etc. Mridangam is mostly used as an accompaniment for classical Carnatic music while tabla is used mostly as an accompaniment for classical Hindustani music.

A tight membrane vibrates at a much higher frequency than a loose one so that the sound produced with a tight membrane has a higher pitch. Tighter the membrane, pitch (frequency) will be higher. The top of tabla drum is covered with a stretched, layered leather membrane that is held in place by leather braces.

The mridangam is a double-sided drum whose body is usually made using a hollowed piece of jackfruit wood about an inch thick. The two mouths or apertures of the drum are covered with a goat, cow or buffalo skin and laced to each other with leather straps along the length of the drum.