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Thavil Drum. Full-Size Artiste-Grade In Thanjavur Jackwood with all accessories.

CRNTC-014

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Top-quality professional instrument direct from Thanjavur. Free worldwide shipping.

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$ 851.68

-18.5%

$ 1,045.00

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 *RARE*JACKWOOD THAVIL CARNATIC DRUM , FULL SIZE PRO-GRADE FROM THANJAVUR

- package includes beater, finger-rings, velvet cover,Thanjavur bag, and all required accessories

The thavil  is a barrel shaped percussion instrument from South India. It is used in folk music and Carnatic music, often accompanying the nadaswaram. The thavil and the nadaswaram are essential ingredients of traditional festivals and ceremonies in South India.

The thavil consists of a cylindrical shell hollowed out of a solid block of jackfruit wood. Layers of animal skin (water buffalo on the right, goat on the left) are stretched across the two sides of the shell using hemp hoops attached to the shell. The right face of the instrument has a larger diameter than the left side, and the right drum head is stretched very tightly, while the left drum head is kept loose to allow pitch bending.

The instrument is either played while sitting, or hung by a cloth strap (called nadai) from the shoulder of the player. The right head is played with the right hand, wrist and fingers. The player usually wears thumb caps on all the fingers of the right hand, made of hardened glue from maida flour. The left head is played with a short, thick stick made from the wood of the portia tree. It is not uncommon for left-handed players to use the opposite hands, and some nadaswaram groups feature both a right- and a left-handed thavil player.

In folk music contexts, a pair of wider, slimmer sticks is sometimes used.

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Thavil (or Mealam), is a cylindrical shaped instrument of ancient Tamil origin. Traditionally the Thavil, often accompanying the Nathaswaram, are essential and used extensively at temples, folk music, carnatic concerts and other auspicious events such as weddings.

The cylindrical shell of the Thavil is hollowed out from a single block of Jackfruit wood which is about 16 inches in length and has a diameter of about 13.5 inches. The wood left to season for several years before the drum is constructed. Layers of animal skin are stretched acrosshoops traditionally made of hemp (a fibrous plant) and attached the two sides of the shell using hemp straps (Naar).

The smaller left face of the instrument consists of goat skin stretched loosely over the hoop  (Valai)and has a black paste (similar to Soru or Saatham) applied on the inner side to produce a more low flexible pitch (bass) sound. The larger right face of the instrument consists of water buffalo skin stretched very tightly over the hoop (Valai) to produces a more high pitch (treble) sound.

In modern days the inner part of the hoop and the straps are both made of stainless steel. The hoop is given hemp finish to resemble pure hemp rings whereas the straps are left as they are. The straps traditionally went across the barrel connecting both the left and right head but modern Thavil has a round metal ring attached to the centre of the barrel on which the straps are attached via bolt and nut mechanism. This allows for easy tuning of the instrument.
The instrument is either played while sitting, or hung by a cloth strap, called Nadai, from the shoulder of the player.

 

The right head is played with the right hand, palm, wrist and fingers. The player usually wears caps, called Koodu, on all the fingers of the right hand, made of hardened paper mache with glue made from wheat (Mmaida/Atta) flour. Modern finger caps are also made from very fine cement type material. The left head is played with a short, thick stick (Kutchi) usually made from the wood of the Portia (Poovarasam) tree. Other hard woods such as Jackfruit wood, Rosewood etc can also be used.

It is not uncommon for left-handed players to use the opposite hands. Some Nathaswaram groups feature both a right- and a left-handed Thavil player. The two heads, however, are still known by its common name (i.e. as it would be for a right-handed player).

In folk music contexts, a long thin stick made of bamboo is sometimes used on the right head. Thanjavur is most famous for the Thavil, which is said to have originated there millennia’s ago.

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Thavil Drum. Full-Size Artiste-Grade In Thanjavur Jackwood with all accessories.

Thavil Drum. Full-Size Artiste-Grade In Thanjavur Jackwood with all accessories.

Top-quality professional instrument direct from Thanjavur. Free worldwide shipping.