What is the Morsing?
The morsing is a Carnatic percussion instrument. It is a tiny instrument held in the left hand, shaped like prongs with an additional metal stick running through the length of the instrument.
The morsing is played by holding the prongs against the upper and lower teeth, with the metal stick protruding out and plucked with the index finger. Further control of the instrument can be done by careful regulation of the player’s breath.
The morsing has a unique pitch that can be slightly modified with small amounts of beeswax placed on the end of the metal stick.
The morsing is a lyre instrument said to originate in Greece.
Listen to the Morsing
Performer Name Senthan Nadarajah
Musical Tradition South, Carnatic
Where it’s from: Morsing
South India
Morsing: Did you know…
The morsing is an instrument similar to the Jew’s harp, mainly used in Rajasthan, in the Carnatic music of South India, and in Sindh, Pakistan. It can be categorised under lamellophones, which is a sub-category of plucked idiophones
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