Chande: India musical instrument

The chande is a drum that is used in the traditional and classical music of the south India and specifically in Karnataka. The musical instrument provides rhythmic accompaniment in many dance dramas of the southern India like yakshagama. The musical instrument accompanies the Yakshagana Tala system. The rhythms are based on the pre-classical music forms, folk groves and some rhythms are analogous to Karnataka Sangeta and to lesser extent Hindustani Sangeetha. There are various varieties in this musical; instrument. 

source of picture: en.wikipedia.org

Two major versions of the instrument includes; the Badagu Thittu Chande (Northern School) as well as the Thenku Thittu Chande (Southern School). The second one is also spelt chenda and  it is used solely in the art practices of southern costal Karnataka and Kerala. The version of the musical instrument that is used in Badagu Thittu is structurally and acoustically different from the version of the musical instrument that is used in Kerala.

             

In the ancient Hindu sculpture, painting and mythology, the musical instrument is portrayed as the musical instrument used to declare war. This musical instrument can manufacture convoluted rhythms that can be heard from more than three kilometers. Meanwhile, the instrument is the comparatively recent addition to Yakshagana orchestra. It is said that the instrument came to be used since approximately 150 years ago.

The body of the chande is carved from wood of the jackfruit tree. The body of the instrument is known as ‘goodu’ in Kannada. The players of the musical instrument follow the Yakshagana system of talas. There are relationships to the Karnataka Sangeetha talas. The rhythm arrangement itself has pre-classical origins.

The circular drum head of the musical instrument is produced of processed cow skin. Normally, there are 12 hinges that hold the head of the drum to the wooden trunk using thick ropes. Typical drum head size is about 32 cm and about 23 cm inner diameter. The playing area of the musical instrument’s head is about 20 cm in diameter. Wedges implanted inside the ropes are warped to tighten or loosen the head of the instrument while tuning it. A tabular wooden wedge is tied to the edge of the instrument’s head to roll using dominant hand. The musical instrument must be traditionally tuned to an octave above singer’s tonic.

The musical instrument is played resting it vertically on the floor with the use of two sticks. The sticks of the musical instrument are drum sticks known as chande kolu in Kannada. The sticks are particularly produced for the chande. The shape and thickness of the chande differs along the stick used for playing the chande. The left hand and the right hand sticks are distinctively shaped. Their typical length is about 28 cm. the actual length differs based on the diameter of the drum head.

The sticks of the musical instrument are flexible and are often produced from a kind of bamboo. The head of the stick that is used for the dominant hand is thicker and the body tapers and the extreme where the hand of the player grips the stick is normal size. The other stick is somewhat thicker and less tapered. The dominant stick often rests on the wedge of the musical instrument’s head and the stick is rolled to manufacture the fluttering sound. it is this feature that gives the instrument an advantage to manufacture multiple fillers in between the beats that hands or fingers of the hand often will not be able to manufacture on drums. The musical drum is played in a forceful manner. The musical instrument groves from what is known as the Yakshagana tala.

The students of the musical instrument have to study some rudiments to be able to become a master in the playing of the chande. And the rudiments are the stick combination and the rolling of the drum.