The Myringa
The Myringa or eardrum is a membrane in the ear of mammals, including humans, by which the ear collects and transmits sound to the ossicles. The eardrum is located at the end of the ear canal and forms the transition between the external ear and the middle ear.
A myringa is a cylinder drum with a defined pitch. A drumhead is stretched on a PVC tube (diameter 50 to 80 cm). By striking the sheet with a mallet, a certain tone is produced. The pitch depends on the tension of the sheet and where the sheet is struck. The size of the resonance space underneath it determines in which tonal range the myringa can be used. The sound strongly depends on the material used for the head of the stick (cork, rubber , felt) and on the place where the sheet is struck, and – to a much lesser extent – on the construction of the myringa.
Tuning: the frequencies of a drumhead behave much less simply than, say, those of a violin string. they relate according to one of the Chladni patterns. (Further explanation can be found below).
- The myringa has a diameter of about 90 cm and is about 100 cm high. The batting sheet is reinforced with a polyester thread to prevent from tearing.
2. The batter is tightened in a traditional way using a nylon cord. Metal tension tubes allow the drumhead to be tuned.
3. Openings were cut out of the PVC pipes with a thickness of 2 cm, allowing the vibrations and sounds to escape. This way we also get 3 sturdy legs that provide the necessary stability.
Chladni-patterns are patterns created when a surface dusted with very fine and light powder is vibrated. Where the surface does not move (a knot) powder collects; where the surface does move (a belly) the powder vibrates away toward the knot lines.
The Myringa in other cultures
If you’re deaf, dumb, and blind to what’s happening in the world, you’re under no obligation to do anything. But if you know what’s happening and you don’t do anything but sit on your ass, then you’re nothing but a punk.
