I want a leftie on the mridangam!

[Rsachi]

I know at least a dozen leftie (also spelt as lefty) mridangam vidwans today, all very busy and happy. Poor right-handed musicians are developing a complex.

I see some great benefits in having a leftie mridangam accompanist:
1. You can interact better with the mike-wala, organiser etc.who is normally right of stage.
2. Khanjira does not expose its back side.
3. Since most people (read NLP) have a tendency to look rightward, better eye contact with main performer.
4. Any complex eduppu and mukthaya etc. becomes a mere left-hand(baaye-haath ka khel) play for the percussion
5. Coffee/tea/water bloke who enters from left does not cross over at the back.
6. I feel violinists should sit on the right, like in a Western orchestra (first violin etc.)

This is admittedly a flippant discussion but we have to approach it with right-brain thinking!

Any more ideas? Kindly list them!

[Nick H]

Violinists sit on the left in a Western orchestra! Maybe you have your speaker wires reversed

I suppose it helps to project the sound forward. When the instruments are mic-ed, though, it doesn't make any odds.

[Rsachi]

Nick, I know where the first violin sits... It is on the right by my definition! See Wikipedia :

[shankarank]

@Rsachi 2. Khanjira does not expose its back side.

really? When you say back side - you mean the hollow side of it? I don't see how that would happen in either case when they sit diagonally. I think depending on how they hold it - in fact if they sit on the Leftie side there is more of that possibility.

Also I have seen Khanjira artistes retain their position diagonally across ( not straight behind) the Leftie Mridangists. Checkup Sri Arjun Kumar's concerts. Esp. the one with Abhishek - where SriSundarkumar walks in after the first song.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=si2lwx-9bWk - about 17 minutes into it.

[Nick H]

Nick, I know where the first violin sits... It is on the right by my definition! See Wikipedia :

We are looking in opposite directions! I am calling it "left" from the audience perspective, just as the mridangist normally sits on the "left" and the violinist on the right. So we are saying the same thing.

(But hey, now that one or two of our nastier members have gone, we could fill the void by having a vicious argument about it... just to fill the void )

The mridangist likes to show off the right hand; the violinist likes his position and doesn't want to give it up, but is, according to me, actually better off on the "other" side, as it brings the instrument more facing the audience.

Personally, I would like to see more of the mridangist's "left" hand!

[Rsachi]

ShankaranK,
yes. That's what i meant. With righthanded mridangam vidwans, i have seen khanjira artistes quite often seated on the left of main performers, and often showing the audience the khanjira from its hollow side. Especially when two percussions sit on either side of a veena or violin main.

[Nick H]

I haven't thought about the Kanjira position. I have noticed, though, that it makes a big difference which side is to the mic. It should be mic-ed from the "front:" if miced from the "back," (open) side it over-emphasises the bass.

[Rsachi]

Yes, point no.7! this factor of not emitting sound from the back of a vibrating diaphragm is a key factor in loud speaker design!

[rajeshnat]

With a leftie on mrudangam and if a usual right handed person is playing violin, I enjoy as both the violin strings/fingering and mrudangam valanthai is in full view for the audience.

[Rsachi]

Exactimo! Precisimo! Optimo!