Important elements of Carnatic music Carnatic music

1 important elements of carnatic music

1.1 Śruti
1.2 swara
1.3 raga system
1.4 tala system

important elements of carnatic music
Śruti

Śruti commonly refers musical pitch. approximate equivalent of tonic (or less precisely key) in western music; note others derived. used in sense of graded pitches in octave. while there infinite number of sounds falling within scale (or raga) in carnatic music, number can distinguished auditory perception twenty-two (although on years, several of them have converged). in sense, while sruti determined auditory perception, expression in listener s mind.

swara

swara refers type of musical sound single note, defines relative (higher or lower) position of note, rather defined frequency. swaras refer solfege of carnatic music, consist of 7 notes, sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni (compare hindustani sargam: sa-re-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni or western do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti). these names abbreviations of longer names shadja, rishabha, gandhara, madhyama, panchama, dhaivata , nishada. unlike other music systems, every member of solfege (called swara) has 3 variants. exceptions drone notes, shadja , panchama (also known tonic , dominant), have 1 form; , madhyama (the subdominant), has 2 forms. 7th century stone inscription in kudumiyan malai in tamil nadu shows vowel changes solfege symbols ra, ri, ru etc. denote higher quarter-tones. in 1 scale, or raga, there 1 variant of each note present. exceptions exist in light ragas, in which, artistic effect, there may two, 1 ascending (in arohanam) , descending (in avarohanam).

raga system

a raga in carnatic music prescribes set of rules building melody – similar western concept of mode. specifies rules movements (aarohanam) , down (avarohanam), scale of notes should figure more , notes should used more sparingly, notes may sung gamaka (ornamentation), phrases should used or avoided, , on. in effect, series of obligatory musical events must observed, either absolutely or particular frequency.

in carnatic music, sampoorna ragas (those 7 notes in scales) classified system called melakarta, groups them according kinds of notes have. there seventy-two melakarta ragas, thirty 6 of madhyama (subdominant) shuddha (perfect fourth tonic), remaining thirty-six of madhyama (subdominant) prati (an augmented fourth tonic). ragas grouped sets of six, called chakras ( wheels , though segments in conventional representation) grouped according supertonic , mediant scale degrees. there system known katapayadi sankhya determine names of melakarta ragas.

ragas may divided 2 classes: janaka ragas (i.e. melakarta or parent ragas) , janya ragas (descendant ragas of particular janaka raga). janya ragas subclassified various categories.

tala system

tala refers fixed time cycle or metre, set particular composition, built groupings of beats. talas have cycles of defined number of beats , change within song. have specific components, in combinations can give rise variety exist (over 108), allowing different compositions have different rhythms.

carnatic music singers keep beat moving hands , down in specified patterns, , using fingers simultaneously keep time. tala formed 3 basic parts (called angas) laghu, dhrtam, , anudhrtam, though complex talas may have other parts plutam, guru, , kaakapaadam. there 7 basic tala groups can formed laghu, dhrtam, , anudhrtam:

ata tala
dhruva tala
eka tala
jhampa tala
matya tala
rupaka tala
triputa tala

a laghu has 5 variants (called jaathis) based on counting pattern. 5 jaathis times 7 tala groups gives thirty-five basic talas, although use of other angas results in total of 108 talas.