Pirashanna plays the morsing in Ravi Shankar’s opera, Sukyana, with London Philharmonic Orchestra at Royal Festival Hall on Wednesday 15 January. Knowing the established rhythms of other percussion instruments, such as the mridangam drum, is the key to learning the morsing.īoth in and out of ensemble playing, the morsing is also used for making comical sound effects – wobbles, boings and onomatopoeic springing sounds – which Pirashanna demonstrates expertly (and yes, rather amusingly) in the video above. Carnatic Musical Instrument Mumbai Wooden Dholak carnatic musical instrument classical carnatic musical instrument Carnatic Classical Musical Instrument. It is used to help underpin melody and harmony with established rhythms from the Carnatic (South Indian) classical music tradition. The morsing is a percussion instrument, based around a piece of music’s tonic, that contributes largely to the rhythmic parts of any Indian classical ensemble music – playing especially in time with the mridangam or dohl (double-ended drums). What is the morsing’s place in a classical ensemble? Apparently you can even cut the tongue on the vibrating steel rod if you’re not careful – “Not something you want to do,” Pirashanna laughs. Its function is the same as the sarangi or harmonium.

With the steel rod vibrating to create resonance, you also have to watch out for your tongue, according to Pirashanna. Violin - The violin, even though its origins are European, has a very important role in Carnatic music. You can breathe in or out through the instrument, something that creates sustained notes and also helps you make varied sounds. The biggest challenge to overcome when playing the morsing is breathing and breath control – a lot of air is needed to sustain notes and create resonance. What are the main things to look out for when starting out?

Carnatic music instruments