Learn Mridangam with Free Lessons & Tips

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.

Over the years, the mridangam evolved and was made from different kinds of wood for increased durability, and today, its body is constructed from the wood of the jackfruit tree. It is widely believed that the tabla, the mridangam's Hindustani musical counterpart, was first constructed by splitting a mridangam in half.

History of MridangamIt is said that Nandi played the mridangam during Shiva's taandav dance, leading to the instrument being known as Deva Vaadyam, or divine instrument. Another story says the mridangam was created to recreate the sound of Indra as he moved through the heavens on his elephant.

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.

There is no specific brand for mridangam however the southern part of india is the best place to buy a mridangam from.

Most of the popular mrudangam makers in Chennai have their shops in a small radius in Mylapore. The shops are generally small, hole-in-the-wall establishments, so they’re easy to miss, but sometimes you may see the jackfruit wood bodies being kept outside nearby to dry.

Today the mridangam is most widely used in Carnatic music performances. These performances take place all over Southern India and are now popular all over the world. As the principal rhythmic accompaniment (pakkavadyam), the mridangam has a place of utmost importance, ensuring all of the other artists are keeping their timing in check while providing support to the main artist. One of the highlights of a modern Carnatic music concert is the percussion solo (thani avarthanam), where the mridangam artist and other percussionists such as kanjira, morsing, and ghatam vidwans exchange various complex rhythmic patterns, culminating in a grand finale where the main artist resumes where he or she left off.