Thanks Vijay Ananth... I dont know the names, and I couldnt figure it out, even though I tried hearing it so many times..
Thanks On Tue, Aug 26, 2008 at 9:24 AM, S.VijaiAnanth <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>wrote: > Good write up, Vithur...Just some corrections on the name of the > instruments: It should be > > Rubab > Saz > Oud > Bouzouki > > --- In arrahmanfans@yahoogroups.com <arrahmanfans%40yahoogroups.com>, > Vithur <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > > Santoor Seenu talks on Rahmania > > > > > > > > Happy Chennai Day to all > > > > > > > > Q :- You have been playing 25 Instruments. How did u develop the > > earnestness and how did u start playing ? > > > > > > > > SS :- Its God's Gift. The second Plus point is Mr. A.R. Rahman. > > > > > > > > Q :- Did u meet Rahman after he became a Music Director or you knew him > > before that even ? > > > > > > > > SS :- Before, he became a Music Director, and when he was working > with other > > Tamil Films, we were associated with him. He has taught us a lot of new > > things. Santoor is usually played in tune with Raagas. He specially > taught > > us about Chord Progression and scale changes. I learnt Western, while he > > used to play the keyboard, and used to do the backing. During recording > > times, even some of our notes, he used to play it in his keyboard. > Some bits > > used to be tough, even for us and for him too. The difference is he > has ten > > fingers and can easily play them , while we have two sticks to play the > > santoor, and find it tough. With these sticks, we can play it in 2.5 > octave > > and 3.5 octave. But higher octaves would be little difficult. The > duration > > time is also very minimal for us. A recording has to be finished > within 6 > > hrs. He teaches us a lot during recording sessions. I started developing > > interest, when he did the chord backing and progression etc, to make > us feel > > comfortable while working. He became a good friend, because of these > > associations. > > > > > > > > He called me for Roja. For the song, " Chinna Chinna aasai". We have > to play > > santoor for the song. But it shouldn't sound like santoor. Instead of > > playing with the stick, he suggested we play with the ten fingers in the > > song. In the second BGM of that song, in the left hand, the chord > > progressions would be going on, and in the right hand, the melody > would be > > continuing. That is the first time in my life, that I played the santoor > > with my ten fingers leaving alone the stick. The speciality is the > usage of > > Harp in the beginning of the song. Mandolin is used in the song > beginning > > itself. I had played all the three instruments in the song ( viz. Harp, > > Mandolin, Santoor ) . The song became a super duper hit. > > > > > > > > Q :- Where have u used the Mandolin Instrument ? > > > > > > > > SS :- Super Star Rajni Sir 's song " Oh ho Kick Yerudheee ( > PADAIYAPPA )". > > The song was prepared primarily for Mandolin, and he asked me to > prepare the > > same and get it. During Recording, he usually would ask to get about > 10 to > > 15 instruments. But he told me to get one mandolin for this. I > understood > > that there is something special about this song, as he wanted just one > > mandolin to be brought for the song. I understood that there is > going to be > > something difficult in the song, else he wont tell particularly > about the > > Mandolin Instrument. Even many Mandolin players had told me, that it's a > > difficult bit to be played. Many people have tried playing it in > concerts > > and had suffered playing it. Many had rang me up and asked me " How > did you > > manage playing it ?" I like the song very much, as we strained a lot in > > playing the same. > > > > > > > > For the film " Sangamam:, our Master MSV Sir was involved. We are > all from > > his school of music. He has lot of love in me, and he was on the > recording > > session for that film. Hariharan sir sang the initial bit and went off. > > Rahman sir brought 40 rhythms and mixed it. He told me to get all the > > instruments that I possessed for this song. When I started from my home, > > with all the Instruments, the neighbours asked me If I was leaving > my home > > for another house ??. > > > > > > > > I brought all the instruments in five auto rickshaws..I replied to them > > saying, " No No. Rahman sir had called for a recording. He had > instructed me > > t get all the insruments, for trying something new". > > > > > > > > 1. Rubob > > 2. Sauce > > 3. Mandolin > > 4. Utilin > > 5. Basukin > > > > > > > > We had mixed all the six instruments into the rhythms to make it > perfect, > > and the outcome was brilliant. > > > > > > > > I loved playing the Guitar Style in Nenje Nenje from ratchagan. This > I loved > > the most. Actually, in guitar style comes in the sarodh style. There > is a > > separate style for Guitar and a separate style for Guitar. One who > can play > > both the instruments can do it. He told me to get both the > instruments. In > > the second BGM of that song, in that classical guitar portion, he > wanted a > > melody and on top of it, use the sarod style. That sarod bit was a very > > difficult bit. He didn't leave me till the last. Somehow he wanted me to > > finish it. I told him, that the range of the song was going very > high, and > > it would be very tough. The fingering would be very tough. We can > play the > > instrument maximum in two fingers only. > > > > > > > > He told me " If you cant do, then who else is there. Try it. You > will get > > it". With his encouragement , we could do it in the First take itself. I > > asked him, if we can go for another take, for which he said, " No. > You cant > > play this bit for another take. Even if I give you a year's timing, > it wont > > come". > > > > > > > > Even after some years, when I tried playing it, whenever the same > raga is > > played with the sarod, I never used to get it. I could realize the > > importance of his words. > > > > > > > > For the film Gentleman, I had played for some 4 or 5 songs. Esp the > song " > > Usilambatti". He waited for me for the song. At that time, I used to go > > frequently to Bangalore, as I was also doing Kannada Films. Once, > without > > informing him, I went off. After that he asked me " Am I doing any > Tv Serial > > ?. or an album ?. I am doing a film. Why didn't you inform me before > > going?". > > > > I told him " Sir. I had agreed to that earlier. That's why". Then he > told," > > Ok. Play this and go". My train was at 1 30 Pm , and recording was > > scheduled at 10 AM . I was sure that the song couldn't be completed > before > > that timing. But the song finished in fifteen minutes. By 10 45 AM > or 11, we > > were out. Actually, he also congratulated me for playing the song well. > > > > > > > > Kuchi Kuchi Rakkamma – Bull Bull Thara > > > > > > > > The Bull Bull Thara is actually a qawwalli instrument. On the left > side, it > > would be like a typewriting instrument, and on the right side, the > usage of > > the second and the third fingers, would be on a small clip, like > that of a > > veena. When the right and the left ends are simultaneously used, the > noises > > would be high. Just like, when a type writer is used. But he wanted > those > > noises in that song. > > > > > > > > Nowadays sensitive mikes capture all sorts of noises and sounds. And > it was > > a challenge to play that instrument for that song. It was a speed bit. > > Actually, while pressing one finger, and leaving it, the noise would > come, > > and he asked, " If something could be done without the noises > emanating". I > > said that it would be really tough to do anything without the noises. We > > tried pouring coconut oil into the buttons, as similar to pouring oil in > > cycle chokes to minimize the noise. > > > > > > > > The oil worked out, and the noise started reducing. Then he told, " > This is > > Ok. We will adjust this to the maximum". Actually, the price of the > > instrument is Rs 75, but he paid me Rs 2500. I was very happy for > it. The > > song became a super hit, and for about two to three years, wherever > I went, > > the song used to chase me . was a great hit in Tamil as well as Hindi > > languages. > > > > > > > > INDIAN – Maya Machindra > > > > > > > > For the Indian Film, he had asked me to get my own set up. In an > evening at > > 6 Pm, he asked me one day, if I had got something new. I replied, > there was > > an instrument by name Farz. It was a Turkese Instrument. A friend > of mine > > had given it to me. I couldn't understand anything of it. I told him > that if > > there is a cassette on the same, I can hear and try to do some idea > on it. > > Then, he gave me an cassette, and told me to listen to one > particular style. > > I heard it for sometime, and told him that the same could be used in > a song. > > We put it as " Ni Sa Sa Ni Sa Ma Ga Ni Sa Sa Ni Sa" . He told, this > is new, > > for which I told " No sir. We can play this somewhere in the song". > > > > > > > > This came in the strings following the words " Maya Machindra Macham > Paarka > > Vandeera" ( after these lyrics, the string comes ) Its fully gut > strings. > > Usually it comes in two strings, but this came out in three strings. > So, we > > need to fix the fingers well, for listening to all the three > strings. Even > > if one string is not listened properly, it becomes cacophony. The song > > became a super hit, and also the bit, where those strings come. > > > > > > -- > > regards, > > Vithur > > > > ARR -- The Sweet Cube always > > > > > -- regards, Vithur ARR -- The Sweet Cube always
