Tanam

{{Use Indian English, date=July 2020 Tanam or Taanam (pronounced tānam) is one of the methods of

raga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradit ...

improvisation (''manodharma'') in the

Carnatic classical music Carnatic music, known as or in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is o ...

tradition, suited mainly for vocal,

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 ...

and

veena The ''veena'', also spelled ''vina'' ( sa, वीणा IAST: vīṇā), comprises various chordophone instruments from the Indian subcontinent. Ancient musical instruments evolved into many variations, such as lutes, zithers and arched harps.< ...

. Tanam consists of expanding the raga with syllables "a-nam-tam". The origin of this usage is not very clear. It could have originated from the Sanskrit word "tanyate" (that which is elaborated) or "tena" indicative of an auspicious object. Tanam is rendered as a rhythmic variation of raga alapana, in chaturasra nadai, though there is no specific talam that is followed. Tanam is almost always rendered without percussion accompaniment; the element of rhythm is embedded within the repetition of the syllables "a-nam-tham". Tanam is the second part of a Raagam Taanam Pallavi, and comes immediately after the

is sung but before the

pallavi A pallavi has multiple connotations in carnatic music. It is the first part of any formal composition (Krithi) which has three segments - Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam (which can be one or more). Pallavi is usually also an abbreviation of R ...

is about to begin. Among these three modes, tanam is rarely sung very elaborately when compared to raga and pallavi, the reason usually cited for this being that tanam singing requires a lot of physical stamina, sound knowledge of the fundamentals of classical music, good practice and experience. In violin and veena solo concerts, however, tanam is almost always performed as part of the main piece. Carnatic music terminology