SONNY BOY K.

TOCAO

VIII APRICOT

MUSICAL INTRUMENTS OF INDIA

Tabla Pair's
Tabla is basically a set of two drums known as Dayan (right) or the Tabla and the Bayan (left) or the Duggi. Dayan or tabla is a cylindrical, wooden drum made of black wood and played with the right hand and Bayan or duggi- the left hand drum is made of metal, wood, or ceramic has slightly conical and bowl shape. There is a black spot on both the drums near the centre of the head. Known as siyahi, this black raised area is usually made of rice, glue, graphite, and iron fillings. The siyahi is essential to the sound of the tabla. The sound is generated by beating the upper most surface of drums with hands.

SITAR: is perhaps the most well known of the Indian instruments. Artists such as Ravi Shankar have popularized this instrument around the world. Sitar is a long necked instrument with an interesting construction. It has a varying number of strings but 17 is usual. It has three to four playing strings and three to four drone strings. These strings

SONNY BOY K. TOCAO

VIII APRICOT

are plucked with a wire finger plectrum called mizrab. There are also a series of sympathetic strings lying under the frets. These strings are almost never played but they vibrate whenever the corresponding note is sounded. The frets are metal rods which have been bent into crescents. The main resonator is usually made of a gourd and there is sometimes an additional resonator attached to the neck.

SREEKHOLE: also called mridang, is a folk drum of northeast India. It has a body made of clay, a very small head on the right side (approximately 4 inches), and a larger head on the left side (approximately 10 inches). A fiberglass version of the khol has become popular in the West among the members of ISKCON. It is very popular in the kirtans of Bengal.