89-664: The ghaṭam (Sanskrit: घट , Kannada: ಘಟ ghaṭa , Tamil: கடம் ghatam , Telugu: ఘటం ghataṃ , Malayalam: ഘടം, ghataṃ ) is a solid instrument used in various repertoires across the Indian subcontinent , especially in Southern India . Its variant is played in Punjab and known as gharha as it is a part of Punjabi folk traditions. Its analogue in Rajasthan is known as the madga and pani mataqa ("water jug"). The ghatam
178-729: A raga . The features and rules of the raga (also known as the sanchaaraas of a raga) include how each note of the raga should be stressed, the scale of the raga, and so on. All varnams consist of lyrics, as well as swara passages, including a pallavi , an anupallavi , muktayi swaras , a charanam , and chittaswaras . Known for their complex structure, varnams are a fundamental form in Carnatic music. Varnams are practised as vocal exercises in multiple speeds by performers of Carnatic music, to help develop voice culture, and maintain proper pitch and control of rhythm. In Carnatic music concerts, varnams are often performed by musicians as
267-445: A black clay that typically comes from a single area in Rajasthan while many others in Rajasthan and Gujarat are made from a reddish clay. A third version of the ghaṛa is made from reddish clay but features a much flatter, squat shape. Both of the red clay types can also be found highly decorated with colorfully painted designs while the black ones are usually plain and unfinished. The black ghaṛas are extremely light but very dense and have
356-424: A cricket context, these countries are often referred to simply as the subcontinent around the world e.g. " Australia's tour of the subcontinent". The word is also sometimes used as an adjective in this context e.g. "subcontinental conditions". The Indian subcontinent was formerly part of Gondwana , a supercontinent formed during the late Neoproterozoic and early Paleozoic . Gondwana began to break up during
445-593: A distinct political entity that eventually became a nation-state (today the Republic of India). According to the Oxford English Dictionary , the term subcontinent signifies a "subdivision of a continent which has a distinct geographical, political, or cultural identity" and also a "large land mass somewhat smaller than a continent". Its use to signify the Indian subcontinent is evidenced from
534-511: A fixed time cycle or metre, set for a particular composition, which is built from groupings of beats. Tala s have cycles of a defined number of beats and rarely change within a song. They have specific components, which in combinations can give rise to the variety to exist (over 108), allowing different compositions to have different rhythms. Carnatic music singers usually keep the beat by moving their hands up and down in specified patterns, and using their fingers simultaneously to keep time. Tala
623-404: A hint of the song to be performed. Theoretically, this ought to be the easiest type of improvisation, since the rules are so few, but in fact, it takes much skill to sing a pleasing, comprehensive (in the sense of giving a "feel for the ragam") and, most importantly, original raga alapana. Niraval, usually performed by the more advanced performers, consists of singing one or two lines of text of
712-475: A huge sound. The shell tones ring in a bell-like fashion with much more of a sustain than the various South Indian ghaṭams (although the Mysore ghaṭam comes close). The bass tones of this instrument are very prominent. Since these instruments are fired at a much higher temperature for a longer time than South Indian ghaṭams, there is more consistency between instruments in terms of Western pitch. In other words, there
801-635: A long time in Sri Lanka, Carnatic music was associated with Indian immigrants, and was often derogatorily referred to as " thosai kade music" ("music from the dosa shop"), in reference to the South Indians-owned restaurants and eateries that typically played this kind of music. From the 20th century, Carnatic music gained significant popularity among certain social strata of the Sri Lankan population , who were then heavily influenced by
890-591: A prominent cultural movement known as the Hindu revival. Carnatic music was thus appropriated and highly promoted during the 1920s and 1930s as a cultural and identity marker of the Colombo and Jaffna bourgeoisies, and by extension of the Sri Lankan Tamils . The place given to Carnatic music in the construction of a modern Sri Lankan Tamil identity has reached significant proportions, such as its rise in
979-645: A region or a 'realm' by itself than the Indian subcontinent." This natural physical landmass in South Asia is the dry-land portion of the Indian Plate , which has been relatively isolated from the rest of Eurasia. The Himalayas (from Brahmaputra River in the east to Indus River in the west), Karakoram (from Indus River in the east to Yarkand River in the west) and the Hindu Kush mountains (from Yarkand River westwards) form its northern boundary. In
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#17327919781701068-482: A small archipelago southwest of the peninsula, while largely considered a part of the Indian subcontinent, sometimes is mentioned by sources, including the International Monetary Fund , as a group of islands away from the Indian subcontinent in a south-western direction. The population of Indian subcontinent is about 1.912 billion which makes it the most populated region in the world. It
1157-485: A song repeatedly, but with a series of melodic improvised elaborations. Although niraval consists of extempore melodic variations, generally, the original patterns of duration are maintained; each word in the lines of text stay set within their original place ( idam ) in the tala cycle. The lines are then also played at different levels of speed which can include double speed, triple speed, quadruple speed and even sextuple speed. The improvised elaborations are made with
1246-438: A system called the melakarta , which groups them according to the kinds of notes that they have. There are seventy-two melakarta ragas , thirty six of whose madhyama ( subdominant ) is shuddha ( perfect fourth from the tonic), the remaining thirty-six of whose madhyama (subdominant) is prati (an augmented fourth from the tonic). The ragas are grouped into sets of six, called chakras ("wheels", though actually segments in
1335-482: A term closely linked to the region's colonial heritage, as a cover term, the latter is still widely used in typological studies. Since the Partition of India , citizens of Pakistan (which became independent of British India in 1947) and Bangladesh (which became independent of Pakistan in 1971) often perceive the use of the Indian subcontinent as offensive and suspicious because of the dominant placement of India in
1424-405: A total of 108 tala s. Improvisation in raga is the soul of Indian classical music – an essential aspect. " Manodharma Sangeetam " or " kalpana Sangeetam " ("music of imagination") as it is known in Carnatic music, embraces several varieties of improvisation. The main traditional forms of improvisation in Carnatic music consist of the following: An alapana, sometimes also called ragam,
1513-590: A type of musical sound that is a single note, which defines a relative (higher or lower) position of a note, rather than a defined frequency. Svara s also refer to the solfege of Carnatic music, which consist of seven notes, "sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni" (compare with the Hindustani sargam : sa- re -ga-ma-pa- dha -ni or Western do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti). These names are abbreviations of the longer names shadja , rishabha , gandhara , madhyama , panchama , dhaivata and nishada . Unlike other music systems, every member of
1602-542: A verse at the end of the charana , called the madhyamakāla . It is sung immediately after the charana , but at double speed. There are many composers in Carnatic music. Purandara Dasa (1484–1564) is referred to as the Pitamaha (the father or grandfather) of Carnatic music as he formulated the basic lessons in teaching Carnatic music, and in honour of his significant contribution to Carnatic music. He structured graded exercises known as Swaravalis and Alankaras , and at
1691-427: A view of outlining the raga, the tempo, and the theme of the composition. Kalpanaswaram, also known as swarakalpana, consists of improvising melodic and rhythmic passages using swaras (solfa syllables). Like niraval, kalpanaswaras are sung to end on a particular swara in the raga of the melody and at a specific place ( idam ) in the tala cycle. Kalpanaswaras have a somewhat predictable rhythmical structure;
1780-822: Is a peninsular region in South Asia delineated by the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Arakanese in the east. It extends southward into the Indian Ocean with the Arabian Sea to the southwest and the Bay of Bengal to the southeast. Most of this region rests on the Indian Plate and is isolated from the rest of Asia by large mountain barriers. Laccadive Islands , Maldives and
1869-588: Is a physiographical region in Southern Asia , mostly situated on the Indian Plate , projecting southwards into the Indian Ocean from the Himalayas . Geographically, it spans the countries of Bangladesh , Bhutan , the British Indian Ocean Territory (United Kingdom), India , Maldives , Nepal , Pakistan , and Sri Lanka . Although the terms "Indian subcontinent" and "South Asia" are often used interchangeably to denote
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#17327919781701958-521: Is a north Indian version of the south Indian ghaṭam and is made from a very special clay. The maker sometimes adds some kind of metal or graphite dust to the clay which is responsible for the blue-gray appearance and for the special sound. The madga can be played similarly to the ghaṭam . Loud bass tones can be produced if one hits with the flat hand the opening at the top of the instrument. The madga can be played with mallets (sticks) and there are many sounds which can be produced with this instrument. It
2047-416: Is believed that the mud is of special quality. The Manamadurai ghaṭam is a heavy, thick pot with tiny shards of brass mixed into the clay. This type of ghaṭam is harder to play but produces a sharp metallic ringing sound which is favored by some players. It is played with the heel of the palms and the fingers, while held in the lap, the mouth facing the stomach of the musician. By changing the distance between
2136-410: Is believed to be a divine art form which originated from the devas and devis ( Hindu gods and goddesses), and is venerated as symbolic of nāda brāhman . Ancient treatises also describe the connection of the origin of the svaras , or notes, to the sounds of animals and birds and man's effort to simulate these sounds through a keen sense of observation and perception. The Samaveda , which
2225-482: Is believed to have laid the foundation for Indian classical music, consists of hymns from the Rigveda , set to musical tunes which would be sung using three to seven musical notes during Vedic yajnas . The Yajurveda , which mainly consists of sacrificial formulae, mentions the veena as an accompaniment to vocal recitations. References to Indian classical music are made in many ancient texts, including epics like
2314-416: Is constantly increasing. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known as gāyaki ). Like Hindustani music , Carnatic music rests on two main elements: rāga , the modes or melodic formulae, and tāḷa , the rhythmic cycles. Today, Carnatic music
2403-473: Is formed with three basic parts (called anga s) which are laghu , dhrtam , and anudhrtam , though complex talas may have other parts like plutam , guru , and kaakapaadam . There are seven basic tala groups which can be formed from the laghu , dhrtam , and anudhrtam : A laghu has five variants (called jaathi s) based on the counting pattern. Five jaathis times seven tala groups gives thirty-five basic tala s, although use of other anga s results in
2492-399: Is integral to Ragam Tanam Pallavi. Originally developed for the veena, it consists of expanding the raga with syllables like tha, nam, thom, aa, nom, na, etc. Ragam, Tanam, and Pallavi are the principal long form in concerts, and is a composite form of improvisation. As the name suggests, it consists of raga alapana, tanam, and a pallavi line. Set to a slow-paced tala , the pallavi line
2581-495: Is known as ghaṛa and is played in a similar manner as the South Indian ghaṭam but the technique and rhythmic style is not as refined as that of Carnatic ghaṭam. Another difference is that the ghara is often traditionally played with metal rings on the thumbs, index, middle, and ring fingers of both hands (but players vary on how many rings and fingers are used). There are a few versions of this instrument. Some are made from
2670-477: Is much less variation in the tuning when compared with ghaṭams from South India, which can range from a low B up to a high A chromatically. Ghaṛas/Matkas are usually found with a range from approximately C or C ♯ to D (or slightly higher) although there does not seem to be any indication that these instruments are constructed with tuning considerations. Other spellings for matka include mutkay and madga . Indian subcontinent The Indian subcontinent
2759-426: Is often composed by the performer. Through niraval, the performer manipulates the pallavi line in complex melodic and rhythmic ways. The niraval is followed by kalpanaswarams. Tani Avartanam refers to the extended solo that is played by the percussionists in a concert, and is usually played after the main composition in a concert. The percussionist displays the full range of his skills and rhythmic imagination during
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2848-412: Is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style. Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of śruti (the relative musical pitch), svara (the musical sound of a single note), rāga (the mode or melodic formulae), and tala (the rhythmic cycles) form
2937-457: Is one of the most ancient percussion instruments in Pakistan and India. It is a clay pot with a narrow mouth. From the mouth, it slants outwards to form a ridge. Made mainly of clay baked with brass or copper filings with a small amount of iron filings, the pitch of the ghatam varies according to its size. The pitch can be slightly altered by the application of plasticine clay or water. Although
3026-458: Is presented by musicians in concerts or recordings, either vocally or through instruments. Carnatic music itself developed around musical works or compositions of phenomenal composers (see below). Śruti commonly refers to musical pitch. It is the approximate equivalent of a tonic (or less precisely a key) in Western music; it is the note from which all the others are derived. It is also used in
3115-741: Is socially very mixed, consisting of many language groups and religions, and social practices in one region that are vastly different from those in another. [REDACTED] Media related to Indian subcontinent at Wikimedia Commons [REDACTED] Africa [REDACTED] Antarctica [REDACTED] Asia [REDACTED] Australia [REDACTED] Europe [REDACTED] North America [REDACTED] South America [REDACTED] Afro-Eurasia [REDACTED] Americas [REDACTED] Eurasia [REDACTED] Oceania Carnatic music Traditional Carnatic music or Karnataka Sangita (known as Karnāṭaka saṃgīta or Karnāṭaka saṅgītam in
3204-428: Is somewhat contested as there is no globally accepted definition on which countries are a part of South Asia or the Indian subcontinent. Whether called the Indian subcontinent or South Asia, the definition of the geographical extent of this region varies. Afghanistan , despite often considered as a part of South Asia, is usually not included in the Indian subcontinent. Maldives, an island country consisting of
3293-443: Is the exposition of a raga or tone – a slow improvisation with no rhythm, where the raga acts as the basis of embellishment. In performing alapana, performers consider each raga as an object that has beginnings and endings and consists somehow of sequences of thought. The performer will explore the ragam and touch on its various nuances, singing in the lower octaves first, then gradually moving up to higher octaves, while giving
3382-437: Is thinner than a ghaṭam but very stable and not as fragile as one might think. In Gujarat and Rajasthan, This clay pot is known as matka and features an almost perfectly round shape (tuned to C ♯ ) and is made in many villages in and around Jaipur (Rajasthan) and Gujarat. The matka is used to store water and sometimes yogurt (curd) and can be used as a cooking vessel. When used as a musical instrument in folk music, it
3471-401: Is traditionally taught according to the system formulated by Purandara Dasa . This involves sarali swaras (graded exercises), alankaras (exercises based on the seven talas), geetams or simple songs, and Swarajatis . After the student has reached a certain standard, varnams are taught and later, the student learns kritis . It typically takes several years of learning before a student
3560-423: Is usually only one variant of each note present. The exceptions exist in "light" ragas, in which, for artistic effect, there may be two, one ascending (in the arohanam ) and another descending (in the avarohanam ). A raga in Carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for building a melody – very similar to the Western concept of mode . It specifies rules for movements up ( aarohanam ) and down ( avarohanam ),
3649-604: The Ramayana and the Mahabharata . The Yajnavalkya Smriti states, " vīṇāvādana tattvajñaḥ śrutijātiviśāradaḥ tālajñaścāprayāsena mokṣamārgaṃ niyacchati" (The one who is well versed in veena , one who has the knowledge of srutis and one who is adept in tala, attains liberation ( moksha ) without doubt"). Contemporray Carnatic music is based on musical concepts (including svara , raga , and tala ) that were described in detail in several ancient works, particularly
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3738-430: The divya prabandham , thevaram and ugabhoga are often performed similarly, however, these forms can also have a set melody and rhythm like the devaranama , javali , padam , thillana and thiruppugazh forms. The most common and significant forms in Carnatic music are the varnam and the kriti (or kirtanam ). Varnams are short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features and requirements of
3827-650: The 26 atolls of the Maldives lie entirely within the Southern Hemisphere. Historically, the region surrounding and southeast of the Indus River was often simply referred to as "India" in many historical sources. Even today, historians use this term to denote the entire Indian subcontinent when discussing history up until the era of the British Raj. Over time, however, "India" evolved to refer to
3916-542: The Bharata 's Natya Shastra and Cilappatikaram by Ilango Adigal . Owing to Persian and Islamic influences in North India from the 12th century onwards, Indian classical music began to diverge into two distinct styles — Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Commentaries and other works, such as Sharngadeva 's Sangita Ratnakara , further elaborated on the musical concepts found in Indian classical music. By
4005-660: The Chagos Archipelago are three series of coral atolls , cays and Faroes on the Indian Plate along with the Chagos–Laccadive Ridge , a submarine ridge that was generated by the northern drift of the Indian Plate over the Réunion hotspot during the Cretaceous and early Cenozoic times. The Maldives archipelago rises from a basement of volcanic basalt outpourings from a depth of about 2000 m forming
4094-599: The Dravidian languages ) is a system of music commonly associated with South India , including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh , Karnataka , Kerala , Tamil Nadu and portions of east and south Telangana and southern Odisha . It is one of three main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu texts and traditions, particularly the Samaveda . (The other two are Hindustani music and Odissi music .) The main emphasis in Carnatic music
4183-477: The Maratha rulers of Tanjore . Some of the royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were themselves noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena , rudra veena , violin , ghatam , venu , mridangam , nadaswaram , and swarabat . Some famous court-musicians proficient in music were Veene Sheshanna (1852–1926) and Veene Subbanna (1861–1939), among others. During
4272-768: The Mesozoic , with Insular India separating from Antarctica 130-120 million years ago and Madagascar around 90 million years ago, during the Cretaceous . Insular India subsequently drifted northeastwards, colliding with the Eurasian Plate nearly 55 million years ago, during the Eocene , forming the Indian subcontinent. The zone where the Eurasian and Indian subcontinent plates meet remains geologically active, prone to major earthquakes. Physiographically , it
4361-816: The Trinity of Carnatic music include Sripadaraja , Vyasatirtha , Kanakadasa , Vadiraja Tirtha , Arunachala Kavi , Annamacharya , Narayana Theertha , Vijaya Dasa , Jagannatha Dasa , Gopala Dasa , Bhadrachala Ramadas , Sadasiva Brahmendra and Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi . Other composers are Swathi Thirunal , Gopalakrishna Bharathi , Neelakanta Sivan , Patnam Subramania Iyer , Mysore Vasudevachar , Koteeswara Iyer , Muthiah Bhagavathar , Subramania Bharathiyar , Kalyani Varadarajan , M. Balamuralikrishna and Papanasam Sivan . The compositions of these composers are rendered frequently by artists of today. Composers of Carnatic music were often inspired by religious devotion and were usually scholars proficient in one or more of
4450-489: The ghatam , kanjira , morsing , venu flute, veena , and chitraveena . The greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians is to be found in the city of Chennai . Various Carnatic music festivals are held throughout India and abroad, including the Madras Music Season , which has been considered to be one of the world's largest cultural events. Like all art forms in Indian culture , Indian classical music
4539-441: The scale of which notes should figure more and which notes should be used more sparingly, which notes may be sung with gamaka (ornamentation), which phrases should be used or avoided, and so on. In effect, it is a series of obligatory musical events which must be observed, either absolutely or with a particular frequency. In Carnatic music, the sampoorna ragas (those with all seven notes in their scales) are classified into
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#17327919781704628-530: The 16th and 17th centuries, there was a clear demarcation between Carnatic and Hindustani music; Carnatic music remained relatively unaffected by Persian and Arabic influences. It was at this time that Carnatic music flourished in Vijayanagara , while the Vijayanagara Empire reached its greatest extent. Purandara Dasa , who is known as the "father ( pitamaha ) of Carnatic music", formulated
4717-562: The 18th century, South Indian immigrant communities abroad increased, especially in Southeast Asia and Sri Lanka . Communities such as the Nattukottai Chettiars participate in the extension of the Carnatic cultural scene abroad, thanks to their rich patronage activity. Carnatic music artists therefore perform abroad among South Indian communities who request their coming, in order to enliven local community life. For
4806-491: The Carnatic music repertoire. The performance of the Sanskrit sloka , Tamil viruttam , Kannada Ugabhoga and Telugu padyamu or sisapadya forms are particularly unique. Though these forms consist of lyric-based verses , musicians improvise raga phrases in free rhythm, like an alapana , so both the sound value, and the meaning of the text, guide the musician through elaborate melodic improvisations. Forms such as
4895-468: The Indian coast through the maritime routes on the Arabian Sea. In terms of modern geopolitical boundaries, the subcontinent constitutes Bangladesh , Bhutan , India, Nepal , and Pakistan , besides, by convention, the island country of Sri Lanka and other nearby island nations of the Indian Ocean, such as Maldives and the British Indian Ocean Territory . Unlike "South Asia", sometimes
4984-406: The Indian subcontinent has come to be known as South Asia "in more recent and neutral parlance". Indologist Ronald B. Inden argues that the usage of the term South Asia is becoming more widespread since it clearly distinguishes the region from East Asia. While South Asia , a more accurate term that reflects the region's contemporary political demarcations, is replacing the Indian subcontinent ,
5073-520: The Mridangam in concerts. The name ghaṭam is etymologically derived from the Sanskrit term ghaṭa (pot) and the related term, kuṇḍa (pitcher). The cognate term for pot in Tamil is kuḍam (water pot). It is noteworthy that the term ghaṭam specifically carries the meaning of a percussive musical instrument. The other terms represent daily utensils without specific musical connotations. The madga
5162-731: The North and Karnataka (later called Carnatic) in the South. The term "Karnataka" music originated from the Vijayanagara Empire, historically known as the Karnataka Empire. The British later influenced the change in name to "Carnatic" music, and the term is only about 150–200 years old. In the 18th and 19th centuries, Carnatic music was mainly patronised by the local kings of the Kingdom of Mysore , Kingdom of Travancore , and
5251-482: The central part of the ridge between Laccadives and the Great Chagos Bank . According to anthropologist Patrap C. Dutta, "the Indian subcontinent occupies the major landmass of South Asia." According to historian B. N. Mukherjee , "The subcontinent is an indivisible geographical entity." According to geographer Dudley Stamp , "There is perhaps no mainland part of the world better marked off by nature as
5340-444: The conventional representation) grouped according to the supertonic and mediant scale degrees. There is a system known as the katapayadi sankhya to determine the names of melakarta raga s. Raga s may be divided into two classes: janaka raga s (i.e. melakarta or parent ragas) and janya raga s (descendant ragas of a particular janaka raga). Janya ragas are themselves subclassified into various categories. Tala refers to
5429-445: The curricula of most Jaffna colleges, where it gradually replaced from the mid-1930s the teaching of Western classical music , or its high esteem among the upper social classes of Colombo and Jaffna, where the learning of Carnatic music among young women is expected as a sign of good education. Many people have travelled to India for improving their skills, and the flow of students to India from Sri Lanka or of Sri Lankan Tamil origin
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#17327919781705518-631: The early twentieth century when most of the territory was either part of the British Empire or allied with them. It was a convenient term to refer to the region comprising both British India and the princely states . The term has been particularly common in the British Empire and its successors, while the term South Asia is the more common usage in Europe and North America. According to historians Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal ,
5607-481: The east, it is bounded by Patkai , Naga , Lushai and Chin hills. The Indian Ocean, Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea form the boundary of the Indian subcontinent in the south, south-east and south-west. Given the difficulty of passage through the Himalayas, the sociocultural, religious and political interaction of the Indian subcontinent has largely been through the valleys of Afghanistan in its northwest,
5696-495: The evolution of Carnatic music. Most Carnatic compositions are in Telugu and Sanskrit. Carnatic music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually a vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a violin ), a rhythm accompaniment (usually a mridangam ), and a tambura , which acts as a drone throughout the performance. Other typical instruments used in performances may include
5785-444: The expression "Indian subcontinent" may exclude the islands of Maldives and Sri Lanka. According to Pawan Budhwar, Arup Varma, and Manjusha Hirekhan, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal and Bhutan constitute the Indian subcontinent. Budhwar, Varma, and Hirekhan also maintain that with Afghanistan and Maldives included the region is referred to as South Asia. The periphery of the subcontinent, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, and
5874-470: The floor and holds the Ghatam close to his [or her] body with the opening near the abdomen. The Bass effect is got by pressing and releasing the Ghatam to the abdomen and striking the body of the Ghatam by the lower parts of the wrists. For Treble sounds, fingers are used to strike the Ghatam at different parts to get different sounds. The bols are the same as for Mridangam . The Ghatam is used together with
5963-460: The foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. Although improvisation plays an important role, Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions, especially the kriti (or kirtanam) – a form developed between the 14th and 20th centuries by composers such as Purandara Dasa , and the Trinity of Carnatic music . Carnatic music is also usually taught and learned through compositions. Telugu language predominates in
6052-584: The ghatam is the same shape as an ordinary Indian domestic clay pot, it is made specifically to be played as an instrument. The tone of the pot must be good and the walls should be of even thickness to produce an even tone and nice sound. Ghatams are mostly manufactured in Manamadurai , a place near Madurai in Tamil Nadu. Though this instrument is manufactured in other places like Chennai and Bangalore, too, Manamadurai ghatams have special tonal quality. It
6141-444: The hands. Sometimes the ghatam is turned around so that the mouth faces towards the audience and the performer plays on the neck of the instrument. The ghatam can be moved to multiple different positions while being played. Occasionally, the performer will, to the amusement of the audience, toss the instrument up in the air and catch it. The ghatam is ideal for playing rhythmic patterns in very fast tempo. The artist sits cross-legged on
6230-417: The island chains of Maldives, features large Muslim populations, while the heartland, including most of India, Nepal, and Sri Lanka, are overwhelmingly Hindu or Buddhist. Since most of these countries are located on the Indian Plate, a continuous landmass , the borders between countries are often either a river or a no man's land . The precise definition of an "Indian subcontinent" in a geopolitical context
6319-628: The landmass of Eurasia nearly 55 million years ago, forming the Himalayas. It is one of the most populated regions in the world, holding roughly 20–25 percent of the global population. Geographically, the peninsular region in Southern Asia is located below the Third Pole , delineated by the Himalayas in the north, the Hindu Kush in the west, and the Indo-Burman Ranges in the east. The neighboring geographical regions around
6408-492: The languages Kannada , Malayalam , Sanskrit , Tamil , or Telugu . They usually included a signature, called a mudra , in their compositions. For example, all songs by Tyāgarāja (who composed in Sanskrit and Telugu) have the word Tyagaraja in them, all songs by Muttuswāmi Dīkṣitar (who composed in Sanskrit and Maṇipravāl̥am) have the words Guruguha in them; songs by Śyāma Śāstri (who composed in Sanskrit and Telugu) have
6497-404: The late 19th century, the city of Madras (now known as Chennai) emerged as the locus for Carnatic music. With the dissolution of the erstwhile princely states and the Indian independence movement reaching its conclusion in 1947, Carnatic music went through a radical shift in patronage into an art of the masses with ticketed performances organised by private institutions called sabhās . From
6586-714: The musical element itself. This poses a special challenge for the musicians because rendering this music does not involve just playing or singing the correct musical notes; the musicians are expected to understand what was conveyed by the composer in various languages, and sing musical phrases that act to create the effect that was intended by the composer in his/her composition. There are many types/forms of compositions. Geethams and swarajatis (which have their own peculiar composition structures) are principally meant to serve as basic learning exercises. Compositions more commonly associated with Indian classical dance and Indian devotional music have also been increasingly used in
6675-423: The musician's interpretation. A Carnatic composition really has two elements, one being the musical element, the other being what is conveyed in the composition. It is probably because of this fact that most Carnatic music compositions are composed for singing. In addition to the rich musical experience, each composition brings out the knowledge and personality of the composer, and hence the words are as important as
6764-470: The opening item – acting as a warm up for the musicians, and as a means of grabbing the attention of the audience. Carnatic songs (kritis) are varied in structure and style, but generally consist of three units: This kind of song is called a keerthanam or a kriti . There are other possible structures for a kriti , which may in addition include swara passages named chittaswara . A chittaswara consists only of notes, and has no words. Still others have
6853-411: The pot and the stomach, the musician can vary the tone of the instrument. The pot is usually placed on the lap of the performer, with the mouth of the instrument facing the belly of the performer. The performer uses their fingers, thumbs, palms, and heels of the hands to strike its outer surface to produce different sounds. Different tones can be produced by hitting areas of the pot with different parts of
6942-431: The region, the geopolitical term of South Asia frequently includes Afghanistan , which is not considered a part of the subcontinent, while excluding the British Indian Ocean Territory which is geologically associated with the subcontinent. Geologically, the subcontinent originates from Insular India , an isolated landmass that rifted from the supercontinent of Gondwana during the Cretaceous and merged with
7031-595: The same time, introduced the Raga Mayamalavagowla as the first scale to be learnt by beginners. He also composed Gitas (simple songs) for novice students. The contemporaries Tyagaraja (1767– 1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar , (1776–1835) and Syama Sastri , (1762–1827) are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music because of the quality of Syama Sastri's compositions, the varieties of compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Tyagaraja's prolific output in composing kritis . Prominent composers prior to
7120-408: The sense of graded pitches in an octave . While there are an infinite number of sounds falling within a scale (or raga) in Carnatic music, the number that can be distinguished by auditory perception is twenty-two (although over the years, several of them have converged). In this sense, while sruti is determined by auditory perception, it is also an expression in the listener's mind. Svara refers to
7209-559: The solfege (called a swara ) has three variants. The exceptions are the drone notes, shadja and panchama (also known as the tonic and the dominant ), which have only one form; and madhyama (the subdominant ), which has two forms. A 7th century stone inscription in Kudumiyan Malai in Tamil Nadu shows vowel changes to solfege symbols with ra, ri, ru etc. to denote the higher quarter-tones. In one scale, or raga , there
7298-409: The solo, which may take from two to twenty minutes. In contrast to Hindustani music of the northern part of India, Carnatic music is taught and learned through compositions, which encode many intricate musical details, also providing scope for free improvisation. Nearly every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies elements of the composer's vision, as well as
7387-766: The subcontinent include the Tibetan Plateau to the north, the Indochinese Peninsula to the east, the Iranian Plateau to the west, and the Indian Ocean to the south. Apart from Maritime Southeast Asia (the Malay Archipelago ), the maritime region of the subcontinent ( littoral South Asia ) is the only subregion of Asia that lies partly within the Southern Hemisphere : the British Indian Ocean Territory two of
7476-418: The swaras are sung to end on the samam (the first beat of the rhythmical cycle). The swaras can also be sung at the same speed or double the speed of the melody that is being sung, though some artists sing triple-speed phrases too. Kalpanaswaram is the most elementary type of improvisation, usually taught before any other form of improvisation. Tanam is one of the most important forms of improvisation, and
7565-519: The system that is commonly used for the teaching of Carnatic music. Venkatamakhin invented and authored the formula for the melakarta system of raga classification in his Sanskrit work, the Chaturdandi Prakasika (1660 AD). Govindacharya is known for expanding the melakarta system into the sampurna raga scheme – the system that is in common use today. By the 16th century, Indian classical music split into two styles: Hindustani in
7654-534: The term. As such it is being increasingly less used in those countries. Meanwhile, many Indian analysts prefer to use the term because of the socio-cultural commonalities of the region. The region has also been called the "Asian subcontinent", the "South Asian subcontinent", as well as "India" or " Greater India " in the classical and pre-modern sense. The sport of cricket is notably popular in India , Pakistan , Sri Lanka , Nepal and Bangladesh . Within
7743-457: The valleys of Manipur in its east, and by maritime routes . More difficult but historically important interaction has also occurred through passages pioneered by the Tibetans . These routes and interactions have led to the spread of Buddhism out of the subcontinent into other parts of Asia. The Islamic expansion arrived into the subcontinent in two ways: through Afghanistan on land, and to
7832-726: The west it is bounded by parts of the mountain ranges of Hindu Kush , Spīn Ghar (Safed Koh), Sulaiman Mountains , Kirthar Mountains , Brahui range, and Pab range among others, with the Western Fold Belt along the border (between the Sulaiman Range and the Chaman Fault) is the western boundary of the Indian Plate, where, along the Eastern Hindu Kush, lies the Afghanistan–Pakistan border. In
7921-605: The words Ś yāma Kr̥ṣṇa in them; all songs by Purandaradasa (who composed in Kannada and Sanskrit) have the words Purandara Vitthala ; while Gopalakrishna Bharathi (who composed in Tamil) used the signature Gopalakrishnan in his compositions. Papanasam Sivan, who has been hailed as the Tamil Tyagaraja of Carnatic music, composed in Tamil and Sanskrit, and used the signature Ramadasan in his compositions. Carnatic music
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