Monday, 26 May 2014

CARNATIC MUSIC


What is passion?

According to oxford dictionary, passion means something that is desired intensely.

What is my passion?

My passion is singing. Since childhood I had this craze for singing. After knowing this, my parents enrolled me in Sangeetham class (indian vocal class). I have been learning Carnatic music (Indian classical music) for past 8 years. 

What is Carnatic music?

Carnatic music is an Indian classical music. Many don't know about this music! Let me share with you my knowledge about this mesmerising music. Carnatic music is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of the Indian subcontinent,with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India that is Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.

There are four main elements in Carnatic music. Those are sruti (the relative musical pitch), raaga (the mode or melodic formula),swara (the musical sound of a single note) and taala ( the rhythmic cycles).

Sruti commonly refers to musical pitch. It is the note from which all others are derived. It is also used in the sense of graded pitches in an octave. 

Swara refers to a type of musical sound that is a single note .There are 7 notes in Carnatic music, that is sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni or in western is do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti. These names are abbreviation of longer names shadja, rishaba, gandhara, madhyama, panchama, daivatha and nishada.

Raaga is a set of rules for building melody. It specifies rules for movements up (arohanam)  and down (avarohanam), which notes should be sung with gamaka (ornamentation). there are 72 Melakartha raagas.


The 72 Melakartha Raagas


Taala refers to a fixed time cycle or metre, set for a particular composition, which is built from groupings of beats. Taala is formed with 3 basic parts called angas which are laghu, dhrutham and anudhrutham, though complex taalas may have other parts like plutam, guru and kaakapaadam. There are 7 basic taala groups which are Dhruva taala, Matya taala, Rupaka taala, Jhampa taala, Triputa taala, Ata taala, and Eka taala.

Instruments used during a classical performances

Carnatic music is taught and learned through compositions. Geethams and Swarajathis are basic learning exercises. The most significant forms in Carnatic music are the Varnams and Kriti ( Kirtanam).

There are many composers in Carnatic music, Purandara Daasa is referred to as Pitamaha ( the father or grandfather) of Carnatic music. The contemporaries Thyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Sastri are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music.



The TRINITY of CARNATIC MUSIC
    PLEASE WATCH !!!

    THE Famous M.S Subbulakhshmi



Interesting Fact !

  Children receiving Carnatic classical musical training were in advantage for phonological awareness (PA) and verbal working memory (VWM). 


MUSIC IS LIFE AND IT HAS NO LANGUAGE!