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Pavithra Rajesh
Contents
Basics of Carnatic Music................................................................................................................................ 2 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................. 2 Pitch .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Scale .......................................................................................................................................................... 3 Raagam or Raaga ...................................................................................................................................... 4 Thalam or Thala ........................................................................................................................................ 4
Basics of Carnatic Music In colloquial terms the Suddha swaras can also be referred as follows: Suddha Rishabam Small Rishabam (R1) Chathusruthi Rishabam Big Rishabam (R2) Sadharana Gandharam Small Gandharam (G1) Anthara Gandharam Big Gandharam (G2) Suddha Madhyamam Small Madhayamam (M1) Prathi Madhyamam Big Madhyamam (M2) Suddha Dhaivadham Small Dhaivadham (D1) Chathusruthi Dhaivadham Big Dhaivadham (D2) Kaisika Nishadham Small Nishadham (N1) Kakali Nishadham Big Nishadham (N2)
The Vivadhi Swaras are denoted as follows: Shadsruthi Rishabam R3 (G1) Suddha Gandharam G3 (R 2) Shadsruthi Dhaivadham D3 (N1) Suddha Nishadham N3 (D2)
Pitch
The frequency chosen for a song is called a Pitch. Based on every individuals voice range (the extent to which they can accurately hit a lower note as well as a higher note for a particular swaram), a pitch can be chosen.
Scale
There are 3 scales in Carnatic music. A scale is referred to as Sthayi. 1) Manthrasthayi bottom most 2) Madhyasthayi middle 3) Tharasthayi uppermost
Raagam or Raaga
The tune of a song is basically called the Raaga. It is the Raagam that brings out the emotion or bhavam of a song. Every Raaga consists of Aarohanam and Avarohanam which are formed by simple combination of the 7 Swaras. Aarohanam is the stepping up of the Swaras and when they are stepped down it makes the Avarohanam. There are totally 72 Melakartha Raagas (Janaka Raagas / Parent Raagas) in Carnatic music out of which the first 36 Raagas are called Suddha Madhyama Raagas and the rest are called Prathi Madhyama Raagas. The descendant Raagas of each of these 72 Mela kartha Raagas are called Janya Raagas. Each Janya Raaga bears the swaras exactly the way it appears in its kartha Raaga. Only the combination of the swaras differ. Further these Janya Raagas are divided in to Sampoorna Raagam bearing 7 swaras, Shadava Raagam bearing 6 swaras and Owdava Raagam bearing 5 swaras.
Thalam or Thala
Thala in Sanskrit means a clap. Thalam forms the rhythmic basis for Carnatic music. Precisely it is nothing but time which is measured in terms of beats. There are 7 most important Thalams in Carnatic music represented as follows. 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Dhruva Thalam 1 0 1 1 Madya Thalam -1 0 1 Rupaka Thalam 0 1 Tchampa Thalam 1 + 1 + Audhrutham + Dhrutham Tripuda Thalam - 1 0 0 Ada Thalam 1 1 0 0 Eka Thalam - 1
The above mentioned Thalams have forms (Jaathi) like Tisram, Chathusram, Ghantam, Misram and Sankeernam which altogether form 35 Thalams in Carnatic music.
To be continued