THEORY OF CARNATIC MUSIC

What is Swara ?

Indian music, as with all systems of music, has seven notes or swaras. Swara
is defined as "that which is able to please on its own accord". Organisation of
swaras in various patterns/orders creates Ragas. Time measure to Indian
music is controlled by Thala.

The seven swaras in Indian music are:

• Shadjamam
• Rishabham
• Gandharam
• Madhyamam
• Panchamam
• Dhivatham
• Nishadham

Of these, S and P are called Prakriti Swaras (one that does not change)
and the rest are called Vikruti swaras (one that changes)..

Of these seven swaras, Sa and Pa don't admit any variations and hence they
are called achala (fixed) or avikratha (changeless) swaras.

The other five swaras - Re, Ga, Ma, Da and Ne allows two varieties each and
terms Komal and Tivra are used to distinguish these two, with Komala
swaram lower in note than the Tivra swaram.

Thus we have:
1. Shadjamam - An achala swara, does not admit any variations
2. Rishabam
Sudha (Komal) Rishabam
Chathusruthi (Tivra) Rishabam
3. Gandharam
Sadharana (Komal) Gandharam
Antara (Tivra) Gandharam
4. Madhyamam
Sudha (Komal) Madhyamam
Prati (Tivra) Madhyamam
5. Panchamam - An achala swara, does not admit any variations

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6. Dhivatham
Sudha (Komal) Dhivatham
Chatussruthi (Tivra) dhivatham
7. Nishadham
Kaisiki (Komal) Nishadham
Kakali (Tivra) Nishadham.

Thus, in Carnatic Music we get 12 distinctive swaras or notes .

In addition, four of the swaras, Ri, Ga, Da and Ne extend to another variety
overlapping with the next swarasthanam. This give rise to four more swaras.
Note however that the note (swara sthana) is shared between two swaras.
Thus totaling to 16 swaras in all.

1) Raga Classification:
Main Ragas that have all the seven swaras in both Arohana and Avarohana
are called Melakarta Ragas and the ones with fewer swaras of each of them
are called its janya ragas. If there is retrograde step in Aarohana or
Avarohana of a raaga, the raga is called a vakra raga.

2) Paddhathis:
Paddhathis or compositions are of many types. They are: Varnams, Krithis,
Padams, Javalis, Thillanas and Viruthams. Varnams are compositions which
depict the varna or color of the raga. Varnams are further classified as Adi
thala varnams, Ata thala varnams and pada varnams. Krithis are refined
forms of compositions. Their basic structure includes 3 parts, Pallavi,
Anupallavi and Charanam. Some Krithis have a pallavi and Samashti
charanam (without an anupallavi) . Some krithis have madhyama kala
saahithyam and chittai swarams. Padams are compositions which are
descriptive. Javalis are abhinaya types of compositions. Thillanas are
compositions which have sollukattus / jathis which are sung for dance
recitals. Viruthams are usually hymns of gods sung in ragas at a slowpace or
within thala at the end of a concert.

i. Gamakas:
Gamakas refer to the variation of pitch of a note using heavy oscillations
between adjacent and distant swaras. These are made use of in
sangathis(modifications) in krithis and in manodharma sangeetham (creative
music).

ii. Mudhras:
Mudhra represents the unique signature of the composer used in their works.
E.g. Guruguha for Sri Muthuswami Dikshithar.

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3) Advanced concepts in music:
These are the ones that are sung in concerts. They include: Alapana,Kalpana
Swaram,Neraval, Ragam Thanam Pallavi etc. They constitute Manodharma
Sangeetham. Alapana refers to presenting a sketch of the raga usually sung
using akara prayogams or allowed phrases in the ragas which are called
classic pidis in the carnatic music jargon. Kalpana swaras are those sung by
an artiste using their imagination along with some mathematical calculations
called kanakku. Neraval is elaboration of a single line using one’s creativity.
It is usually sung in two speeds. Ragam Thanam Pallavi is the most advanced
concept in carnatic music. Ragam refers to the alapana. Thanam is rhythmic
version of the alapana which is sung using the syllables aa nam thaa nam.
Pallavi derives its name form the following words. Pa – Padam la – layam vi –
vinyasam (variations) because it has saahithyam (padam), thalam (layam)
and neraval (variations).

4) Vageyakaras (Composers):
The word vageyakara means one who gives a beautiful blend of swara and
sahithya. The composers are mainly classified as pre-trinity and post-trinity
composers.

Janya Ragas Janya is a term meaning "derived". In Carnatic (South

Indian) music a janya raga is one derived from one of the 72 melakarta
ragas (fundamental melodic structures). Janya ragas are classified into
various types based on a variety of features.
Contents

• Varjya ragas
• Upanga/Bhashanga ragas
• Single octave
• Karnataka/ Desya ragas

Varjya ragas

Ragas that omit one or more of the notes of the scale (swaras) of their
parent melakarta raga, in the ascending or descending scale or in both, fall
into this category. Different notes may be omitted from the ascending
arohana and descending avarohana scale. Such scales are given the names
listed below

• Sampoornam - 7 swaras
• Shadavam - 6 swaras
• Audavam - 5 swaras
• Swarantham - 4 swaras
• Samigam - 3 swaras
• Ghathigam - 2 swaras
• Archigam - 1 swara

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Of the seven divisions mentioned above only three sampoornam, Shadavam
and Audavam can be expected to produce raga that is sweet. Swarantham
has four swaras and hence though a raga can be improvised, it will not shine.
It is therefore clear that only if there are atleast five swaras in the arohana
or avarohana can shine a raga. Since these terms are applicable both to the
ascending and the descending scale, ragas can be classified as
Audava – Sampoorna ( 5 notes in ārohaṇa and 7 in the avarohaṇa)
Shadava – Sampurna (6 notes in ārohaṇa and 7 in the avarohaṇa)
Sampurna - Sampurna ragas are not necessarily Melakarta because they
may use notes not in the parent scale or vakra prayoga, a "zig-zag" scale
instead of sequential ascent and descent). Such ragas are termed vakra
ragas. Examples are Nalinakanti, Kathanakuthuhalam, Darbar.

Upanga/Bhashanga ragas
Upanga ragas are strictly derived from their parent melakarta raga and do
not use any note not found in the parent raga's scale. Examples of upanga
ragas are Shuddha Saveri, Udayaravichandrika and Mohanakalyani.

Bhashanga ragas have anya swara(s) (external note; note not found in
parent scale) in their ārohaṇa, avarohaṇa or both. Examples of Bhashanga
ragas are Kambhoji, Bhairavi, Saranga and Kāpi.

Single octave
Some janya ragas are sung in only one octave. Moreover, the highest note is
not the shadjam (sa), at which the base sruthi (drone) of a performance is
set. The classifications in this category are as follows.

• Nishadantya - highest note is the nishadam (ni)

example Nadanamakriya derived from Mayamalavagowla
scale (ārohaṇa S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N3, avarohaṇa N3 D1 P M1 G3 R1 S N3)
• Dhaivathantya - highest note is the dhaivatham (dha)
example Kurinji derived from Shankarabharanam
scale (ārohaṇa S N3 S R2 G3 M1 P D2, avarohaṇa D2 P M1 G3 R2 S N3 S)
• Panchamantya - highest note is the panchamam (pa)
example Navaroj (ārohaṇa P D2 N3 S R2 G3 M1 P,
avarohaṇa M1 G1 R3 S N2 D2 P)

Karnataka/ Desya ragas

Karnataka ragas are those that are considered to have originated in Carnatic
music. Examples are Shankarabharanam, Lalitha and Shuddha Saveri.

Desya ragas are those ragas that have their origins in other music, majority
of them originating in Hindustani music. Examples are Yamunakalyani, Desh,
Behag and Sindhu Bhairavi.

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THALAS IN INDIAN CARNATIC MUSIC

THIRTY-FIVE THALAS OF CARNATIC MUSIC SYSTEM

Sruthi Maatha and Layam Pitha; means that the basic shadjam is the mother
and the rhythm is the father of our Indian carnatic music. The special aspect
of carnatic music is the thala system. There are seven major thalas in our
Indian carnatic music system. They are:

1. Dhuruva Thalam
2. Matya Thalam
3. Rupaka Thalam
4. Thrupudai Thalam
5. Jampai Thalam
6. Ata Thalam
7. Eka Thalam

Each thala has its own structure and formula, which cannot be changed.
There are three important parts in the thalas. They are:
1. Lagu

2. Dhrutham

3. Anudhrutham

Lagu:
Counting after the first beat is lagu. When you count, the first beat is always
included. How much to count? It depends on the type of lagu. For this, we
have to understand the types of lagus. There are five types of lagus and they
are:

1. Thisra Jaathi Lagu

2. Chathusra Jaathi Lagu
3. Kanta Jaathi Lagu
4. Misra Jaathi Lagu
5. Sankeerna Jaathi Lagu.

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Thisra Jaathi lagu has three beats. That is, the first beat and the two
counting beats. Total - 3 beats.

Chathusra Jaathi lagu has four beats. That is, first beat and the three
counting beats. Total – 4 beats.

Kanta Jaathi lagu has five beats. That is, the first beat and four counting
beats. Total – 5 beats.

Misra Jaathi lagu has seven beats. That is, the first beat and six counting
beats. Total – 7 beats.

Sankeerna Jaathi lagu has nine beats. That is, the first beat and eight
counting beats. Total – 9 beats.

The symbol of lagu is 1

Dhrutham:
Dhrutham has two beats. The first beat and the turning beat. It is always
fixed as two beats. So, in total, we have only two beats for Dhrutham.

The symbol for Dhrutham is 0

Anudhrutham:
It is just a single beat without counting and without turning. It is always
fixed as one beat.
The symbol for Anudhrutham is a (half moon).
Coming back to the seven major thalams, we have to understand the formula
for all the seven major thalams.

1. Dhuruva Thalam - Lagu – Dhrutham – Lagu – Lagu (1 0 1 1)

2. Matya Thalam – Lagu – Dhrutham – Lagu (1 0 1)
3. Rupaka Thalam – Dhrutham – Lagu (0 1)
4. Thrupudai Thalam – Lagu – Dhrutham – Dhrutham (1 0 0)
5. Jampai Thalam – Lagu – Anudhrutham – Dhrutham (1 0)
6. Ata Thalam – Lagu – Lagu – Dhrutham – Dhrutham (1 1 0 0)
7. Eka Thalam – Lagu (1)

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Since there are five different types of lagus, we can form five different types
of Dhuruva Thalams. The five different types of Dhuruva Thalams:

1. Thisra Jaathi Dhuruva Thalam:

Thisra jaathi lagu + Dhrutham + Thisra Jaathi lagu + Thisra Jaathi lagu

2. Chathusra Jaathi Dhuruva Thalam:

Chathusra Jaathi lagu + Dhrutham + Chathusra Jaathi lagu + Chathusra
Jaathi lagu

3. Kanta Jaathi Dhuruva Thalam:

Kanta Jaathi Lagu + Dhrutham + Kanta Jaathi lagu + Kanta jaathi lagu

4. Misra Jaathi Dhuruva Thalam:

Misra Jaathi Lagu + Dhrutham + Misra Jaathi lagu + Misra Jaathi lagu

5. Sankeerna Jaathi Dhuruva Thalam:

Sankeerna Jaathi Lagu + Dhrutham + Sankeerna Jaathi lagu + Sankeerna
Jaathi lagu

In the same way, we can make five different types of thalams with the other
six major thalams. So, in total, we derive thirty-five thalas in our Indian
carnatic music system with seven major thalams and five different types of
lagus. These thirty-five thalas are also known as Soolaadhi Thalas.

Chapu Thala

Here instead of cou nting the aksharas in the thala, aksharas are set in
karvai. These are five:

1. Thisra Chapu : This consists of three aksharas (Tha + kita) :

2. Chathusra chapu: This consists of four aksharas (Tha + ka + Thimi) :
3. Kanda chapu: This consists of five aksharas (Thaka + Tha + kita) :
4. Misra Chapu: This consists of seven aksharas (Thakita + Thaka + Thimi) :
5.Sangeerna Chapu: This consists of nine aksharas (Thak-thimi+Thaka+
Tha-kita)

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CHAKRAS IN MELAKARTHA SYSTEM
The Melakarthas have been divided into twelve groups, which are called
Chakras. Each Chakra has six Melakarthas and in total there are seventy two
Melakarthas. First 36 Melakartha raagas have suddha Madhiyamam and the
other 36 raagas have Pradhimadhyamam.

Names of the Chakras:

1. Indhu Chakra
2. Nethra Chakra
3. Agni Chakra
4. Vedha Chakra Suddha Madhyamam
5. Baana Chakra
6. Rudhu Chakra
7. Rishi Chakra
8. Vasu Chakra
9. Bhramma Chakra
10. Disi Chakra Prathi Madhyamam
11. Rudhra Chakra
12. Aadhithya Chakra

Indhu and Rishi Chakras have Suddha Rishabham and Suddha Gandharam.

Nethra and Vasu Chakras have Suddha Rishabham and Sadharana

Gandharam

Agni and Bhramma Chakras have Suddha Rishabham and Andhara

Gandharam

Vedha and Disi Chakras have Chathusruthi Rishabham and Sadharana

Gandharam

Baana and Rudhra Chakras have Chathusruthi Rishabham and Andhara

Gandharm

Rudhu and Aadhithya Chakras have Shadsruthi Rishabham and Andhara

Gandharam.

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 List of 72 Melakartha Ragas

1. Kanakangi 2. Ratnangi
3. Ganamoorti 4. Vanaspati
5. Manavati 6. Tanarupi
7. Senavati 8. Hanumatodi
9. Dhenuka 10. Natakapriya
11. Kokilapriya 12. Rupavati
13. Gayakapriya 14. Vakulabharanam
15. Mayamalavagowla 16. Chakravakam
17. Suryakantam 18. Hatakambari
19. Jhankaradhwani 20. Natabhairavi
21. Keeravani 22. Kharaharapriya
23. Gowrimanohari 24. Varunapriya
25. Mararanjani 26. Charukesi
27.Sarasangi 28. Harikambhoji
29. Dheerasankarabharanam 30. Naganandini
31. Yagapriya 32. Ragavardhini
33. Gangeyabhushani 34. Vagadheeswari
35. Sulini 36. Chalanata
37. Salagam 38. Jalarnavam
39. Jhalavarali 40. Navanitham
41. Pavani 42. Raghupriya
43. Gavambodhi 44. Bhavapriya
45. Shubhapantuvarali 46. Shadvidhamargini
47. Suvarnangi 48. Divyamani
49. Dhavalambari 50. Namanarayani
51. Kamavardhini 52. Ramapriya
53. Gamanasrama 54. Viswambhari
55. Syamalangi 56. Shanmukhapriya
57. Simhendramadhyamam 58. Hemavati
59. Dharmavati 60. Neetimati
61. Kantamani 62. Rishabhapriya
63. Latangi 64. Vachaspati
65. Mechakalyani 66. Chitrambhari
67. Sucharitra 68. Jyothiswarupini
69. Dhatuvardhini 70. Nasikabhusani
71. Kosalam 72. Rasikapriya

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