Carnatic music, known as or in the
South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with
South India
South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the States and union territories of India, Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and T ...
, including the modern Indian states of
Karnataka
Karnataka (; ISO: , , also known as Karunāḍu) is a state in the southwestern region of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act. Originally known as Mysore State , it was renamed ''Kar ...
,
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh (, abbr. AP) is a state in the south-eastern coastal region of India. It is the seventh-largest state by area covering an area of and tenth-most populous state with 49,386,799 inhabitants. It is bordered by Telangana to t ...
,
Telangana
Telangana (; , ) is a state in India situated on the south-central stretch of the Indian peninsula on the high Deccan Plateau. It is the eleventh-largest state and the twelfth-most populated state in India with a geographical area of and ...
,
Kerala
Kerala ( ; ) is a state on the Malabar Coast of India. It was formed on 1 November 1956, following the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, by combining Malayalam-speaking regions of the erstwhile regions of Cochin, Malabar, South C ...
and
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...
, and
Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka (, ; si, ශ්රී ලංකා, Śrī Laṅkā, translit-std=ISO (); ta, இலங்கை, Ilaṅkai, translit-std=ISO ()), formerly known as Ceylon and officially the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, is an ...
. It is one of two main subgenres of
Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu Texts and traditions, particularly the
Samaveda. The other subgenre being
Hindustani music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...
, which emerged as a distinct form because of Persian or Islamic influences from
Northern India. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in ''gāyaki'' (singing) style.
Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of (the relative musical pitch), (the musical sound of a single note), (the mode or melodic formulæ), and (the rhythmic cycles) form the foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions, especially the
kriti (or kirtanam) – a form developed between the 14th and 20th centuries by composers such as
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding ...
and the
Trinity of Carnatic music. Carnatic music is also usually taught and learned through compositions. Most compositions are in
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
and
Tamil, with a few in
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...
and
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
.
Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually a vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
), a rhythm accompaniment (usually a
mridangam), and a
tambura, which acts as a
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to:
...
throughout the performance. Other typical instruments used in performances may include the
ghatam,
kanjira,
morsing,
venu flute,
veena, and
chitraveena
The chitravina ( sa, चित्रवीणा) (also known as chitra veena, chitraveena, chitra vina, hanumad vina, or mahanataka vina) is a 20 or 21-string fretless lute-style veena in Carnatic music. Around the late 19th and early 20th ce ...
. The greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians is to be found in the city of
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...
.
[Carnatic music. (2007). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 12 April 2007, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online] Various Carnatic music festivals are held throughout India and abroad, including the
Madras Music Season, which has been considered to be one of the world's largest cultural events.
Origin and history
Like all art forms in
Indian culture, Indian classical music is believed to be a divine art form which originated from the
Devas and
Devis (
Hindu Gods and Goddesses),
and is venerated as symbolic of . Ancient treatises also describe the connection of the origin of the
swaras, or notes, to the sounds of animals and birds and man's effort to simulate these sounds through a keen sense of observation and perception. The
Sama Veda, which is believed to have laid the foundation for Indian classical music, consists of hymns from the
Rigveda
The ''Rigveda'' or ''Rig Veda'' ( ', from ' "praise" and ' "knowledge") is an ancient Indian collection of Vedic Sanskrit hymns (''sūktas''). It is one of the four sacred canonical Hindu texts ('' śruti'') known as the Vedas. Only one ...
, set to musical tunes which would be sung using three to seven musical notes during Vedic
yajnas.
The
Yajur-Veda
The ''Yajurveda'' ( sa, यजुर्वेद, ', from ' meaning "worship", and ''veda'' meaning "knowledge") is the Veda primarily of prose mantras for worship rituals.Michael Witzel (2003), "Vedas and Upaniṣads", in ''The Blackwell C ...
, which mainly consists of sacrificial formulae, mentions the ''veena'' as an accompaniment to vocal recitations. References to Indian classical music are made in many ancient texts, including
epics like the ''
Ramayana
The ''Rāmāyana'' (; sa, रामायणम्, ) is a Sanskrit epic composed over a period of nearly a millennium, with scholars' estimates for the earliest stage of the text ranging from the 8th to 4th centuries BCE, and later stages e ...
'' and ''
Mahabharata
The ''Mahābhārata'' ( ; sa, महाभारतम्, ', ) is one of the two major Sanskrit epics of ancient India in Hinduism, the other being the '' Rāmāyaṇa''. It narrates the struggle between two groups of cousins in the K ...
''. The ''
Yajnavalkya Smriti'' mentions ''वीणावादन तत्त्वज्ञः श्रुतीजातिविशारदः ताळज्ञश्चाप्रयासेन मोक्षमार्गं नियच्छति'' ( ''vīṇāvādana tattvajñaḥ śrutijātiviśāradaḥ tālajñaścāprayāsena mokṣamārgaṃ niyacchati'', "The one who is well versed in ''
veena'', one who has the knowledge of srutis and one who is adept in tala, attains liberation (
moksha) without doubt"). Carnatic music is based as it is today on musical concepts (including ''
swara'', ''
raga'', and ''
tala
Tala may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics
*''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral
*Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music
* "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...
'') that were described in detail in several ancient works, particularly the
Bharata's ''
Natya Shastra'' and ''
Silappadhikaram'' by
Ilango Adigal.
Owing to Persian and Islamic influences in
North India
North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Centr ...
from the 12th century onwards, Indian classical music began to diverge into two distinct styles — Hindustani music and Carnatic music.
Commentaries and other works, such as
Sharngadeva's ''
Sangita Ratnakara'', further elaborated on the musical concepts found in Indian classical music. By the 16th and 17th centuries, there was a clear demarcation between Carnatic and Hindustani music;
Carnatic music remained relatively unaffected by Persian and Arabic influences. It was at this time that Carnatic music flourished in
Vijayanagara, while the
Vijayanagara Empire reached its greatest extent.
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding ...
, who is known as the "father (''Pitamaha'') of Carnatic music", formulated the system that is commonly used for the teaching of Carnatic music.
Venkatamakhin invented and authored the formula for the
melakarta system of raga classification in his Sanskrit work, the ''Chaturdandi Prakasika'' (1660 AD).
Govindacharya is known for expanding the melakarta system into the
sampoorna raga scheme – the system that is in common use today.
In the 18th and 19th centuries, Carnatic music was mainly patronised by the local kings of the
Kingdom of Mysore,
Kingdom of Travancore, and the
Maratha rulers of Tanjore. Some of the royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were themselves noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena,
rudra veena,
violin
The violin, sometimes known as a ''fiddle'', is a wooden chordophone (string instrument) in the violin family. Most violins have a hollow wooden body. It is the smallest and thus highest-pitched instrument (soprano) in the family in regular ...
,
ghatam,
flute,
mridangam, nagaswara and swarabhat. Some
famous court-musicians proficient in music were
Veene Sheshanna (1852–1926) and Veene Subbanna (1861–1939), among others.
During the late 19th century, the city of
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...
(then known as Madras) emerged as the locus for Carnatic music.
With the dissolution of the erstwhile
princely states
A princely state (also called native state or Indian state) was a nominally sovereign entity of the British Indian Empire that was not directly governed by the British, but rather by an Indian ruler under a form of indirect rule, subject to ...
and the
Indian independence movement
The Indian independence movement was a series of historic events with the ultimate aim of ending British Raj, British rule in India. It lasted from 1857 to 1947.
The first nationalistic revolutionary movement for Indian independence emerged ...
reaching its conclusion in 1947, Carnatic music went through a radical shift in patronage into an art of the masses with ticketed performances organised by private institutions called
sabhā
A sabhā in Ancient India was an assembly, congregation, or council. Personified as a deity, Sabhā is a daughter of Prajapati in the Atharvaveda. The term has also given rise to modern terms of Parliament of India, such as Lok Sabha (Lower H ...
s.
Nature
The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known as ''gāyaki'').
Like
Hindustani music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...
, Carnatic music rests on two main elements: , the
modes or melodic formulæ, and , the rhythmic cycles.
Today, Carnatic music is presented by musicians in concerts or recordings, either vocally or through instruments. Carnatic music itself developed around musical works or compositions of phenomenal composers (see below).
Important elements
Śruti
''Śruti'' commonly refers to musical pitch.
It is the approximate equivalent of a tonic (or less precisely a key) in Western music; it is the note from which all the others are derived. It is also used in the sense of graded pitches in an
octave. While there are an infinite number of sounds falling within a scale (or raga) in Carnatic music, the number that can be distinguished by auditory perception is twenty-two (although over the years, several of them have converged). In this sense, while sruti is determined by auditory perception, it is also an expression in the listener's mind.
Swara
''Swara'' refers to a type of musical sound that is a single note, which defines a relative (higher or lower) position of a note, rather than a defined frequency.
Swaras also refer to the
solfege of Carnatic music, which consist of seven notes, "sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni" (compare with the Hindustani ''
sargam:'' sa-''re''-ga-ma-pa-''dha''-ni or Western do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti). These names are abbreviations of the longer names ''shadja'', ''rishabha'', ''gandhara'', ''madhyama'', ''panchama'', ''dhaivata'' and ''nishada''. Unlike other music systems, every member of the solfege (called a
swara) has three variants. The exceptions are the drone notes, ''shadja'' and ''panchama'' (also known as the
tonic and the
dominant), which have only one form; and ''madhyama'' (the
subdominant), which has two forms. A 7th century stone inscription in Kudumiyan Malai in
Tamil Nadu
Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a state in southern India. It is the tenth largest Indian state by area and the sixth largest by population. Its capital and largest city is Chennai. Tamil Nadu is the home of the Tamil people, whose Tamil languag ...
shows vowel changes to solfege symbols with ra, ri, ru etc. to denote the higher quarter-tones. In one scale, or
raga, there is usually only one variant of each note present. The exceptions exist in "light" ragas, in which, for artistic effect, there may be two, one ascending (in the ''arohanam'') and another descending (in the ''
avarohanam'').
Raga system
A ''raga'' in Carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for building a
melody
A melody (from Greek μελῳδία, ''melōidía'', "singing, chanting"), also tune, voice or line, is a linear succession of musical tones that the listener perceives as a single entity. In its most literal sense, a melody is a combina ...
– very similar to the Western concept of
mode. It specifies rules for movements up (''aarohanam'') and down (''avarohanam''), the
scale
Scale or scales may refer to:
Mathematics
* Scale (descriptive set theory), an object defined on a set of points
* Scale (ratio), the ratio of a linear dimension of a model to the corresponding dimension of the original
* Scale factor, a number ...
of which
notes should figure more and which notes should be used more sparingly, which notes may be sung with ''
gamaka'' (ornamentation), which phrases should be used or avoided, and so on. In effect, it is a series of obligatory musical events which must be observed, either absolutely or with a particular frequency.
In Carnatic music, the ''sampoorna ragas'' (those with all seven notes in their scales) are classified into a system called the ''
melakarta'', which groups them according to the kinds of notes that they have. There are seventy-two ''melakarta ragas'', thirty six of whose madhyama (
subdominant) is shuddha (
perfect fourth from the tonic), the remaining thirty-six of whose madhyama (subdominant) is prati (an
augmented fourth from the tonic). The ''ragas'' are grouped into sets of six, called ''
chakra
Chakras (, ; sa , text=चक्र , translit=cakra , translit-std=IAST , lit=wheel, circle; pi, cakka) are various focal points used in a variety of ancient meditation practices, collectively denominated as Tantra, or the esoteric or ...
s'' ("wheels", though actually segments in the conventional representation) grouped according to the
supertonic and
mediant scale degrees. There is a system known as the ''
katapayadi sankhya'' to determine the names of ''melakarta raga''s.
''Raga''s may be divided into two classes: ''janaka raga''s (i.e. melakarta or parent ragas) and ''
janya raga''s (descendant ragas of a particular janaka raga). Janya ragas are themselves subclassified into various categories.
Tala system
''
Tala
Tala may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics
*''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral
*Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music
* "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...
'' refers to a fixed time cycle or metre, set for a particular composition, which is built from groupings of beats. ''Tala''s have cycles of a defined number of beats and rarely change within a song. They have specific components, which in combinations can give rise to the variety to exist (over 108), allowing different compositions to have different rhythms.
Carnatic music singers usually keep the beat by moving their hands up and down in specified patterns, and using their fingers simultaneously to keep time. ''Tala'' is formed with three basic parts (called ''anga''s) which are ''laghu'', ''dhrtam'', and ''anudhrtam'', though complex talas may have other parts like ''plutam'', ''guru'', and ''kaakapaadam''. There are seven basic ''tala'' groups which can be formed from the ''laghu'', ''dhrtam'', and ''anudhrtam'':
* Ata tala
* Dhruva tala
* Eka tala
* Jhampa tala
* Matya tala
* Rupaka tala
* Triputa tala
A ''laghu'' has five variants (called ''jaathi''s) based on the counting pattern. Five ''jaathis'' times seven tala groups gives thirty-five basic ''tala''s, although use of other ''anga''s results in a total of 108 ''tala''s.
Improvisation
Improvisation in ''raga'' is the soul of
Indian classical music – an essential aspect.
"''Manodharma Sangeetam''" or "''kalpana Sangeetam''" ("music of imagination") as it is known in Carnatic music, embraces several varieties of improvisation.
The main traditional forms of improvisation in Carnatic music consist of the following:
* Alapana
* Niraval
* Pallavi
* Ragam
* Swarakalpana
* Tanam
* Tani Avartanam
Raga Alapana
An alapana, sometimes also called ragam,
is the exposition of a
raga or tone – a slow improvisation with no rhythm,
where the raga acts as the basis of embellishment.
In performing alapana, performers consider each raga as an object that has beginnings and endings and consists somehow of sequences of thought.
The performer will explore the
ragam and touch on its various nuances,
singing in the lower octaves first, then gradually moving up to higher octaves, while giving a hint of the song to be performed.
Theoretically, this ought to be the easiest type of improvisation, since the rules are so few, but in fact, it takes much skill to sing a pleasing, comprehensive (in the sense of giving a "feel for the ragam") and, most importantly, original raga alapana.
Niraval
Niraval, usually performed by the more advanced performers, consists of singing one or two lines of text of a song repeatedly, but with a series of melodic improvised elaborations.
Although niraval consists of extempore melodic variations, generally, the original patterns of duration are maintained; each word in the lines of text stay set within their original place (''idam'') in the
tala
Tala may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics
*''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral
*Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music
* "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...
cycle.
[ Viswanathan & Cormack (1998), p232] The lines are then also played at different levels of speed which can include double speed, triple speed, quadruple speed and even
sextuple speed.
The improvised elaborations are made with a view of outlining the raga, the tempo, and the theme of the composition.
Kalpanaswaram
Kalpanaswaram, also known as swarakalpana, consists of improvising melodic and rhythmic passages using ''
swaras'' (solfa syllables). Like niraval, kalpanaswaras are sung to end on a particular swara in the
raga of the melody and at a specific place (''idam'') in the
tala
Tala may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics
*''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral
*Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music
* "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...
cycle.
Kalpanaswaras have a somewhat predictable rhythmical structure; the swaras are sung to end on the ''samam'' (the first beat of the rhythmical cycle).
The swaras can also be sung at the same speed or double the speed of the melody that is being sung, though some artists sing triple-speed phrases too.
Kalpanaswaram is the most elementary type of improvisation, usually taught before any other form of improvisation.
Tanam
Tanam is one of the most important forms of improvisation, and is integral to Ragam Tanam Pallavi.
Originally developed for the veena, it consists of expanding the raga with syllables like ''tha, nam, thom, aa, nom, na,'' etc.
Ragam Tanam Pallavi
Ragam, Tanam, and Pallavi are the principal long form in concerts,
and is a composite form of improvisation. As the name suggests, it consists of raga alapana, tanam, and a
pallavi line. Set to a slow-paced
tala
Tala may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics
*''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral
*Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music
* "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...
, the pallavi line is often composed by the performer. Through niraval, the performer manipulates the pallavi line in complex melodic and rhythmic ways.
The niraval is followed by kalpanaswarams.
Tani Avartanam
Tani Avartanam refers to the extended solo that is played by the percussionists in a concert,
[ Kassebaum (2000), 158] and is usually played after the main composition in a concert.
The percussionist displays the full range of his skills and rhythmic imagination during the solo, which may take from two to twenty minutes.
Compositions
In contrast to
Hindustani music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...
of the northern part of India, Carnatic music is taught and learned through compositions, which encode many intricate musical details, also providing scope for free improvisation. Nearly every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies elements of the composer's vision, as well as the musician's interpretation.
A Carnatic composition really has two elements, one being the musical element, the other being what is conveyed in the composition. It is probably because of this fact that most Carnatic music compositions are composed for singing. In addition to the rich musical experience, each composition brings out the knowledge and personality of the composer, and hence the words are as important as the musical element itself. This poses a special challenge for the musicians because rendering this music does not involve just playing or singing the correct musical notes; the musicians are expected to understand what was conveyed by the composer in various languages, and sing musical phrases that act to create the effect that was intended by the composer in his/her composition.
There are many types/forms of compositions.
''
Geethams'' and ''
swarajatis'' (which have their own peculiar composition structures) are principally meant to serve as basic learning exercises.
Compositions more commonly associated with
Indian classical dance and
Indian devotional music have also been increasingly used in the Carnatic music repertoire. The performance of the
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
''
sloka'',
Tamil ''
viruttam'' and
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
''padyamu'' or ''sisapadya'' forms are particularly unique. Though these forms consist of lyric-based
verses, musicians improvise ''
raga'' phrases in free rhythm, like an
alapana,
so both the sound value, and the meaning of the text, guide the musician through elaborate melodic improvisations.
Forms such as the ''
divya prabandham'', ''
thevaram'' and ''
ugabhoga'' are often performed similarly, however, these forms can also have a set melody and rhythm like the ''devaranama'', ''javali'', ''padam'', ''
thillana'' and ''
thiruppugazh
Thiruppugal (Tamil: , ', IPA/Tamil: , meaning 'Holy Praise' or 'Divine Glory'), sometimes spelled Thiruppugazh, is a 15th-century anthology of Tamil religious songs dedicated to Lord Murugan, the son of Lord Shiva, written by the poet-saint ...
'' forms.
The most common and significant forms in Carnatic music are the ''
varnam'' and the ''
kriti'' (or ''kirtanam'').
Varnam
Varnams are short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features and requirements of a ''
raga''. The features and rules of the raga (also known as the ''sanchaaraas'' of a raga) include how each note of the raga should be stressed, the scale of the raga, and so on.
All varnams consist of lyrics,
[ Bradnock (1992), p631] as well as swara passages, including a ''
pallavi'', an ''
anupallavi'', ''muktayi swaras'', a ''
charanam'', and ''
chittaswaras''.
Known for their complex structure, varnams are a fundamental form in Carnatic music.
Varnams are practised as vocal exercises in multiple speeds by performers of Carnatic music, to help develop voice culture, and maintain proper pitch and control of rhythm. In Carnatic music concerts, varnams are often performed by musicians as the opening item – acting as a warm up for the musicians, and as a means of grabbing the attention of the audience.
Kriti
Carnatic songs (kritis) are varied in structure and style, but generally consist of three units:
#
Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a
refrain in Western music, with 1 or 2 lines.
#
Anupallavi. This is the second verse, also as 2 lines.
#
Charana. The final (and longest) verse that wraps up the song. The Charanam usually borrows patterns from the Anupallavi. There can be multiple charanas.
This kind of song is called a ''keerthanam'' or a ''
kriti''. There are other possible structures for a ''kriti'', which may in addition include swara passages named ''chittaswara''. A ''chittaswara'' consists only of notes, and has no words. Still others have a verse at the end of the ''charana'', called the ''madhyamakāla''. It is sung immediately after the ''charana'', but at double speed.
Prominent composers
There are many composers in Carnatic music.
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding ...
(1484–1564) is referred to as the ''Pitamaha'' (the father or grandfather) of Carnatic music as he formulated the basic lessons in teaching Carnatic music, and in honour of his significant contribution to Carnatic music. He structured graded exercises known as ''Swaravalis'' and ''Alankaras'', and at the same time, introduced the ''
Raga''
Mayamalavagowla as the first scale to be learnt by beginners. He also composed ''Gitas'' (simple songs) for novice students.
The contemporaries
Tyagaraja (1767– 1847),
Muthuswami Dikshitar, (1776–1835) and
Syama Sastri, (1762–1827) are regarded as the
Trinity of Carnatic music because of the quality of Syama Sastri's compositions, the varieties of compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Tyagaraja's prolific output in composing ''
kritis''.
Prominent composers prior to the
Trinity of Carnatic music include
Sripadaraja,
Vyasatirtha,
Kanakadasa,
Vadiraja Tirtha,
Arunachala Kavi,
Annamacharya,
Narayana Theertha,
Vijaya Dasa,
Jagannatha Dasa Jagannatha Dasa may refer to:
* Jagannatha Dasa (Odia poet), saint poet, author of the Odia ''Bhagabata'' and founder of the Atibadi Sampradaya of Utkaliya Vaishnavism, 15th century, Odisha
* Jagannatha Dasa (Kannada poet)
Jagannatha Dasa (Ka ...
,
Gopala Dasa,
Bhadrachala Ramadas
Kancharla Gopanna ( te, కంచర్ల గోపన్న) ( – 1688), popularly known as Bhakta Ramadasu or Bhadrachala Ramadasu ( te, భద్రాచల రామదాసు), was a 17th-century devotee of the Hindu god Rama, a sain ...
,
Sadasiva Brahmendra and
Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi. Other composers are
Swathi Thirunal,
Gopalakrishna Bharathi,
Neelakanta Sivan,
Patnam Subramania Iyer,
Mysore Vasudevachar,
Koteeswara Iyer,
Muthiah Bhagavathar,
Subramania Bharathiyar
C. Subramania Bharathi Birth name: C. Subramaniyan, the person's given name: Subramaniyan, father's given name: Chinnaswami. (C. Subramaniyan by the prevalent patronymic initials as prefix naming system in Tamil Nadu and it is Subramaniyan C ...
,
Kalyani Varadarajan,
M. Balamuralikrishna and
Papanasam Sivan
Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cine ...
. The compositions of these composers are rendered frequently by artists of today.
Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by religious devotion and were usually scholars proficient in one or more of the languages
Kannada
Kannada (; ಕನ್ನಡ, ), originally romanised Canarese, is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by the people of Karnataka in southwestern India, with minorities in all neighbouring states. It has around 47 million native s ...
,
Malayalam
Malayalam (; , ) is a Dravidian language spoken in the Indian state of Kerala and the union territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry ( Mahé district) by the Malayali people. It is one of 22 scheduled languages of India. Malayalam wa ...
,
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominalization, nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cul ...
,
Tamil, or
Telugu
Telugu may refer to:
* Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India
*Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India
* Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language
** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode
S ...
. They usually included a signature, called a ''
mudra'', in their compositions. For example, all songs by Tyagaraja (who composed in Telugu) have the word ''Tyagaraja'' in them, all songs by Muthuswami Dikshitar (who composed in Sanskrit) have the words ''Guruguha'' in them; songs by Syama Sastri (who composed in Telugu) have the words ''Syama Krishna'' in them; all songs by Purandaradasa (who composed in Kannada) have the words ''Purandara Vittala''; while Gopalakrishna Bharathi (who composed in Tamil) used the signature ''Gopalakrishnan'' in his compositions. Papanasam Sivan, who has been hailed as the ''Tamil Tyagaraja'' of Carnatic music,
composed in Tamil and Sanskrit,
and used the signature ''Ramadasan'' in his compositions.
Learning
Carnatic music is traditionally taught according to the system formulated by
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding ...
. This involves ''sarali swaras'' (graded exercises), ''alankaras'' (exercises based on the seven talas), ''
geetams'' or simple songs, and
Swarajatis
Swarajati is a form in Carnatic music, which is helpful before learning a ''varnam''. It has ''pallavi'', sometimes an '' anupallavi'', and at least one ''charanam''. The themes of ''swarajathis'' are usually either ''bhakthi'', love or courage. ...
. After the student has reached a certain standard, ''
varnams'' are taught and later, the student learns
kritis. It typically takes several years of learning before a student is adept enough to perform at a concert.
The learning texts and exercises are more or less uniform across all the South Indian states. The learning structure is arranged in increasing order of complexity. The lessons start with the learning of the ''sarali varisai'' (
solfege set to a particular raga).
Carnatic music was traditionally taught in the
gurukula
A or ( sa, गुरुकुल, gurukul) is a type of education system in ancient India with ('students' or 'disciples') living near or with the guru, in the same house. The guru-shishya tradition is a sacred one in Hinduism and possibly a ...
system, where the student lived with and learnt the art from his
guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
(perceptor). From the late 20th century onwards, with changes in lifestyles and need for young music aspirants to simultaneously pursue a parallel academic career, this system has found few takers.
Musicians often take great pride in letting people know about their
Guru
Guru ( sa, गुरु, IAST: ''guru;'' Pali'': garu'') is a Sanskrit term for a "mentor, guide, expert, or master" of certain knowledge or field. In pan-Indian traditions, a guru is more than a teacher: traditionally, the guru is a reverentia ...
Parampara, or the hierarchy of disciples from some prominent ancient musician or composer, to which they belong. People whose disciple-hierarchies are often referred to are
Tyagaraja,
Muthuswami Dikshitar,
Syama Sastri,
Swathi Thirunal and
Papanasam Sivan
Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cine ...
, among others.
In modern times, it is common for students to visit their gurus daily or weekly to learn music. Though new technology has made learning easier with the availability of quick-learn media such as learning exercises recorded on audio cassettes and CDs, these are discouraged by most gurus who emphasize that face-to-face learning is best for students.
Notations
Notation is not a new concept in Indian music. However, Carnatic music continued to be transmitted orally for centuries without being written down. The disadvantage with this system was that if one wanted to learn about a
kriti composed, for example, by
Purandara Dasa
Purandara Dasa ( IAST: Purandara dāsa) ( 1470 – 1565) was a Haridasa philosopher and a follower of Madhwacharya 's Dwaitha philosophy -saint from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a composer, singer and one of the chief founding ...
, it involved the difficult task of finding a person from Purandara Dasa's lineage of students.
Written notation of Carnatic music was revived in the late 17th century and early 18th century, which coincided with rule of
Shahaji II in
Tanjore. Copies of Shahaji's musical manuscripts are still available at the
Saraswati Mahal Library in Tanjore and they give us an idea of the music and its form. They contain snippets of
solfege to be used when performing the mentioned ragas.
Melody
Unlike classical
Western music, Carnatic music is notated almost exclusively in
tonic sol-fa notation using either a Roman or Indic script to represent the solfa names. Past attempts to use the
staff notation have mostly failed. Indian music makes use of hundreds of ragas, many more than the
church modes in Western music. It becomes difficult to write Carnatic music using the staff notation without the use of too many
accidentals. Furthermore, the staff notation requires that the song be played in a certain
key. The notions of key and absolute pitch are deeply rooted in Western music, whereas the Carnatic notation does not specify the key and prefers to use
scale degrees (relative pitch) to denote notes. The singer is free to choose the actual pitch of the
tonic note. In the more precise forms of Carnatic notation, there are symbols placed above the notes indicating how the notes should be played or sung; however, informally this practice is not followed.
To show the length of a note, several devices are used. If the duration of note is to be doubled, the letter is either capitalized (if using Roman script) or lengthened by a
diacritic
A diacritic (also diacritical mark, diacritical point, diacritical sign, or accent) is a glyph added to a letter or to a basic glyph. The term derives from the Ancient Greek (, "distinguishing"), from (, "to distinguish"). The word ''diacriti ...
(in Indian languages). For a duration of three, the letter is capitalized (or diacriticized) and followed by a comma. For a length of four, the letter is capitalized (or diacriticized) and then followed by a semicolon. In this way any duration can be indicated using a series of semicolons and commas.
However, a simpler notation has evolved which does not use semicolons and capitalization, but rather indicates all extensions of notes using a corresponding number of commas. Thus, ''Sā'' quadrupled in length would be denoted as "S,,,".
Rhythm
The notation is divided into columns, depending on the structure of the
''tāḷaṃ''. The division between a ''laghu'' and a ''dhrutam'' is indicated by a।, called a ''ḍaṇḍā'', and so is the division between two ''dhrutams'' or a ''dhrutam'' and an ''anudhrutam''. The end of a cycle is marked by a॥, called a ''double ḍaṇḍā'', and looks like a
caesura.
Performance
Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, who sit on an elevated stage. This usually consists of, at least, a principal performer, a melodic accompaniment, a rhythm accompaniment, and a drone.
Performances can be musical or musical-dramatic. Musical recitals are either vocal, or purely instrumental in nature, while musical-dramatic recitals refer to
Harikatha
''Harikatha'' (Kannada: ಹರಿಕಥೆ : ''Harikathe''; Telugu: హరికథ : ''Harikatha;'' Marathi: हरीपाठ '': Haripatha'', ), also known as ''Harikatha Kaalakshepam'' in Telugu and Tamil (), is a form of Hindu traditional ...
.
Regardless of what type of recital it is, what is featured are compositions which form the core of this genre of music.
Instrumentation
The ''
tambura'' is the traditional
drone
Drone most commonly refers to:
* Drone (bee), a male bee, from an unfertilized egg
* Unmanned aerial vehicle
* Unmanned surface vehicle, watercraft
* Unmanned underwater vehicle or underwater drone
Drone, drones or The Drones may also refer to:
...
instrument used in concerts. However, tamburas are increasingly being replaced by
''śruti'' boxes, and now more commonly, the
electronic ''tambura''. The drone itself is an integral part of performances and furnishes stability – the equivalent of
harmony in Western music.
In a vocal recital, a concert team may have one or more vocalists as the principal performer(s). Instruments, such as the
Saraswati veena and/or
venu flute, can be occasionally found as an accompaniment, but usually, a vocalist is supported by a violin player (who sits on his/her left). The rhythm accompanist is usually a
mridangam player (who sits on the other side, facing the violin player). However, other percussion instruments such as the
ghatam,
kanjira and
morsing frequently also accompany the main percussion instrument and play in an almost
contrapuntal fashion along with the beats.
The objective of the accompanying instruments is far more than following the melody and keeping the beats. The accompaniments form an integral part of every composition presented, and they closely follow and augment the melodic phrases outlined by the lead singer. The vocalist and the violinist take turns while elaborating or while exhibiting creativity in sections like
raga,
niraval
In Carnatic music, Neraval also known as Niraval or Sahitya Vinyasa is the elaboration and improvisation of melody for a particular line. Usually, just one or two lines of text from the song (from the charanam part of the kriti) are sung repea ...
and
kalpanaswaram.
Unlike
Hindustani music
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, si ...
concerts, where an accompanying
tabla player can keep beats without following the musical phrases at times, in Carnatic music, the accompanists have to follow the intricacies of the composition since there are percussion elements such as eduppu in several compositions.
Some concerts feature a good bit of interaction with the lead musicians and accompanists exchanging notes, and accompanying musicians predicting the lead musician's musical phrases.
Contemporary concert content
A contemporary Carnatic music concert (called a ''kutcheri'') usually lasts about three hours, and comprises a number of varied compositions. Carnatic songs are composed in a particular ''
raga'', which means that they do not deviate from the notes in the ''raga''. Each composition is set with specific notes and beats, but performers improvise extensively. Improvisation occurs in the melody of the composition as well as in using the notes to expound the beauty of the ''raga''.
Concerts usually begin with a ''
varnam'' or an invocatory item which will act as the opening piece. The ''varnam'' is composed with an emphasis on ''
swaras'' of the raga, but will also have lyrics, the ''saahityam''. It is lively and fast to get the audience's attention. An invocatory item may usually follow the ''varnam''.
After the ''varnam'' and/or invocatory item, the artist sings longer compositions called ''kirtanas'' (commonly referred to as ''
kriti''s). Each kriti sticks to one specific ''raga'', although some are composed with more than one raga; these are known as ''ragamalika'' (a garland of ''ragas'').
After singing the opening ''kriti'', usually, the performer sings the ''
kalpanaswaram'' of the ''raga'' 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 ''kriti''. 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 or lapses in the beat of the song, and create a complex pattern of notes that a knowledgeable audience can follow.
Performers then begin the main compositions with a section called ''
raga alapana'' exploring the ''raga''. In this, they use the sounds ''aa, ri, na, ta'', etc. instead of ''swaras'' to slowly elaborate the notes and flow of the raga. This begins slowly and builds to a crescendo, and finally establishes a complicated exposition of the ''raga'' that shows the performer's skill. All of this is done without any rhythmic accompaniment, or beat. 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'' thus established, the song begins, usually with lyrics. In this, the accompaniment (usually violin, sometimes veena) performs along with the main performer and the percussion (such as a
mridangam). In the next stage of the song, they may sing ''
niraval
In Carnatic music, Neraval also known as Niraval or Sahitya Vinyasa is the elaboration and improvisation of melody for a particular line. Usually, just one or two lines of text from the song (from the charanam part of the kriti) are sung repea ...
'' or ''kalpanaswaram'' again.
In most concerts, the main item will at least have a section at the end of the item, for the percussion to perform solo (called the ''tani avartanam''). The percussion artists perform complex patterns of rhythm and display their skill. If multiple percussion instruments are employed, they engage in a rhythmic dialogue until the main performer picks up the melody once again. Some experienced artists may follow the main piece with a ''
ragam thanam pallavi'' mid-concert, if they do not use it as the main item.
Following the main composition, the concert continues with shorter and lighter songs. Some of the types of songs performed towards the end of the concerts are ''
tillanas'' and ''thukkadas'' – bits of popular ''kriti''s or compositions requested by the audience. Every concert that is the last of the day ends with a ''mangalam'', a thankful prayer and conclusion to the musical event.
Audience
The audience of a typical concert will have some understanding of Carnatic music. It is also typical to see the audience tapping out the ''tala'' in sync with the artist's performance. As and when the artist exhibits creativity, the audience acknowledge it by clapping their hands. With experienced artists, towards the middle of the concert, requests start flowing in. The artist usually sings the requests, and it helps in exhibiting the artist's broad knowledge of the several thousand
kritis that are in existence.
Festivals
Various
music festivals featuring Carnatic music performances are held in India, and throughout the world.
With the city of
Chennai
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras ( the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost Indian state. The largest city of the state in area and population, Chennai is located on the Coromandel Coast of ...
(then known as
Madras
Chennai (, ), formerly known as Madras (List of renamed Indian cities and states#Tamil Nadu, the official name until 1996), is the capital city of Tamil Nadu, the southernmost states and territories of India, Indian state. The largest city ...
) emerging as the locus for Carnatic music during the 19th century,
its musicians founded the
Tyagaraja Aradhana festival in 1846. The Aradhana festival is an annual death-anniversary celebration of the prolific Carnatic music composer,
Tyagaraja. Held in the city of
Thiruvayaru, thousands of musicians attend the festival to perform his compositions. Since its inception, other festivals were started in a similar manner throughout India and abroad, such as the
Chembai Sangeetholsavam in the Indian city of
Guruvayur, and the Aradhana in the US city of
Cleveland
Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U ...
.
The city of Chennai also holds a six-week-long grand "
Music Season", which has been described as the world's largest cultural event.
The Music Season was started in 1927, to mark the opening of the
Madras Music Academy. It used to be a traditional month-long Carnatic music festival, but since then it has also diversified into
dance and
drama
Drama is the specific Mode (literature), mode of fiction Mimesis, represented in performance: a Play (theatre), play, opera, mime, ballet, etc., performed in a theatre, or on Radio drama, radio or television.Elam (1980, 98). Considered as a g ...
, as well as non-Carnatic art forms. Some concert organisers also feature their own Carnatic music festivals during the season. Thousands of performances are held by hundreds of musicians across various venues in the city.
The
Karnataka Ganakala Parishat is an annual conference of Carnatic music, held in February every year, which has lectures and demonstrations in the morning, and performances in the afternoons and evenings.
See also
*
List of Carnatic composers
*
List of Carnatic singers
*
List of Carnatic instrumentalists
*
Trinity of Carnatic music
Notes
References
* Kassebaum, Gayatri Rajapur. ‘Karnatak raga’ (2000). In
*
* Nettl, B. (2009). In
*
*
* Viswanathan, T. & Cormack, Jody (1998). In
Bibliography
*
*
*
External links
*
{{Authority control
Indian styles of music
South India
Classical and art music traditions
Articles containing video clips
Carnatic violinists