Theory

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The Genesis of Carnatic Music.pdf

The Genesis and History of Carnatic Music

To the left are a few pages with the story of how Carnatic music came to be. It also narrates a bit of Carnatic music's vast history. Read on to learn more about this unique type of music!

Parts of a Composition

When looking at the notes of a song, it is not shown as a big block of continuous swarās and sāhityās. Instead, it is divided into many blocks, each of which is a part of the song, and important in its distinctive way. These parts of a composition include Pallavi, Anupallavi, and Charanam, which may look familiar from previous lessons. These parts will be more deeply explained in this lesson. Though these three parts are more common and are present in all compositions, there are more than just them, which will also be covered in this lesson. The parts of a song are divided into the main parts, meaning the parts that get more attention, swarās, which are roughly details in between, and Manodharma, which requires the artist to inject some improvisation into the composition.

Main Parts

Pallavi: The pallavi is the definitive part of a composition. In other words, the pallavi is the part of a composition that is meant to gain more attention. Consequently, the title of the composition will be in this part of the song, quite often the first few words. The pallavi will always be any song's first "composed" part. It is also the most revisited part of the composition.

Anupallavi: The anupallavi follows the pallavi. It is found in almost all compositions, and if present will be second to the Pallavi in the composition structure. This part generally enhances the theme of the song.

Charanam: The charanam is third to the pallavi and anupallavi. The charanam can be better understood as the body of the composition. Think of a composition as an essay. First comes the hook, or pallavi, then the thesis, or anupallavi, then the body, or charanam. Just as in the body of an essay, the composer expands upon the topic in the charanam.

Swarās

Muktāyi Swaram: The muktāyi swaram is a section mostly dedicated to plain swarās, although there are some exceptions. This part usually appears after the anupallavi. This part further enhances the rāgam of the composition. Muktayi swarās are very common among varnās, and will occasionally appear in other forms as well.

Chiṭṭa Swaram: Chiṭṭa swaram is similar to muktayi swaram. They are a section dedicated solely to swarās and no sāhityam, though there are exceptions. Chiṭṭa swarās tend to be a lot longer than muktayi swarās. Chiṭṭa swarās are commonly found in varnās, where many stanzas of them are present near the end of the song. Each stanza will be sung one by one after the repetition of the Charanam.

Manodharma

Rāgālāpanam: The rāgālāpanam, simply referred to as rāgam, or ālāpanam, is like an introduction to the song. The ālāpanam is not composed by the composer of the song. The ālāpanam is where the artist gets to display his style through improvisation. The part is only common among higher-level music forms, and not all compositions call for an ālāpanam. If required the ālāpanam will always be the first "improvised" part of a composition.

Kalpana Swaram: The kalpana swarās are similar to chiṭṭa swarās, but obviously with a few differences. Chiṭṭa swarās are not improvised and are usually given by the composer, but kalpana swarās are meant to be improvised. Likewise, kalpana swarās are performed one by one with the repetition of the pallavi more so than the charanam. The kalpana swarās are more common among krithis.

Manodharma, that is improvisation, has much more to it than just what is listed above. What was taught is the basis of what Manodharma is and the common forms of it. Yet, Manodharma is far more complex and will be revisited in later units.

Two Divisions of Compositions

There are two divisions of compositions in Carnatic music, namely Sabha Gāna and Abhyāsa Gāna. Sabha Gāna compositions are those meant to be performed in front of others, as in a concert. In ancient times, performances were often held at a sabha, which can loosely be translated as the king's court, to entertain the king and his court. Hence compositions meant for entertaining others are called as Sabha Gāna. Abhyāsa Gāna on the other hand is meant for learning and practicing music. Abhyāsa means practice in Sanskrit, hence compositions used for teaching the art are categorized as Abhyāsa Gāna. In the Ganabadi school, there is a third category, namely Samsakta Gāna. Forms that fall under the Samsakta Gāna category can be debated to be part of either of the other two category depending on the condition and school. Samsakta means conditional in Sanskrit, hence the compositions that vary based on the condition are categorized into Ganabadi's Samsakta Gāna.

Gītās were traditionally used to prepare intermediate students for more advanced compositions. However, gītās can still be used in performances. Many musicians have started their concerts with gītās before. Jatiswarās are usually only performed by musicians as an accommodation to a dance performance. Hence in music alone, jatiswarās would be considered Abhyāsa Gāna. But when performed as an accommodation with dance, jatiswarās would be considered Sabha Gāna. Lastly, nōṭṭuswarās also find their place in Samsakta Gāna. Nōṭṭuswarās have not been around for long for them to be categorized into either division. Nōṭṭuswarās are similar to gītās, as they are short and simple compositions. They are used to prepare intermediate students for more advanced pieces. However, it would not be wrong to perform nōṭṭuswarās at a concert. Varasās and Alankārās are strictly Abhyāsa Gāna, as they are unfit for a concert, and should only be used to teach students the concepts of Carnatic Music. On the other hand, though gītās and nōṭṭuswarās are used for teaching students the concepts of Carnatic Music, it would not be wrong to use them in a performance. Different schools have different ideas of where to categorize the various forms of Carnatic Music. Ganabadi makes an effort to display the ideology of multiple schools by incorporating debatable forms into the Samsakta Gāna category.

Forms of Carnatic Music

Sabha Gāna Forms

Swarājati: Swarājatīs, a form of Sabha Gāna, are very thematic and are commonly performed for dance recitals. The structure of a swarājati comprises of a pallavi, sometimes an anupallavi, and multiple charanams. Each charanam is sung in the swarasāhitya format, where the swarās of the charanam are sung once before the sāhityam of the charanam. Each charanam is unique in melody, along with unique rhythmic patterns.

Varnam: Varnās are a more advanced form of Sabha Gāna. Varnās are often used as concert starters. There are many different types of varnās, including tāna, pada, daru, and rāgamālika.

Tāna Varnam: The structure of a Tāna Varnam includes a pallavi, anupallavi, muktāyi swaram, charanam, and chiṭṭa swaram. Each line of the pallavi, anupallavi, and muktāyi swaram will be sung twice once through. The same parts will be sung again, however this time they will be sung in second speed, and each line will only be sung once. After this first part, the second part, consisting of the charanam and chiṭṭa swarās will be sung. Each chiṭṭa swaram will be sung after revisiting the charanam. This second part of the varnam will only be sung in second speed.
Pada Varnam: A Pada Varnam is very similar to a Tāna Varnam in manners of structure and manner of performance. However, unlike the Tāna Varnās, Pada Varnās have sāhityam for the muktāyi swarās and the chiṭṭa swarās. These two parts are sung using the swarasāhitya format, where the swarās are sung once before the sāhityam.
Daru Varnam: Daru Varnās are very similar to Pada Varnās. However, the muktāyi swarās of this type of varnam do not follow the swarasāhitya format. Instead, they follow a pattern called the swara-jati-sāhitya format. In this format, first the swarās of the section are sung, followed by the written jati. Jati are rhythmic syllables used in Indian classical music and dance. After the jati is sung, finally the sāhityam of the section will be sung. Also unlike the Pada Varnās, Daru Varnās do not have a sāhityam for the chiṭṭa swarās.
Rāgamālika Varnam: Rāgamalika Varnās are similar to Tāna Varnās in terms of structure and manner of performance. The only difference is that a Rāgamālika Varnam uses multiple rāgās to develop the bhāva, whereas a Tāna Varnam only uses a single rāgam.

Kīrtanam: Kīrtanās are simple compositions with a very basic structure. They include a pallavi, anupallavi, and a charanam. They can have a single charanam, or multiple charanās. If there are multiple charanās, then the melody of the charanam will be similar, and not distinct. These types of kīrtanās are known as Bahucharana Kīrtanās. Kīrtanās were more commonly composed by composers during the pre-trinity era of Carnatic music.

Kriti: Kritīs are very similar to kīrtanās. They have a pallavi, anupallavi, and charanam. However, kritīs can contain many more parts that can act as accessories to the music to develop the bhāva and make the piece more complex. Kritīs come in a wide variety. However, the main distinction that kritīs get from the remaining types is that they are more complex and accessorised. Kritīs were more popular among the composers of the trinity-era, though the composers of the trinity-era still continued to compose kīrtanās.

Tillāna: Tillānās are very similar to kīrtanās. Tillānās, like kīrtanās, have a pallavi, anupallavi, and charanam. Unlike kīrtanās however, tillānās have a larger scope for Manōdharma. Additionally, the sāhityam of the tillānās comprises greatly of jatīs, which are rhythmic syllables used in Indian classical music and dance. Tillānās are among the most vibrant forms of Carnatic music and are usually concert-enders.

Abhyāsa Gāna Forms

Swara Varasās and Alankārās are two forms that fall under Abhyāsa Gāna. These forms are not meant to be performed and are for the sole purpose of practising and developing vital skills. For example, the Sarali Varasās are simple exercises that help beginners learn Carnatic music. Mēla Sthāyi Varasās are exercises that help develop skills in tāra sthāyi. Similar to swara varasās, alankārās are also widely used to develop skills. Unlike swara varasās however, the alankārās help develop skills related to tālam. Another thing to note is that these forms do not typically have a sāhityam, they are mostly only composed of plain swarās.

Samsakta Gāna Forms

Gītās: Gītās are the simplest form of Carnatic music. A lot of gītās do not have sub-parts to them and are often just a continuous piece. However, some gītās do contain a pallavi, an anupallavi, and a charanam. Gītās can contain multiple short one or two-lined charanās, all of which usually have the same melody.

Nōṭṭu Swarās: Nōṭṭu swarās are very similar to gītās. A nōṭṭu swara can come as a piece without subparts, or simply include a pallavi, perhaps an anupallavi, and a charanam. Nōṭṭu swarās usually do not have multiple charanās. Muthuswami introduced this form of music to Carnatic music by fusing western music introduced by the British to the local music of India. This fusion created unique melodies with timely oscillations. In a way, nōṭṭu swarās are a more simple form than gītās.

Jatiswarās: Jatiswarās are not meant for performance in Carnatic concerts. Jatiswarās are mainly meant to accompany a dance recital, hence if the piece is being performed by a musician, it is only as an accommodation. Jatiswarās contain a pallavi, anupallavi, and a charanam. Despite its name jatiswara, this form does not contain jatīs, nor does it contain sāhityās. This form only contains swarās.

Short Stories

As Carnatic musicians, it is important for us to know important figures who influenced this style of music. Without figures like Purandaradasa, Thyagaraja, and Annamacharya, Carnatic music would not be what it is today. Stories recommended include the Story of the Nayanars, The Biography of Ramadasu, and the Biography of Swati Thirunal Maharaja.