Useful Information on Carnatic Music

Some info on Carnatic music.
>
>
> It is not easy to point to one period of history or one
> ancient form of music as the source of contemporary Carnatic
> music. Several changes in theory and practice have surely
> taken place from Vedic times to the present day.
>
> Historical records allow us to trace the interesting
> pattern of evolutionary changes in music.
>
> Divine Origins:
>
> It is the general belief in Indian culture, that all art
> forms
> have a divine origin. Carnatic music is also believed to
> have originated
> from the Gods. This has been separately discussed in the
> mythological
> section.
>
> Natural Origins: A number of musical sounds are naturally
> produced, e.g. the sound emanating from the bamboo reed when
> air passes through its
> hollows. Ancient man observed this phenomenon and designed
> the first
> flute! Some ancient treatises describe the connection of
> the origin of swaras to the sounds of animals and birds.
> Man, with his keen sense of observation and perception tried
> to simulate these sounds. His ability to distinguish between
> sounds of different frequencies, qualities and timbre would
> have been an important factor in the evolution of Carnatic
> music.
>
> Folk Origins:
>
> Folk music, also said to have a natural origin, is
> considered by
> many scholars as one source that has influenced the
> structure of Carnatic
> music. While folk music evokes more spontaneity, a
> classical system like
> Carnatic music is more organised. Certain folk tunes
> correspond to
> Carnatic melodies or ragas like Anandabhairavi,
> Punnagavarali,
> Yadukulakambhoji, etc.
>
> Vedic Origins:
>
> It is generally accepted that the Vedas are a probable
> source
> of Indian music, which has developed over the centuries
> into the
> sophisticated system that it is today. The word “Veda”
> means knowledge.
> The thousands of hymns in the Vedas, which are dedicated to
> the Gods and
> Hindu rituals, in the form of chants were passed down by
> oral tradition
> from generation to generation. There are four Vedas - Rig,
> Yajus, Sama
> and Atharvana. Of these, the Sama Veda is said to have laid
> the foundation
> for Indian music. Sama Veda consists mostly of Rig Vedic
> hymns, set to
> musical tunes. These used to be sung during Vedic
> sacrifices, using musical
> notes (3 notes - 7 notes), sometimes accompanied by a
> musical instrument.
>
> LITERARY SOURCES
>
> Sanskrit:
>
> Apart from the Sama Veda, there are references to music
> and
> musical instruments in the Upanishads, Brahmanas and
> Puranas. Epics
> like Ramayana and Mahabharata also have some references to
> music. The
> music system in practice during Bharata’s period must
> have been similar in
> some respects to the present day Carnatic system. Bharata's
> Natya Sastra
> mentions many musical concepts that continue to be relevant
> to Carnatic
> music today.
>
> Tamil:
>
> Tamil works like Silappadikaram, Tolkappiam and other
> Sangam
> literature works give old Dravidian names for the seven
> notes in the
> octave, and describe how new scales can be developed by the
> modal shift
> of tonic (shifting the reference Shadja) from an existing
> scale. In the old
> Tamil music, the concept of Pann corresponds to that of the
> modern Raga.
> The rhythmic meters found in several sacred musical forms
> like Tevaram,
> Tiruppugazh, etc., resemble the talas that are in use
> today. Above all,
> Tamil music was practised by the native Dravidians of
> Southern India.
> Since Carnatic music is prevalent in South India, many
> scholars believe
> that the ancient Tamil music is an important source from
> which Carnatic
> music is derived.
>
> After the Sangita Ratnakara of Sarngadeva (1210-1247), the
> word
> “Carnatic” came to represent the South Indian Classical
> Music as a
> separate system of music. A clear demarcation between
> Hindustani music
> and Carnatic music as two different forms of Indian
> classical music is seen
> around the latter half of the 14th century. Classical
> Indian music flourished in the southern capital cities,
> particularly in Vijayanagara and Tanjavur. A number of
> musical treatises describing the concepts of Carnatic music
> were written. The present form of Carnatic music is based on
> historical developments that can be traced to the 15th -
> 16th AD and thereafter.
>
> MYTHOLOGICAL ASPECTS
>
> In India, mythology has a very important place and its
> influence on the art
> and culture of the country is phenomenal, Carnatic music
> being no
> exception. Owing to its spiritual and devotional aspects,
> Carnatic music is
> associated with Hinduism, the dominant religion of India.
> The origin of this art has been attributed to the Gods and
> Goddesses. Moreover, individual deities are associated with
> different kinds of musical instruments. We cannot conceive
> of Krishna without the flute or Saraswati without the
> Veena.
>
> The literary sources such as the epics and mythological
> anthologies also
> mention the close association of music with divinity.
> Apart from these sources, many saints and scholars believe
> that music is
> the greatest form of tapasya (penance) and the easiest way
> to reach
> godhead or to attain salvation. Most of the musical
> compositions are either
> philosophical in content or describe the various deities or
> incidents from
> Hindu mythology. There are others who believe that music
> itself is divine
> and that the perfect synchronisation of the performer with
> the musical
> sound, Nada, is the real divine bliss. This practice is
> called Nadopasana.
> Many musicians and music lovers visualise divine forms in
> the Ragas or the
> melodic entities of Carnatic music.
>
> HISTORY OF CARNATIC MUSIC
>
> The history of Carnatic music can be studied based on three
> major periods
> of development, namely, Ancient, Medieval and Modern. Let's
> now look into
> the finer details of each.
>
> THE ANCIENT PERIOD (Vedic period - 4th Century AD):
>
> This was the vital period in the history of Indian music.
> During this period there is no mention of the term, Carnatic
> music, in any of the sources, but there is sufficient reason
> to believe that this period was crucial to the original
> development of Carnatic music. Some important references are
> cited here:
>
> Vedas:
>
> Of the four Vedas, Rig Veda (hymns) was first recited in a
> monotone
> known as archika, which later developed into the two toned
> chant (gatika).
> This was subsequently replaced by a three-toned chant,
> samika, which had
> a main tone and two accents, one higher and one lower. Sama
> Veda is
> considered as the main source for the development of Indian
> music and
> the first full scale with seven notes in the descending
> order are seen in the rendering, even to this day. The
> melody is close to the scale of the raga, Kharaharapriya
> (22nd Melakarta) or Natakapriya (10th Melakarta).
> Several references to music of musical instruments are seen
> in the Vedas.
> One of the earliest references to musical theory is found
> in the Rik
> Pratisakya (around 400BC), which mentions the origin of
> seven notes from
> the three notes.
>
> Upanishads (the concluding part of Vedas), containing the
> essence of
> Vedas (100 BC - 300 BC), mention the musical notes and
> gives other
> musical references. Musical instruments like the Vina and
> Dundubhi are
> mentioned in the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. The two great
> epics,
> Ramayana (circa 40 BC) and Mahabharata, also have several
> musical
> references.
> There is also a mention of Gandharvas [(demi-gods) (600 -
> 500 BC)], who
> were exceptionally versatile in music. Bharata in his
> Natyasastra, also
> acknowledges saying that music belonged to the Gandharvas.
>
> Bharata's Natyasastra (The 2nd - 4th century AD)
>
> This is the earliest treatise to extensively elaborate on
> the science of music and dance. Music is dealt only partly
> in this treatise. Yet, various aspects like the ancient
> melodies (Jaatis) which are the archetypes of Ragas, their
> characteristic features, structure and the classification of
> the ancient instruments have been made in this work. The
> notes (swaras), their varieties, combination (varnas) and
> other such aspects are also
> elaborately described.
>
> Bharata has given the fundamentals of music as comprising
> Swara, Tala
> and Pada. The music till Bharata’s period was known as
> Marga (literally
> meaning way).
>
> In the ancient period, the native Dravidians of the south
> had their own
> style, which is generally called Tamil music, owing to the
> native regional
> language of the area. The Sangam literature till 3rd AD, in
> particular, has
> many references to this style. Works like Silappadikaram of
> Ilango Adigal,
> and its commentaries, describe the logical derivations of
> the important
> scales through the modal shift of tonic. The Tamil names of
> these notes
> have also been mentioned. Other works like Tolkappiam,
> Pattupattu, etc.
> also give musical references. Some of these descriptions
> and references
> correspond to contemporary Carnatic music concepts.
>
> MEDIEVAL PERIOD (5th - 16th Century AD) During this period,
> many
> important musical concepts evolved in clear terms and in
> this period, more
> care was taken to put into record, some of the important
> musical
> developments by several music scholars, to enable us to
> have proper
> historical links. Several musical composers and luminaries
> have also lived
> during this period.
>
> The work of Matanga (6th - 7th Century A.D.), Brihaddesi,
> is the first to
> mention the word, Raga. This text also gives the names of
> the then popular
> Ragas, with their suitable structures, and a basic
> classification system.
> The other notable feature during that period was the
> gradual development of
> the art of music as an independent form, breaking away from
> being overly
> dependent on forms of dance and drama.
>
> The Kudimiyanmalai inscriptions in a cave, near Pudukottai
> (Tamilnadu),
> has an array of musical diction (notation) of South Indian
> music in the 7th
> century AD. The Tevarams (6th - 9th century AD), songs in
> praise of Lord
> Siva, used more than 20 scales with Tamil names, which were
> equivalent
> to the present system of Carnatic music. Many of these
> Tevarams are still
> rendered as musical pieces in concerts. This corpus, along
> with the Divya
> Prabandham (compositions of the Vaishnavite Azhwars, 6th -
> 8th century
> AD), have been a significant contribution of the Tamil
> speaking region to
> Carnatic music.
>
> The Tiruppugazh of Arunagirinathar, who lived around the
> 15th century, is
> another inspiring Tamil work which significantly affected
> Carnatic music.
> This has complex rhythmic meters, which remain unique and
> unsurpassed
> in their grandeur.
>
> The Gita Govinda of Jayadeva (12th century) is a monumental
> work of the
> medieval period in Sanskrit, consisting of 24 songs, each
> set to a particular Raga. The rhythmic meter is determined
> by the meter of the verse. These were, probably, the
> earliest examples close to the regular musical compositions
> and are called Ashtapadis (ashta meaning eight and padi
> meaning foot). These are popular throughout India even
> today, though the original tunes are lost. Contemporary
> musicians from both the Carnatic and Hindustani traditions
> have set these songs to music independently.
> Sangeeta Ratnakara An important musical treatise was
> written by
> Sarngadeva (1210-1247). This work contains five thousand
> couplets in
> Sanskrit written in nine chapters, comprehensively covering
> Swaras,
> Ragas, Prabandhas (musical form of this period),
> Tala-vadyas (percussion
> instruments), Gamakas (ornamentations) and other such
> aspects. This
> work establishes the complete growth of Indian music from
> the period of
> the Natya Sastra (2nd century) to the 13th century. This
> work stands out
> particularly as a link between the two new systems that
> gradually split and
> evolved separately after his period, namely, the Hindustani
> music and
> Carnatic music. The music between the period of Brihaddesi
> and the
> Sangeeta Ratnakara was known as the Desi system.
>
> Sarngadeva’s work inspired many later scholars who wrote
> musicological
> treatises. The Sangeeta Sara, attributed to Vidyaranya
> (1320-1380) was
> the first to classify ragas as Melas (Parent) and Janya
> ragas. After this
> work, there seems to have been a lull in the theoretical
> development for
> almost two centuries. Ramamatya wrote his treatise,
> Swaramela Kalanidhi,
> in the 16th century. The clear exposition of Mela, Raga and
> Vina technique
> must be accredited to him. His effort served as a firm and
> fitting
> foundation to the growth of the modern music system and may
> be
> considered as the milestone in the scientific development
> of our music.
>
> Musical Forms.
>
> This period gradually traces the evolution from
> Gandharvagana forms like
> Dhruvagana of Bharata’s period, through the different
> kinds of
> Prabandhas, to the present day forms. Several important
> forms were
> composed during this period - Tevaram, Divyaprabandham,
> Tiruppavai (is a
> part of Divyaprabandham), Ashtapadis, Padams, Kritis,
> Gitams, apart from
> the Abhyasa gana, Alankara and Swaravalis for beginners.
> Tallapakkam Annamacharya (1425 - 1503 AD), composed in a
> new form
> called Kriti, having three sections, namely the Pallavi,
> Anupallavi and
> Charanam. This pattern became widely accepted and was
> popularised by
> later composers, in particular, the Trinity. This stands
> out as an
> outstanding contribution of Annamacharya to the practical
> side of our
> music. He is credited to have composed about thirty two
> thousand
> compositions of which around twelve thousand have been
> traced and some
> of these have been still preserved in copper plates. The
> Kritis were not as
> complicated as the earlier Prabandha forms.
>
> Purandaradasa (1484 - 1564 AD) is known as the Sangeeta
> Pitamaha (the
> grandfather of Carnatic music). A prolific composer, he
> laid the foundation
> for the systematic learning of the system and he is
> credited to have
> formulated the swara exercises for practice, apart from
> composing simple
> songs, Gitams, and a number of compositions (Kritis) with
> high
> philosophical import. In short, during the medieval period,
> one can say that Carnatic music gradually attained its
> individuality built over a historically strong foundation.
> In particular, after the 13th century, no major treatise is
> seen from the North. Tanjavur and Vijayanagara emerged as
> the major seats of Carnatic music, with a number of classic
> monumental works being produced in both the theoretical and
> practical aspects of music.
>
> MODERN PERIOD:
>
> (17th century to present day) The 17th century can be
> considered as a golden age of Carnatic music. It marks
> several important
> milestones of Carnatic music in diversified angles, thus,
> enriching this
> traditional art form, while preserving the past glories.
> Some of the most
> important developments in both Lakshana (theoretical) and
> Lakshya (practical) aspects took place during this period.
>
> Theoretical aspects.
>
> The well structured 72 Melakarta scheme was formulated by
> Venkatamakhi in his treatise Chaturdandi Prakasika in 1660
> AD. This
> scheme is the proud heritage of our music, and is not
> simply of academic
> interest, but also has immense practical value to all
> musicians,
> musicologists and students. Other important treatises on
> music written
> during this period are the Sangeeta Saramrita of Tulaja
> (1729 - 1735 AD),
> Sangeeta Sudha of Govinda Dikshita and the Sangraha
> Choodamani of
> Govinda (1750 A.D).
>
> By the end of the 19th century, notational schemes were
> developed, for
> written representation of musical compositions. These were
> published in
> works like Subbarama Dikshitar’s Sangeeta Sampradaya
> Pradarsini in
> Telugu and Manikka Mudaliar’s Tamil work, Sangeeta
> Chandrikai. A M
> Chinnasami Mudaliar published south Indian music
> compositions written in
> western staff notation. These early pioneers in recent
> times have paved
> the way for a research-oriented understanding of this
> practical art form.
> While the theoretical works were trying to keep pace with
> the practical
> music, the practical music itself was evolving continuously
> and a number
> of luminaries have made a tremendous impact on refinement
> of this art
> form, to keep it fresh and alive.
>
> Practical aspects.
>
> In the 18th century, within a short period from 1763 - 1775
> AD, were born
> the three great composers of Carnatic music, who were later
> to be
> celebrated as the Musical Trinity (Trimurti) - Syama Sastri
> (1762 - 1827)
> Tyagaraja (1767-1847) and Muthuswami Dikshitar (1776-1835).
> All of
> them combined their immense knowledge, deep spirituality
> and profound
> traditional musicianship with an amazing sense of
> creativity and innovative
> spirit. This has made their contribution to Carnatic music
> invaluable. The
> art of musical composition was elevated to great heights at
> their hands. It
> can confidently be asserted that all later composers have
> tried to live up to the standards set by these three bright
> stars. Other great composers who
> have contributed to the vast repertoire of Carnatic music
> compositions
> include Swati Tirunal (1813-1847), Vina Kuppayyar,
> Subbaraya Sastri,
> Gopalakrishna Bharati, Ghanam Krishna Iyer, Patnam
> Subramanya Iyer,
> Koteeswara Iyer, Muthaiah Bhagavatar, Mysore Vasudevachar
> and Papanasam Sivan and many others.
>
> Musical concepts.
>
> The 72 Melakarta scheme was responsible for the
> transformation in the
> Raga system of Carnatic music. Several new Ragas came into
> existence
> and were popularised by means of compositions tuned by the
> Trinity of
> composers along with others who followed the 72 Melakarta
> scheme. Many
> different kinds of musical compositions developed, having
> different
> structural arrangements (musical forms). These include the
> Varnam, Kriti,
> Padam, Javali, Tillana, Swarajati and other varieties.
> These forms have
> continued to remain popular in the 20th century.
>
> Till the end of the 19th century, the patronage of Carnatic
> music and
> musicians was mostly limited to the major temples and royal
> courts, as
> also a few rich landowners, who arranged concerts for
> various events. In
> the 20th century, the patronage has taken a different
> shape, with the
> advent of a number of organisations (Sabhas) and corporate
> sponsors who
> have brought a more professional outlook to this
> traditional art-form. As a
> result, Carnatic music is now heard in all major Indian
> cities, as also in
> major centers in Asia, Europe and America.
>
> Music Education.
>
> The learning and teaching processes have also adopted
> themselves to the
> changes in the living style, over the years. The
> traditional Gurukula system has given way to an
> institutional system of training in the 20th century.
> Several good musicians have taken to teaching as their
> profession. Modern educational tools have been pressed into
> service, with the growth of
> recording technology. From analog tape recorders to state
> of the art
> computers and internet connections are being put to use in
> imparting
> musical education worldwide.
>
> The written musical notation system has undergone several
> changes over
> the years and has been used as a reference material for
> learning. Research
> oriented study and documentation of musical forms have also
> increased
> over the years. A number of books in different languages,
> by musicians and
> musicologists, have also been useful to understand the
> different concepts
> of this system of music. The involvement of mass media and
> communications has been a vital factor in the increase in
> interest of the unexposed, to this traditional art form.
> Through all this change, Carnatic music has not only gained
> new vigour, but has also retained its freshness
> within the traditional framework of this system.
>
> TIME PERIOD IMPORTANT CREATIONS IMPORTANT PERSONALITIES
> NOTES.
>
> 1000 BC.
>
>  Sama Veda
>  Chants to Vedic hymns
>
> 500 - 1000 BC.
>  Parivrajaka Upanishad
>  Early Tamil school
>  Narada
>  Equivalent of Swara system defined
>
> 2nd century AD
>
>  Natya Sastra
>  Silappadikaram
>  Bharata
>  Ilango Adigal
>  Treatise on Dance and music (references to Tala,
> musical modes &
> forms)
>  References to Tamil music concept
>
> 5th century AD
>
>  Brihaddesi
>  Matanga
>  Early compilation of Ragas, then known as Jaatis
> 7th century AD
>  Kudimiyanmalai inscriptions (stone) in Pudukottai
> district, Tamilnadu
>  Musical notations (Probably the first)
>
> 7th - 9th century AD
>
>  Tevaram
>  Tirumurai
>  Divyaprabandha
>  Appar
>  Sundaramurti
>  Tirugnanasambandar
>  Manikkavachakar
>  Other Nayanmars & Azhwars
>  Sacred Tamil music forms
>  Pann concept
>
> 12th century AD
>
>  Gita Govinda
>  Sangeeta Makaranda
>  Panditaradhya Charita
>  Sangeeta Sudhakara
>  Jayadeva
>  Narada
>  Palkuriki Somanatha
>  Haripaladeva
>  Classification of Gamakas
>  Various srutis identified
>
> 1210 - 1247 AD
>
>  Sangeeta Ratnakara
>  Sarngadeva
>  Desi system of music was explained in detail.
>  The 22-sruti concept was born.
>  Distinction between Marga and Desi given.
>
> 12th, 13th & 14th century AD
>
>  Gradual emergence of Tanjavur and Vijayanagar as seats
> of music.
>  Muslim invasion of North India.
>  Development of Hindustani music.
>
> 14th century AD
>
>  Raga Tarangini
>  Sangeeta Sara
>  Lochana Kavi
>  Vidyaranya (1320 - 1380 AD)
>  Development of the concept of Raga alapana.
>
> 15th century AD
>
>  Tiruppugazh
>  Arunagirinathar
>  Purandaradasa (1484 - 1564)
>  Annamacharya (1424 - 1503)
>  Kanakadasa
>  Introduction and structuraing of basic music lessons.
>  Evolution of kriti, pada formats
>  Growth of Namasankeertana and Bhajana Paddhati (group
> rendition
> of devotional music).
>
> 1550 AD
>
>  Swaramela Kalanidhi
>  Ramamatya
>  Explanation of the word Mela, Vina techniques and other
> musical
> concepts.
>
> 1609 AD
>
>  Raga Vibodha
>  Somanatha
>
> - 1660 AD
>
>  Sangeeta Parijata
>  Ahobala
> -
> 17th century AD (approximately)
>
>  Chaturdandi Prakasika
>  Venkatamakhi
>  Evolution of modern music theory.
>  Development of 72-mela system.
>
> 17th century AD
>
>  Anupa Sangeeta Vilasa
>  Bhavabhatta Shahoji, Maharaja of Tanjavur (1684 -
> 1710)
>  Patronage of music and composers.
>
> 17th - 18th century AD
>
>  Sangraha Choodamani
>  Govindacharya
>  Development of musical forms like Varnams.
>  Musical treatise with the 72-melakarta scheme along
> with names
> written.
>
> 18th century AD
>
>  Trinity of Carnatic music - Tyagaraja, Muthuswami
> Dikshitar and
> Syama Sastri
>  Other Tamil composers like Gopalakrishna Bharati
>  Regarded as the Golden era of Carnatic music.
>
> 19th century AD
>
>  Composers like Subbaraya Sastri, Swati Tirunal, Tachi
> Singaracharlu,
> Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer, Patnam Subramanya Iyer, Vina
> Seshanna
> and Subbarama Dikshitar
>  Carnatic music became richer with more compositions.
>
> 1895 - 1950 AD
>
>  Sangeeta Sampradaya Pradarsini
>  Composers like Papanasam Sivan, Koteeswara Iyer,
> Mysore
> Vasudevachar, Muthaiah Bhagavatar
>  Muthuswami Dikshitar's compositions with notations
> published
> through the Sampradaya Pradarsini.
>  Concepts like Gamakas etc explained in the same.
>  Emergence of Sabhas.
>  Golden era for Carnatic concert scene.
>  Emergence of institutional education for music.
>  Development of mass media like radio and recording
> companies.
>  Influx of patriotic songs in the wake of the Indian
> freedom
> movement.
>  Carnatic music came to be adopted in film music.
>
> 20th century AD
>
>  Technological developments as a result of the
> electronic and
> computer age.
>  Adoption of western instruments like Guitar, Mandolin,
> Keyboard etc
> in the concert scene.
>  Arrival of TV, cassettes, CDs, CD-ROMs, VCDs etc.
>  Growth and globalisation of professional music.
> Carnatic music (also spelled Karnatak music or Karnatik
> music, and
> originally called Karṇāṭaka sangīta or Karṇāṭaka
> sangītam in India) is
> known as one of the two styles of Indian classical music,
> the other being
> Hindustani music. Its classical tradition is from the
> southern part of the
> Indian subcontinent, and its area roughly corresponds to
> the four modern
> states of South India: Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala,
> and Tamil Nadu.
> 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, Carnatic music rests on two main
> elements: rāga, the
> modes or melodic formulæ, and tāḷa, the rhythmic
> cycles.
>
> Etymology.
>
> Origins and history.
>
> Like all art forms in Indian culture, Carnatic music is
> believed to have a
> divine origin - it is believed to have input from the Devas
> and
> Devis.However, it is also generally accepted that the
> natural origins of
> music were an important factor in the development of
> Carnatic music.
> Ancient treatises describe the connection of the origin of
> the swaras, or
> notes, to the sounds of animals and birds, and man's keen
> sense of
> observation and perception that tried simulating these
> sounds - after
> hearing and distinguishing between the different sounds
> that emanated
> from bamboo reed when air passes through its hollows, man
> designed the
> first flute. In this way, music is venerated as an aspect
> of the supreme
> (nāda brāhmam). Folk music is also said to have been a
> natural origin of
> Carnatic music, with many folk tunes corresponding to
> certain Carnatic
> ragas.
>
> The Vedas are generally accepted as the main probable
> source of Indian
> music. The Sama Veda is said to have laid the foundation
> for Indian music,
> and consists mainly of hymns of Rigveda, set to musical
> tunes which would
> be sung using three to seven musical notes during Vedic
> sacrifices. The
> Yajur-Veda, which mainly consists of sacrificial formulae,
> mentions the
> veena as an accompaniment to vocal recitations during the
> sacrifices.
> References to Indian classical music are made in many
> ancient religious
> texts, including epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata.
> The
> Yajnavalkya Smriti mentions "vīṇāvādanatattvajñaḥ
> 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 salvation without doubt.").
>
> Carnatic music is based on music concepts mentioned in
> Bharata's Natya Shastra. The Natya Shastra mentions many
> musical concepts (including swara and tala) that continue to
> be relevant to Carnatic music today.
> Carnatic music saw revolutionary growth during the
> Vijayanagar Empire by
> the Kannada Haridasa movement of Vyasaraja, Purandara
> Dasa,
> Kanakadasa and others. Purandara Dasa who is known as the
> Sangeeta
> Pitamaha meaning the father (founder) of Carnatic music,
> laid out the
> complete fundamental principles and framework for Carnatic
> music.
> Venkatamakhin is credited with the classification of ragas
> in the Melakarta
> System and wrote his most important work; Chaturdandi
> Prakasika in
> Sanskrit. Govindacharya expanded the Melakarta Scheme into
> the
> Sampoorna raga system, which is the system in common use
> today.
>
> Even though the earlier writers Matanga, Sarangadeva and
> others also
> were from Karnataka, the music tradition was formally named
> Karnataka
> Sangeetha for the first time only in the 13th Century when
> the
> Vijayanagara empire was founded. Since the late 12th and
> early 13th
> centuries, as a result of the increasing Persian influence
> (and as a result of the Islamic conquest) in North India,
> Hindustani Music started evolving as a separate genre, while
> Carnatic music was relatively unaffected by these Arabic and
> Iranian influences. A clear demarcation between Hindustani
> music and Carnatic music can be seen in the latter half of
> the 14th century, as the word "Carnatic" came to represent
> South Indian classical music as a separate system of music.
>
> A unique development in the art of instrumental Carnatic
> music took shape
> under the patronage of the kings of the Kingdom of Mysore
> in the 18th
> through 20th centuries. The composers used to play their
> compositions on
> instruments such as the veena, rudra veena, violin,
> tambura, ghata, flute,
> mridangam, nagaswara, swarabhat.
>
> Some instruments such as harmonium, sitar and jaltarang,
> though uncommon to the southern region came into use and the
> English influence popularised the saxophone and piano. Even
> royalty of this dynasty were noted composers and proficient
> in playing musical instruments, solo or in concert with
> others. Some famous instrumentalists were:-
>
> Veena Sheshanna(1852-1926),
>
> Veena Subbanna
> (1861-1939),
>
> T. Chowdiah and others.
>
> Nature of Carnatic music.
>
> 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).[17] Like
> Hindustani music, Carnatic music rests on two main
> elements: rāga, the
> modes or melodic formulæ, and tāḷa, the rhythmic
> cycles.[18]
> Carnatic music is practised and presented today 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 of Carnatic music.
>
> 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 shruti 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-lati).
> 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 shows vowel
> changes to
> solfege symbols with ra, ri, ru etc. to denote the higher
> quarter-tones. In
> one scale, or ragam, 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 -
> very similar to the Western concept of mode. It specifies
> rules for
> movements up (aarohanam) and down (avarohanam), the scale
> of which
> notes should figure more and which notes should be used
> more sparingly,
> which notes may be sung with gamaka, which phrases should
> be used,
> phrases should be avoided, and so on.
>
> 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 seventytwo
> melakarta ragas, thirty six of whose madhyama (subdominant)
> is
> sadharana (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 chakras
> ("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
> Ragas.
>
> Ragas may be divided into two classes: janaka ragas (i.e
> melakarta or
> parent ragas) and janyaragas (descendant ragas of a
> particular janaka
> raga). Janya ragas are subclassified into various
> categories themselves.
>
> Tala system
>
> Tala refers to the beat set for a particular composition (a
> measure of time).
>
> Talas 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
> angas) 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:
>
> Dhruva tala
>
> Matya tala
>
> Rupaka tala
>
> Jhampa tala
>
> Triputa tala
>
> Ata tala
>
> Eka tala
>
> A laghu has five variants (called jaathis) based on the
> counting pattern.
> Five jaathis times seven tala groups gives thirty-five
> basic talas, although use of other angas results in a total
> of 108 talas.
> Improvisation
>
> There are four main types of improvisation in Carnatic
> music, but in every
> type, adhering to the scale and phrases of the raga is
> required.
>
> Raga Alapana.
>
> This is the exposition of the ragam of the song that is
> being planned to be
> performed. A performer will explore the ragam first by
> singing lower
> octaves then moving up to higher ones and touching various
> aspects of the
> ragam while giving a hint of the song to be performed. It
> is a slow
> improvisation with no rhythm. 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.
>
> This is usually performed by the more advanced concert
> artists and
> consists of singing one or two lines of a song repeatedly,
> but with
> improvised elaborations. Niraval comes out of manodharma
> sangeetha,
> where the selected line is repeated within the tala timing
> to bring out the
> beauty of both the raaga, and the line or composition being
> rendered.
>
> Kalpanaswaram.
>
> The most elementary type of improvisation, usually taught
> before any
> other form of improvisation. It consists of singing a
> pattern of notes which finishes on the beat and the note
> just before the beat and the note on which the song starts.
> The swara pattern should adhere to the original
> raga's swara pattern, which is called as
> aarohanam-avarohanam.
>
> Thanam
>
> This form of improvisation was originally developed for the
> veena and
> consists of expanding the raga with syllables like tha,
> nam, thom, aa, nom,
> na, etc.
>
> Ragam Thanam Pallavi.
>
> This is a composite form of improvisation. As the name
> suggests, it
> consists of Raga Alapana, Thanam, and a pallavi line. The
> pallavi line is
> sung twice, and Niraval follows. After Niraval, the pallavi
> line is sung
> again, twice in normal speed, then sung once at half the
> speed, then twice
> at regular speed, then four times at twice the speed.
> Kalpanaswarams
> follow.
>
> Compositions.
>
> In contrast to Hindustani music 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, and while there
> are many other
> types/forms of compositions (including padam, javali, and
> thillana), the
> most common forms are the Varnam, and most importantly, the
> kriti (or
> kirtanam), which are discussed below.
>
> Varnam.
>
> This is a special item which highlights everything
> important about a raga,
> known as the sanchaaraas of a raga - this includes which
> notes to stress,
> how to approach a certain note, classical and
> characteristic phrases of a
> raga, the scale of the raga, and so on. Though there are a
> few different
> types of varnams, in essence, they all have a pallavi, an
> anupallavi,
> muktayi swaras, a charanam, and chittaswaras. They are sung
> in multiple
> speeds, and are very good for practice. In concerts,
> varnams are often
> sung at the beginning as they are fast and grab the
> audience's attention.
>
> 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. One or two
> lines.
>
> Anupallavi. The second verse. Also two 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.
> 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.
>
> Ugabhoga.
>
> Ugabhoga is an integral part of Carnatic music concert
> where the artist
> elaborates the treatment of raga characteristics through
> lyric based
> freestyle verses. It is the starting item of kriti that Sri
> Purandara Daasa
> introduced in the 15th century when he laid out the format
> for Carnatic
> music. Later it led to freestyle rendering of ragas without
> lyrics known as
> alaapane (alapana).
>
> Prominent composers.
>
> There are many composers in Carnatic music.
>
> Purandara Dasa (1480 - 1564) is known as the father
> (Pitamaha) of
> Carnatic music due to his pioneering contributions to
> Carnatic music.
> Purandara Dasa is renowned for formulating the basic
> lessons of 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. Although only a fraction of his other
> compositions still
> exist, he is said to have composed around 475,000
> compositions in total.
>
> The contemporaries:
>
> Tyagaraja (1759? - 1847),
>
> Muthuswami Dikshitar,
>
> (1776 - 1827)
> and
>
> Syama Sastri, (1762 - 1827)
>
> are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music due to 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:
>
> Annamacharya,
>
> Narayana Theertha,
>
> Vijaya Dasa,
>
> Bhadrachala Ramadas,
>
> Sadasiva Brahmendra
>
> and
>
> Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi.
>
> Other prominentcomposers are:
>
> Swathi Thirunal,
>
> Gopalakrishna Bharathi,
>
> Neelakanta Sivan,
>
> Patnam Subramania Iyer
>
> , Mysore Vasudevachar,
>
> Koteeswara Iyer,
>
> Muthiah Bhagavathar
>
> Subramania Bharathiyar
>
> and
>
> Papanasam Sivan.
>
> The compositions of these composers are rendered frequently
> by prominent
> artists of today.
>
> Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by
> religious devotion and
> were usually scholars proficient in one or more of the
> following languages
> Kannada, Malayalam, Sanskrit, Tamil and Telugu. They
> usually included a
> signature, called a mudra, in their compositions. For
> example, all songs by
> Tyagaraja (who composed in Telugu) have the word Thyagaraja
> 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 while
> Purandaradasa, who
> composed in Kannada, used the signature Purandara Vittala.
> Gopalakrishna Bharathi used the signature Gopalakrishnan
> and composed
> in Tamil. Papanasam Sivan, who has been hailed as the Tamil
> Thyagaraja
> of Carnatic music, also composed in this language, as well
> as Sanskrit, and
> used the signature Ramadasan.
>
> Learning Carnatic music.
>
> Carnatic music is traditionally taught according to the
> system formulated
> by Purandara Dasa. This involves swaravalis (graded
> exercises), alankaras
> (exercises based on the seven talas), Geethams or simple
> songs, and
> Swarajatis. 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
> the increasing
> order of the 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
> system, where the
> student lived with and learnt the art from his guru
> (perceptor). From the
> late 20th century onwards, with changes in lifestyles and
> need for young
> music aspirants to simultaneously manoeuvre a parallel
> academic career,
> this system has found few takers.
>
> Musicians often take great pride in letting people know
> about their Guru
> Parampara, or the hierarchy of disciples from some
> prominent ancient
> musician or composer, to which they belong. People whose
> disciplehierarchies are often referred to are Thyagaraja,
> Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri, Swathi Thirunal,
> Papanasam Sivan among others.
> In modern times, it is often 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, 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
> Saraswathi 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 Western music, Carnatic music is notated almost
> exclusively in tonic
> solfa 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 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 (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.
>
> Concerts.
>
> Carnatic music concerts are usually performed by a small
> ensemble of
> musicians who sit on a slightly elevated stage. Carnatic
> music concerts can
> be vocal recitals, accompanied by supporting instruments,
> or purely
> instrumental concerts, but irrespective of whether it is a
> vocal or purely
> instrumental concert, what is featured in a typical concert
> are
> compositions which form the core of this music. The
> lead-musician must
> also choose a signature octave based on his/her (vocal)
> range of comfort.
> However, it is expected that a musician maintains that same
> pitch once it
> is selected, and so to help all the performers maintain the
> selected pitch,
> the tambura is the traditional drone instrument used in
> concerts. However,
> tamburas are increasingly being replaced by śruti boxes,
> and now more
> commonly, the "Electronic tambura".
>
> In a vocal recital, a concert team may have one or more
> vocalists,
> accompanied by instrumentalists. Other instruments such as
> the veena
> and/or flute can be found to occasionally accompany a lead
> vocalist, but
> usually a vocalist is supported by a violin player (who
> sits on his/her left), and a few percussion players
> including at least a mridangam (who usually sits on the
> other side of the vocalist, facing the instrumentalist).
> Other percussion instruments that are also used include the
> ghatam, kanjira and morsing, which also accompany the main
> percussion instrument and play almost in a 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 outlines by
> the lead singer. The vocalist and the violinist take turns
> while elaborating or while exhibiting creativity in sections
> like raga, niraval and kalpanaswaram. Unlike Hindustani
> music concerts, where an accompanying tabla player can keep
> beats without following the musical phrases at times, in
> Carnatic music, the accompaniments have to know follow
> intricacies of the composition since there are percussion
> elements such as eduppu, in several compositions. Some of
> the best concerts feature a good bit of interaction with the
> lead musicians and the accompaniments exchanging notes, and
> accompanying musicians predicting the lead singer
>
> musical phrases.
>
> A contemporary Carnatic concert (called a kutcheri) usually
> lasts about
> three hours, and usually 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 alternatively, follow the
> varnam.
>
> After the varnam and/or invocatory item, the artist sings
> longer
> compositions called kirtanas (commonly referred to as
> kritis). 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 and lapses in the beat
> of the song, and create a
> complex pattern of notes that an experienced 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 thenraga 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 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 performers 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
> kritis 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 has a reasonable
> 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 plays the request and it
> helps in exhibiting
> the artist's broad knowledge of the several thousand kritis
> that are in
> existence.
>
> Modern concerts.
>
> Madras Music Season.
>
> Every December, the city of Chennai in India has its six
> week-long 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, as well as non-Carnatic art forms.
>
> TAALA OF CARNATIC MUSIC.
>
> Being able to feel the beats and keep with time comes by
> nature to every
> human being. No one can stop tapping his feet for good
> music. How does
> this tap come up? Our subconscious mind recognizes the
> rhythmic
> boundary and gets in sync with the music heard. Rhythm
> represents
> nothing but time which is measured in terms of beats.
> Without a conscious
> effort, many a times we would have felt the pulse and keep
> with time while
> listening to some music, following the rhythm by counting
> beats! One
> important thing to be aware of is the fact that music is
> primarily an
> intuitive process and so is the rhythm. “Tala” in
> Sanskrit means a
> “clap”.Tala is the pattern that determines the rhythmic
> structure in a
> musical composition. Carnatic vocalists demonstrate tala by
> clapping their
> palms. Instrumentalists, having their hands engaged on the
> instruments ,
> use their feet and the thighs to tap and mark the beats.
>
> Taala (rhythm) is the basic factor involved in the three
> major branches of
> Indian classical arts being geetham, vadyam and nrityam.
> Tala (rhythm) is
> a concept adopted to explain the time frame in music and
> dance. Indian
> music has more number of taalas (rhythm) than any other
> forms of music
> in the world. The diversity of taalas (rhythm) is
> considered as the most
> important characteristic of south Indian classical carnatic
> music.
> The most important talas in sout Indian classical carnatic
> music accounts
> to seven in number. They are dhruva, madyam, rupakam,
> tchampa,
> tripuda, ada and eka. Symbolic representation of the above
> said taalas are
> as follows.
>
> Dhruva Taala O
>
> Madyam Taala O
>
> Rupakam Taala O O
>
> Tchampa Taala O O
>
> Tripuda Taala O O
>
> Ada Taala O
>
> E ka Taala
>
> All the above said talas have forms like Tisram,
> Chaturastam, Ghantam,
> Misram, Sangeernam. Altogether there are 35 taalas in
> Carnatic Music. The
> most popular talas presently used in carnatic music are adi
> tala, rupaka
> tala,misrachapu and ghantachappu. The details of these
> talas are as
> follows.
>
> Adi Tala (Chaturasra Jati Tripuda)
>
> The tala is having 8 aksharakkala. Total number of matra
> accounts to 32
> (8X4). The jati for the tala is ta - ka - dhi - mi – ta
> – ka – dhi - mi'
>
> Rupakam
>
> The tala is having 3 aksharakkala. Total number of matra
> accounts to 12
> (3X4).
>
> The jati for the tala is ta - ka - dhi - mi – ta - ka -
> dhi - mi – ta - ka - dhi – mi
>
> Mista Chappu
>
> This tala is mainly displayed using two beats. Misra Chappu
> Tala is having
> 7 aksharakalam. Jati of this tala is ta – ki - ta - ta -
> ka – dhi – mi.
>
> Ghanta Chappu
>
> This tala is also mainly displayed using two beats.Total
> aksharakkalam of
> this tala is 5 (2+3). Jati for this tala is ta - ka ta - ki
> – ta
> All aspects of rhythm are guarded by a constantly repeated
> cycle of beats.
> Talas are just not just the recurrent time cycles, but have
> their individual structure and influence on the composition.
> Just as a raga brings out the bhavam(rasam/emotion) in the
> song, so does the talam have a role in revealing the
> mood/tempo of the composition. A composition like “Telisi
> Rama chintanatho” would spring up the pace and tempo
> setting in a lively environment;while on the other end,”
> Maayamma nine” in ahiri would
> leave a melancholic effect on the audience.Not the Ragam
> alone, but the
> talam also has a significant role in bringing out the
> complete mood of a
> song. The word “Talam” is said to have been derived
> from Thandavam-
> Divine dance of Lord Shiva and Lasyam – dance of Goddess
> Parvathi.
> Carnatic Music's contribution to the World of music is the
> concept of
> “Talam”. As just said above, each Talam has a defined
> structure.
> Let us take the simplest of the Carnatic Talas and
> understand its structure.
>
> Adi Tala, technically called “Chatushra jaathi triputa
> tala”. The way this
> Talam is constructed is as follows: 1 beat of the palm on
> the thigh followed by counting three fingers starting with
> the least small finger, proceeding towards the middle
> finger. -The above two steps gave us 4 rhythmic spaces
> (beats) in total. The second part of the structure is as
> follows:
>
> 1 beat of the palm and turning it over, then again a beat
> on the palm and
> turning it over -The last two steps gave us 4 more rhythmic
> spaces. If we
> count the total number of rhythmic spaces, we get 8 of
> them. In other
> words, we say Adi tala has 8 units or 8 aksharakaalams. The
> first part of
> the talam which consists of a beat and the counts is
> called
> “Lagu”(represented by the symbol “1”).The number of
> units in the lagu
> defines the “jathi” or the “family” to which the
> Talam belongs. Depending
> on the number of units in the lagu, the Talas can be
> grouped into different
> families/jaathis as follows: Tisra : 3 units Chatusra : 4
> units Khanda : 5
> units Misra : 7 units Sankeerna : 9 units In our example of
> Adi tala, we see 4 units in the lagu.So it belongs to
> chatusra jaathi. The second part of the structure mostly
> contains drutham(represented by the symbol “0”). 1
> drutham = one beat of the palm on the thigh followed by
> turning the palm
> over for a second beat. In some cases, there may be half of
> drutham, i.e.,
> just the beat of the palm without turning it and is called
> Anudrtham. In our example of Adi tala, the above is done
> twice.So we have two druthams.
> The lagu and the dhrutham/s together define the Tala
> lakshanam , in other
> words called the Angams of the Talam. Likewise we discussed
> different
> jaathis,we have different structures of Talams, just like
> the one structure
> we just followed above(Adi talam = chatusra jaathi triputa
> talam). Basic
> seven talams are defined in carnatic music which are being
> taught in the
> preliminary “Alankarams” chapter in the Music classes.
> They are: 1.
> Dhruva talam 2. Matya Talam 3. Rupaka Talam 4. Jampa Talam
> 5. Triputa
> Talam 6. Atta Talam 7. Eka Talam Any of the above Talam
> structure can be
> set to any jaathi.Thus the 7 structures and 5 jaathis
> together give rise to
> 35 combinations. To sescribe in detail,take for instance
> Adi tala(triputa
> talam ):This has the angam 1 lagu + 2 dhruthams. For diff
> jaathis, its
> structure will be as follows: Tisra jaathi triputa tala : 1
> (3 ) 0 0 Chatusra : 1
>
> (4 ) 0 0 Khanda : 1 (5 ) 0 0 Misra : 1 (7 ) 0 0 Sankeerna :
> 1 (9 ) 0 0 Where, the number in the brackets represents the
> jaathi. The Talams discussed so far are called the “Desi
> talams”.There is another set of complex Talams called
> “Marga Talams”.These are not in vogue today because of
> their complex structure. Tirupugazh, if sung to the original
> set rhythm can stand as a good example for Marga
> Taalams.There are 108 such Talams.

Coutsey: Internet source
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