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Mrdangams in London PERCUSSIVE INSTRUMENTS
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1 post sudhakarks 1 post
sudhakarks
Learn Mridangam from the Legend Umayalpuram Sri K. Sivaraman in this 7 DVD series aptly titled Mridanga Cintamanih. In a typical perfection he is known for Sri Sivaraman presents his Level 1 to 4 syllabus of Mridangam lessons from Beginner to how to play for Concerts.

I am sure one would find this very useful. Trailers for this can be found at http://www.youtube.com/sanskritiseries
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Diego 124 posts
Diego
Hi,

I'm a tabla student who is also interested in starting taking Mrdangam lessons – does anyone know whether there is a good place to get a Mrdangam in London, or some way to source one?

Also, additionally, regarding teachers, I know the list of teachers exists, but if anyone has a recommendation from personal experience it'd be much appreciated, thanks!
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Keshavdas 351 posts
Keshavdas
Are you looking for a S. Indian jackwood one or a clay one from Bengal?
"More harm is done by fools through foolishness
then is done by evildoers through wickedness."

The Prophet Mohammed

http://www.keshav-music.com
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Diego 124 posts
Diego
Oh yes, sorry, I always forget to specify – it's the South Indian Jackwood one, effectively, the one for Carnatic music.
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trippy monkey 4,281 posts
trippy monkey
Southall has 2 shops
Bina, left of the train station & Jaz Musicals in the centre. Both have many mridangams for sale of varying qualities so BEWARE!!!!!!

Nick
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trippy monkey 4,281 posts
trippy monkey
Forgot to ask!!
Are you resident in the UK or visiting?
Teachers are at the Bhavan school but if you go to their UK site there's a list of teachers of all manner of Indian arts.

Nick
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Keshavdas 351 posts
Keshavdas
I haven't found anyone who's been able to consistently provide high quality S. Indian mridungams. Your best bet would be to try Saptaswara in Chennai http://www.sapthaswara.com/products.asp?id=3
They accept credit cards.
"More harm is done by fools through foolishness
then is done by evildoers through wickedness."

The Prophet Mohammed

http://www.keshav-music.com
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Diego 124 posts
Diego
Hi Trippy Monkey and Keshavdas,

Thanks for the replies – I'm effectively living here in London, permanently for the moment, and thanks for pointing to Bhavan, I used to go there for tabla last summer, but, all due respect to the establishment and its teachers, but it wasn't an approach I found good for me – do you learn there, T.M.?
I'm asking my Carnatic singing teacher for a teacher reference, so if that works out I'll post up information.


I've taken a look at the Bina and Jas Mrdangams, and, effectively, I am not confident about the quality of those ones! I'll take a look at the Saptaswara link (thanks Keshavdas).
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trippy monkey 4,281 posts
trippy monkey
I've never learnt at the Bhavan school but I heard some bad things from a sitar student learning there recently.
It seemed the students were being pushed to learn compositions in ragas without correctly learning the actual ragas themselves. NOT the way to do it!!!!
It was more a case of getting through the exams but without learning ICM.

Nick
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Diego 124 posts
Diego
Oh boy. I see that the Bhavan is bad across the board in teaching – the tabla teacher just plugged kaidas into the students without correcting strokes at all - it took months for my later tabla teachers to correct mistakes that got ingrained during that summer, and this kid who was also learning went right through the entire summer school course without fixing his Naa, which was completely muffled.

Also, I heard some dodgy things about the carnatic vocal teacher, but second hand, from someone who went to the classes.
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Diego 124 posts
Diego
(I just wonder, however, as a really off-topic question, whether their language classes are any good, if the music ones are bad? I need to learn some Hindi, and I am tempted by the Bhavan option but put off by what I know of them music-wise)
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trippy monkey 4,281 posts
trippy monkey
Then go to the list of teachers on the website & try a few.

Nick
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trippy monkey 4,281 posts
trippy monkey
The teachers aren't all from or AT the Bhavan as they're all around the UK & also some abroad too.

Nick
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Keshavdas 351 posts
Keshavdas
Word to the wise: Avoid Bina like the plague. They are a N. Indian company with no comprehension of Carnatic instruments and they wouldn't know a good jackwood mridungam from a hole in the ground. And of course - they would never admit it. I worked with them for eight horrible years and I know from whence I speak. It's hard enough to locate a good mridungam in the shops in Chennai. But the liklihood of getting a decent one from Bina is less than zero.
Peace,
K
"More harm is done by fools through foolishness
then is done by evildoers through wickedness."

The Prophet Mohammed

http://www.keshav-music.com
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Diego 124 posts
Diego
Re: Bina, I suspected so.

Thank you both, Nick and Keshavdas, for your replies – your help is much appreciated!


Diego
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Diego 124 posts
Diego
Update:

I now have a mrdangam! My teacher got me one, as I planned to do – it's a lovely thing, and still smells of cow.

However, these things are impossible to tune!
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