Dhol

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Two dhol

Dhol (from Persian duhul or duhal , " drum ") is a group of two-headed tubular drums originally from Central Asia that are played in Indian folk music . Traditionally, an almost cylindrical dhol is used as a rhythm instrument in the bhangra music of the Punjab , as well as in the Chhau dance theater in the east Indian states of Bihar and West Bengal and, for example, a more bulbous shape in Uttar Pradesh .

Dhol is also the name of a double-skin cylinder drum in Armenia .

origin

Another type of drum, the nagara kettle drum, which is covered with only one skin , was used as early as the 16th century in the Ottoman Empire , the Safavids and the Mughal Empire during the war to accompany the deployment of the army. Later dhol were used by crierers who used the extremely loud drum to drum up the inhabitants of the villages when they had news to announce.

Design and style of play

The body consists of a bulbous, hollowed-out piece of hardwood about 30 to 70 centimeters long, both openings of which are covered with furs. Traditionally, goatskins are used, which are attached to the body with a long cord. As with many Indian double-headed drums, the two heads have different pitches. This is achieved through different diameters and coat thicknesses. The opening for the higher sound is between 30 and 35 cm, that for the lower sound is a little larger, and the eardrum for the lower sound is a little thicker. In addition, the tension of the heads can be changed with the help of the cord (nowadays sometimes metal clips) with which they are attached, which gives the musician further options for adjusting the sound. The drum is similar to the slightly smaller dholak and dholki , but has a larger diameter with a comparable length, which gives it a deeper and fuller bass tone. The dhol is usually played with two sticks , one for each skin. The stick for the thicker, deeper-sounding head is a little thicker (around 1 cm) than the second and is bent to a quarter circle at the end. The thinner stick for the higher notes is straight and flexible. To play, the musician wears the drum on a strap around his neck. Often the wood of the body is decorated with carvings or paintings.

Dhol players are popular entertainers at weddings and other festivities. In the Garhwal region in the state of Uttarakhand , the dhol is always played together with the smaller kettle drum damau . The bagpipe mashak is added as a melody instrument at weddings .

The dhol (or dholak ) is an indispensable part of Bhangra performances and recordings in the recording studio, often together with the pincer-like percussion idiophone chimta . At smaller dance events, music is also played from sound carriers. Electronic musical instruments were added in the 1980s . The dhol was the Bhangra music through the Punjab addition, throughout India and in the UK popular.

In qawwali music, a similar but smaller drum is called a dhol . This dhol is used instead of the bayan , the larger of the two drums of the tabla , with the smaller, the actual tabla .

In Afghanistan the instrument is called dohol and is played in folk music together with the sorna , a double reed instrument. A solid stick beats the top, a flexible stick the bottom.

In Armenia there is a cylinder drum also called dhol . Their body is 30 to 35 centimeters long with a diameter of 35 to 50 centimeters. Of the two goat skin membranes of equal size, one is thicker and produces a deeper tone than the other. Both membranes are struck with wooden sticks of different strengths or with hands on one membrane and a stick on the other membrane. The Armenian dhol is used in folk music ensembles to accompany dances, especially at weddings and funerals. The Georgian cylinder drum doli is also related to the name .

Web links

Commons : Dhol  - collection of images, videos and audio files

Individual evidence

  1. ^ History and information of Armenian Dhol. duduk.com
  2. ↑ Robert At'ayan, Jonathan McCollum: Dhol. In: Laurence Libin (Ed.): The Grove Dictionary of Musical Instruments . Vol. 2, Oxford University Press, Oxford / New York 2014, p. 39