Carnatic Music Lessons

Importance of Thalam / Rhythm in Carnatic Music

Every movement in Nature is governed by Rhythm. The best example is the heart beat, which occurs exactly 72 times a minute. Daily events like the sound of a moving train, sound of waves etc all have in built rhythm in them. Saint Thyagaraja has used the term “sogasugaa mridanga thalamu” emphasising the importance of rhythm. Tala is the physical representation of rhythmic cycles in Carnatic Music.

Some students need more time and different types of exercises in achieving stability in rhythm or talam. Others take more time to align themselves to the Sruthi. Each composition is set to a specific raga and with a specific rhythmic cycle. The student should be knowing that the initial set of exercises begin with the Raga Mayamalavagowla.


This raga invokes bhakthi and devotion and is apt to be sung in the mornings. This is classified as a morning raga and the mood it generates is just like a few drops of refreshing morning dew outside the window to begin the day with a positive note. The student should note that all the varisais and alankarams are set to this particular raga mainly for 3 reasons.

Improves the tonal quality of the singer (helps to develop open throat singing).

Helps to understand the concept of Sruthi

It also initiates the students to the concept of tala or rhythm.

The student is required to practice all these initial set of exercises varisais in 3 or more speeds. These varisais are set to Adi Talam (8 beats) – the most commonly used Tala in Carnatic Music

First speed – 1 note per beat
Second Speed -2 notes per beat
Third Speed – 4 notes per beat
Fourth speed – 8 notes per beat
Fifth Speed – 16 notes per beat
Sixth Speed – 32 notes per beat

Regular practice in advanced speed maintaing the same kaalapramanam (increasing the vocal speed without increasing the speed of the thalam) will help the student to perfect the rhythmic exercise.

Advanced students can also practice varnams in three speeds. The ability to sing Varnams with precision and in good speed equips the voice with all the necessary skills to render authentic Carnatic music. It should be remembered that the practice of any classical art requires a lifetime of dedicated application and saadhana. The early lessons and voice developmenttechniques are very essential for a grasp of classical nuances in terms of swara sthana, sruthi alignment and concept of rhythm.

The voice should be trained in such a way that the singer should be able to reach the ManthraSthyai(lower octave) and TharaSthayi (Higher Octave) Panchamam without any strain. There is no short cut to achieve this except for dedicated Saadhana or practice. The TharaSthyai varisai improves the tonal quality and the range in upperoctave. The ManthraSthayi Varisai improve the tone and range in the lower octave.These two varisais should be practised in all the speeds to attain perfection in rhythm and swara/note.These exercises should be practised in Akaram too to attain perfection in sruthi alignment, rhythm and notes. Carnatic voice demand a powerful, majestic voice. We have to develop open throat singing. Here we dont sing softly.If you sing softly, you will lose the colour or charm or shade that is required for the song.As in any athletic training, it is important for singers to achieve ‘good form’ through systematic training and develop the knowledge and ability to use their unique GOD given instrument with the maximum freedom and facility.

Special Emphasis on Rhythmic Exercises or Alankara

Just like Saptha or Seven Swaras, there are seven thalas. Alankaaras increase your grasp of Talam when they are rendered by doubling the speed in different tempos. Alankaras are set in 7 different Suladi Thalas known as Saptha Tala Alankaras. The seven major groups are druva, matya, rupaka, jampa, triputa, ata and eka. There are five varieties in each of these group. The 5 groups are tisra-3, Chathusra-4, Misra-7, Kanda-5 and Sankirna-9. Thus we have 35 talas. Alankaras can be practised 3 speeds in 5 note raagas too like Mohanam, Hamsadwani, Madhyamavathi etc and Six note ragas like SreeRanjani etc.

Importance of Varnams

This article is again about the topic Varnams which is a a continuation of my previous article, Varnams – The Pillars of Abhyasa Ganams.Though Varnams belong to Abhyasa Ganam category, due to their high standards, they are suitable to be performed in the concert. We have the tradition of singing/playing a varnam at the very beginning of a concert.

The Sahityam part of a varnam is very minimal, and mostly of Bhakti or Sringara Rasam. A varnam has twoparts. First part is known as Purvangam and it is follwed by Utharangam.

Purvangam consists of
Pallavi
Anu Pallavi
Mukthayi Swarams

Utharangam consists of
Charanam
Ethugada Swrams (also known as Charana Swarams or Chitta Swarams)

Understanding and practising ethugada/charana swarams is the first step in learning kalpana swarams.

Way of Singing Varnams

First the Purvangam is performed, followed by Utharangam. In the Purvangam, each avartham is performed twice in first speed (4 aksharams per kriya). Once the Mukthayi swaram is performed this way, the entire Purvangam is repeated at second degree of speed, in the same manner. Once second speed is over, the entire purvangam is performed at the third speed, and concluded by the performing a portion of pallavi at the firstspeed.

Once the Purvangam is over, Utharangam can be performed either at a fixed speed (Madyama Kalam) or in 2 or 3 speeds.

In Utharangam, Charanam is performed first followed by First chitta swaram. After each chitta swaram,

Charanam is repeated again before progressing to the next chitta swaram . Varnam is concluded by performing Charanam or a portion of it, after reciting all the charana swarams.

If you closely oberve a varnam has all musical forms consisting all the elements of gitam, jatisvaram and svarajati. It prepares the students with adequate skills to be able to learn a kriti. The first half of a varnam which has profuse vowel extensions resembles a kriti while the second half beginning with ettugada pallavi and charanam swarams resembles a svarajati or a jatisvaram.

While getting trained in varnams, varnams are sung in two kaalams (or sometimes in 3). Kaalams refers to the tempo with which the song is sung. The first speed is normal, the second speed is 2 swaras per beat and the 3rd speed is 4 swaras per beat. In effect 2nd speed is twice as fast and 3rd 4 times. It requires lot of practice to sing the varnam correctly in higher speeds while still sticking to the tune and the sruthi (octave). Once you have mastered it, it gives your voice flexibility to effortlessly glide over the swaras even at breakneck or blistering speed.

Singing Varnams in three speeds helps in culturing the voice and training it to be able to perform complex aspects of music. Akara singing ( of Janta and Dhattu Varisagal) in at least four speeds with clarity with each notes rolling like “laddus”, with good kalapramanam (uniform style), has to be practiced in many ragas on a regular basis.

Varnam highlights everything important about a raga, known as the sanchaaraas of a raga – this includes which notes to stress, how to approach a certain note, classical and characteristic phrases of a raga, the scale of the raga, and so on. Though there are a few different types of varnams, in essence, they all have a pallavi, an anupallavi, muktayi swaras, a charanam, and chittaswaras. They are sung in multiple speeds, and are very good for practice. In concerts, varnams are often sung at the beginning as they are fast and grab the audience’s attention.

By practising varnams in slow tempo one can develop the raga alapana in each phrase.Great composers have composed varnams giving the full fledged raga bhava, swara phrases ,range of the raga etc. Pallavi and Anupallavi in varnams help to develop gamakas or oscillations.Gamaka is an oscillation between previous and next note.Gamaka is defined as Graceful singing. Singing the Varnam in 3 speeds also help to developBrigas. Brigas are closely packed gamakas. They have more notes.There has to be a judicious mix of gamakas,brigas and flat notes while singing an alapana or krithi.

Speaking a little about voice culture, Sri. Thayagaraja has pointed out that the main resonating cavities are, Nabhi (stomach region), Hrid (chest), Kanda (neck), Rasana (tongue i.e. mouth) and Nasagrea (top of the nose i.e. head).These are classified in the Western classical music as, the chest register, middle register and the head register. Practice of Varnams help us to develop the voice in 3 octaves and gain tremendous breath control.

In this article I would like to give special emphasis to Voice Care Techniques. For example, a singer with a wrong posture is not going to utilize his vocal organs and other parts to create the best possible voice. Your Vocal Chords are just like any other body part – If you use your limbs properly by moving around and being active – they will be okay. If you tiptoe around or hibernate in bed, your legs will be in trouble. Similarly your vocal chords needs to be active with regular vocal exercise. Are you a singer who finds immense strain when you sing higher notes? If your veins in the neck sticks out when you sing top notes, beware ; you are moulding an ideal situation for creating vocal trouble over a period of time.

If you have irritation or itching in your throat, it may be because of the following reasons. This was told to me by Dr.Jayakumar – A Trivandrum based Laryngologist, when I met him 6 months ago for a session.
Hoarseness

Severe dryness of the throat or Throat Dehydration
Excess or excessively thick mucus in the throat
Voice fatigue after a period of voice use
Throat irritation or soreness
Loss of vocal range (especially the higher notes)

You are doing Voice Abuse in the following cases.
Talking too loudly, for too long.
Avoid excessive speech in noisy environments
Don’t do all the talking!
Try not to raise your voice volume or pitch when you get excited.
Don’t shout across a room or talk over loud background noise. Move closer to your listener when speaking.

Food Habits- Very Important Aspect of Voice Care

1. One of the major “Good Food for Good Singing” is actually a liquid, and it is called WATER. A healthy voice is VERY dependent on vocal cords that are kept continually moist with watery mucus. Thin, watery mucus in the throat is normal and necessary. Without adequate mucus, the vocal cords must work harder to produce sound which leads to inflammation or swelling of the vocal cord tissues. Generous amounts of water, fruit juice, and other decaffeinated beverages are preferred for optimal voice hygiene. Caffeinated and alcoholic beverages actually pull water out of the tissues in your voice box. Even though they are liquids, these substances can work in this manner to cause dehydration of the throat and voice box.

Keep a glass of lukewarm water beside you whenever you are singing or performing, or just drink some warm water before you sing! This helps to soothe our vocal cords and our throat, and also moistens the tissues and muscles involved, reducing the risk of vocal damage. This is what i always do whenever i have to perform, or whenever i have to take several singing classes consecutively.

Water is so very very important to singers!

2. Foods containing Vitamin A helps cells regenerate normally, Vitamin C helps prevent the common cold and sore throat as well as improve immune functions of the body. These foods also help to keep the mucus membranes in our throats healthy, so that we avoid irritation in our throats when we sing.

Honey which has antiseptic, anti-inflammatory and anti-microbial properties, meaning that bacteria will find it hard to survive and reproduce in honey. This also means that when we have a sore throat or just feel some discomfort in our voice, we can just take one spoonful of pure Honey, and let it drizzle down our throats. This will help to keep the bacteria away, and will also help our sore throats to heal faster!

The best way to treat vocal irritation is to prevent it.Avoid Tea, Coffee, Alcohol,Carbonated Soft Drinks and Spicy food specially before singing . Generally, we should also try to avoid taking too many cold drinks, for health reasons as well as for overall voice care too. Cold drinks cause our throats and our voices to contract and stiffen, and this is not good for singing because we need our vocal cords and throats to be warmed up and flexible in order to be able to hit the various pitches that we sing!Substitute Fresh fruit juice instead of coffee and soft drinks. Many singers usually would also avoid dairy products before a performance, for example cheese, yogurt, milk, ice cream and so on, or even common fruits like bananas. These foods create excessive mucus production and may cause singers to have too much phlegm or mucus when they are singing.

Another severe problem that the singers face is frequentthroat clearing. This bangs the vocal cords together and causes irritation. It was mainly for this reason, I had an appointment with Dr. Jayakumar.

The following remedies were suggested.
Take a drink of water and not to speak for a few seconds
Swallow HARD
Sniff, then swallow hard
Yawn to relax your throat
If you have to clear throat, clear quietly and gently.

It may help to start small. Choose one hour each day and do not clear your throat during that hour. Each day, add some minutes to that hour. The more you clear your throat, the more you will feel the need to clear your throat. The less you clear your throat, the less you will feel the need to clear your throat.

Another important cause for voice irritation is Acid Reflux.

Acid reflux (when our stomach acids flow back up towards our throat) it causes throat and voice irritation, and it may be caused by taking too much spicy food, as well as eating a lot of food very late at night just before sleep. When the food is being digested at night and we are lying down on our bed, this increases the possibility of acid reflux, and in serious cases, it could cause damage to our vocal cords directly! Acidic fruit juices also increase the chances of acid reflux and should be avoided too, especially late at night before sleep.

To avoid Acid Reflux Doctor advised me with following tips.
Drink lots of water.
Eating food at the right time.
Dinner intake should be any food that is steamed.
There should be a 2 hour gap after dinner and before retiring to bed.

Above all Good breathing techniques (Pranayama) and Vocal Warm up exercise on a regular basis will help us to maintain our voice in a healthy condition. We sing SA-PA-SA to warm up or vocal muscles. Generally I sing Tharasthayi and Manthrastayi Varishakal for Vocal Warm ups. We should do proper vocal warmups each time before we sing, so that our voices are well supported and warmed up before each vocal performance or practice! This will go a long way towards preserving our wonderful singing voices! A person gifted with musical abilities has a naturally gifted voice apparatus and propensities that need to be unlocked, awakened and orchestrated.

Certainly, for us to sing better, we not only need to know how to protect our voice, we also need to understand the various common singing problems or habits that we may have, as well as how to avoid them!

Simhananda – The longest Thalam in the World

Simhanandana is the longest talam in world music. It has 18 angas, 128 kriyas(or beats) and 512 aksharas. The talam, apart from commonly used angas Laghu and Drutha, also contains the rarely used angas Guru, Plutha and Kaakapaada.

On comaprision, 1 avartha of Simhanandana Tala is equivalent to 16 avarthas of Adi Tala. A lot has been discussed about this talam by musicians of yester years, who refer to it as a “Simha Swapnam”. The angas of this talam are Guru-Guru-Laghu-Plutha-Laghu-Guru-Dhruta-Dhruta-Guru-Guru-Laghu-Plutha-Laghu-Plutha-Guru-Laghu-Laghu-Kakapada. This talam is the 37th of the Ashtottarashatha(108) talas. It can also be seen as a sequence of 6 talas of the 108 tala scheme. They are Chanchatputa, Rati, Darpana, Kokilapriya, Abhanga and Mudrika talas, taken in the same order.

A brief history from time: Simhanandana talam has been found quoted in association with well known musicians from past and present. The legendry musical battle between Sri Bobbili Keshavayya and Sri Syama Sastry(the eldest amongst the music trinity) is a well recorded one. It is said that Bobbili Keshavayya challenged Sri Syama Sastry by singing a Pallavi in the Simhanandana talam. In the recent history, Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer(1844 – 1892) is known to have sung a pallavi in Simhanandana talam, Kalyani ragam. He later made the same into a tillana in Kalyani ragam. This tillana is also sung in Kanada ragam.

In his work ‘Naa Kanda Kalaavidaru’, Mysore Vasudevacharya records Poochi Srinivasa Iyengar singing a pallavi in Simhanandana talam at Gayana Samaja, Bangalore. The Simhanandana demonstration at Madras Music Academy by Mudicondan Venkatarama Iyer is also well known. Another exponent of the Simhanandana tala was Pallavi Chandrappa.

Varnams – The Pillars of Abhyasa Ganams
Varnams are scholarly compositions belonging to Abhyasa-Ganam Category. They are like the pillars amongst Abhyasa Ganas.
In learning music, Varnams are the foundations of Ragams and Gamakams. Students should learn Varnams very carefully and thoroughly because they learn about gamakas from here only. If a student fails to properly understand and master gamakas, which are the essense of Ragas, it’ll set a very wrong foundation that’ll affect the student’s entire progress in music.
The composition of varnam is of very high standards. It has the Raga
bhavam, Raga ranjaka prayogas, rare sancharas, Dhattu and Janta
phrases in appropriate places. Analysing and understanding of these
aspects are the first steps in Manodharma Sangeetham (Raga Alapana, Kalpana Swarams etc.)

Learning vocal and instrumental music should practise varnams in 3 speeds. This will help them establish their fingering (instrumental) and bring control to their voice (vocal). In the varnam’s composition, all sort of exercises are present. So the students will gain the ability to sing/perform all kind of prayogas.

First understand what Varnam-s are…

For students, they are useful for learning the swaras of various raagas, singing in multiple speeds rapidly, as well as learning the appropriate gamakas. They introduce the proper combinations of swaras for each raaga and require great discipline for singing. The structure of the varnam includes pallavi, anupallavi, muktaayi swaram, caraNam and multiple ciTTa swarams that return to the caraNam . In Charanam, there are two or three Swaram-s of one avartanam, one Swaram of two avartanam-s and finally one Swaram of four avartanam-s. Varnams are usually the first pieces sung in concerts.

The three Varnam categories are Daru Varnam, Pada Varnam and Taana Varnam .

Daru Varnam: Daru varnams are special type of varnams in whose mukthAyi swarams, there are first the swarApassages, followed by the jatis which are then followed by the sAhitya. An example is the daru varnam “mAtE malayadvaja” in rAgA kamAsu (which when repeatedly spelt becomes sukama = sugama !!):

Pada Varnam: These are suitable for choreography in Bharatanatyam and mostly, only these are used. This has Saahityam for all Swaram-s. They are fairly slow paced.

Taana Varnam: This does not have Sahityam for Swara-s. Usually, the speed is such that it suits Duritha Kaalam and Tisra Gati. Students of Carnatic music learn at least fifteen Taana Varnam-s.

It is good if the students listen them carefully and try to to sing long with the singer for a few times.

Track List
Varnams – Part 1

01-Ninnu Kori-Mohanam-Adi
02- Jalajaksha-Hamsadwani-Adi
03- Evvari-Abhogi-Adi
04-Sarasuda-Saveri-Adi
05-Vanajakshi-Kalyani-Adi