Compared to the Northern Indian Mridangam, the Southern Mridangam tenor head has a wider outer tonal layer, known as karani. Sliver-thin reeds are inserted between the two layers of the tenor head to create a distinct, buzzed snare sound. A small dough paste is applied on the outside center of the bass head to achieve a low bass tone. There are no tuning blocks, although they can be inserted under the straps to increase the pitch. When played, the drum is held horizontally, and played with the fingers and palms of the hands.