Alankāra
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''Alankara'' (), also referred to as palta or ''alankaram'', is a concept in
Indian classical music Indian classical music is the art music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It is generally described using terms like ''Shastriya Sangeet'' and ''Marg Sangeet''. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as ...
and literally means "ornament, decoration". An ''alankara'' is any pattern of musical decoration a musician or vocalist creates within or across tones, based on ancient musical theories or driven by personal creative choices, in a progression of ''
svara Swara () or svara is an Indian classical music term that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, a note, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave, or ''saptanka''. More comprehensively ...
s''. The term ''alankara'' is standard in
Carnatic music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...
, while the same concept is referred to as ''palta'' or ''alankara'' in
Hindustani music Hindustani classical music is the Indian classical music, classical music of the Indian subcontinent's northern regions. It may also be called North Indian classical music or ''Uttar Bhartiya shastriya sangeet''. The term ''shastriya sangeet'' ...
. The ancient and medieval music scholars of India state that there are unlimited creative possibilities available to a musician, but each scholar illustrated the concept with a set of ''alankara''. Datilla discussed 13 ''alankaras'', Bharata Muni presented 33, Sarngadeva described 63 ''alankaras'', while mid medieval scholars presented numerous more. The Indian music tradition classifies ''alankara'' as rational or irrational, wherein irrational ''alankara'' being those that cannot be reduced to a fixed scale degree pattern. The Indian theory of ''gamaka'' covers the group of irrational ''alankara''. The concept of ''alankara'' applies to both vocal and musical instrument performance.
Purandara Das Purandara Dasa (IAST: Purandara Dāsa; (1470 – 1564) was a composer, singer and a Haridasa philosopher from present-day Karnataka, India. He was a follower of Madhvacharya's Dvaita philosophy. He was one of the chief founding proponents ...
a, the father of modern Carnatic music, developed learning exercises for students based on ''alankara'' and ''svaravali'', where the student systematically repeats a certain set of patterns over three octave registers, across various ''
raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...
s'' and '' talas''.


Types

Here are some common types of ''alankara'' used in classical music are * ''
meend In Hindustani music, ''meend'' (Hindi: , ) refers to a glide from one note to another. It is an essential performance practice, and is used often in vocal and instrumental music. On the veena, sitar, sarangi and other plucked stringed instrument ...
'', a technique of singing notes in a fluid manner with one note merging into the next - there are many different kinds of ''meend'' *''kan-swar'',
grace note A grace note is a kind of music notation denoting several kinds of musical ornament (music), ornaments. It is usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential. When occurring by itself, a single grace no ...
s - the use of grace-notes depends on the
raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...
being performed *''andolan'', a gentle swing on specific notes, used selectively *'' gamaka'', a heavy to-and-fro oscillation involving two or three distinct notes *''khatka/gitkari'', a rapid rendition of a cluster of notes distinctly yet lightly *''
murki Murki is a short taan or inverted mordent in Hindustani classical music, known as ''pratyahatam'' in Carnatic music. It is a fast and delicate ornamentation or '' alankar'', employing two or more notes and is similar to a mordent or ''ulta murki' ...
'', an even lighter and more subtle rendition of a cluster of notes


Other definitions

''Alankara'' also refers to: * a pattern on a
svara Swara () or svara is an Indian classical music term that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, a note, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave, or ''saptanka''. More comprehensively ...
group within a given octave, in ancient Indian music. * a type of exercise based on the 7 main talas and their variations.


References

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External links


Ornamentation in Indian Classical Music
Indian classical music Carnatic music terminology Hindustani music terminology