The morsing, also called mukharshanku, mourching, morching, or morchang, is a musical instrument similar to the Jew's harp. It is mainly used in Rajasthan, in the Carnatic music of South India, and in Sindh, Pakistan. It belongs to a group of instruments called lamellophones, which are a type of plucked idiophone. The instrument has a metal ring shaped like a horseshoe, with two parallel forks that form the frame. A metal tongue, also called the trigger, is placed between the forks. One end of the tongue is attached to the ring, and the other end is free to vibrate. The free end of the tongue is bent at a right angle so that it can be struck to create sound.
The morsing has been used for more than 1,500 years. Its exact origin in the Indian subcontinent is not clearly recorded, but many old stories and traditions mention it. It is commonly found in South India, Rajasthan, and parts of Assam. In Bengali and Assamese folk music, it is sometimes played with a type of song called Rabindrasangeet. In South India, it is used in Carnatic concerts and percussion groups. In Rajasthan, it is called morchang and is used as a percussion instrument in folk music called lok geet. The instrument was often used in Hindi movies by music directors like R.D. Burman and S.D. Burman. In the 20th century, street performers like Varun Zinje began playing it in a new style. It is believed to be an early version of later instruments such as the harmonica and the harmonium.
Playing technique
The morsing is placed on the front teeth with the lips slightly stretched and held tightly in one hand. The index finger of the other hand strikes the instrument to create sound. Moving the tongue while making nasal sounds changes the pitch. This happens when the syllable "Nga" or a similar sound is made through the nose while air is pushed out or pulled in through the mouth. This helps with meditation, so some players use it to practice pranayama. Others speak into the instrument while playing, creating a soft, echoing sound.
The morsing is held tightly in one hand, usually the left hand, with the frame or ring between the palm and fingers. The middle part, or metal tongue, should not be touched when the instrument is idle. The upper fork of the two parallel parts is pressed firmly against the upper front teeth, and the lower fork is pressed against the lower front teeth. The lips help keep the contact so the metal tongue does not touch the teeth when it moves. The trigger is plucked with the tip of the index finger. Sound is made when the metal tongue vibrates, transferring the sound through the teeth and into the mouth and nasal cavity. Moving the tongue while plucking creates fast sound patterns. Changing the space in the mouth and nostrils can make sounds in different phases, similar to effects in electronic music.
Traditionally made of iron, the morsing can also be made from brass, wood, bone, plastic, or even credit cards.
Tuning
The instrument's main pitch can only be changed slightly. Importantly, the pitch can only be lowered, not raised. To lower the pitch slightly, beeswax can be placed on the part of the instrument where the string is plucked. To raise the pitch, the instrument can be scraped, although this might harm it.
Advanced playing and the art of accompaniment
In Carnatic music, the morsing is often played together with the mridangam or dhol. To play the morsing correctly, it is important to understand the syllables or how the sounds are represented on the mridangam. Knowing the syllable patterns, called "ferns," played on the mridangam is crucial because these patterns are silently recited while playing the morsing. This practice of reciting syllables is known as konnakol. However, when playing the morsing, the syllables are not actually spoken aloud. Instead, the tongue moves in a way that blocks and opens air passages to create the same sound patterns as the mridangam. It is important to follow the mridangam closely and match its syllable patterns as much as possible, even though this can be difficult due to the morsing's limitations.
The morsing can show its unique and varied abilities when used alone to accompany a song, during neraval or swara prastara (stages of singing in Carnatic music). Throughout a concert, the morsing acts as a shadow to the mridangam. Its full range of abilities should be demonstrated when playing alone, during Thani (a percussion solo section in a concert), or with talavadyas (groups of percussion instruments).
Although the morsing and the Morchang operate based on different principles, their sounds can resemble those of the Australian didgeridoo.
Variants around the world
The Morchang is found in nearly the same form and design across the world, though it is known by many different names (estimated to have over 900 names) in various languages. For example, it is called Morchang or morsing in India, Kou-Xian in China, Vargan in Russia, Munnharpe in Norway, Zanboorak in Iran, Maultrommel in Germany, Guimbarde in France, Marranzano in Italy, Doromb in Hungary, Dambrelis in Lithuania, and Drymba in Ukraine. It may have traveled between countries through ancient trade routes, such as the Silk Road, which connected Asia and Europe. There is a theory that the name "Jew's harp" comes from a misunderstanding of the term "jaw harp." However, the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) describes this theory as "baseless and inept." The OED suggests that the name "Jew's harp" might have been used because the instrument was thought to have been made, sold, or imported to England by Jews, or because it was chosen as a name to suggest the musical instruments mentioned in the Bible.
Notable players
People who play the instrument are sometimes called Morsingists. Today, players include Bhagyalakshmi M. Krishna, Sundar N, Minjur M Yagnaraman, Bejjanki V Ravi Kiran, Ortal Pelleg, Valentinas, Viaceslavas, the Barmer Boys, T S Nandakumar, and many Rajasthani folk musicians from the Laggas tribe. In the past, Morsingists included Abraham Lincoln, the Russian Tsar Peter the Great, Mannargudi Natesa Pillai, Hariharasharma (father of Vikku Vinayagaram), Pudukkottai Mahadevan, Kalaimamani A S Krishnan, Mysore M Gururaj, Bharadwaj R Sathavalli, and the late L. Bhimachar from South India.