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Carnatic music, also known as karṇāṭaka sangītam is one of the two styles of Indian classical music, the other being Hindustani music. The present form of Carnatic music is based on historical developments that can be traced to the 15th - 16th centuries CE and thereafter. From the several epigraphical inscriptional evidences and other ancient works^[1], the history of classical musical traditions can be traced back about 2500 years. Image File history File links Example. ... The Brahmic family is a family of abugidas (writing systems) used in South Asia, Southeast Asia, Tibet, Mongolia, Manchuria. ... The origins of Indian classical music can be found from the oldest of scriptures, part of the Hindu tradition, the Vedas. ... Hindustani (हिन्‍दुस्‍थानी) classical music is an Indian classical music tradition originating in the North of the Indian subcontinent circa the 13th and 14th centuries CE. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary...

Carnatic music is completely melodic, with improvised variations. The main emphasis 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).^[2] Melodic music is a term that covers various genres of non-classical music which are primarily characterised by the dominance of a single strong melody line. ...

Like Hindustani music, Carnatic music rests on two main elements: rāga, the modes or melodic formulæ, and tāḷa, the rhythmic cycles.^[3] Hindustani (हिन्‍दुस्‍थानी) classical music is an Indian classical music tradition originating in the North of the Indian subcontinent circa the 13th and 14th centuries CE. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary... Raga (rāg /राग (Hindi), raga (anglicised from rāgaḥ/रागः (Sanskrit)) or rāgam /ராகம் (Tamil)) are the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. ... In music, a scale is an ordered series of musical intervals, which, along with the key or tonic, define the pitches. ... In Indian classical music, Tala (tāl (Hindi), tāla (anglicised from talam; in Sanskrit), literally a clap, is a rhythmical pattern that determines the rhythmical structure of a composition. ...

Woman playing the Veena. ... The mridangam is a percussion instrument from South India. ... A ghatam is a. ... A Morsing is a percussion instrument, mainly used in Carnatic music concerts. ... The ganjira or kanjira (or south Indian frame drum) is an instrument of the tambourine family. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... Sangeetha Kalanidhi (sangeetha = music, kalanidhi = treasure of art) is the title awarded yearly to an expert Carnatic Musician by the Music Academy of Chennai. ... A music festival is a festival oriented towards music that is sometimes presented with a theme such as musical genre, nationality or locality of musicians, or holiday. ... The Sangeet Natak Akademi International Festival takes place in India. ... Saint Tyagaraja The Tyagaraja Aradhana festival is held in January when most of the leading exponents of Carnatic music come to perform and are watched by thousands of ardent fans of classical music. ... Cleveland Thyagaraja Aradhana is a music festival of Indian classical music. ... Sruti is a magazine on Indian music published from Chennai, India. ... The Music Magazine was started by Scott Goodacre in December 2006 and has featured a wide range of indie/rock bands since its formation. ... Varnam is one of the most important parts of Carnatic music. ... Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... Geethams, the simplest music form in Carnatic music, was created by Purandaradasa in order to introduce talas with sahithya or lyrics. ... Ragam Thanam Pallavi is a form of singing in Carnatic music which allows the musicians to inprovise to a great extent. ... Tarana is a vocal style in Indian music in which meaningless syllables are used in a very fast rendition. ... India has an ancient numbering system using a unique grouping of 2 decimal places, rather than the commonplace 3 decimal places. ... Mangalam Group As the word Mangalam means, the guiding principles of the Group are Good for all seasons Good for all ages Good for all those who make the world a better place Since its inception in 1969, Mangalam has been successful in creating indelible impressions on the pages of... Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar or more popularly simply called as Ariyakudi was born in Ariyakudi a town in the Karaikudi district of South India in the year 1890. ... This article or section is not written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia article. ... Dr. Srinivasa Iyer (1908 - 2003) was one of the great Carnatic vocalists of the twentieth century. ... Damal Krishnaswamy Pattammal is one of the most popular and respected Carnatic musicians. ... Madurai Shanmukhavadivu Subbulakshmi (Tamil: , , popularly known as M.S. or M.S.S./M.S. Maami. ... Maharajapuram Viswanatha Iyer (1896 - 1970) was one of the great Carnatic vocalists. ... // Lalgudi Jayaraman Sri Lalgudi Jayaraman, a legendary violinist in his own lifetime has gained the title with his spell binding technique and mastery over the instrument. ... M.S. Gopalakrishnan is one of the well known violinists of the 20th Century in the field of Carnatic music. ... T N Krishnan is one of the most respected, renowned and reputed classical musicians of India. ... Mangalampalli Balamurali Krishna (transliterated variously as M. Balamuralikrishna, Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, M. Balamurali Krishna) (b. ... M. L. Vasanthakumari(1928 - 1990), popularly referred to as MLV, was a disciple of G. N. Balasubramaniam, one of the great singers in the Carnatic musical tradition of southern India. ... Kattassery Joseph Yesudas (or usually referred to as Dr. K. J. Yesudas or in the alternate, Jesudas, Malayalam: കാട്ടശ്ശേരി ജോസഫ് യേശുദാസ് ) (born January 10, 1940) is an eminent Indian classical musician and leading playback singer of film songs in many Indian languages. ...

Origins and history

See also: List of Carnatic music treaties

Carnatic mucic is a ancient kannada music,like all art forms in Indian culture, Carnatic Music is believed to have a divine origin - it is believed to have originated from the Gods.it is also called as "KARNATAKA SANGEETHA". However, it is also generally accepted that the natural origins of music were an important factor in the development of Carnatic music. ^[4] Ancient treatises describe the connection of the origin of swaras 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)^[5]. Folk music is also said to have been a natural origin of Carnatic music, with many folk tunes corresponding to certain Carnatic ragas (discussed later).^[4] These are books on Carnatic music considered authoritative and necessary for a serious study of Carnatic music and its evolution. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ...

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.^[4] The Yajur-Veda, which mainly consists of sacrificial formulae, mentions the veena as an accompaniment to vocal recitations during the sacrifices.^[6] The Vedas are part of the Hindu Shruti; these religious scriptures form part of the core of the Brahminical and Vedic traditions within Hinduism and are the inspirational, metaphysical and mythological foundation for later Vedanta, Yoga, Tantra and even Bhakti forms of Hinduism. ... The Sama Veda (सामवेद), or Veda of Holy Songs, is third in the usual order of enumeration of the four Vedas, the ancient core Hindu scriptures. ... Rig veda is the oldest text in the world. ... The Yajur Veda (Sanskrit from sacrifice + veda knowledge) यजुर्वेदः is one of the four Hindu Vedas; it contains religious texts focussing on liturgy and ritual. ... Woman playing the Veena. ...

References to Indian classical music are made in many ancient religious texts, including epics like the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The Yajnavalkya Smriti mentions "Veena vadhana tathvangna sruti, jathi, visartha talanjaaprayasena moksha margam niyachathi" ("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.")^[7] Carnatic music is based on music concepts mentioned in Bharata's Natya Shastra.^[8]. The Natya Shastra mentions many musical concepts (including swara and tala) that continue to be relevant to Carnatic music today.^[4] Bhakti movements are Hindu religious movements in which the main spiritual practice is the fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. ... The ancient Sanskrit epics, the Ramayana and Mahabharata, laid the cornerstone for much of Hindu religion. ... For the television series by Ramanand Sagar, see Ramayan (TV series). ... For the film by Peter Brook, see The Mahabharata (1989 film). ... The Yajnavalkya Smriti is one of the three main Smritis. ... Bharata Muni was an ancient Indian writer whose life has been dated differently from the 5th century BCE to the 2nd century Ad. ... The Natya Shastra of Bharata( Nātyaśāstra ) (titled as Natyashastra) is the principal work of dramatic theory in the Sanskrit drama of classical India. ... The notes, or swaras, of Indian music are Shadjam, Rishabham, Gandharam, Madhyamam, Panchamam, Dhaivatam and Nishadam. ... Tala may refer to: Samoan tala, the monetary unit of Samoa. ...

 | last = Sāmbhamūrti | first = P | title = South Indian Music, Book VI | publisher = The Indian Music Publishing House | location = Chennai 600 014 | pages = 91-92 | chapter = Music of the Ancient Tamils | quote="The pans of the Thevaram are historically old ragas (page 91); It is in the pans of the Thevaram that we first come across full-fledged bhashanga ragas" (page 91);"The pans of Tevaram are all jiva ragas"(page 92)}}</ref>. The rhythmic meters found in several musical forms (such as the Tiruppugazh) and other ancient literature, resemble the talas that are in use today[9][10] 

Both Carnatic and Hindustani music shared a common history. 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.^[11] In Carnatic Music (which was based in South India), the pan-Indian bhakti movement laid a substantial basis as far as the use of religious themes are concerned, while major developments post 13th century also contributed to its divergence from Hindustani music.^[12] To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Tamil literature is literature in the Tamil language which most prominently includes the contributions of the Tamil country (or Tamizhagam) history, a large part of which constitutes the modern state of Tamil Nadu and Kerala as well as some parts of Karnataka and Andra pradesh. ... Tala may refer to: Samoan tala, the monetary unit of Samoa. ... Dark green region marks the approximate extent of northern India while the regions marked as light green lies within the sphere of north Indian influence. ... Hindustani (हिन्‍दुस्‍थानी) classical music is an Indian classical music tradition originating in the North of the Indian subcontinent circa the 13th and 14th centuries CE. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary... South India is a linguistic-cultural region of India that comprises the four states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu and the two Union Territories of Lakshadweep and Puducherry, whose inhabitants are collectively referred to as South Indians. ... Bhakti movements are Hindu religious movements in which the main spiritual practice is the fostering of loving devotion to God, called bhakti. ...

Carnatic music saw renewed growth during the Vijayanagar Empire by the Kannada Haridasa movement of Vyasaraja, Purandara Dasa, Kanakadasa and others.^[13] Purandara Dasa who is known as the Sangeeta Pitamaha (the grandfather of Carnatic music) laid out the fundamental tenets and framework for teaching Carnatic music.^[14][4]. Venkatamakhin is credited with the classification of ragas in the Melakarta System and wrote his most important work; Chaturdandi Prakasika (c.1635 CE) in Sanskrit. Govindacharya expanded the Melakarta Scheme into the Sampoorna raga system, which is the system in common use today. The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ... Haridasa (haridasaru in Kannada) movement is considered as one of the turning points in Indian history. ... Vyasatirtha (1460-1539) (also known as Vyasaraja, Vyasaraayaru) was one of the foremost dialecticians in the history of Indian philosophy. ... Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (1484-1564)(ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ) is one of the most prominient composer in carnatic music. ... Kanakadasa (c 1509-1609 A.D.) belongs to the tradition of Haridasa literary movement which ushered in an era of devotional literature in Karnataka. ... Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (1484-1564)(ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ) is one of the most prominient composer in carnatic music. ... Melakarta is the collection of Ragas in Carnatic music. ...

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.^[15] , Karnātakā   (Kannada: ಕನಾ೯ಟಕ) (IPA: ) is one of the four southern states of India. ... The Vijayanagara empire was based in the Deccan, in peninsular and southern India, from 1336 onwards. ...

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.^[16] Some famous instrumentalists were Veena Sheshanna(1852-1926)^[17], Veena Subbanna (1861-1939),^[18] T. Chowdiah^[19]and others. Flag of former princely state of Mysore. ... Woman playing the Veena. ... Ustad Asad Ali Khan,Pandit Hindraj Divekar,Ustad Shamsuddin Faridi Desai and Ustad Bahauddin Dagar(Dagar Veena-a variation of the traditional Rudra Veena) are the surviving exponents of the instrument in India. ... The violin is a bowed string instrument with four strings tuned in perfect fifths. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Pandura. ... â™  This article is about the family of musical instruments. ... The mridangam is a percussion instrument from South India. ... A Harmonium is a free-standing musical keyboard instrument similar to a Reed Organ or Pipe Organ. ... Diagram of some sitar parts. ... The Jal Tarang (variants: Jaltarang, Jal-tarang, Jal-yantra, Jalatarangam) is an ancient musical instrument. ... The saxophone (colloquially referred to as sax) is a conical-bored instrument of the woodwind family. ... A short grand piano, with the top up. ... This article or section seems not to be written in the formal tone expected of an encyclopedia entry. ... Tirumakudalu Chowdiah 1894 - 1967 was a violin maestro in the Carnatic classical tradition. ...

Nature of Carnatic music

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).

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 improvization. Nearly every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies elements of the composers vision, as well as the musician's interpretation. Hindustani (हिन्‍दुस्‍थानी) classical music is an Indian classical music tradition originating in the North of the Indian subcontinent circa the 13th and 14th centuries CE. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary...

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 Keerthanam), which are discussed below. Geethams, the simplest music form in Carnatic music, was created by Purandaradasa in order to introduce talas with sahithya or lyrics. ... Swarajatis is a form in Carnatic music, which is helpful before learning a varnam. ... Tarana is a vocal style in Indian music in which meaningless syllables are used in a very fast rendition. ... Varnam is one of the most important parts of Carnatic music. ... Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

Varnam

Main article: Varnam

This is a special item which highlights everything important about a raga; not just the scale, but also which notes to stress, how to approach a certain note, classical and characteristic phrases, etc. Though there are a few different types of varnams, in essence, they all have a pallavi, an anupallavi, muktayi swaras, a charana, 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.^[20] Varnam is one of the most important parts of Carnatic music. ... Raga (rāg /राग (Hindi), raga (anglicised from rāgaḥ/रागः (Sanskrit)) or rāgam /ராகம் (Tamil)) are the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. ...

Kriti

Main article: Kriti

Carnatic songs (kritis) are varied in structure and style, but generally consist of three units: Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

1. Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music. One or two lines.
2. Anupallavi. The second verse. Also two lines.
3. 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. The introduction to this article provides insufficient context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter. ... A refrain (from the Old French refraindre to repeat, likely from Vulgar Latin refringere) is the line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse; the chorus of a song. ... In Indian classical music, the anupallavi comes after the pallavi and is usually the second section of any composition. ... The charanam is a part of Indian classical music, made up of different stanzas of the compositions. ... Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

Composers

Purandara Dasa

There are many composers in Carnatic music. Image for the Purandara Dasa page. ... Image for the Purandara Dasa page. ... Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (1484-1564)(ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ) is one of the most prominient composer in carnatic music. ...

See also: List of Carnatic composers

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.^[21] The Carnatic classical music tradition gained impetus in the 15th century through the works of Purandara Dasa, one of the foremost Haridasa Saints of the Vijayanagara Empire, and is also regarded as Karnataka Sangeetha Sampradaya Pitamaha (Patriarch of the Carnatic Music Tradition). ... Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (1484-1564)(ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ) is one of the most prominient composer in carnatic music. ... Raga (rāg /राग (Hindi), raga (anglicised from rāgaḥ/रागः (Sanskrit)) or rāgam /ராகம் (Tamil)) are the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. ... Mayamalavagowla (known as , मायामाळवगोळ in Sanskrit), is a raga of Carnatic Music that is classified as Mela Raga #15 under Venkatamakhins Sampoorna Melakarta system, appearing in the Agni Chakra therein. ...

Trinity of Carnatic Music - Muthuswami Dikshitar, Tyagaraja and Syama Sastri

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.^{[22] [23]} Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Muttusvami Dikshitar is one of the Carnatic music composer trinity. ... Sri Tyagaraja (శ్రీ త్యాగరాజ) (17??-1848), an ardent devotee of Sri Ramachandra, was one of the most important composers of Carnatic music. ... Syama sastri, who is said to be one of the trimurthi in carnatic music, was born at Thiruvarur on Apr 26, 1762. ... Sri Tyagaraja (శ్రీ త్యాగరాజ) (17??-1848), an ardent devotee of Sri Ramachandra, was one of the most important composers of Carnatic music. ... 1759 was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Muttusvami Dikshitar is one of the Carnatic music composer trinity. ... Year 1776 (MDCCLXXVI) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Thursday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... Year 1827 (MDCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... Syama sastri, who is said to be one of the trimurthi in carnatic music, was born at Thiruvarur on Apr 26, 1762. ... 1762 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... Year 1827 (MDCCCXXVII) was a common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian Calendar (or a common year starting on Wednesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Syama sastri, who is said to be one of the trimurthi in carnatic music, was born at Thiruvarur on Apr 26, 1762. ... Muttusvami Dikshitar is one of the Carnatic music composer trinity. ... Sri Tyagaraja (శ్రీ త్యాగరాజ) (17??-1848), an ardent devotee of Sri Ramachandra, was one of the most important composers of Carnatic music. ... Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

Prominent composers prior to the Trinity of Carnatic music include Annamacharya, Narayana Theertha, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Sadasiva Brahmendra and Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi. Other prominent composers 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. To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article may require cleanup. ... Sri Tallapaka Annamacharya (శ్రీ తాళ్ళపాక అన్నమాచార్య) (1408-1503), the mystic saint composer of the 15th century is the earliest known musician of South India to compose songs called “sankeertanas” in praise of Lord Venkateswara, the deity of Seven Hills in Tirumala, India. ... Narayana Teertha (c. ... Bhadrachala Ramadas (c. ... Sadasiva Brahmendra was a composer of Carnatic music and an Advaita philosopher who lived near Kumbakonam, Tamil Nadu during the 18th century. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma(April 16, 1813 - December 25, 1846) was a South Indian king of the state of Travancore, in India. ... Gopalakrishna Bharati (1811 - 1896) was a Tamil poet and a composer of Carnatic music. ... Neelakanta Sivan (1839-1900) was a composer of Carnatic music. ... Patnam Subramania Iyer (1845 - July 31, 1902) was a composer and singer of Carnatic music. ... Mysore Vasudevachar (May 28, 1865 - May 17, 1961) was a composer of Carnatic music and a famous singer. ... Koteeswara Iyer (January 1870 - October 21, 1936), was a composer of Carnatic music. ... Muthiah Bhagavathar Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavathar (November 15, 1877 - June 30, 1945) was a composer of Carnatic music and a famous singer. ... Subramanya Bharathi 1882 - 1921 Subramanya Bharathi (Tamil: ) (December 11, 1882 - September 11, 1921) was a Tamil poet from Tamil Nadu, India. ... Papanasam Sivan (September 26, 1890 - October 10, 1973) was a composer of Carnatic music and a famous singer. ...

Papanasam Sivan

Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by religious devotion and were usually scholars proficient in one or more of the following languages Kannada, Sanskrit, Tamil, Malayalam 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^[24], also composed in this language, as well as Sanskrit^[25], and used the signature Ramadasan. Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Papanasam Sivan (September 26, 1890 - October 10, 1973) was a composer of Carnatic music and a famous singer. ... “Kannada” redirects here. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ... Tamil ( ; IPA ) is a Dravidian language spoken predominantly by Tamils in India and Sri Lanka, with smaller communities of speakers in many other countries. ... Malayalam (മലയാളം ) is the language spoken predominantly in the state of Kerala, in southern India. ... Telugu (తెలుగు) is a Dravidian language (South-Central Dravidian languages) primarily spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ... In the music of India, a mudra is the signature of a composer on a composition, usually in the form of a few unique words added to the song. ... Sri Tyagaraja (శ్రీ త్యాగరాజ) (17??-1848), an ardent devotee of Sri Ramachandra, was one of the most important composers of Carnatic music. ... Telugu (తెలుగు) is a Dravidian language (South-Central Dravidian languages) primarily spoken in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh, where it is the official language. ... Muttusvami Dikshitar is one of the Carnatic music composer trinity. ... Syama sastri, who is said to be one of the trimurthi in carnatic music, was born at Thiruvarur on Apr 26, 1762. ... Sri Purandara Dasa (1494-1564) (the follower (dasa) of Lord Purandara Vittala [Lord Vishnu in one of his many avatars. ... Gopalakrishna Bharati (1811 - 1896) was a Tamil poet and a composer of Carnatic music. ... Look up Tamil in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Sri Tyagaraja (17??-1848), an ardent devotee of Sri Ramachandra, was one of the principal composers of Carnatic music, and is also regarded as the most important of the trinity of composers. ... The Sanskrit language ( , for short ) is a classical language of India, a liturgical language of Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, and Jainism, and one of the 23 official languages of India. ...

Important elements of Carnatic music

Śruti

Main article: Śruti (music)

Śruti commonly refers to musical pitch.^[26] 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.^[27] The Å›ruti (Sanskrit thing heard, sound) is the smallest interval of the tuning system of Indian classical music. ...

Swara

Main article: 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.^[28] 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^[29] 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). The notes, or swaras, of Indian music are Shadjam, Rishabham, Gandharam, Madhyamam, Panchamam, Dhaivatam and Nishadam. ... In music, solfege (or solmization) is a pedagogical technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfege syllable (or sol-fa syllable). The seven syllables normally used for this practice in the West are: Do, Re... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Swara. ... The notes, or swaras, of Indian music are Shadjam, Rishabham, Gandharam, Madhyamam, Panchamam, Dhaivatam and Nishadam. ... The tonic is the first note of a musical scale, and in the tonal method of music composition it is extremely important. ... In music, the dominant is the fifth degree of the scale. ... In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. ... Tamil Nadu (தமிழ் நாடு, Land of the Tamils) is a state at the southern tip of India. ... Yat Ranjayiti iti ragam is how ragam is defined in one of the earliest texts in Indian music. ...

Raga system

Main article: Raga

A raga in Carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for building a melody - very similar to the Western concept of mode.^[30] 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. Raga (rāg /राग (Hindi), raga (anglicised from rāgaḥ/रागः (Sanskrit)) or rāgam /ராகம் (Tamil)) are the melodic modes used in Indian classical music. ... Look up melody in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... Look up mode in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. ... In music, a scale is a collection of musical notes that provides material for part or all of a musical work. ... Gamaka is a unique form of story telling used in Karnataka, India. ...

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 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. Melakarta is the collection of Ragas in Carnatic music. ... In music, the subdominant is the technical name for the fourth tonal degree of the diatonic scale. ... The perfect fourth or diatessaron, abbreviated P4, is one of two musical intervals that span four diatonic scale degrees; the other being the augmented fourth, which is one semitone larger. ... This article is about the musical interval. ... For the Naruto jutsu, see Chakra (Naruto). ... In music or music theory, the supertonic is the second degree of the scale, it is the second note of a diatonic scale. ... For mediant in mathematics, see Mediant (mathematics) In music, the mediant is the third degree of the diatonic scale. ... The katapayadi sankhya is a way of determining the number of a melakarta ragam from the first two syllables of the name of the raga. ...

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. Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ... Please wikify (format) this article or section as suggested in the Guide to layout and the Manual of Style. ...

There are potentially hundreds and thousands of ragas, with over 5000 that have been used.^[31]

Tala system

Main article: tala (music)

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.^[32] In Indian classical music, Tala (tāl (Hindi), tāla (anglicised from talam; in Sanskrit), literally a clap, is a rhythmical pattern that determines the rhythmical structure of a composition. ... Tala may refer to: Samoan tala, the monetary unit of Samoa. ...

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. Eka tala is one of the sapta (seven) talas with the form of a single laghu, so that there will be seven forms by varying the laghu. ...

Improvisation

There are four main types of improvisation in Carnatic music.

Raga Alapana

Main article: Alapana

This is the exposition of the ragam of the song that will 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.^[33] Categories: Wikipedia cleanup | Music stubs | Indian music ... Yat Ranjayiti iti ragam is how ragam is defined in one of the earliest texts in Indian music. ... Yat Ranjayiti iti ragam is how ragam is defined in one of the earliest texts in Indian music. ... Yat Ranjayiti iti ragam is how ragam is defined in one of the earliest texts in Indian music. ...

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 ragam.

Niraval

Main article: 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 (or Neraval) in Carnatic music is the elaboration and improvisation of a single line from a kriti with a number of spontaneous sangatis. ...

Kalpanaswaram

Main article: 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 Kalpanaswaram (KS) also called svara kalpana, is raga improvisation within a specific tala, or rhythm cycle. ...

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 Woman playing the Veena. ...

Ragam Thanam Pallavi

Main article: 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. Ragam Thanam Pallavi is a form of singing in Carnatic music which allows the musicians to inprovise to a great extent. ...

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. Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (1484-1564)(ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ) is one of the most prominient composer in carnatic music. ... Geethams, the simplest music form in Carnatic music, was created by Purandaradasa in order to introduce talas with sahithya or lyrics. ... Swarajatis is a form in Carnatic music, which is helpful before learning a varnam. ... Varnam is one of the most important parts of Carnatic music. ... Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ...

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). In music, solfege (or solmization) is a pedagogical technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfege syllable (or sol-fa syllable). The seven syllables normally used for this practice in the West are: Do, Re...

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. A Gurukul is a type of ancient Hindu school in India that is residential in nature with the shishyas or students and the guru or teacher living in close proximity, many a time within the same house. ... For other uses, see Guru (disambiguation). ...

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 disciple-hierarchies are often referred to are Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, Syama Sastri, Swathi Thirunal, Papanasam Sivan among others. For other uses, see Guru (disambiguation). ... Parampara (Sanskrit: परम्परा) denotes a long succession of teachers and disciples in traditional Indian culture. ... Sri Tyagaraja (17??-1848), an ardent devotee of Sri Ramachandra, was one of the principal composers of Carnatic music, and is also regarded as the most important of the trinity of composers. ... Muttusvami Dikshitar is one of the Carnatic music composer trinity. ... Syama sastri, who is said to be one of the trimurthi in carnatic music, was born at Thiruvarur on Apr 26, 1762. ... Sri Swathi Thirunal Rama Varma(April 16, 1813 - December 25, 1846) was a South Indian king of the state of Travancore, in India. ... Papanasam Sivan (September 26, 1890 - October 10, 1973) was a composer of Carnatic music and a famous singer. ...

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. Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... Purandara Dasa Purandara Dasa (1484-1564)(ಪುರಂದರ ದಾಸ) is one of the most prominient composer in carnatic music. ...

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. Thanjavur, also known as Tanjore, is a city in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... Saraswathi Mahal Library, situated near the darbar of king contains rare manuscripts of books in variety of subjects that include literature, history, poems, etc. ... Thanjavur, also known as Tanjore, is a city in Tamil Nadu, in southeastern India. ... In music, solfege (or solmization) is a pedagogical technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfege syllable (or sol-fa syllable). The seven syllables normally used for this practice in the West are: Do, Re...

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. Western music is the genres of music originating in the Western world (Europe and its former colonies) including Western classical music, American Jazz, Country and Western, pop music and rock and roll. ... In music, solfege (or solmization) is a pedagogical technique for the teaching of sight-singing in which each note of the score is sung to a special syllable, called a solfege syllable (or sol-fa syllable). The seven syllables normally used for this practice in the West are: Do, Re... In musical notation, the staff or stave is a set of five horizontal lines on which note symbols are placed to indicate pitch and time. ...</