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From laboratory to concert hall: The invention and production of a new drum tuning system

2015; Acoustical Society of America; Volume: 137; Issue: 4_Supplement Linguagem: Inglês

10.1121/1.4920458

1520-9024

Rohan Krishnamurthy,

Diverse Musicological Studies

I discuss the motivations behind the invention and production of my new drumhead tuning system. The design originated with the mridangam, an ancient and popular pitched drum from South India, which has been constructed the same way for centuries. The mridangam is notoriously difficult to tune and replace drumheads, which consists of multiple layers of leather and a complex iron oxide and starch loading. My new design makes tuning and head replacement more user-friendly and durable, and can be applied to any drum that needs to be fine-tuned. I present my research comparing the acoustics of the traditional mridangam design with my new design. I also explore the challenges and opportunities involved in the international manufacturing process that is currently underway. The presentation concludes with an interactive performance on the mridangam.