Understanding the Faldera

[Bachikaze]

As a drum maker, I'm learning more about damping drumheads. Tablas, for instance have a syahi, a black dot in the center that damps, mutes, and shapes the drum's sound.

Now that I have an iya to be delivered Wednesday, I am interested in the fardela. I have three questions for you experts.

Why is the fardela formed in a ring? The syahi on the tabla is a disk, thicker in the center than the edges, like a flat dome. This shape adds to the tone of the drum. Why the ring shape on the iya?

Where do you strike the boca head with your hand, right on the fardelaa, to one side? Does the ring shape give you a depression for the hand?

Has anyone else tried niallgregory's suggestion of plasticine modeling clay? That's a very attactive idea because it is changeable.

Thanks for any help you can give.



Edited By Bachikaze on 1204593916

[Thomas Altmann]

Hi Bachikaze.

To begin with, I don't know of any ritual or acoustical reason for using the ring shaped fardela.

What I know, is that in Africa, where the diameter of the batá drums is smaller, the disk shape can be found. The idá, which is the original name of the fardela, is a disk made of a sticky resin, and I cannot imagine that the Yoruba drummer hits the idá intentionally.

In Cuba, the disk shaped fardela can occasionally be found, too; especially on the smaller itótele, although in Havana few itótele drums do have a fardela. (I have even seen a consecrated ritual iyá drum without a fardela, but with a very thick enú head instead.)

Most Cuban batá drummers hit the fardela along with the skin surface. Insignificantly, I don't like to do that, personally. I learned to play the iyá bridging the fardela ring with my bowed fingers, but I don't think that many bataleros do that.

Let's see what others say.

Thomas



Edited By Thomas Altmann on 1204678530

[Bachikaze]

Thomas,

Thank you for your answer.

I'm a little curious about the ring-shaped damping. Most world drums, like tablas, use a disk. For tablas and mridangams, you directly strike the damper (syahi), which is rubbery and dry.

I have thought about using the "bowed finger" technique that you mentioned. But I might form a flat dome and try playing more Indian-style.

I wonder why the iya ring was developed.

On my own drum, I may just make a disk until I learn a practical reason for the ring. I plan to use plasticine modeling clay, which will allow me to easily make changes. I have now read three sources that say it works well. I can just experiment to see what placement of the right hand works best, but I am curious to know what bataleros do. I have watched videos and seen mixed playing styles. Quite a few iyas have no obvious fardela. Perhaps they have thick heads like you mentioned.

By the way, I love your website. I have read all of your pages marked with British flags. I especially focused on your fardela recipe page for info about batã and fardelas. Thank you for including English pages. My German is very poor.



Edited By Bachikaze on 1204738765

[Thomas Altmann]

Hi Bachikaze,

perhaps drummers just want to avoid wasting those quantities of fardela substance. I'm sure that different types of dampeners have different effects on the sound. But if this was the deciding factor in choosing the shape of the fardela, drums with disk-shaped or no fardelas at all would not be in use - at least not in ceremonies.

Check out the phote of the fardela on the iyá of Ricardo Suarez "Fantomas" in Matanzas, to be seen on the Antología de la música afrocubana, Vol II record, "Oru de Igbodu". There is a ring, but the center of the ring is filled with a disk. Also check out Fernando Ortiz's article on the idá. It is probably from the "Los instrumentos" volumes. There is an English translation of it by John Turpin III and B.E. Martinez from 1980 (copyright Institute for the Study of Ancient African Traditions) called "The Batá in Cuba - Selected from the Writings of Fernando Ortiz". I don't have it on disc, otherwise I would send it to you. But I translated it into German for an easier read (for myself ) Darius Thieme wrote something abou the idá on Nigerian drums in his "Descriptive Catalogue of Yoruba Musical Instruments".

Thanks for your compliments regarding my site. Yes, the bulk of information is in German. There are lots of good web articles in English and Spanish, but hardly any one in German, so I made it easy for myself and refused the necessity to translate everything before putting it down, a conditioning that English speaking writers probably never get to know. Sometimes even the English language becomes a barrier for me, especially when the subject matter alone is demanding enough. Everybody speaks, writes and reads best in his own mother language.

Thomas

[Bachikaze]

Thank you, Thomas for the suggestions for where I can see examples of fardelas. I have been searching the Internet for such photos.

Since my drum arrived, I have been experimenting. I don't feel limited by tradition, since I bought the drum not to play in a batá trio, but for general use. I have tried three materials, and both rings and disks.

I first used modeling clay in a disk shape. It did not stay on long. When I made a ring with the same amount of clay, it stayed on much longer. This is one possiblity for the reason for the ring shape. (A second reason is like you said. A ring provides almost as much damping as a disk; why waste substance?)

I then tried a putty used to mount posters on a wall. It is stickier than modeling clay. This worked perfectly and had a beautiful sound; however, it stays soft, so it can stick to other objects and change shape when it is contacted by other objects. I wanted another solution.

Next, I bought silicone sealant. This is great because it cures (hardens) into a rubbery material, stays on well, but can be removed easily. I formed it into a ring. The problem was that it has less density than the clay or putty, so it didn't damp the head enough.

Finally, I filled the silicone ring with a layer of putty, which gave the damper more density, then covered it with a thin layer of silicone, which protected the putty with a rubbery shell.

Since that time, I've been very happy with it.



Edited By Bachikaze on 1205773590