Dholak:

Dholak is on of the most important folk instruments of membraphonic division. It is used for addition to signing and dancing. As such it is accepted as a striking instrument for varied kinds of music, from modern film music to simple folk songs and dances of the original tribes. It creates gay atmosphere in festivals and traditional time.

The shell or the main body of the Dholak is hollowed out of a concrete block of wood, over the two usually equal size open ends of the hollowed cylinder; parchment is extended by tightening cords of braces, through leather studs on both sides. To achieve tonal variation between the two heads, generally a past of flour and iron filing is fixed on the parchment of the left side to everlastingly lower the tension of the left side head. Moreover small circular metal rings, sphere or wooden pieces are passed through the braces which can be pulled on either side, to amplify or reduce the tension of the heads. The right head is kept in high pitch and the left head is kept in palm. A metal ring is sometime tapped on the shell of the instrument.

The Dholak placed flat is played both in standing and sitting positions. Here it may be noted that the Dholak resembles the Dhol very much, yet both are different instruments. Both are made of single-piece wooden cylindrical frames. But the frame of the Dhol is generally much bigger than that of the Dholak, both in deepness and distance. The parchment of the Dhol is also thicker than that of the Dholak. The Dholak is played by hand while the Dholk is mainly played by drum-sticks. The two heads of the Dhol are usually level to a common in specific tone, whereas the Dholak is tuned to a definite tonal pitch, because the Dholak has dependable mechanism to change the pitch while the Dhol has no such mechanism to change the tension of the heads and so it is tuned to its natural pitch.

The Dholak is limited to homes and small society get-together, while the Dhol is an out door instrument of the fields and open spaces. The sound of the Dhol is huge, so it is used for public announcements and leading precessions and ceremonies. The Dhol is common in name, shape and function.

Duff:

Duff is an important folk instrument of rim-variety. It is an outdoor instrument and is used mainly for accessory with folk music and folk dance.

Duff consists of an open round border of wood which is covered with skin on one side. The distance of the Duff varies from three inches to three feet.

Duff can be played either with the hand or with sticks. While playing the Duff with fingers, it is held in the left hand and played with the fingers of the right hand and while playing it with stick, and the Duff is held in the left and played with a thick stick held with fingers or with sticks at intervals, the sound “dhum” “dhum” comes out from the Duff. Sometimes the player heats the rim of the Duff with a small metal ring. Sometimes, the Duff consists of sharp rim or frame with parchment held by a band on the frame and laced by leather braces. Thus, the metallic rim with laced parchment holds the membrance in a position of regular and continued tension, so the tone of this type of Duff particularly differs from the wooden frame Duff. They have a clear sharp and slightly metallic tone.

The Duff is played on many cheerful occasions like Holi, Moharram procession etc.

Flute:

The flute has several names like bansi, bansari, venu, vamshi, kuzhal, murli etc. It is one of the earliest instruments of the Sushira (wind) variety. The origin of the flute is traced to the vedic-period. The flute consists of a simple cylindrical tube of uniform tire closed at one end. The mouth-hole called the mukha randhra is pierced at a distance of about three-fourth of an inch from the closed end. There are six to nine finger-holes which are uniform in size. The mouth-hole is a little bigger than the finger-holes. Mostly flute is made of bamboo. But some of the flutes are also made of ivory, sandalwood, ebony, rakta-chandan, iron, bell-metal, silver and gold. But the inexpensive bamboo flute has been chosen to all these on explanation of the excellent quality of its tone and its fine resonating properties. The length of a flute can be from eight inches to two and a half feet. Long flutes have a rich, deep and smooth tone and small flutes have a bright and high-pitched tone. It is usually played by holding it straight across the mouth, but is also played in a erect position when it has been so constructed. The two thumbs are used to hold the flute in position. The three finger (for-finger, middle finger and the ring finger) including the little finger of the left and the four fingers of the right hand (excluding the thumb) are used to control the finger holes. The player blows air into the mouth hole. Then to produce notes of the mamdra- saptaka are produced, the player alters finger. The notes of the Madhya-saptaka are produced in the same way but with amplified wind pressure and the notes of the tara-saptaka are produced in a more difficult way by cross-fingerings.