Theory
*note that any empty box holds space for upcoming videos to accommodate the materials.
What is Music?
The dictionary definition of music is, "vocal or instrumental sounds (or both) combined in such a way as to produce beauty of form, harmony, and expression of emotion." From this, music is an expression of the composer's emotions through vocalised or instrumental art. Each piece holds great emotional significance. Music has the power to make people smile, to make people cry, and to make people angry; music is very powerful. Carnatic Music specifically is one of the most richest forms of art, and preserves Ancient Indian heritage.
Nādam
In Sanskrit, nādam, or नादम्, means "sound". Without sound, there is no music, so nādam serves an important role in Carnatic Music. Nādam is the base of all music, not only that of Carnatic Music. Nādam can be divided into two types, Āhata and Anāhata. Āhata Nādam is a consciously performed sound, such as vocals or instruments. Anāhata Nādam is commonly understood as the sounds of nature, such as the tweets of a bird. Anāhata Nādam has no limits as opposed to Āhata Nādam.
Shruti and Swaram
What is Shruti?
Shruti, or श्रुति, means pitch or sound in Sanskrit. Shruti is the nādam of a swarā with the most reductant interval. This definition might suggest an easy vocalisation for a shruti. But in reality, singing a pitch flawlessly is quite difficult. It is suggested that beginners start their daily practise routine with singing a single swarā for an elongated period of time to master shruti. Currently, there are 22 identified shrutīs.
Dātu and Mātu
There are two parts to a composition: dātu, and mātu. Dātu is the notes a piece is composed of, and is commonly known as the swarās part of a song in Carnatic Music. Mātu is the lyrical part of the song, known as sāhitya in Carnatic Music.
The Sapta Swarās
In Carnatic Music, there are 7 notes. They are Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, and Ni. The full name of the swarās are Shaḍjam, Rishabham, Gāndhāram, Madhyamam, Pañchamam, Daivatam, and Nishādam respectfully. The ārohana, or ascending order of these swarās, is Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, and Ni, with Sa being the beginning of the octave and Ni being the ending of the octave. The avarohana, or the descending order of the Sapta Swarās, is Ni, Da, Pa, Ma, Ga, Ri, and Sa. Of the Sapta Swarās, the first 4 notes are known as the pūrvānga, and the last 3 notes are known as uttarānga.
Sthayis
A sthāyi, or स्थायि, means octave in Sanskrit. There are 5 recognised sthāyis, of which 3 of them are common in Carnatic Music. They are Anumantra Sthāyi, Mantra Sthāyi, Madhya Sthāyi, Tāra Sthāyi, and Atitāra Sthāyi, listed from lowest to highest octaves. The most common sthāyis are Mantra Sthāyi, Madhya Sthāyi, and Tāra Sthāyi.
Atitāra Sthāyi: The Atitāra Sthāyi is the highest of the sthāyis and is difficult for the human voice or any instrument to reach. This sthāyi is amongst the most rare to find in compositions, and will not be given in any future lessons. Notes in this sthāyi are denoted with two dots above the letter.
Tāra Sthāyi: Tāra Sthāyi is the second highest sthāyi and is more commonly used. Notes in this sthāyi are denoted with one dot above the letter.
Madhya Sthāyi: As its meaning suggests, Madhya Sthāyi is the moderate octave, where notes are not too high or too low. This sthāyi will be used more often than other sthāyis. Notes in this sthāyi do not have any symbols and are simply just a letter.
Mantra Sthāyi: Mantra Sthāyi is the second lowest sthāyi. Just like Tāra Sthāyi, it is more commonly used and notes in this sthāyi are denoted with one dot bellow the letter.
Anumantra Sthāyi: Anumantra Sthāyi is the lowest sthāyi, and just like Atitāra Sthāyi, it is very rare in compositions and hard for the human voice or any instrument to reach. Notes in this sthāyi are denoted with two dots bellow the letter.
Layam
Layā is another vital part of Carnatic Music. Layā is what keeps the beat, in other words, it is the rhythmic part of music. Furthermore, layā keeps the sounds organised so they don't sound like a bunch of random racket. Layā is also known as tālam in Carnatic Music, which is the more commonly used term.
The Sapta Tālās
To keep the beat, certain patterns are performed with the hands. Those patterns are called tālās, and there are seven such tālās in Carnatic Music, namely Dhruva Tālam, Matya Tālam, Rūpaka Tālam, Triputa Tālam, Jhampa Tālam, Ata Tālam, and Eka Tālam. Each tālā is unique with its own arrangement of the Shadangās. The completion of one such pattern is called an āvartanam.
The Shadangās
The shadangās, or षडङ्गानि, translates to "the six components". These components are the components that make the unique patterns of the Sapta Tālās. They are:
Anudhrutam: A beat hit by the palm of the hand lasting for one akshara kālā*. Its symbol is U.
Dhrutam: A beat with the palm of the hand and a beat with the back of the hand. Its symbol is O.
Laghu: A beat with the hand plus the counting of the fingers. The number of akshara kālās depends on its Jāti. Its symbol is 1.
Guru: An angā having a duration of 8 akshara kālās, and its symbol is unknown.
Plutam: An angā with a duration of 12 akshara kālās, and its symbol is unknown.
Kāka Pādam: An angā with a duration of 16 akshara kālās, and its symbol is unknown.
Of the shadangās, only 3 of them are commonly used. They are anudhrutam, dhrutam, and laghu. The remaining angās—guru, plutam, and kāka pādam—are not used in any of the tālās, and are unnecessary for this level.
* an akshara kālā is a unit of time used in Carnatic Music. An akshara kālā is equivalent to a beat as defined by western musicians.
The 5 Jātīs
As mentioned, the duration of a laghu depends on the tālā's jāti. Each tālā comes in five jātis, in which each jāti has its own number of counts for the laghu. They are: Tisra Jāti, with a 3 count laghu; Chaturasra Jāti, with a 4 count laghu; Khanda Jāti, with a 5 count laghu; Misra Jāti, with a 7 count laghu; and Sankīrna Jāti, with a 9 count laghu.
The Patterns of the Sapta Tālās
Below are the patterns of all 7 tālās. Refer to "The Shadangās" for the meaning of each symbol.
Dhruva Tālam: 1 O 1 1
Matya Tālam: 1 O 1
Rūpaka Tālam: O 1
Jhampa Tālam: 1 U O
Triputa Tālam: 1 O O
Ata Tālam: 1 1 O O
Eka Tālam: 1
The most common tālā is Chaturasra Jāti Triputa Tālam, commonly referred to as Ādi Tālam. Its angās are 1 O O, with a four-count laghu. Its total duration is 8 akshara kālās. Watch the video for the demonstration of each tālā.
Ganabadi's Transliteration Scheme
At this level, it is very important to get used to Ganabadi's transliteration scheme. This transliteration scheme will be used for all non-English terms to direct students to the proper pronunciation of the word. Unless in the lyrics of a song, proper nouns and commonly used words will not follow this transliteration scheme and will be simplified for better understanding. For example, according to the transliteration scheme, Krishna should be spelt as K-ṛ-ṣ-ṇ-ā. But it will be spelt the way it is better understood as, K-r-i-s-h-n-a. Proper pronunciation is vital, and a must in languages such as Sanskrit and Telugu. A difference in a vowel can greatly change the meaning of a word. Hence it is necessary to understand Ganabadi's transliteration scheme so that you will be able to pronounce all words properly.
Ganabadi's Transliteration Scheme - Google Docs.pdf