The Maddale (Kannada: ಮದ್ದಲೆ), also called Mrudanga (ಮೃದಂಗ) in North Canara, is a percussion instrument from Karnataka, India. It is the main rhythmic instrument in a Yakshagana group, along with the Chande. The Maddale creates a perfectly harmonic musical note (shruti swara) when struck anywhere on its surface. This is different from other instruments like the Mrudangam, Pakawaj, or Tabla, which cannot make a harmonic note on all parts of their surfaces. Its drum head is similar to the tabla, and its body is similar to the pakhavaj.

Traditionally, the Maddale was 30 cm long and had an 8-inch drum head on the right side, which made a louder sound. Today, most Maddales have a right side that is 6 to 6.5 inches wide, though some use a 7-inch wide one. The left side, which is the bass part, is about one inch larger than the right. The Maddale comes in more than three different types. The version used in Yakshagana looks similar to the mridangam but has major differences in structure, how it makes sound, playing methods, and rhythm patterns (Yakshagana Tala).

The Maddale’s body is made from jackfruit tree wood, as well as other woods like kakke, baine, and hunaalu.

History

The Maddale is part of the mridangam family and has a similar history. Over time, the Maddale was made from different types of wood to create higher pitches. It developed along with the growth of Yakshagana and the specific finger and hand techniques used in Yakshagana. The use of the palm produces a sound that is a mix of pakhawaj and mridangam.

Construction

The maddale is a drum with two sides. Its body is usually made from a hollowed piece of jackfruit wood that is about 0.5 cm thick (thinner than the mrudangam). This body is called the goodu, or housing. The two open ends of the drum are covered with goat skin leather and tied together using leather straps that wrap around the drum's edge. These straps are tightened to hold the drum heads securely, allowing them to vibrate when struck. The left drum head is slightly larger (bass side) and measures 0.9 inches. One side produces a lower sound (bass), and the other produces a higher sound (treble). The drum head is called the muchchige.

The larger drum head is called the eda muchchige, and the smaller one is called the bala muchchige. The higher drum head is similar to a tabla drum head but creates a different sound. The maddale makes a ringing sound when played on the edge (rim) and on the center (ink). The higher drum head has a circular disk in the middle called karne (the ink), which helps create harmonic tones. Before performances, the base drum is coated with a paste made from ash and rice called bona. This paste helps reduce the sound and produces a deeper, bass-like tone.

Methods of use

Before a performance, Maddale is adjusted to match the singer's main note, known as lower shadja. A wooden peg is sometimes used to tighten the straps. The two major strokes are gumpu and chapu. Chapu involves playing on the rim and is used for tuning. Gumpu involves playing on the ink to produce a more resonating sound. The Kapala stroke is a cross finger stroke above the ink. It is a unique stroke that produces a harmonic mix of gumpu and chapu. Kapala is more musical than chapu of mrudangam.