Came across the below set of lines recently. Just felt like reproducing verbatim:
Carnatic music is one of the two main styles of Indian classical Music. It has its main emphasis on vocal music as most of the compositions, even while playing on the instruments are sung. It has two main elements, those being the Raga (the modes or melodic formulae) and the Taala (the rhythmic cycles). 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. This art form is traditionally taught on the lines of the system formulated by Purundara Dasa. It involves the student to begin with the Swaravalis (graded exercises), the Alankaras (exercises based on the seven taalas), and then to Geetams (single songs) and then to SwaraJaatis. As a student advances further, he shall learn the Varnams and the Kritis. Quite obviously, it may take several years before a student can give his own concert.
-----Original Message-----
From: Kumar SankaraIyer
Sent: Tuesday, January 11, 2005 4:25 PM
To: Harsha S RaoA varnam is actually a fixed composition of relatively short
duration. It is usually sung in the beginning of a concert, for 'warming up'.
There are 2 classes of varnams - aditala and aDatala, based on the talams
(rhythm) to which they are set. The basic structure of a varnam consists
of:
1. Pallavi ( contains sahithyam, i.e. lyrics)
2. Anupallavi
(contains sahithyam)
3. Mukthayiswarams (consists of swara syllables only..
like ri ga ma etc.)
4. Charanam (usually one line, contains saithyam)
5.
Chittaswarams (usually 3,4 or 5 in number, contain only swara
syllables).
After singing each chittaswaram, we sing the charanam; and then follow to the
next chittaswaram in sequence. The size of each chittaswaram increases
progressively, and the last chittaswaram is undoubtedly the biggest
one.
In varnams, everything is fixed. Even the chittaswarams have been composed
already, and the musician's duty is to reproduce whatever has been composed.
There is little scope for improvisation or manodharma
(imagination).
Kritis and Keerthanas are the major pieces in a concert. After one varnam, the
musician keeps singing various kritis and keerthanas of varying lengths, and of
many different talas. This continues till almost the fag end of the concert,
when the musician takes up light recitals like bhajans and thukkadas (it is a
Tamil name for 'junk'), and even special classes of compositions like tillanas
and javalis (Tillanas are usually sung for dance, they contain words like
'thakadheem','kidathom', etc.)
Kritis and Keertanas are
the 'songs'. Kritis have a pallavi, anupallavi and one or more charanams.
However, keerthanas don't have anupallavi. Thus they are purely lyrical in
nature. Every line of the song has got 'Sangadhis'. Sangadhis are variations of
tune in a line of the song. Initially the tune is simple. Successive
sangadhis are more complicated. Thus a kriti or keerthana contains many lines,
and each line has got different sangadhis. Purists say that you should sing a
kriti or keerthana, as you have been taught. Improvisations can be made only in
areas like alapana, niraval or while singing swaras. I will brief on the
three:
Alapana is the sketching of a raga using meaningless syllables like
"tadana" and "tarinau". Only the tune has significance in alapana. Niraval is
the repetitive singing of a line, in different tunes. It is similar to
'sangadhi', but it differs in the fact that the different tunes are not
composed. Rather, they are extempored by the musician at the time of the
concert. Swaras. You take up a line in the song and append swaras so that they
fit into an integral multiple of talas.
Thanks and Regards,
Kumar.
Pune, November 12: Santoor maestro Pandit Shivkumar Sharma can
take a bow-this time to an unborn audience.
Award-winning
paediatric surgeon and former Vice Chancellor of the University of Mumbai, Dr
Snehalata Deshmukh, has been experimenting with different types of music as
therapy for the foetus and finds children in their mothers' womb seem to prefer
the notes of his santoor.
In the seven years of her
research-she has counseled more than 350 mothers-Dr Deshmukh realised that two
ragas in Indian classical music, raga Yaman and raga Kedar are most liked by the
foetus.
''These are calm and soothing ragas, but they are
also joyful, which is probably why they are a favourite with the foetus,'' she
said.
A distinguished lineage, recognition as a child prodigy followed by
2,500 successful concerts worldwide, widespread critical acclaim, and renowned
for his scholarship and teaching skills, that's vocalist K.N. Shashikiran for
you. Like every mature artiste, Shashikiran's noted not only for his
composition-renditions but also his rich manodharma - the true test of a
musician's creativity. His ragalapanas, tanams, pallavis, neraval, swarakalpana
testify his depth and fertility of imagination.
"Though
manodharma is popularly explained as `what comes to the mind', it does entail
adherence to certain values and codes. First it needs rigorous grounding in
music fundamentals. Then you should've listened to a lot of music. Have an open
mind. Seek knowledge from all sides," he says about the tendency of the audience
to attend concerts of only big names, thereby missing out on the talent of a lot
of unknown youngsters or obscure veterans and the lessons inherent in their
performances. Manodharma, he insists, is not only about exercises and
fixed-duration practice sessions. "The more you meditate on a particular raga,
the more its facets will be revealed to you. Start visualising it, and it slowly
acquires a form, almost a human form to you. Manodharma is about passion for a
raga. Slowly, all its nuances will become apparent to you, you'll begin to sense
the emotions it evokes, understand that certain notes bond more with the other
and so on...."
In that sense he says the "raga becomes a
canvas on which you paint your manodharma. To the given scale of a raga you add
flesh and blood with your neraval, kalpanaswaras... There are certain basic
standards already set by the great past masters you can follow - for instance,
certain phrases they all repeated - but the packaging, the unique creative input
has to be yours. We must emulate the greats, not imitate them." He also insists
on voice culture everyday, on akaara sadhana in different ragas to improve
raagalapana and kriti renditions. Practising saraliswaras or alankaras in three
kaalas should remain a daily exercise even after reaching advanced levels. He
says books give only existent patterns for the alankaras, jantas or dhatus but
the students have to evolve their own. In the olden days, teachers would throw
challenges at students asking them to sing allied ragas like Darbari and Nayaki;
or Sri and Manirangu one after the other. Or give a situation for a pallavi and
ask them to come up with an RTP for it; or a limited range of three to four
swaras and ask them to sing 20 neraval patterns without repetition. Thus
challenged, the student would rack his brains, use his imagination and come out
with original, unique inputs. Or they'd be given different points in the same
kriti say, "Vataapi", and asked to produce kalpanaswaras at each point. So, once
the student turned performer, he'd sound different every time he sang even the
same kriti - his concerts would never be predictable.
"Today,
with the short-duration programmes we have, one gets just 15 to 20 minutes to
elaborate a raga and thus even manodharma-adept performers are getting
restricted." When you remind him of pallavi durbars, he says: "Even here, many
participants come with prepared pallavis." The spontaneity and extempore element
are thus missing, he feels, adding: "Ideal tanam and neraval singing standards
too have dropped considerably." Any solutions? "We must have a panel of experts
which audition anyone wanting to take to the stage by throwing challenges at
them. Only those who pass this test should be permitted a professional platform.
And even of those who've made it, there should be constant expert evaluation,
like the ATP rankings in tennis." Doesn't the critic perform that function? He
surprises you with his candidness: "Well, not all critics give honest opinion,
simply because they are afraid of the repercussions. If the review is negative,
the offended performer might call up and question the reviewer's erudition
itself. For some interesting reviews on Music, read http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/fr/frcl06.htm
A = Airflow. Never hold your breath while singing. The
airflow is what creates and carries your vocal tone, so keep it flowing.
Avoid Clavicular Breathing and Belly Breathing -- instead, learn the proper way
to breathe for singing, called diaphragmatic breathing. Fill the lower
portion of your lungs as if you had an inner tube around your waist that you
were evenly filling.
B = Breathing properly for singing
requires the shoulders to remain down and relaxed, not rise with the breath
intake. A singer will gain power to their voice by strengthening the
muscles in their ribcage and back.
C =
Communicate the music's message. During performance it is very
important to communicate the message of the song. If you make a
"mistake" don't point it out to your audience. It is most likely they did not
even notice.
D = Diaphragmatic
Support. Develop the strength and coordination of the diaphragm and
become a pro at controlling the speed of the airflow released, the quantity of
the airflow released and the consistency of the airflow
released.
E = Elasticity of the Vocal Folds. The vocal
tone is created as airflow bursts through the cleft of the vocal cords causing
them to vibrate/oscillate. The vocal folds can lose elasticity due to
misuse, lack of use and/or increase of age. Be sure to train your voice
with vocal exercises on a regular basis to keep your voice in shape.
F = Free your natural voice. Don't be a slave to
any music style -- even your favorite one. Learn to sing with your full
and natural voice by developing your vocal strength and coordination. Then
add stylistic nuances to achieve any singing style you
desire.
G = Guessing Games. Never guess
the pitch you are about to sing. Hear the note in your head before you
open your mouth.
H = High notes require consistent
and steady airflow. Many students tend to hold their breath as they sing higher.
Let the air flow. Try increasing your airflow and gauge your
result.
I = Increase your breathing capacity and
control by doing breathing exercises every day. Be sure to avoid patterned
breathing. Singers must negotiate phrase lengths of all different sizes,
so it is important to be versatile.
J =
Jumping Jacks. If you are having trouble getting your body completely
involved with singing, try doing some cardiovascular activities, like jumping
jacks, for a few minutes before getting started again. Sometimes your
instrument simply needs an airflow wake-up call.
K
= Know your limits. Don't sing too high or too low. Don't sing to the
point of vocal fatigue. Never strain or push your voice. Doing so
will not result in a higher or lower singing range, or a stronger voice, only a
voice that has suffered undue stress.
L = Low notes
are often sung with too much airflow. Try decreasing your airflow to achieve a
more natural, more relaxed tone.
M = Mirror.
Training in front of a mirror can help a singer discover many things about their
instrument, as well as confirm that other actions are being done
correctly. Be sure to rely on a mirror during vocal training, but be able
to leave the mirror to face an audience.
N = Never
sing if it hurts to swallow.
O = Open your mouth
wider. Nine times out of ten this will help you achieve a stronger, more defined
vocal tone.
P = Prepare your instrument before
singing. Singers are very much like athletes. Take care of your
body/instrument by stretching out the vocal muscles and relieving the body of
unnecessary tension before singing.
Q = Quit
smoking. Quit talking too loudly. Quit talking too
much.
R = Raise the Soft Palate. Creating a
larger space inside your mouth by raising the soft palate, or fleshy part of the
back of our throat, helps achieve a deeper more well rounded singing
tone.
S = Sing through the vocal breaks. If
you do not teach the muscles the necessary actions to sing through the trouble
spots, success will never be achieved. Sing through it, sing through it
again, and again....
T = Tone Placement.
Learning the facts about tone placement and resonance make a huge difference in
the abilities of a singer. In simple terms, a singer has numerous body
cavities (nasal cavity, chest cavity, etc.) and amplifiers (bones, ligaments,
etc.) that act as resonators. Focusing the vocal tone through the proper
resonating chamber with the proper support is important with regard to
controlling and developing your personal
sound.
U = Unique Voice Under
Construction. Remember that your voice has its own unique fingerprint and
is constantly changing with our actions, environment, health habits, etc.
With this in mind, listen to your own voice often and use vocal training tools
to keep your voice on the right track.
V = Vibrato.
Vibrato is a natural or forced fluctuation of a singing tone. Do not
concentrate on learning how to sing with vibrato. Instead, concentrate on
the basic foundations of singing, breathing and support. When the proper
coordination is achieved, vibrato will occur
naturally.
W = Water. Water.
Water. Drink room temperature water as often as you can to keep your voice
organ hydrated. If you only have cold or hot water available, swish it
around in your mouth for a moment. This action will keep your voice organ
from being startled or stressed by different
temperatures.
Y = You Can Sing with
Impact! Exercise your voice daily with contemporary voice lesson
products. Don't Just Sing when You Can Sing with Impact!
Z = Zzzzzzzz. Be sure to get your rest. If you
are tired, your voice will show it. A tired body/instrument will not allow
you to produce your best possible sound.
Nava Varna: Refers to a set of nine kritis in praise of Goddess Devi, to be
sung during the nine days of the Navaratri festival. There are two such sets,
one composed by Oottukadu Venkatasubbayyar and one by Muthuswami Dikshitar.
These are nine songs on Goddess Kamalamba the deity of Thiruvarur. The 9
songs are prefixed by an introductory song and suffixed by a song marking the
conclusion thus making a group of 11 songs.
Introductory song – Kamalambika – Todi – Roopakam
Kamalamba - Ananda Bhairavi– Triputtai
Kamalambam Bhajare – Kalyani – Adi
Sri Kamalambikaya – Shankarabharanam - Tisra Ekam
Kamalambikayai – Kamboji – Ata
Sri Kamalambaya – Bhairavi – Jhampai
Kamalambikaya – Punnagavarali - Tisra Ekam
Sri Kamalambikayam – Sahana – Triputai
Sri Kamalambike – Ghanta – Adi
Sri Kamalamba Jayati – Ahiri - Tisra Ekam
Concluding song - Sri Kamalambike – Sri - Khanda Ekam
The group songs of Sri Muthuswami Dikshitar such as the Navagraha,
Kamalamba Navavarna, Abhayamba Navavarna, Vibhakti, are most distinguished in the repertoire of Carnatic music. In his matchless Kamalamba Navavarna
compositions, the poet pays his obeisance to Devi Kamalamba of Tiruvarur. He
describes her in glowing terms as Sarvarakshaakaara, Yogini worshipped by
Durvasa, celestial spouse of Lord Siva, personification of flawless beauty,
Kalyani and so on.
Muthuswami Diksithar, one of the great Trinity, has composed a set of nine
kritis called 'Navagraha Kritis'. They are also known as 'Vaara Kirtanas', named
after the seven days of the week. The songs on Rahu and Ketu are later additions
to this group. All these kritis contain a good deal of Vedic astrology, as well
as fine music, revealing Dikshithar's mastery over the science of
astrology.
The Navagraha kritis also represent the Suladi Sapta Talas, namely Dhruva,
Matya, Rupaka, Jhampa, Triputa, Ata and Eka. A notable feature of these
compositions is that the first seven kritis are set to these seven Talas, in
that very order. The sahitya of the kritis epitomises the jyothishas and the
Mantra shastras. The 'Graha' mudra is contained in the Pallavi of each kriti.
The nine kritis are (in the order of Kriti, Ragam, Talam, Planet, Day of
Week):
1. Sooryamoorthe –
Sourashtram - Chatusra Dhruvam - Soorya (Sun) - Sunday
2. Chandram
Bhajamaanasa – Asaveri - Chatusra Matyam Chandra (Moon) - Monday
3.
Angarakamasrayamyaham – Surutti – Rupakam – Angaraka (Mars) - Tuesday
4.
Budhamasrayami – Nattakkurinji - Misra Jhampa – Budha (Mercury) -
Wednesday
5. Brihaspathe – Atana - Tisra Triputa – Brihaspathi (Jupiter) -
Thursday
6. Sree Sukrabhagavantham - Paras - Khanda Ata
Talam – Sukra (Venus) - Friday
7.
Divakaratanujam - Yadukula Kambhoji – Eka – Sani (Saturn) -
Saturday
8. Smaramyaham – Ramapriya – Rupakam – Raahu - N/A
9. Mahaasuram
– Shanmukhapriya – Rupakam – Kethu - N/A
The last two are said to be later additions by Dikshithar's shishya,
Ponnayya Pillai.
Learning a musical instrument can be very therapeutic. It is
challenging as well as satisfying. The beauty of music is that it is a
combination of science and art. The science disciplines the mind and art
satisfies the soul.
Carnatic classical music is highly
mathematical and scientific, and it is a known fact that instrumentalists are
generally good in math and have a scientific bent of mind. Learning improves the
concentration and, like meditation, stills the mind.
Physiological
health benefits like lowering blood pressure, accelerating recovery after
surgery, etc are being researched by playing instruments. The brain releases
feel-good hormones called endorphins when we exercise, pray, chant, meditate or
when a classical instrument is played. Hence, it elevates the mood, improves
motor-brain coordination and removes depressing and negative
thoughts.
According to ancient Indian texts, music plays a positive
role in spiritual well-being. Each note or swara corresponds to one of the 7
chakras in the body and the vibrations created by the sound waves stimulate the
charkas. In alternate therapy, chakras are vortexes of energy and if properly
stimulated contribute to overall well-being – physical, emotional, mental and
spiritual.
Instrumentalists converse and communicate well and have better sense of
rhythm. Their thoughts and actions are quite well-balanced. Since all Carnatic
classical compositions are devoted to the higher power, this form of music is
spiritually uplifting as well. Practicing a musical instrument as hobby daily
for 30 minutes will be enough to keep us in good emotional and mental state.
Reproduced from pages 157-159 of the book "Autobiography of a yogi by Paramahansa Yogananda"
The Samaveda contains the world's earliest writings on musical science.
The foundation stone of Hindu music is the ragas or fixed melodic scales. The 6
basic ragas branch out into 126 derivative raginis (wives) and putras (sons).
Each raga has a minimum of 5 notes: a leading note (vadi or king), a secondary
note (samavadi or prime minister), helping notes (anuvadi, attendants), and a
dissonant note (vivadi, the enemy)
Each of these 6 ragas has
natural correspondence with certain hour of day, season of year, and a presiding
deity who bestows a particular potency:
1. Hindola: heard at dawn
in spring to evoke mood of universal love
2. deepaka: played at evening in
summer to arouse compassion
3. megha: melody for midday in rainy to summon
courage
4. bhairava: mornings of Aug, Sept, Oct to achieve tranquility
5. sri: autumn twilights to attain pure love
6. Malkounsa: midnight in
winter for valor
Indian music divides octave into 22 srutis or
demi-semitones. These microtonal intervals permit fine shades of musical
expression unattainable by western chromatic scale of 12 semitones. Each of 7
basic notes of octave is associated in Hindu mythology with color and natural
cry of bird or beast:
Do: green and peacock
Re: red and
skylark
Mi: golden and goat
Fa: yellowish white and heron
Sol: black
and nightingale
La: yellow and horse
Si: combination of all colors
and elephant
3 scales-major, harmonic minor, melodic minor-are
only ones which Occidental music employs, but Indian music outlines 72 thatas or
scales. Musician has a creative scope for endless improvisation around the fixed
traditional melody or raga; he concentrates on sentiment or definitive mood of
structural theme and then embroiders it to limits of his own originality. Hindu
musician does not read set notes; he clothes anew at each playing the bare
skeleton of the raga, often confining himself to single melodic sequence,
stressing by repetition all its subtle microtonal and rhythmic variations. Bach,
among Western composers, had an understanding of charm and power of repetitions
sound slightly differentiated in 100 complex ways.Ancient Sanskrit literature describes 120 talas or time measures. Indian
music is a spiritual, subjective and individualistic art, aiming not at
symphonic brilliance but at personal harmony with the Oversoul. Sanskrit word
for musician is Bhagavathar (he who sings the praises of God) The sankirtans or
musical gatherings are an effective form of yoga or spiritual discipline,
necessitating deep concentration and intense absorption in the seed thought and
sound.
