karnatik music

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UNDERSTANDING KARNATIK CLASSICAL MUSIC

BY

PRABIR DATTA

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This Compilation Document Is

Dedicated To

Shakuntala, Anindita, Tina, Abhishek, Pradipta &

My Other Family Members, Relatives, Friends,

Aquaintances And

All Classical Music Lovers Of India &

Abroad &

LATE NOBEL LAURATE RABINDRANATH TAGORE AT HIS 150TH BIRTH ANNIVERSARY YEAR

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PREFACE

Earlier I published 2(two) compendiums-UNDERSTANDING INDIAN CLASSICAL MUSIC and MUSIC

THERAPY—in the web.Those two documents gave me inspiration and daring courage to compile

this volume on Karnatik Classical Music.This document does not need any introduction.This is itself a

self explanatory and a compilation document on Karnatik Classical Music & Tala.Many of my

friends and relatives asked me why I am compiling this document with so much of strain and pain

at this age.I am running 63(sixty three) years.I am also engaged in my Engineering Consultancy

work & that is why this work is delayed.I am collecting the materials for more than last 20 to 25 years

or may be more,I don’t remember.My personal feeling is that it may not be mandatory for anyone

of any profession,that he or she must be a renowned person or a performer of the classical music

and belong to the same community.He or she may be a good& avid

listener,learner,reader,collector&so on.He or she may understand the music in his/her own way of

learning,grasping,updating self,diligent reading,listening to great maestros etc. I took up this work

in the same light.After scruitinising a number of course study materials,I observed that the published

books cover mainly the college and university syllabus,which contain a few common

ragas,raginis& even talas& those are not always very illustrative and complete in nature.All are

lying scattered through in a number of literatures& even in the form of manuscripts.I had to search

extensively in libraries,acquaintances,websites of Indian and foreign origins.I also travelled

extensively across the length&breadth of Indian territory and met many not so famous musical

personalities.I have no hesitation to express the amount of help and inputs I received from these

gentlemen/ladies in the southern part of India & without their help and cooperation,this

compendium would have been incomplete.My sincere thanks to them.I have enlarged my

collection with the assistance from my European and American friends. Also,it is very difficult to get

hold of the renowned people in the community due to their commitments&paucity of time,to get

some of my queries answered.I could not.Everything,I had to find out of my own interest.While

carrying with the work,my personal experience is that though Indian performers are the best in the

world for Indian classical music,the research work carried out and the data& information

maintained for Indian classical music, remains far better,accessible&scientific in the foreign

countries than that in India.

Still,one question remains—Why I took up this task?

A bit of explanation and background is necessary,I feel.

I am extremely fortunate and blessed for being born in a joint family full of musical talents.Revered

Late Nikunja Behari Dutta of Baje Shibpur,Howrah,West Bengal, India,was a renowned Classical&

Tappa singer in his time.It was said that he could play all the instruments related to Indian classical

music.His name was associated with respected late Kalipada Pathak,the great Bangla tappa

singer. He was the uncle of my late father-Prabhakar Dutta.Revered Late Baroda Kanta Dutta of

our family was also a renowned Pakhwaji during his time.He was also another uncle of my

father.My grand father,revered late Manmatha Nath Dutta,was having very sweet voice and

under training with his brothers,he sang a few very good songs.He died at a very early age & my

father had to stay with his maternal uncles Boses at Jhamapukur area.There my father learnt

classical vocal as a pupil of Revered late Sachin Das Motilal.He was also in close association with

Revered late Murari Dutta and Bibhuti Dutta.But for his social and family commitments&

responsibilities,he had to join service and after about 15 years of learning classical music,he could

not take the music much forward for himself.But even at old age also, he used to sing for his own

enjoyment and for the family members only but not for earning.I am also blessed with the fact

that,one of my aunt(PISHIMA) Smt.Uttara Devi alias Uma Ghosh was a regular artist for Kirtans in the

All India Radio,Calcutta(now AKASHBANI,KOLKATA) & she was a very renowned Kirtan singer of her

time.My another aunt was a short span singer in the AIR,Calcutta-Smt.Sunanda Devi alias Aparajita

Ghosh,who could not continue for long due to commitments in the family.All the family members,

mentioned above,had the distinction of recording their songs at the PATHEPHONE

CO.,GRAMOPHONE CO.,HINDUSTAN RECORDING CO.etc.We had a few of them in our collection

but some of the records had been taken on loan by some persons but never returned back and

majority of the recordings had been spoiled by the passage of time.There were others in our family

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also,who had beautiful GOD gifted voices and knowledges of classical music but did not care

much about their genius.So,for us,the kids in the family,music was not the cup of tea and we had

chosen different professions for bread earning.But,we,from our very childhood,were blessed to get

the rare opportunity to hear beautiful songs of all types,from morning to night,at our home.Even our

domestic help,sometimes in the morning, during cleaning the utensils,could sing a line or two

of”Guru Bina Kaise Guna Gabe”or”Phula Rahi Belaria”etc.At times,we used to accompany our

seniors to attend musical soirees,specially classical.This scenario has given us a deep

insight,inclination&interest in Indian Classical.Though I am not a so called performer,yet I can

identify good performances and love to hear great maestros as well as present Ustads&Pandits of

the class of music. It is my passion and a no. of good collection keep me busy in listening to them.

I tried to compile a kind of writeup,which will be easily understandable about—

HOW,WHY,WHEN,WHAT—of Indian classical music for the commoners,the theory and the science

behind it.Deliberately,the chapterisation has not been made so that this document remains a

seamless reading material for one and all.

While making this compilation,I thought that when I am compiling something,let me explore into

some more areas and I really drowned into the deep sea of unknown depth.Therefore,to cut short,I

stopped somewhere in between, where I don’t know.I could be able to gather only 7000(seven

thousand) nos Ragas. Due to paucity of time & reducing energy level,It could not be possible to

incorporate all those 7000 ragas.But,all the 7000 items are in my databank&record.When I shall get

sufficient time,I intend to put all of them in this single collection.Any body interested may contact

me,if need so arises.

I enjoyed full support from my family members all through in completing this compilation

document,adjusting with the high and lows of my temperament.

If this document serves the purpose of easy understanding of the subject for commoners and

increase the population of Indian Classical Music lovers and audience,then I shall feel greatly

accomplished.This document will be continually revised with the help of corrective suggestions

from one and all.Any discrepancy found in this document may please be intimated for which I

shall remain ever grateful to the critics and music lovers.

I am really fortunate to complete the document in the 150th birth anniversary year of the great

poet RABINDRA NATH TAGORE,without whom We can’t live and move.

This document is primarily dedicated to his memory.

Hyderabad/Bangalore/Kolkata

PRABIR DATTA

02/05/2010

Mobile No.-- 09903886778// E mail:[email protected]

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INTRODUCTION

Karnatic sangeet, (Karnatik Sangit) is the south Indian system of

music. It has a rich history and a very sophisticated theoretical

system. The performers and composers have, gained a world class

reputation by singing and playing instruments such as veena (vina),

gottuvadyam, violin, and mridangam.

GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION

Karnatic Sangeet is found in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu,

Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Karnatica. These states are known for

their strong presentation of Dravidian culture.

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RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HINDUSTANI AND KARNATIC SANGEET

The reasons for the differentiation between North, and South

Indian music is not clear. The generally held belief is that North Indian

music evolved along different lines due to an increased exposure to

the Islamic world. This results from nearly 800 years of Islamic rule over

northern India.

Unfortunately, evidence suggests that this answer is a gross over-

simplification. For instance, Kerala has an extremely large Muslim

population, but virtually no identification with north Indian music. By

the same token, the Islamic influence over Orissa was negligible, yet

the artistic forms are clearly identifiable as Hindustani. Although there

is a poor correlation between the geographical distribution of Hindus

/ Muslims and the two musical systems; there is an almost exact

correlation between the Indo-European/Dravidian cultures and the

two musical systems.

Therefore, we come to the politically uncomfortable, yet

inescapable conclusion that the differences between North and

South Indian music does not represent a differentiation caused by

Islamic influence, but instead represents a continuation of

fundamental cultural differences.

HISTORY OF KARNATIC SANGEET

We can begin our discussion of the history of Karnatic Sangeet

with Purandardas (1480-1564). He is considered to be the father of

Karnatic Sangeet. He is given credit for the codification of the

method of education, and is also credited with several thousand

songs.

Venkat Mukhi Swami (17th century) is the grand theorist of

Karnatic music. He was the one who developed the melakarta

system. This is the system for classifying south Indian rags.

Karnatic music really acquired its present form in the 18th

century. It was during this period that the "trinity" of Karnatic music,

Thyagaraja, Shamashastri, and Muthuswami Dikshitar composed their

famous compositions. In addition to our "trinity". Numerous other

musicians and composers enriched this tradition. Some notable

personalities were; Papanasam Shivan, Gopala Krishna Bharati, Swati

Tirunal, Mysore Vasudevachar, Narayan Tirtha, Uttukadu

Venkatasubbair, Arunagiri Nathar, and Annamacharya.

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KARNATIC MUSIC THEORY

Karnatic music has a very highly developed theoretical system. It

is based upon a complex system of ragam (rag) and thalam (tal).

These describe the intricacies of the melodic and rhythmic forms

respectively.

The melodic foundation is the ragam (rag). Ragam (rag) is

basically the scale. The seven notes of the scale are Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa

Dha and Ni. However, unlike a simple scale there are certain melodic

restrictions and obligations. Each ragam (rag) has a particular way

that it moves from note to note.

The ragams are categorised into various modes. These are

referred to as mela, and there are 72 in number. The mela are

conceptually similar to the thats of North Indian music. There is

however, a major difference. South Indian scales allow chromatic

forms that are not allowed in Hindustani sangeet. For instance it is

perfectly acceptable for the first three notes (i.e., Sa Re Ga to all be

roughly one semitone apart. It is these permissible forms which allow

there to be so many mela.

The tal (thalam) is the rhythmic foundation to the system. The

south Indian tals are defined by a system of clapping and waving,

while this is much less important in the north. North Indian musicians

define their tals by their theka.

Nomenclature is one of the biggest differences between North

and South Indian music. It is normal for a particular rag or tal to be

called one thing in the North and something totally different in the

South. It is also common for the same name to be applied to very

different rags and tals. It is theses differences in nomenclature that

have made any theoretical reconciliation difficult.

PERFORMANCE

Vocal music forms the basis of South Indian music. Although there

is a rich instrumental tradition that uses vina, venu and violin, they

revolve around instrumental renditions of vocal forms.

There are a number of sections to the Karnatic performance.

Varanam is a form used to begin many south Indian performances.

The word varanam literal means a description and this section is used

to unfold the various important features of the ragam. The kritis are a

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fixed compositions in the rag. They have well identified composers

and do not allow much scope for variation. However such

compositions are often preceded by alapana. The alapana offers a

way to unfold the ragam to the audience, and at the same time,

allow the artist considerable scope for improvisation. The niruval and

the kalpana swara also provide opportunities to improvise. Another

common structure is the ragam, thanam, and, pallavi

South Indian performances are based upon three major sections.

These are the pallavi anupallavi and charanam. These roughly

correspond to the sthai, antara and the abhog in Hindustani sangeet.

Karnatic music is considered by many to be one of the most

sophisticated systems of music, how it's more complex than any other

music in the world. So, what is this music?

Karnatic music is the classical form of music in the Southern part of

the country India. Indian music in general is really devotional and

started out folkish so it's all about the TUNE of the song. The language

is hard to understand because it's in one of the languages of India or

Southern India, usually Sanskrit, Telugu, Tamil, Kannada, or

Malayaalam. Since the languages are pretty different.

As for the tune, one can start learning to like it by listening. One

can hear a few songs and slowly start to recognize them, because

maybe one can hum them, or maybe he/she heard something similar

before. It may be noticed that each song has a particular kind of

tune to it - it tends to stick to the same sorts of notes. That's what is

meant by the term raaga. Karnatic uses only particular notes in a

particular song or section of a song.

The other component of a song is rhythm. People on stage and in

the audience keep beating their thighs or clapping their hands to the

rhythm - no, this is not some strange masochistic ritual or a weird way

of showing appreciation; these people are keeping time. This rhythm

or system of keeping time is called taala.

How can one keep time? Watch someone who seems to be

pretty good. Now copy their movements. You can do this softly on

your thigh or hand without inflicting horrendous pain which will make

you scream and make everyone else lose their beat! Slowly you'll start

to see a pattern arising - usually of 8 beats or 3 beats on your thigh.

Each cycle of the pattern determines what taala it is. If it's 8 beats (or

16) it's usually aadi taala, and if it's 3 (or 6), it's usually roopakam. The

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trick is keeping track of the beat even during complicated parts of

the music.

There are a number of instruments in Karnatic. The main ones to

worry about are the veena, the violin, the mridangam, and the

tambura. The veena is the one that sounds like an instrument being

tuned. There are always some sounds after the strings are pulled - and

often it just "sounds Indian." Veenas are long and have a round end

and a bulb that sticks down from the other end. It's the favorite

instrument of the goddess of music, Saraswati. It's played with it

placed across the lap, like a baby.

A violin is a violin. It looks like a small bass violin, or a small cello, or

a fiddle. Basically it's brown with 4 strings and played with a long stick

called a bow. Indian musicians play the violin by sitting on the ground

cross-legged with the violin under their chin and facing down. Their

left-hand fingers move on the violin and the right hand manipulates

the bow. The violin player usually sits to the right of the main performer

if the main person is a singer. The violinist usually plays along with the

main artist and follows behind them, too.

A mridangam is a drum. It's got drum heads on both ends and is

played from the side, one hand playing each side. The performer sits

to the left of the main performer if you're looking facing the stage. This

drummer plays for the main parts of the songs and often gets a

separate time to play on his or her own.

The tambura is not in all concerts. It's a long instrument with a

round bulb at the bottom and a long stalk and 4 strings on it. The

strings are tuned to 2 different notes, and the other two are the

octave of those notes (the same note but higher). The person who

plays it just keeps plucking those strings one by one to keep the pitch

(called the shruti) steady. These days the tambura (and the tambura

player) is often replaced by a particular instrument called a shruti box.

During the concert, one can see the main performer sing out just

random notes without words but notes like "aaa" or "naa" or "reee" -

this is also called raaga, but it's really them explaining the raaga.

Then there are times when they just sing strings of notes like sa, ri,

ga, ma, pa, da, ni. These are like do, re, mi etc. If not, just think of

them as random notes set to a specific pitch. This is to show they know

the raaga along with the beat well and to show they can get the

names of the syllables right at the same time.

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Many things will tell it's nearing the end of the concert: the fact

that there are only five people in the audience, the yawns from shruti

box, the violinist trying to play and look at the main performer's watch

at the same time, and the kinds of songs that are performed. The

songs are usually light stuff. You might even see people go up to the

artists with slips of paper to tell them that they should sing such-and-

such song or else. Usually the artists pick out one or two songs from the

audience to sing. When it's all over,they sing a mangalam, which is to

thank God for the great concert (some might be thanking God it's

over, too) and finishing it all up.

Equivalent (and Near-Equivalent) Ragas in Hindustani and Karnatic Music

The hindustaani equivalent of a melaa is called a thaat. All hindustaani

ragas are classified under 10 thaats. Names in brackets are melaa names.

The thaats are as follows:

1. Kalyaan (Mecakalyaani)

2. Bilaaval (dheera shankaraabharaNam)

3. khamaaj (harikaambhoji)

4. bhairav (maayamaaLava gowLa)

5. bhairavi (todi)

6. asaavari (natabhairavi)

7. todi (shubhapantuvaraali)

8. poorvi (pantuvaraali)

9. maarvaa (gamanaashrama)

10. kaafi (kharaharapriyaa)

What follows is a table of raagaas, which are the scales in Indian music, or

the set of notes used in any given piece. First is the hindustani (north

Indian) raagaa, followed by its equivalent/near equivalent raagaa in

carnaatic music. For each raga, the thaat and the melakartaa or melaa

scales, notations of the main or raga from which the derivative or janya

raagaa is formed, are also given.

Where karnatic raagaas are separated by a slash , the first raga is aaroha

(ascending scale) and the second raga is the avaroha (descending

scale).

That Hindustani Raga Mela Karnatic Raga

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10 abhogi kanada 22 aabhogi

1 adbhut kalyan 29 nirosta

2 alahiya bilaval 29 bilahari

9 ambika 59 dharmavati

1

Anandi,

Anandkalyan,

nand

65

Anandi,

Anandkalyani,

nand

6 asavari 20 natabhairavi

2 audhava bilaval 29 Lalita

10 bageshri 22 bageshri

10 bageshrikanada 22 kanada

10 bahar 22 kanada

4 bairagibhairav 2 revati

4 bangalabhairav 15 kannadabangala

4 basantmukhari 14 vasantamukhari

2 behag 29 behag

4 bhairav 15 mayamalavagaula

5 bhairavi 8 sindhubhairavi

2 bhatiyari 28 chayatarangini,

sama

2 bhimpalasi 20 bhimpalas,

karnatakadevagandhari

1 bhupali,

bhup 28 mohana

1 bhupkalyan 65 mohanakalyani

4 bibhas 15 bibhasu,

bauli

2 bilaval 29 dhirashankarabharana,

shankarabharanam

10 brindavanisarang 22 Puspalatika

3 champak 28 balahamsa

1,3 champakali 64 Ketakapriya

10 chandrakauns 21 kadaram

1 chaya 29,65 begada/saranga

8 dipak 51 dipaka

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3 des 28 des

3 desgaud 28 desyagaula

3 deshaksi 28 bilahari

2 deshkar 28 mohana

4 devaranjani 15 devaranji

10 dhanashri (bhimpalasi anga) 22 karnatakadevagandhari

5 dhanashri (todi anga) 8 dhanyasi

6 darbarikanada 22 darbarikanada

2 durga 29 shuddhasavari,

madhuradhwani

3 gara 22 dhanakapi

4 gauri 15 gauri

4 girija 17 Vasanta

10 gopikambhodi 20 gopikavasanta

10 gaundgiri 22 puspalatika,

suddhadhanyasi

1 hamirkalyan 65 hamirkalyani

2 hamsadhvani 29 hamsadhvani

1 hamskalyan 29/65 hamsadhvani/kalyani

2 hemkalyan 29 Begada

2 hemant 29 hemant

1 hindol

sanjh 65 sunadavinodini

8 indumati 51 indumati

9 jait (type 4) 53 gamanashrama

1 jaitkalyan 28 mohana

10 jaijaivanti 22 dvijavanti,

jijavanti

10 jayant 22 jayantasena

6 jivanpuri,

jonpuri 20

jonpuri,

shuddhadesi

10 jhinjoti 28 jinjuti

4 jogiya,

gunakri 15 saveri

3 kalavati 16 valaji

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1 kalyan,

yaman 65

mecakalyani,

kalyani

3 khamaj 28 harikambhoji

4 kamalamanohari 27 kamalamanohari

10 kafi 22 kharaharapriya

6 kokilapancham 8 prabhupriya

2 kedara 29 nilambari

3 khamaji 28 khamaji

3 khambavati 28 balahamsa

8 kusumaranjani 15 gaulipantu

2 lajvanti 29 shuddhasavari

9 lalit 17/53 suryalalit

4 lalitpancham 15 lalitapanchama

10 madhmadsarang,

madhyamadisarang 22 madhyamavati

10 madhuranjani 36

22

gambhiranata

shuddhadhanyasi

9 madhuvanti 59 dharmavati

5 malkauns 20 hindola

1 malarani 60 hamsanada

6 malkali 20 Jayantashri

2 mand 29 Mand

2 manohari 22 manohari

1 margabehag 65 shuddhakoshala

9 marva 53 Gamanashrama

4 megharanji 15 megharanjani

7 multani 45 gamakasamantam

3 nagasvari 28 nagasvarali

3 narayani 28 narayani

4 naybhairav 27 sarasangi

3 natakuranji 28 natakuranji

10 palasi 22 puspalatika

rudrapriya

5 pancham malkauns 20 jayantashri

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9 paraj 15 paraju,

paras

10 patadip 22 patadip

10 patamanjari 22 phalamanjari

10 pilu 22 pilu

9 puria 53 hamsanandi

9 puriadhanshri 51 kamavardhini

8 purvi 51 kamavardhini

9 purvakalyan 53 purvikalyani

3 pratapavarali 28 pratapavarali

3 pundalika 28 nagavalli

3 rageshri 28 ravichandrika

2 salang 29 skandamanorama

1 sarasvati 64 sarasvati

4 saurastrabhairav 17 saurastra

10 shahana 22 Shahana

2 shankara 29 shankara

10 sindhura 22 salagabhairavi

6 shobhavari 20 sutadri

1 shrikalyan 64 sarasvati

2 shuddha bilaval 29 shankarabharana

1 shuddha kalyan 65 mohanakalyani

6 sindhubhairavi 10 sindhubhairavi

9 sohini 53 hamsanandi

3 sorat 28 surati

3 suhakanada 28 Puspalatika

3 suryakauns 23 kamala

4 takka 15 takka

3 tilak kamod 27 nalinakanti

3 Tilang 30 tilang

7 todi 45 shubhapantuvarali

9 varati 52 patalambari

9 vibhavari 14 lasaki

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1 yamankalyan 65 yamunakalyani

darbaar and naayaki are two of the many close raagas which

have the same swarastaanas (notes) but which differ subtly from one

another.So keeping such raagas straight is not an easy task even for

seasoned musicians. There are many such raagas, with the same

notes but which differ slightly. Other raagas have very different swaras

but strongly have the chaaya of another raaga. These can be hard to

separate whether one is performing or just listening to music.

Some often confused raagas:

• darbaar and naayaki

• bhairavi and maanji

• aarabi and shyaamaa

• sudda dhanyaasi and udhaya ravi candrikaa

• shree and madyamaavati

• valaci and malayamaarutam

Darbaar is separated from naayaki by the phrase g, g, r s with

emphasis on the two ga's. In naayaki, one should have only m g r s or

g r s. This makes a very subtle but important distinction that separates

the two raagas.

Bhairavi and maanji are different subtly as well, both having the

same swaras. You will find, however, that only maanji contains P M P

M P, or P G R S. These can be difficult to separate but these subtle

sancaarams will make the difference. Similarly, in huseni, the phrase P

N2 D2 N2 is characteristic.

Aarabi and shyaamaa are also very close raagas. Aarabi often

uses a nishaadam (N3) in avarOhana phrases such as S N D P, which is

never used in shyaamaa. But some compositions in aarabi are

nishaadam varja (no ni is performed), and in these, subtle phrases like

S R G S will tell you it's shyaamaa, because aarabi does not have G in

the aarOhanam. Other phrases like M D D S and D P D S are also

usually restricted to shyaamaa.

Udhaya ravi chandrikaa and sudda dhanyaasi are not always

distinguished as raagas, and indeed are considered by some to be

the same raaga. However, strictly speaking, sudda dhanyaasi's

aarohana uses S G M P N P S while the other uses S G M P N S.

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Shree and madyamaavati often sound very similar. However,

shree raga contains a saadhaarana G, which when it appears is

distinct. It also contains da in the phrase S N P D N P M.

Madyamaavati is simply S R M P N S, S N P M R S. Also, the R oscillates

in madyamaavati and is usually stationary in shree.

Valaci and malayamaarutam are often confused. They have the

same scales, but they are easily distinguished because valaci does

not contain ri. Malayamaarutam includes sudda rishabam (R1) in

both the aarOhaNam and avarOhanam.

These brief notes will help you distinguish some of the easily

confused raagas, but the best training, of course, is to just listen to

compositions in these raagas to get a feel for them.

There is another, subtle, aspect of ragas: how they evoke

emotion. This is called the "rasa" or "rasam" - literally the "essence" of

the raga.

There are a number of rasas corresponding to various ragas.

Below is a table of ragas that are associated with different rasas.A

single raga can evoke diverse feelings.

Rasa Meaning Ragas

adbhuta/arpuda wonder, astonishment behaag

saaranga

bhayanaka fear punaaagavaraali

bibhatsa disgust athaanaa

hasya joy/laughter

hamsadwani

kedaaram

mohanam

karuNaa sorrow, anguish

ghanta

kaanadaa

naadanaamakriyaa

sahaanaa

varaali

rowdra anger athaanaa

aarabi

shaanta calm, peace shyaamaa

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vasantaa

shringaara love

asaavari

bhairavi

huseni

kaanadaa

kalyaani

kamaas

sahaanaa

shurutti

veera courage

athaanaa

bilahari

begada

devagaandhaari

hamsadwani

Beside these rasas, there is "bhakthi rasa," the feeling of devotion.

Many ragas invoke this, most notably the ragas used in the Vedas and

slokas, like kharaharapriyaa and revati.

Some types of songs also go with certain ragas. Lullabies typically

use ragas like neelaambari or navroj, among others. Mangalams and

finishing songs use madyamaavati.

Finally, different composers may use various ragas to evoke

emotions other than what is assigned to that raga. So, one may find a

laali in madyamaavati, a sad song in hamsadwani. The composers

define the music, so the raga itself may be adapted to the feeling

that seems to suit the song!

Each raaga actually has an appropriate time to be performed!

Here is a brief compilation of the times and some raagas

corresponding to them.

Time of day Time Ragas

Early Morning before sunrise

4-6am

ghanakaala raagas

bhoopaaLam

bowli

Morning after sunrise

6-9am

bilahari

dhanyaasi

19

kedaaram

Forenoon before noon

9am-noon

asaavari

deva manohari

saaveri

Midday noon-1pm

madyamaavati

manirangu

shree

Afternoon 1-4pm begada

mukhaari

Evening end of day

4-7pm

ghanakaala raagas

aananda bhairavi

naattai kurinji

poorvi kalyaani

shanmugapriyaa

vasantaa

Night 7-10pm kedaara gowla

neelaambari

Sarvakaalika any time of day

bhairavi

kaambhoji

kalyaani

shankaraabharanam

The last set, the sarvakaalika raagas, are common raagas and can

be performed at any time.

Many lullabies are sung at night and are therefore composed in

neelaambari. Other songs are morning songs and composed in

bhoopaalam.

Performers always conclude a concert with madyamaavati.

Though it is intended to be a midday raaga, it is said to appease the

gods and nullify any inconsistencies in singing raagas at the wrong

time.

Rhythm, or taalam in Karnatic music consists of regular beats to which a

composition is set. Usually, each song has its own taalam, which is carried

from the first word of the song to the last.

Each taalam cycles through a number of beats, each cycle

called an aavartanam. For example, one of the most common

20

taalam is called aadi. In aadi taalam, 8 beats (commonly 4 swaras to

each beat) make one cycle. Thus, up to 32 swaras may comprise one

cycle, lengthened and shortened to accomodate the taalam.

Example: Aadi Taalam

For aadi taalam, first beat the palm of the hand (1), then tap the

fingers pinky (2), ring finger (3), middle finger(4). Then beat palm (5),

turn the hand over and tap or wave the back of the hand (6), palm

(7), back (8). This is one cycle. This cycle will repeat throughout the

song. Although often the number of swaras per beat will change

during a Karnatic song, the actual beat changes within a song VERY

rarely, and even then, it is a fixed change, not a slowing down or

speeding up of the beat itself. The dEshaadi taalam starts aadi

taalam after 1/2 beat, and the madhyaadi taalam starts after 3/4 of

a beat, even though these originally were written to be 3 beats and a

wave.

Angas

There are several basic movements, called angas (limbs), in Karnatic

music. 3 of these are most common: drutam, which is a beat with the

palm and then with the back of the hand (as in steps 5 & 6 or 7 & 8 of

aadi taalam), anudrutam, which is simply a beat of the hand, laghu,

which consists of a beat plus the movements of the fingers of the

hand (steps 1-4 of aadi taalam). Each of these movements of the 3

angas is called a kriyaa and usually signals the beginning of the beat.

Other movements (for 4 or more beats each) of the hand are used

rarely.

Suladi Sapta Taalam System

The combination of these 3 types of movements creates different

types of taalam. If we name drutam 0, anudrutam U, and laghu 1, we

get the following major taalam combinations, which are the suladi

sapta taalams:

taalam components

Eka 1

roopaka 01

triputa 100

matya 101

jhampa 1U0

ata 1100

21

dhruva 1011

Laghu, Jaati, and the 35 Taalams

The number of beats used in the laghu is added to these taalams to

give the jaati. 7 jaatis of beats 3 (tishra), 4 (chatushra), 5 (khanda), 7

(mishra), 9 (sankeerna), create more variations of these so that there

are 7 types each of the seven taalams, giving 35 taalams. Thus aadi

taalam is actually catusra jaati tripuTa taalam. Other common

taalams are roopakam (chatusra jaati roopaka taalam) and mishra

caapu (tishra jaati triputa taalam).

Other taalams

The caapu is a beat and a wave. Thus mishra caapu is 3+4 beats

(viloma is 4+3). tishra caapu is 1+2, khanda caapu is 2+3, and

sankeerna caapu is 4+5.

In addition to the drutam, anudrutam and laghu, there are also

guru (symbol 8) which is 8 beats and formed by a beat of 4 and a

wave of the hand, plutam (symbol ^8, 12 beats) a beat and 2 waves,

and kaakapaadam (symbol +, 16 beats) a beat and wave up then to

the left then to the right (forming a + sign). These allow for even more

taalams - one taalam, called simhananaanam taalam even has 1008

beats!

Tempo

The tempo of the rhythm is also important in a song. This is called the

kaalam. The same beat can be performed at half the speed simply

by counting 2 beats to every one, and it can be speeded up by

counting faster. In these cases, the number of swaras to every beat

changes. At the basic speed, if 4 swaras form one beat (1st kaalam,

madhyama), then at the slower speed there will be 8 swaras of the

same length per beat (1/2 kaalam, vilambita), at the faster speed 2

swaras per beat (2nd kaalam, durita), and at an even faster speed 1

swara per beat (3rd kaalam). Thus the performer must perform faster

to keep the same number of swaras per beat in the song as the

kaalam doubles or triples. Expert performers can also work in other

combinations where there are 5, 3 or 1 1/2 swaras per beat. The

number of swaras or subdivisions per beat is called the gati or nadai.

This is equivalent to gait (waltz would be a gait of 3). Thus our basic

aadi taalam at madhyama kaalam is in chatushra gati or chatushra

nadai.

22

Kalai

Another term is kalai, which refers to using multiple beats in one beat.

Thus 2nd kalai of aadi taalam will use 2 beats for every one beat of

the taalam. This is noticeable in the speed of the song and the length

of the aavartanam (cycle of the taalam).

Eduppu

In some cases, the taalam doesn't "begin" on the beginning of the first

beat (called the samam). It may begin just 1/2 beat before or after, or

1 1/2 beat after, for example. The place where a particular section of

a song (anupallavi, pallavi, or charanam) begins in the taalam is

called the graham or eduppu. When eduppus begin, for example,

3/4 beat after or before the samam, one can get an effect very

much like Western syncopation.

Percussion, Rhythm, and Taalam

The mridangam artist is an expert at keeping the taalam correctly

and will often indicate the samam of the taalam or the beginning of

a musical phrase by movement in addition to showing the sequence

of beats. Karnatic rhythm may be complicated but by practice in

keeping taalam to music correctly and understanding the underlying

principles, it can be very satisfying to appreciate the melody as well as the rhythm of the music.

Here is a table of the major taalas used in Karnatic music. .

anga name symbol aksharakaalas movement

anudrutam U 1 beat with palm

Drutam 0 2 beat with palm + turn (wave)

druta viramam U

0 3 (1 + 2) anudrutam + drutam

laghu |(#) 4 (or 3,5,7,9) beat + finger counts

laghu viramam U

| 5 (1+4) anudrutam + laghu

laghu drutam 0| 6 (4+2) laghu + drutam

laghudruta

viramam

U

0| 7 (1+2+4) anudrutam + drutam + laghu

guru 8 8 wave to left and right or circle

with thumb-up

guru viramam U

8 8 (1+8) anudrutam + guru

23

guru drutam 08 10 (8+2) guru + drutam

gurudruta

viramam

U

08 11 (1+2+8) anudrutam + drutam + guru

plutam |8 12 (8+4) beat + wave to sides

pluta viramam U

|8 13 (1+12) anudrutam + plutam

pluta drutam 0|8 14 (12+2) plutam + drutam

pluta druta

viramam

U

0|8 15 (1+2+12) anudrutam + drutam + plutam

kaakapaadam + 16 beat plus wave up and to sides

The table of the 35 taalas is listed below. The total numbers in the

laghu are given in parenthesis, ex. chatushra jaati = |(4). Taalas are

named first by their jaati then by the taala type of the 7, as in tishra

jaati eka taalam.

taala group jaati angas aksharakaalas

1. dhruva tisra |(3) 0 |(3) |(3) 11

2. chatushra |(4) 0 |(4) |(4) 14

3. khanda |(5) 0 |(5) |(5) 17

4. mishra |(7) 0 |(7) |(7) 23

5. sankeerna |(9) 0 |(9) |(9) 29

6. matya tisra |(3) 0 |(3) 8

7. chatushra |(4) 0 |(4) 10

8. khanda |(5) 0 |(5) 12

9. mishra |(7) 0 |(7) 16

10. sankeerna |(9) 0 |(9) 20

11. roopaka tishra 0 |(3) 5

12. chatushra 0 |(4) 6

13. khanda 0 |(5) 7

14. mishra 0 |(7) 9

15. sankeerna 0 |(9) 11

25

aaroha - this is the ascending scale. Moving from one note ascending

to the next is a gamaka. These can also be done rapidly and in

succession, giving long runs of great beauty when executed with skill.

ex: s r g m p d n S R G M

avaroha - similarly, moving down from a higher note to the next lower

note is also a gamaka. ex: M G R S n d p m g r s

daatu - using one note as a base and jumping to others in succession.

This is great for emphasizing one note and also giving almost a

rhythmic tone to the singing. ex: sr sg sm sp sd sn sS

spuritam - these are repeated notes, in twos. In such cases, the

second note is usually stressed. ex: ss rr gg mm pp dd nn SS

kampitam - this means singing a note between two notes. For

example, ma can be sung instead as gpgpgp... giving a shake to the

note

aahatam - using notes in succession (ascending) but paired with the

next note. ex: sr rg gm mp pd dn ns It can also be used as gmg rgr srs

pratyaavatam - the same as aahatam but in the descending scale.

ex: Sn nd dp pm mg gr rs It can also be used as sns ndn dpd ...

tripuccam - repeated notes in threes. ex: sss rrr ggg mmm ppp ddd

nnn sss

aandolam - also called dOlakam, this is, for example, srsg srsm srsp

srsd srsn srsS

moorcanai - this is using the proper gamakam of the raaga. If a raga

requires the use of a particular gamaka for a certain note, this must

be performed when singing the scale or whenever the note is sung or

performed

daatu - this is jumping of notes within a scale, skipping notes. ex: sg rm

gp md pn dS

jaaru - a glide or slide from one note to another (whether successive

or from a distant note) ex: s .... S

hampitam - a rarely used gamaka in recent years, this is the use of the

syllable "hoom" (like boom)

naabhitam - swelling a note in volume (like a crescendo)

mudritam - humming, singing with the mouth closed ex: mmmmm...

tribhinnam - performing multiple (usually 3) notes at once, as in a

chord. This is for instrumental performers only

mishritam - using a mixture of any gamakas listed above

Symbols & Transliteration - Certain symbols are used in Karnatic musical

notation. An explanation for some of these is given below. Below that, is the

transliteration scheme for many lyrics and terms.

traditional on these meaning example (based on these

26

symbol pages pages)

one line

over swaras

(indicated by

taala

notation)

double speed

from normal

a line over pdpmgrsn will

make it last only 4

aksharakalas instead of 8

double line

over swaras

(indicated by

taala

notation)

4 times speed of

normal

two lines over pdpmgrsn will

make it last only 2

aksharakalas

lower case

swara

lower case

swara

madhya staayi

swara Srgmpdn

upper case

swara

comma after

swara

extend note to

an extra

aksharakala

s,rg

dot over

swara

upper case

swara

taara staayi

swara srgmpdnS

dot below

swara

dot to right of

swara

mandra staayi

swara ndpmgrsn.d.n.s

two dots

over swara

apostrophe

next to

uppercase

swara

ati taara staayi

swara SRGMPDNS'NDPMGRSn

two dots

below

swara

two dots to

right of swara

anu mandra

staayi swara sn.d.p.m.g.r.s.n..d..n..s.

string of

dots string of dots aakaaram kaa...maa...kshee....

vertical line vertical line

end of a section

of a taala or

phrase

srgm pdns | sndp mgrs

double

vertical line

double

vertical line

end of a taala

cycle,

aavartanam

srgm pdns sndp mgrs ||

comma comma 1/4 eduppu, one

aksharakaala ,srg mpdn s,,, ,,,,

semicolon semicolon or 2

commas

1/2 eduppu, 2

aksharakaalas ;rg m,,p

semicolon

plus

comma

semicolon plus

comma or 3

commas

3/4 eduppu, 3

aksharakaalas ;,r g,,, mpdn s,,,

27

Wavy line

over swaras

wave below

swaras

kampita

gamaka

Srgmpdns

~~~~~~~~

asterisk asterisk anya swara s r2 g3 m1 p m2* d2 n3 S

Dash dash

splitting of

phrases by

pattern

srg - rgm – gmp

The transliteration scheme is below. The letter used is given first (lowercase

or uppercase is important in most cases), then the sound it makes, an

example English word for the sound, an example lyric word (in Hindi, Tamil,

Sanskrit) or term, and finally (if any) an explanation.

Letter sound English lyric Explanation

A uh bus mandra short a

A, aa aaa far maataa extended a

I ih pin nin short i

I, ee eee flee shree long e

U oogh put mudi short u

U, oo oooh moon cooda long u

E eh pet neeve, telisi short e

E ay nay, hay sute long a

ay, ey ayee weigh sey long a + y

ai, y aii kite vairi long i

O oh rock, for mrokka in between short o

O ohh road, home modi long o

ow, ou oww found, south sowkiyam ow sound

K ka kick vikrama hard k, c

Kh k-ha book-hop khanda aspirated k

G ga good, egg suragana hard g sound

Gh g-ha dog-house ghana aspirated g

C cha charm calamela ch sound

Ch ch-ha beach-house chaaya aspirated ch

J ja jay, reg jagan, vajra hard j sound

Jh j-ha hedgehog jhaala aspirated j

T ta top venkata t sound

Th t-ha anthill vitthala aspirated t

D da dog vidu d sound

28

Dh d-ha mad-hop vidhala aspirated d

T th thing tiru hard th sound

Th th-h bath-house mathuraa aspirated th

D dh there madana soft th

Dh dh-ha bathe-hee dharma aspirated soft th

N n now manam n sound

N ln darnit (no equivalent) vanna N, tongue back

Ng nga stringy mangala ng, back of throat

ny, gn nya banyan gnaana ny, back of throat

P p pot pin p sound

Ph p-ha uphill phal aspirated p

B b bin baala b sound

Bh b-ha clubhouse bhoota aspirated b

M m mom manam m sound

Y ya yes yaar short y sound

R r rrip para hard r

R trrr rrruffles patra harder r

Zha rlya furry (no equivalent) pazham ry, back of throat

L l lollipop lankaa l (el) sound

L rla (no equivalent) mangala l, back of throat

V v every, very veera v sound

W w, wo wish, swing swaagatam w sound

S s hiss, see saraseeruha s sound

Sh sh hush shilangi soft sh, front of mouth

shh, S shh shut shhanmuga hard sh, back of mouth

H h hard hameer h sound

Tca, tca tcha match, itch matca tcha sound

Ksha ksha rikshaw vraksha ksha sound

F f feel, if feroz f sound

Z z zoo, fizz zindagi z sound

29

More on Raga

The notes of Karnatic music are not usually fixed. In this sense they

are much like the do re mi fa so la ti of western music. A performer tunes

an instrument to the desired pitch (accompanists of course tune to the

main performer's pitch) or sings at whatever pitch is most comfortable.

This is called the kattai. Traditionally, the G above middle C is kaTTai 5, F

is 4, A is 6, etc. Most Indian instruments do need tuning for each

performance, according to the main artists' pitch - even percussion

instruments are tuned.

The notes used correspond to do re mi, but are called sa ri ga ma

pa da ni. Sa is shadjamam, the basic note that exists in all scales. It is

used as a drone note (played on a tambura), along with Pa,

pancamam, its fifth. In concerts, you will hear sa pa Sa playing in

octaves in the background to allow musicians to stay in tune. The other

notes are rishabam (ri), gaandaaram (ga), madyamam (ma), daivatam

(da), and nishaadam (ni). These notes are called swaras.

While all scales have sa, not all have the other notes. Though sa ri

ga ma pa da ni sa comprise the main vocalized notes of Karnatic

music, the actual notes (relative frequencies) that they form number 12.

There is only one sa (not counting octaves) and one pa, but there are 2

types of ma and 3 each of the other notes.

As an example, let's take sa as middle C. Pa is then G. From here on

out, the notes will be designated by first letter only. R1 is C#, R2 is D

natural, R3 is D#. Ga is overlapping, so G1 is D, G2 is D#, and G3 is E. M1

is F, M2 is F#. Similarly, D1 is G#, D2 is A, D3 is Bb, N1 is A, N2 is Bb, and N3

is B. These twelve notes are used in combination to give various scales

of ascending and descending order. Some scales (these are ragas)

take seven notes in the ascending and seven in the descending, but

others remove notes and still others vary the order of the notes.

However, because G1=R2 (D), G2=R3 (D#), N1=D2 (A), and N2=D3 (Bb),

these do not occur in the same scale successively. These combinations

give 72 main ragas and innumerable other ragas from which

compositions are composed.

Taalam and rhythm

Rhythm in Karnatic music changes for each composition. Songs are

set to a specific taalam, or beat. Each taalam comes in cycles of a

number of beats, called an aavartanam. For example, one of the most

common taalam is called aadi. In aadi taalam, 8 beats (commonly 4

30

swaras to each beat) make one cycle. Thus, up to 32 swaras may

comprise one cycle, lengthened and shortened to accomodate the

taalam. Taalam is kept by beating the right hand gently against the

right thigh while seated with your legs crossed ("Indian style"). For aadi

taalam, first beat the palm of the hand (1), then tap the fingers pinky

(2), ring finger (3), middle finger(4). Then beat palm (5), turn the hand

over and beat the back of the hand (6), palm (7), back (8). This is one

cycle. This cycle will repeat throughout the song. Although often the

number of swaras per beat will change during a Karnatic song, the

actual beat changes within a song VERY rarely, and even then, it is a

fixed change, not a slowing down or speeding up of the beat itself.

The concert and compositions

Compositions are composed in a fixed raga. This means that they

do not deviate from the notes in the raga. In Karnatic, there are no

"accidentals" or variations in rhythm (there are exceptions but rarely).

Each composition is set with specific notes and beats, but performers

vary widely in their presentation. Improvisation occurs in the MELODY of

the composition as well as in using the notes to expound the beauty of

the raga.

As you enter the hall, you will notice the main performer(s) sitting in

the middle. The musical sound you hear first is the drone (tambura)

playing sa, pa, Sa. Accompanists like violin and veena sit to the main

performer's left (your right), and percussion instruments are usually to

your left. All performers sit on the stage without chairs or stools.

A concert (called a kuTcEri) will usually begin with a piece called a

varnam. This piece is composed with an emphasis on swaras of the

raga. It is lively and fast to get the audience's attention. Varnams also

have words, the saahityam.

After the varnam, compositions are performed called kritis or

keertanams. Most often, these compositions are religious in nature.

These stick to one raga, although a few have sections composed of

different ragas (a raagamaalika).

Many performers first begin main compositions with a section called

raagam. In this, they use aakaaram (essentially, using the vowels aa, ri,

na, ta, etc. instead of swaras or words) to slowly elaborate the notes

and flow of the raga. This begins slowly and then becomes more intense

and finally establishes a complicated exposition of the raga that shows

the performer's skill. All of this is done without any rhythmic

31

accompaniment. Then the melodic accompaniment (violin or veena),

expounds the raga. Experienced listeners can identify many ragas after

they hear just a few notes.

With the raga established, the song begins, sung usually only with

the saahityam. In this, the accompaniment (usually violin, sometimes

veena) performs along with the main performer and the percussion

(mridangam, and sometimes ghaTam and ganjeera). A song usually

contains 3 parts: pallavi, anupallavi, and caraNam. The pallavi is

analogous to a chorus. After the anupallavi, the pallavi is again sung,

and again after the caraNam as well. Each phrase is repeated with

variations.

Next the performer begins swaram. In this section, swaras are sung

separately (as sa ri ga, etc.) to the beat. The performer must improvise a

string of swaras in any octave according to the rules of the raga and

return to beginning of the cycle of beats smoothly, joining the swaras

with a phrase selected from the saahityam. The violin performs these

alternately with the main performer. In very long strings of swara, the

performers must calculate their notes accurately to ensure that they

stick to the raga, have no awkward pauses and lapses in the beat of

the song, and create a complex pattern of notes that an experienced

audience can follow.

The main composition of any concert will have a section at this time

for the percussion to perform separately (the tani aavartanam). The

mridangam performer alone will perform complex patterns of rhythm

and display his or her skill, and if other percussion performers are present

on stage, they too will perform, and the percussion instruments engage

in a beautiful rhythmic dialog until the main performer picks up the

melody once again.

The composition ends with the performing of the main portion of the

song. Following the main composition, the performer will play or sing

other songs with or without raga and then perform lighter songs that are

more catchy and popular. Hindustani pieces are often performed, as

well as short westernized songs and other popular pieces. Some

performers also take requests at this time.

Every concert that is the last of the day ends with a mangaLam, a

thankful prayer and conclusion to the musical event.

32

Other aspects and songs

In some songs, performers sing the words and then proceed to sing

the same line repeatedly in variations. This is called neraval - it may be

done in the same raga as the song or it may even travel from the main

raga to other ragas before returning. Another aspect with which

musicians expound raga and their own sense of rhythm is with taanam,

in which the word aananta is used for syllables. This may also be

performed in different ragas before returning to the raga of the

composition and has no rhythmic accompaniment.

Another type of song that is often performed (usually near the end

of a concert) is the tillaanaa. This is done to beat sounds like dheem,

takiTa, nadiru, etc. and is meant for the end of classical dance

performances. It is very rhythmic and lively with only a short saahityam

section. Other songs like love songs and lullabies may also find their way

into the end of a concert.

Music is said to have begun from the sounds of the Universe, the Om.

However, karnatik itself can be traced back to a time when there were no

distinctions among the styles of music in India.

Among the first music forms were the recitation of scriptures, including the

Vedas (especially Sama Veda), which were originally performed with only

three notes (ni, sa, ri), and later in 7 notes (400BC), in the raga

kharaharapriya. The Vedas also described musical instruments.

From 300-100BC, the Upanishads mention the notes and instruments,

including the veena. The Ramayana and Mahabharata (around 40BC) also

mention music.

In the second century, Bharatha's Natyasastra described dance, but also

music, in great detail. He described ragas (jaatis), swaras, varnams, tala,

and other aspects of music (see Glossary). It was also at this time that the

Tamil Silappadikkaram described folk songs and ragas, including the Tamil

paNNs, the octave, and the shifting of the sa to create new ragas. The

Tolkappiam also expanded on this emerging form of Karnatic music.

In the sixth century, the Brihaddesi first used the word "raga," and mentioned

some popular ones. Caves at Pudukottai in Tamil nadu describe more ragas

in the seventh century, and the Thevaarams and Divya Prabhandams at this

time also described several panns.

In the 12th century, Jayadeva's Gita Govinda inspired music and dance in

his Ashtapadis, each in a different raga.

Until the 13th century, classical music was similar or common across India.

With the arrival of Moghul influences, Hindustani music and Karnatic music

split into the two forms, the former incorporating the new influences and the

33

latter retaining the original form. The Sangita Ratnakara described swaras,

ragas, talas, instruments, and gamakas, and this work first used the word

"Karnatic," but it wasn't until the 1300s that Karnatic music and Hindustani

were clearly distinguished. Sangeeta Sara was also written in the 1300s, and

first classified ragas as melas and janya ragas.

In the 15th century, Arunagirinathar wrote his famous Tiruppugazh in Tamil.

At this time, Annamacharya first described the musical form known as the

kriti, which had a pallavi, anupallavi, and caraNam, and Purandara Dasa

also wrote the varisais for musical exercise and geetams which are still used

to teach beginners. In the 16th century, Swaramela Kalanidhi described a

further elaboration of melakarthas, ragas, and playing techniques for the

veena.

In the 17th century, Venkatamakhi created his 72 melakartha raga system,

which used the katapayadi scheme. The Sangeeta Saramrita and Sangraha

Choodamani were written in the 18th century. This was the century of the

Trinity also: Syama Sastry, Tyaagaraaja, and Dikshitar were born.

It wasn't until the 19th century that systematic notations were developed,

written in Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarsini and Sangeeta Chandrikai.

Some were even written at this time in Western staff notation. Swati Tirunal

composed during this time, Papanasam Shivan was born, and others like

Gopalakrishna Bharathi, Patnam Subramanya Iyer also composed music.

In the 20th century, Karnatic music came into its modern form. It was then

that sabhas were formed, concerts were performed for the public (and not

just kings and nobles). Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar also created a system of

concert format which most musicians use today.

In the 21st century, Karnatic music continues to develop, with schools and

concerts and organizations around the world.

Swaras

The swaras are said to have arisen from the Universe-pervading

Sound of Om, which represents the drone notes SA and PA. The other

swaras came from the 5 faces of Shiva. The story is told that RaavaNa,

who was very devoted to Shiva, ripped out his guts and used them as

strings to play the notes as Shiva kept time. RaavaNa kept playing,

however, and threatened to shake the worlds and bring Shiva down

from the heavens. In response, Shiva pressed him down to Earth with

his big toe.

The table below lists some more interesting information about the

Karnatic swaras, which are named shadjam (sa), rishabam (ri),

gaandhaaram (ga), madhyamam (ma), pancamam (pa),

dhaivatam (da), and nishaadam (ni). Each is associated with an

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animal, a color, a God of Hindu mythology, and a particular feeling

(rasa).

Swara full name Western animal color god rasa meaning of

name

Sa shadjam do peacock light pink Brahma

veera

(courage),

adbhuta

(wonder),

rowdra

(anger)

giving birth

(to next 6

notes)

Ri rishabam re bull

(nandi)

parrot

green

Agni

(Fire,

with

Seeta)

veera

(courage),

adbhuta

(wonder),

rowdra

(anger)

morality

Ga gaandhaaram mi goat gold Rudra

(Shiva)

karuNaa

(compassion)

fragrant,

light

Ma madhyamam fa crane white Vishnu karuNaa

(compassion)

middle,

intermediat

e

Pa pancamam so cuckoo black Naarada

hasya

(laughter),

shringaara

(love)

fifth

Da dhaivatam la horse yellow GaNEsha

bibhatsa

(disgust),

bhayanaka

(fear)

of gods,

devas

Ni nishaadam ti elephant multicolor Surya

(Sun)

karuNaa

(compassion) sit, lie down

.

The Melakarta raagas

The melakartaa ragas of Karnatic music come from the 12 basic notes: sa

(shadjamam), 2 types of ri (rishabham), 2 types of ga (gaandhaaram), 2 types of ma

(madhyamam), pa (panchamam), 2 types of da (dhaivatam), and 2 types of ni

(nishaadam), all of which are found on the typical piano or keyboard and consist of

35

one octave. If included further, subtler notes found in-between these notes, one

each for ri, ga, da, and ni, you have 16 notes: sa (shadjamam), 3 types of ri

(rishabham), 2 types of ma (madhyamam), pa (panchamam), 3 types of ga

(gaandhaaram), 3 types of da (dhaivatam), and 3 types of ni (nishaadam). These

are numbered and named as follows (names in parentheses are alternate

designations sometimes used):

Swara sa ri ga ma pa da ni

Types S =

shadjam

R1 =

shuddha

(ra)

R2 =

catshruti

(ri)

R3 =

satshruti

(ru)

G1 =

shuddha (ga)

G2 =

saadhaaraNa

(gi)

G3 = antara

(gu)

M1 =

shuddha

(ma)

M2 =

prati

(mi)

P =

pancamam

D1 =

shuddha

(dha)

D2 =

catshruti

(dhi)

D3 =

satshruti

(dhu)

N1 =

shuddha

(na)

N2 =

kaisiki

(ni)

N3 =

kaakali

(nu)

ancient

Tamil

kural

(ku,S)

kural

tutam

(ku-

tu,R1)

nirai

tutam

(ni-tu,R2)

kural kaikilai

(ku-kai,G2)

nirai kaikilai

(ni-kai,G3)

kural

uzhai

(ku-

u,M1)

nirai

uzhai

(ni-u,M2)

ili (yi,P)

kural

vilari (ku-

vi,D1)

nirai

vilari (ni-

vi,D2)

kural

taram

(ku-

ta,N2)

nirai

taram

(ni-

ta,N3)

The melakartaa ragas are formed from combinations of these 16 notes, 7+1

in the ascending, 7+1 descending, giving 72 ragas. From these are derived

janya ragas, which may combine different melakartas in ascending and

descending scales, add or remove some notes in either scale, and have

variations in the notes, mood, gamaka (shaking of the note), emotions, or other

aspects of raga. These are nearly innumerable, but a select number are used in

practice.

All the melakartas in the table below begin with sa and end in high sa, with

the order sa ri ga ma pa da ni sa. These are sampoorna ragas, containing all

the notes in the ascending and descending scales. They also contain the SAME

notes in both scales. They are divided into 2 groups, by the type of ma they

possess. Every group of six ragas (total 12 groups) comprises one chakraa.

Interestingly, the naming of the ragas has also been systematized. The first 2

letters of each raga give the number of the raga according to this table, which

36

gives the katapayadi formula:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0

ka kha ga gha nga ca cha ja jha nya

Ta Tha Da Dha Na ta tha da dha na

pa pha ba bha ma

ya ra la va sha shha sa ha

Thus, a raga (see below) like ramapriya begins with ra (2) and ma (5). 25 in

reverse gives the number of the melakarta, 52!

The melakarta raagaas and their swaras, divided by their ma follow. They

are also separated into 12 groups of six, called chakras, and all the ragas in the

cakra have the same ri, ga, and ma.

Shudda madhyama M1 Prati madhyama M2

1 Indu Chakra 7 Rishi Chakra

1 kanakaangi (kanakaambari) R1 G1

D1 N1 37 saalagam (sowgandini)

2 ratnaangi (phenadhyuti) R1 G1

D1 N2 38 jalaarnavam (jaganmohinam)

3 gaanamoorti

(gaanasaamavaraali)

R1 G1

D1 N3 39 jhaalavaraaLi (dhaalivaraali)

4 vanaspati (bhaanumati) R1 G1

D2 N2 40 navaneetam (nabhomani)

5 maanavati (manoranjani) R1 G1

D2 N3 41 paavani (kumbhini)

6 taanaroopi (tanukeerti) R1 G1

D3 N3 42 raghupriyaa (ravikriyaa)

2 netra Chakra 8 Vaasu Chakra

7 senaavati (senaagrani) R1 G2

D1 N1 43 ghavaambhodi (geervaani)

8 hanumatodi (janatodi) R1 G2

D1 N2 44 bhaavapriya (bhavaani)

9 dhenukaa (dhunibhinnashadjam) R1 G2

D1 N3 45 shubhapantuvaraali

(shivapantuvaraali)

10 naatakapriyaa (natabharaNam) R1 G2

D2 N2 46 shhadvidamaargini

(stavaraajam)

37

11 kokilapriyaa (kokilaaravam) R1 G2

D2 N3 47 suvarnaangi (sowveeram)

12 roopavati R1 G2

D3 N3 48 divyamani (jeevantikaa)

3 Agni Chakra 9 Brahma Chakra

13 gaayakapriyaa (geya hejjajji) R1 G3

D1 N1 49 dhavalaambari

(dhavalaangam)

14 vakulaabharanam (vaaTee

vasantabhairavi)

R1 G3

D1 N2 50 naamanaaraayani

(naamadEshi)

15 maayamaalava gowla R1 G3

D1 N3 51

kamavardhini

pantuvaraali

(kaashiraamakriyaa)

16 chakravaakam (toyavegavaahini) R1 G3

D2 N2 52 raamapriyaa (ramaamanohari)

17 sooryakaantam (chaayaavati) R1 G3

D2 N3 53 gamanashramaa

(gamakakriyaa)

18 haatakaambari

(jayashuddhamaalavi)

R1 G3

D3 N3 54 vishvaambhari (vamshavati)

4 Veda Chakra 10 Disi Chakra

19 jhankaaradhwani

(jhankaarabhramari)

R2 G2

D1 N1 55 shyaamalaangi (shyaamaLam)

20 natabhairavi (naareereetigowLa) R2 G2

D1 N2 56 shhanmugapriyaa

(caamaram)

21 keeravaani (keeraNaavaLi) R2 G2

D1 N3 57 simhendra madhyamam

(sumadyuti)

22 kharaharapriya (shreeraagam) R2 G2

D2 N2 58 hemaavati

(deshisimhaaravam)

23 gowri manohari (gowrivelaavali) R2 G2

D2 N3 59 dharmaavati (dhaamavati)

24 varunapriyaa (veeravasantam) R2 G2

D3 N3 60 neetimati (nishhadam)

5 Bana Chakra 11 Rudra Chakra

25 maararanjani (sharaavati) R2 G3

D1 N1 61 kaantaamani (kuntaLam)

26 chaarukeshi (tarangini) R2 G3

D1 N2 62 rishhabapriyaa (ratipriyaa)

27 sarasaangi (sowrasEnaa) R2 G3 63 lataangi (geetapriyaa)

38

D1 N3

28 harikaambhoji (harikedaaragowla) R2 G3

D2 N2 64 vaachaspati (bhooshaavati)

29 dheera shankaraabharaNam R2 G3

D2 N3 65 mecakalyaani

(shaantakalyaani)

30 naagaanandini

(naagaabharanam)

R2 G3

D3 N3 66 chitraambari (caturaangini)

6 Rutu Chakra 12 Aaditya Chakra

31 yaagapriyaa (kalaavati) R3 G3

D1 N1 67 sucharitra (santaana manjari)

32 raagavardhani

(raagacoodaamani)

R3 G3

D1 N2 68 jyotiswaroopini (jyOti raaga)

33 gangayabhooshhani

(gangaatarangini)

R3 G3

D1 N3 69 dhaatuvardani (dhowta

pancamam)

34 vaagadeeshwari (bhogachaayaa

naattai)

R3 G3

D2 N2 70 naasikabhooshhani

(naasaamani)

35 shoolini (shailadeshaakshhi) R3 G3

D2 N3 71 kosalam (kusumaakaram)

36 chalanaattai R3 G3

D3 N3 72 rasikapriyaa (rasamanjari)

Janya ragas are scales derived from the melakarta ragas.

The melakarta ragas have 7 notes, sa ri ga ma pa da ni, in both the

ascending and descending scales. Janya ragas, however, are raagas that

do not necessarily have all these notes. They may be missing the notes from

their "parent" melakarta, have added notes from another melakarta, have

some variations in the order of the notes, or some combination of all these

factors. These are divided into a few categories:

• upaanga or bhaashaanga

• varja or sampoorna

• vakra or non-vakra

Upaanga or bhaashaanga - This refers the using notes from the

parent melakarta. Upanga raagas use only the notes from their parent

melakarta (for example, aabhogi uses only notes from melakarta 22,

kharaharapriyaa). Bhaashaanga raagas, on the other hand, use what

39

are called anya swaras, notes from a different melakarta. Thus, aahiri

uses swaras from melakartas 8, 14, and 20. A raaga may use up to 3

swaras from an outside melakarta, but no more.

Varja or sampoorna - Varja means that the raaga is missing some

swaras. revati is missing a G and D, so it is an audava varja raaga.

Swarantara refers to having only 4 swaras (this is rare, for example S R P

N), audava refers to having 5 swaras, shaadava refers to 6 (for example,

S R G M P N), and raagas with no missing swaras, having all seven S R G

M P D N are sampoorna raagas.

Vakra or non-vakra - Vakra means "crooked." Thus these raagas

have crooked scales, with the order being changed. Raagas like

kaanadaa are often considered vakra when they have scales such as S

R G M P M D N S instead of simply S R G M P D N S, which is non-vakra

(even though it is sampoorna, having all the swaras).

Combinations - Raagas may also have combinations of the above,

so raagas such as aahiri again are sampoorna (have all the swaras) but

are vakra (S R S G ...) and bhaashaanga (with anya swaras). In addition

to these nuances, raagas can also have changes in the stressing of

notes and the decorations (gamakas) they are given to give rise to an

even wider variety of raagas. These changes can give rise to hundreds

of thousands of raagas based simply on the 72 melakarta raagas.

N.B.:So,far 7000(SEVEN THOUSAND) ragas have been identified in

the Karnatik Music form and with utmost pain and my own effort, I

could be able to collect the scales(SARGAM) of all the 7000( seven

thousand) ragas.All those are kept properly in my databank.Due to

paucity of time and energy,the same could not be incorporated in

this compendium.However,if any person is interested in any particular

raga,he may like to approach me through my

email([email protected]) and I shall be pleased to inform him

the required information.

A few "starter" ragas to identify Karnatik form:

1. aabhogi

2. amritavarshini

3. behaag

40

4. bhairavi (easy to confuse with todi)

5. hamsadwani

6. hindoLam

7. kaambhoji

8. kaanadaa

9. kalyaani

10. kamaas

11. katanakutuhalam

12. mohanam

13. naattai

14. revati

15. saaveri

16. vasantaa

A few names of stalwarts of Karnatik music are appended below :-

M.Balamurali Krishna

Balamurali Krishna has reigned at the forefront of South Indian music for

the past five decades.

D.K.Pattammal

Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal (b.1919), popularly known as DKP, is

one of the finest classical Karnatic vocalists of India.

Madurai Mani Iyer

Madurai Mani Iyer (1912-1968) was born into a family of musicians,

deeply interested in classical music. His paternal uncle

Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer

Maharajapuram Vishwanatha Iyer (1896-1970) was a renowned vocalist

of the Karnatic music who was known for his magnificent

M.L.Vasanthakumari

M.L.Vasanthakumari (1928-1990), popularly referred to as MLV was a

vidushi of outstanding merit. She was great in all aspects of Karnatic

music and was endowed with a melodious voice.

M.S.Subbulakshmi

41

Born in the temple town of Madurai on September 16, 1916, to veena

player Shanmugavadivu, M S Subbulakshmi, popularly known as 'MS' to

her admirers, is a legendary Karnatic vocalist.

Muthuswamy Dikshitar

Muthuswamy Dikshitar (1775-1835) was the famous composer of

Karnatic music who wrote his songs primarily in Sanskrit.

Mysore Vasudevachariar

Mysore Vasudevachariar (1865-1961) was a renowed vocalist of the

Karnatic music who has composed nearly 200 kritis in Sanskrit and

Telugu.

Papanasam Sivan

Papanasam Sivan (1890-1973) was a highly acclaimed vocalist of the

Karnatic music renowned for his spiritual compositions.

Purandara Dasa

Purandara Dasa (1480-1564) is considered as 'the Father of Karnatic

Music'

Sri Semmangudi R. Srinivasa Iyer

Srinivasa Iyer (b.1908) is hailed as the Sangita Pitamaha of the Karnatic

music. He has been singing for 72 years and has left his own deep

impression on the Karnatic music

Subbarama Dikshitar

Subbarama Dikshitar (1839-1906) was an immediate scion and

successor of the great composer Sri Muttuswami Dikshitar

Syama Sastri

Shyam Sastri (1762-1827) was a Tamil-speaking Brahmin known as

auttara vadama. His actual name was Venkata Subrahmanya but he

was affectionately called Syama Sastri.

Thyagaraja

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Thyagaraja (1767-1847) is hailed as 'the King of Karnatic Music'.

V.Doreswamy Iyengar

Doreswamy Iyengar (b.1920) was a shining star in the galaxy of famous

vainikas of Mysore.

●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●●

karnatik music

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