Abstract 

This paper aims to examine the importance of Goat skin and other livestocks in making various musical instruments in Indian Music. From ancient times, it has been the tradition of our Indian music culture of making musical instruments from animals’ hide and other body parts like bone, tusks, horns, skin and so on. Various animals’ body parts were used by our primitives in making musical instruments. There are several instances in the music literature which prove this fact. As the human civilisation embarked on the path of development, music also along with this journey continued to develop. With the passage of time, the need of musical instruments was felt by primitives. Then they tried to make such instruments with the help of those natural resources which were available to them easily. At the beginning of this journey, they used various animals’ (like Ox, Elephant, Sheep) body parts for this purpose in plenty. Today as well, this culture of using these livestock is continue and at present, Goat skin is broadly being used for making most of the Indian musical instruments. Most of the instrument makers have been preferring broadly the Goat skin, Catgut and other body parts for making instruments over the years. This research paper has been completed through analytical methods with the help of primary and secondary data followed by MLA referencing style. 

Keywords: Animal, hide, skin, Goat, Catgut, livestocks 

Introduction:

It is believed from the beginning that with the advent of human, Music also arrived on Earth. From birth to demise, Music remains the integral part of every aspect of human’s life. As human civilisation began to develop, music also nurtured with societies. The form of music, which is before us today, is the result of various scholars’ efforts and penance. 

Human being has always been wise and inquisitive from the beginning. This led them to find new knowledge and create new era of civilization. This was the mobility of primitives which prompted them to find new ways of development. According to Rekha Seth, due to this ability of humans, they might have heard some sounds which he would have created unknowingly. Like the sounds of leg hustle While walking, clap with both hands or striking the palm on hard surface especially on their body parts, they might have felt some difficulties in doing so. Then they might have thought of making some artificial instruments which could fulfill their needs and that is how Musical instruments came into existence. (1) 

As we know that in ancient time, primitives used to fulfill their pivotal needs of food and shelter from nature or natural resources. They used to hunt wild animals for their food and used their hides as attire. Hence, they started to use these same things to make instruments. 

Remains found from excavation of Mohenjo Daro and some old religious remains prove this fact that livestock were used to make instruments in ancient times. Archeologists found a flute made of bone of Reindeer and Horns. Besides, they also found hollow remains of animals that were used by   

Primitives to convey their messages from one place to another. (2)

Horns are hollow from inside. It creates sound when it is blown. These were used in battles in old era. It was also used in shiv temples for worshipping Lord shiva. In the same way, Shankh is also an

blown instrument. It is also a living organisms remain which is found under the sea and is used in several Hindu’s religious practices. In ancient times, shankh was also used to announce the beginning of a battle and for the achievement of victory.

Animals’ hides have been used broadly in percussion instruments. According to Rekha Seth Primitives used to hunt wild animals and eat its flesh and to be protected from extreme winter, they used to use its hide as attire. To make that hide wearable, they would have beaten it with large stick by which a resonance might have created which led them to make percussion instruments. (3) 

In support of this fact, we can find several instances from ancient times in the form of  ‘Dundubhi or Bhoomi-Dundubhi’  which were made from Oxen hides and it was struck with its tail or with some hard material. It was a tradition to play it on various occasions. These both are mentioned in ‘Vedic-literature’ 

 Shridhar Pranjape says that earlier humans got the idea of making hide or skin covered instruments with the contact of nature. Dead animals’ hide were used to make various instruments. They might have heard an intense sound by stretching the hide on any hollow structure and then by beating it. Then they might have made Dundubhi and Bhoomi-Dundubhi, which is mentioned in Vedic-literature. (4)

There are many more instances which supports this fact that livestocks are being used from ancient times to present and it has been a very important and integral part of this business. In many tribal parts of India, where tribal communities live, also use livestocks in various instruments making work. “There are some famous proverbial phrases and songs which shows the existence of such an instrument in Karnataka. There is an Oraon song in which a boy says,

Here finds an interesting reference to the fact of a monkey’s hide being utilised for making drums heads by certain tribes. The Santals also use ape skin for making their drum, tumda. To catch the animal, they go to the forest where monkeys live. And when they have located suitable haunt, they chant the Hanuman mantra by which the animals become immobilised; then they are caught and killed, the skin being used for making drums.”  (5)

At present also, there are plethora of instruments Which is made by using livestocks. 

Discussion:     

At present time too, there are a number of instruments, in making of which, many kinds of livestocks are being used. Especially Goat skin is broadly being used by most of the instrument makers. Whether it is percussion instruments or string instruments, Goat skin and its catgut has majorly occupied the space of this business. Some other instruments like ‘Nagara’ are made up of Buffalo hide. Except it, all other percussion instruments are made by Goat skin. 

Daljeet Singh, a musical instrument maker has been working in this profession since last 42 years in New Delhi. In a live interview, i asked him question regarding why in many instruments, only Goat skin and other parts are preferred. Then he said that a Goat skin has the various natural tendencies which is expected to make a desirous and melodious instrument. He added that the biological properties of Goat skin meet the criteria of every instrument maker and instrument players. Goat skin has the less oil content as compared to others animal hide. Secondly, Goat skin is not very thick which helps to create a required resonance of the instrument. Thick skin would not be able to create the required resonance and it cannot fulfill the melodious demand of Indian Music. That’s why, thick skins are generally avoided by instrument makers. Besides, there is one more factor which makes it preferable to instrument makers that is its easy availability in the Indian environment and raw skin of Goat can be easily treated for various purposes. (6)

Percussion instruments:

Tabla, which is a prominent percussion instrument of Indian Classical Music, is also made or covered by Goat skin which is the secret of beauty of Indian Music. The resonance created by tabla is unprecedented. Other instrument like Dholak, Pakhawaj, Mridang and some local instruments are also made by Goat skin. 

 Another instrument maker, Mohammad Yunus is also working in this profession for 22 years in New Delhi. He has the special adeptation in making Tabla instrument. In interview he also said that Goat skin is being used in making tabla from many decades. It is only the Goat skin due to which this instrument has earned the prestige in all over the world. Any synthetic material or any other animal’s skin cannot match or replace the beauty of Goat skin. Many attempts have been made by instrument makers to replace Goat skin in tabla but they were not successful. The beauty and soul of Tabla vests only in its old form which is made by Goat skin. 

In that also, skin of abdomen area is preferably used in making best kind of Tabla or any other instruments. The reason behind it its more thinness as compared to other body parts and more stretching ability and superior sound quality emanates from this part of Goat skin. Other parts of the skin is used in making skin rope which is used to bind skin across the wood structure. Camel hide is also used for this purpose. (7)

There is another famous local instrument named ‘Deru’ which looks like ‘Damru’ is made by membrane which is found in stomach, which surrounds the internal organs of animals’. Mainly, Goat and buffalo membrane is used to make this instrument. This type of locally made instruments are widely used regionally. It is known by different names in different regions. This instrument is used in many local ritual practices and played by wooden stick.

String instruments: 

In most of the string instruments too, which has the sound box at bottom part, only Goat skin is used. Sarangi, Sarod, Dilruba, Israaj, Rabab, Taus (Mayuri Veena), Ravanhattha and many more Indian string instruments which has hollow bottom part is covered by Goat skin. The reason is same as mentioned above that mainly is its sound quality and resonance. In Sarod, lamb skin is used sometimes for the best sound quality. 

Apart from Goat skin, its catgut is also used as string in some of the stringed instruments. It is made from its intestine. Historically, catgut was the most common material for the strings of harp, lutes, violins, violas, cellos, double basses, acoustic guitars and other stringed musical instruments. After the popularity of metals, wires of steel and synthetic polymer is now being used widely in most of the string instruments. But still in Indian instrument like Sarangi, catgut made from Goat intestine is mainly being used from many centuries. Gut strings have been the natural choice for many sarangi players due its richer and darker sound quality and not any other material could match the legacy of sarangi. According to instrument maker Daljeet Singh, many attempts have been made to replace gut strings of sarangi, but nothing could meet the criteria. (8)

Morever, those string instruments, which are played with bow, are also made by horse tail hairs.

The reason behind it is horse tail have long hairs and easily available. These hairs are long and rough due to which it creates rich and dense sound when is rubbed with strings. When these bow’s hairs get soft, a substance called ‘Bahroja’ is rubbed on hairs to give it its natural roughness. 

This is also an important instance of livestock used in instrument making field. 

In ancient times, many other organisms were also used to prepare the stringed instruments’ soundbox. for instance, Turtle shell was used for making of two stringed Rabab instruments in Arabian countries. Some communities used to use pouch of pigs’ stomach as the soundbox. In ancient china, soundbox was made by covering the snakes’ skin. Several other cultures and tribes also used many different kinds of locally made instruments in which many livestocks were used. (9) But nowadays, some of the organisms are restricted to be used in such activities by law.

   Conclusion:

It can be concluded from above discussion that livestocks have been very important and integral part of instrument making avocation from many centuries. In that too, Goat skin and its other body parts have a major share in musical instruments manufacturing domain. Several theoretical instances like vedas, other music literatures and remains found from excavation endorse this fact that livestocks were a vital part in making of musical instruments from ancient time. At present also, most of the musical instrument manufacturers prefer to merely Goat skin due to some natural traits in this business. Some efforts also have been made by manufacturers to replace Goat skin with other synthetic material. According to makers, there have nothing been found yet as alternatives of Goat skin which can cater the requirement of melody of Indian Music. It means, the traditional Instrument like Tabla, Pakhawaj, Sarangi or any other instruments in making of which Goat skin is required, any alternatives or any synthetic material could not touch the extent of beauty and legacy of Goat skin or livestocks. Only these have cherished the beauty of Indian music since long time. In gist, it can be concluded that Goat skin and other livestocks have been and possibly will be the utmost important part of manufacturing of Indian Musical Instruments.