Ottu               

        The Ottu May Be A South Indian Drone Instrument. It's Terribly The Same As The Nadaswaram Or The Shehnai In Construction. It's Typically Somewhat Longer Than The Nadaswaram. It's A Bell, Typically Of Metal Just Like The shehnai. It's Four Or 5 Holes, That Aren't Fingered However Simply Occluded With Wax To Bring The Instrument To The Proper Pitch (Shruti). This Instrument Doesn't Play A Melody, However Simply Provides The Drone For Temple Ensembles Composed Of Nadaswaram And Tavil.

          NMM 1192 (Left). Hautboy (Ottu), Southern Asian Nation, Ca. 1940. Carnatic Drone Instrument Compete In Conjunction With The Nagaswaram. A Beating-Reed Instrument With A Rosewood Body And A Wood Bell. The Reed Of each The Ottu And Nagaswaram Is Created From A Two-Dimensional Piece Of Aquatic Grass Found On The Banks Of The South Indian Kaveri Stream. The Ottu And Also The Nagaswaram Square Measure Compete At Temples, For Marriages, And At Festivals.

          NMM 1191 (Right). Hautboy (Nagaswaram Or Nagasuram), Southern Asian Nation, Ca. 1900. Beating-Reed Instrument with A Rosewood Body And Wood Bell. In South Indian Serious Music (Carnatic), The Nagaswaram Is Compete In Conjunction With The Ottu. The Instrument Has Seven Finger Holes, 5 Standardisation Holes, And A Variety Of Two-And-A-Half Octaves. The Player Will Produce Semi- And Quarter-Tones By Adjusting Lip Pressure And Also The Air-Flow Into The Pipe. The Nagaswaram And Ottu Square Measure Thought-About To Be Mangala Vadya, Or Auspicious Instruments.