kathak musical instruments

kathak musical instruments :-The ensemble of kathak musical instruments vary with any Kathak performer, ranging from two to twelve classical Indian instruments or more in versions with synthetic innovations. The most common instruments that go with Kathak are tabla (a pair of hand drums) that syncs with the dancer's feet rhythms, sarangi or harmonium with manjira (hand cymbals) that meters the tal (cycle), and other kathak musical instruments to add effect, depth and structure to the expressive stage of a Kathak performance.

kathak ghungroo are the bells tied around the ankles of a Kathak dance to reflect the sound of the percussion instruments such as the tabla or pakawaj. Traditionally, 100-150 kathak ghungroo are tied on each ankle. Kathak and folk dances are the only dances in which so many kathak ghungroo are used. ghungroo most important part 

Indian classical dance i.e. in kathak & in Bharatnatyam  

It is a long practiced art of the dancer to produce the volume of the sound from kathak ghungroo. The volume increases and decreases in accordance with the desired accents and emphasis on the rhythmic pieces and also with intensity of the expressions of various kinds of sentiments.

Music and dance have been the chief forms of religious expression in India. According to HISTORY OF KATHAK , The origin of music in India is attributed to gods and goddesses and to mythological figures like gandharvas and kinnaras who figure in all the stories and legends connected with the science and practice of music.

Ancient Sanskrit literature and treatises on the science of music commonly refer to musical instruments. Ancient Indian sculpture also depicts musical instruments with astounding wealth of detail. Numerous varieties of drums, flutes, veenas and bells are shown in the ancient sculptures. These sculptures and paintings reveal performers who participated in concerts and dance programs. As for the theory of the music they practiced and the name and characteristics of the instruments they used, the only sources of information are the treatises that deal directly with music.

The migrations of Indian music to the countries surrounding at an early period forms an interesting subject of study. In pre-Buddhist times, India had trade relations with Middle East, Greece, Turkey and other regions; and naturally there was an exchange of music. Ragas or modes depict certain emotions which are shared universally. This exchange of music and feelings has been shared throughout the world. My experience has brought me to witness this first hand. Ragas Bhairava, Todi and Chandrakauns are shared throughout eastern Europe, Greece and the Middle East.

The sitar is perhaps the commonest of all the stringed instruments of northern India. In superficial appearance the sitar is very much like a veena. The body is usually made of a gourd cut in half near the core. Originally the gourd was almost flat like the back of a tortoise, and therefore such sitars were called kachchawa. The name kachchapi was also given to a type of veena for the same reason.

The fingering of the sitar is about three fee long and three inches wide, hollow and deeply concave, covered with a thin piece of wood. There are sixteen to twenty-two slightly curved frets of brass or silver. These are secured to the finger-board by pieces of gut which pass underneath. This arrangements makes it possible for the frets to move so that intervals of any scale can be produced. There are eleven or twelve sympathetic strings (trab) which run almost parallel to the main strings under the frets. These are secured to small pegs fixed at the side of the finger-board. The sympathetic strings are tuned to produce the scale of the melody which is being played. The sitar is played by means of wire plectrum (mizrab) worn on the forefinger of the right hand. The thumb is pressed firmly upon the edge of the gourd so that the position of the right hand should change as little as possible.

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