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  Pedagogical Aspects of Manodharma Sangitam in Karnatic Classical Music

           

            Manodharma sangitam (MS) is improvisational music presented as a part of Karnatic classical music (KCM) concert. It has five aspects to it, namely - raga alapana, svarakalpana, neravu, tanam and pallavi. Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching. The teacher guides and helps a child to learn how to learn. 

            MS is usually defined as music sung extempore and on-the-spot by the musician. This definition is a little misleading as in reality many hours of learning, observation, listening, understanding and hard practice are put in before presenting improvisational music on a concert platform. It may, however, be true that one need not necessarily sing or play all that is practiced or exactly as it is practiced.

            The quality of these improvisations reflects the caliber of the artist, and the style of renditions sets one apart from the other. So it is very important that a child be guided through its learning process on this aspect of the art form.Without any initial guidance, it is difficult for a child to get any direction for practice of these improvisational aspects.

            The most common method of learning KCM is by listening, repeating and imitating.  The teaching of KCM usually begins with the technical lessons such as sarali, janta, datu svaras, alankaras and gitas under the guidance of a guru. At a later stage, many compositions such as varnams, kritis, padams etc. of various vaggeyakaras are taught. The raga svarupa and tala structures are embedded in these musical forms. All musicians learn many compositions and practice them until they absorb the nuances of various ragas.

            The fundamental skills are developed during the initial KCM training period. The technical lessons may be used to improve one’s laya sense and to understand  svara sthana. Varnams may be used in different ways to help in voice culture, improve laya-sense, for understanding gamaka and anusvara. Various raga patterns may be taken from varnams and students may be asked to weave similar svara sequences in ascending and descending order. The compositions such as varnas and kritis may be sung using ta-da-ri-na syllables in combination with vowels to familiarize the child with art of singing alapa. The form tanam also may be practiced by singing ta-nam-ta syllable for varnams and also Tyagaraja ghana raga pancharatna kritis. The structure of these compositions may not be exactly like the actual alapa / tana but these exercises help in familiarizing the child with the form.

            To understand raga svarupa, a student needs to acquire the knowledge of svara sthana, its gamaka, anusvara, the different raga phrases sung traditionally by musicians, raga phrases popularized through compositions, kalapramana and raga trayodasa lakshanas, namely, graha, amsa, nyasa etc.; and also vadi-samvadi relation between svaras. These may be understood by learning different kinds of musical forms such as varnams and kritis. Ragalakshanam may be understood in its totality by learning from a guru, listening to musicians in live concerts/videos / audio CDs, writing notations and studying the notations of various compositions, alapa etc.. Listening and observation are of utmost importance in the learning process of KCM, especially MS.

            When a student starts learning varnams and kritis, the idea of raga begins to take shape in his mind and it may attempt to sing alapana, svara kalpa etc.. For initial practice purpose, a teacher may guide by giving them a structure or format for each of the aspects.

Different teachers follow different methods as mentioned below:

- Phrases may be picked up from varnam or kriti in melakarta ragas and expanded in a simple scalar fashion to sing alapa. Such phrases may be picked up in different regions of octave and improvised

- Another method followed by some teachers is to give notations of alapa and svarakalpa with CDs recordings. The student repeats different phrases by listening to recordings and practices it

- Yet some other teachers sing phrases of raga and make the students repeat them. After such repeated singing of a few ragas, the student learns the method of delineating a raga. Other aspects of svaraprastara, tanam, etc. may also be taught in a similar fashion

- Students may be encouraged to listen to musicians in live concerts or CDs or videos, and learn by observing, understanding, analyzing and notating

            After learning kalpita sangita and understanding aspects of MS, students need to practice for many hours to attain perfection. Then they should be encouraged to perform on small concert platforms so that they learn the art of presentation, develop a style of their own, understand concepts such as aesthetics, overcome stage fear and sing MS spontaneously. Some music schools encourage students to sing on stage even while they are learning gitams. Such initial exposure on stage helps to build confidence to face the audience, learn the art of using the mike and learn to interact well with the accompanying artists which are very essential for singing MS.

            In conclusion, we may say that the important steps in the pedagogy of different aspects of MS are:

a) Teaching kalpita sangita to impart basic skills such as sruti, svara, laya, tala and raga

b) Guiding the students to listen and observe the music of great stalwarts in CDs, live concerts etc.. By this they will learn traditional raga phrases, structure of various MS aspects etc.

c) Studying notations of compositions and recognizing raga phrases appropriate for each of the manodharma aspects

d) Practicing persistently to attain a level of perfection in kalpita sangita in the first instance and then in MS at a later stage

e) Presenting concerts to develop a style, learn to interact with accompanying artists, achieve spontaneity and overcome fear

--- x ----- x ----- x ---

Works Cited

Jayalakshmi, RS. "Teaching Methodology for Tanam." Journal of The Indian Musicological Society 35 (2004): 81-95.

Kanaka Durga, K. "Notes from private collection of lectures, seminars, interviews of experts, literature and personal experience of teaching/learning music." 2017.

Krishna, T M. A Southern Music - The Karnatik Story. HarperCollins, 2013.

Learning_theory_(education). n.d. 2015. <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Learning_theory_(education)>.

Pedagogy . n.d. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy >.

Pinakapani, Sripada. Na Sangita Yatra. 1st. Pinakapani, Sripada, 2001.

Rajagopalan, TV. "Appreciation of Music." The Journal of the Music Academy LII (1981).

Rama, Pantula. The Shaping of an Ideal Carnatic Musician Through Sadhana. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House, 2008.

Sambamoorthy, P. South Indian Music-IV. 8th. Vol. IV. Chennai: The Indian Music Publishing House, 1998. VI vols.

—. The Teaching of Music. 4th. Chennai: The Indian Music Publishing House, 1998.

Sarma, Akella Mallikarjuna. Sangita Svararaga Sudha. Hyderabad: Sai Sannidhi Sangita Prachuranalu, Vasantapuri Colony, Malkajgiri, - 500047,, 2001.

Vedavalli, M. B. Ragam Tanam Pallavi - Their Evolution, Structure and Exposition. 2nd. Chennai: Printer-Student Offset Services; 20 Apex Chambers; Thiagarayar Salai , Pondybazaar, 2014.

Vedavalli, R. Sangita Sampradayam - A collection of lectures on Carnatic music. Vol. I. Chennai: Devaganavali Trust, 2008. II vols.

Venkatachalam, Radha. A Rational Approach to Manodharma Sangitam. New Delhi: Music Education Trust, 2001.

(My article published in Samakalika Sangeetham (April 2018). pg. 112-115)

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Importance of Compositions in Pedagogy of Improvisation in Karnatic Classical Music

K. Kanaka Durga

Ph.D. Research Scholar

Dept. of Music, School of Fine Arts

Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University

Hyderabad, Telangana

Abstract

Manodharma (improvisational) sangitam (music) is an essential part of concert performance of Karnatic classical music. It has five aspects - namely, ragalapana, kalpanasvara, neravu, tanam and pallavi. Although improvisation is considered to be a creation of one’s own, a student requires some initial training in all the aspects. In the process of creating something new, the most important issue is to understand the characteristics of a raga (ragalakshanam). The form of svara, its gamaka, anusvara, the raga phrases and their kalapramana may be imbibed by learning various compositions in which the basic structures of raga and tala are embedded. Different compositions may be used in different ways to guide students in their initial stages of learning the various aspects of manodharma sangita namely ragalapana, svarakalpana, neraval and tanam. The present paper titled “Importance of Compositions in Pedagogy of Improvisation in Karnatic Classical Music” explores how a student may be guided to sing alapana, svarakalpana, tanam and neraval using compositions.
Key Words: Manodharma Sangitam, Pedagogy of Improvisation, Use of compositions in Improvisation, Karnatic Classical Music

Introduction
Manodharma sangitam (MS) or improvisation is an essential part of Karnatic classical music (KCM) concert performance. It has five aspects to it namely - ragalapana, kalpanasvara, neraval, tanam and pallavi of Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi (RTP). The artist using his own knowledge, imagination and intelligence creates MS (Sambamoorthy). Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching where in the teacher guides a student to learn how to learn. (Pedagogy )
The most important issue in singing MS is to understand ragalakshanam. The raga svarupa and tala structures are embedded in various compositions in KCM. The method of singing a gamaka, appropriate use of anusvara and singing various raga phrases in correct kalapramana may be learnt from a guru and by listening to stalwarts in concerts.

In this paper, I will discuss how the svara structures found in compositions may be used in pedagogy of ragalapana, kalpanasvara, neraval and tanam.

Four MS aspects

 Ragalapana
Ragalapana is the exposition of a raga without any tala framework or accompaniment. In vocal, it is sung using ta-da-ri-na syllables. It precedes compositions such as varnam, kruti/kirtana and pallavi of RTP.

 Svarakalpana
Svarakalpana or kalpana svaras or svaraprastara is sung for a theme of compositions such as varnam, kruti/kirtana and pallavi to the accompaniment of violin and percussion instruments. These are sol-fa syllables set to the particular raga and tala of the composition being sung.

 Niraval
Niraval is the creative rendition of a meaningful line of a kruti or RTP pallavi sung to the accompaniment of violin and percussion instruments. In this form, the words of the theme, the raga and tala are all equally important.

 Tanam
Rendering of a raga in madhyamakala (medium speed) with the use of the syllables ta and na is known as tanam. Tana is not bound by any tala but there is rhythm in it. Tanam may be sung as combination of three layas - vilamba, madhya and druta depending on the artists’ preferences, vocal capability, raga or guru’s tradition. It is sung after rendering alapana and prior to singing RTP pallavi or kruti theme. Some artists sing tanam to the accompaniment of percussion instrument mrudanga.

Use of Compositions in Pedagogy of MS

 Pedagogy of Ragalapana

We may take a simple phrase from Kalyani raga, Adi tala varnam composed by Ramnathpuram Srinivasa Iyyengar to understand the method of improvising for alapana. The starting phrase of anupallavi (refer to notation in page 108) (Chinna Satyanarayana) is ….
P , M G N D , / G D P , M G R S Ṇ .... This is a good phrase for developing raga. Using the concept of srotovaha yati, gopucha yati etc. we may elaborate the phrase as an alapa. First take the part - G D P , M G R S Ṇ - and elaborate as follows:
# G D P , M G R ,, / D, PM G R,, / P, M G R,,/ M G R,, / G R, /R,R/S, (gopucha)
#S, / S, S/ Ṇ RS, / Ṇ R G, G / GR, GR G,G / G R S Ṇ - Ṇ R G , G / G R S Ṇ - Ṇ R G R G,G - G, G, G/ (srotovaha)…. After this, the phrase - P , M G N D , - may be worked upon as a continuation of the above alapana ….
# GR, G, M, P, / P , M GMP, / P, M P, PM / PMG, - PM R, / G,P, M PM / G D, P, M / G NND P, M/ G, M , P,… After improvising around P, one may explore D and N, and

then Ṡ. Then one may take some other phrases from compositions in higher octave for elaboration, then move down and end with fast paced phrases.

 Pedagogy of Svarakalpana

Svarakalpana may be taught in the initial stage of learning by using expressions from compositions. Different kinds of alankarik prayogas are found in varnams, svarapallavis and svarajatis.
For e.g. in the caranams of svarapallavi in raga Kalyani, set to caturasra Rupaka tala, one finds expressions such as mentioned below:
In caranam 1, 1st and 2nd avartams (page. 32) (Chinna Satyanarayana):
Ṡ, ĠṘ ǀ Ṡ N - ṘṠ N D P M ǁ P , - Ṡ Nǀ D P - N D P M G R ǁ G , - ….
In this, we find a pattern as shown below:
Ġ Ṙ Ṡ N - ṘṠ N D P M P ,/ Ṡ N D P - N D P M G R G , …. Taking this phrase, a student may be guided to make similar patterns in ascending and descending order such as
N D P M - D P M G R S R, / D P M G - P M G R S Ṇ S, ….. and so on. In ascending order, one may take only the latter part of the phrase as shown below:
P M G R S Ṇ S, / D P M G R S R,/ N D P M G R G ,…. and so on.
These svara strings may be used as such in svarakalpana of various Kalyani raga krutis/RTP pallavi. Such practice helps the students to understand how phrases are constructed.

 Pedagogy of Niraval

We will take up the Shankarabharana raga kruti, in Adi tala, Svara raga sudha … of Saint Tyagaraja. (page 119) (Sarma, Sangita Vidya Bodhini) . Neravu may be done for the charanam line -
muladharaja nada merungute / mudamagu mokshamura
The neraval line muladharaja … may be written as follows to understand its structure.
; mu , - , la ,,- ,, dha, - , ra ja, | ; , na - , da me , | run…-, gu te , ||
2+mu (3) + la(5)+ dha(3)+ra(1)+ja(5)+na(2)+da(1)+me(2)+ run(5)+ gu (1)+te (2) ||
; mu ,, da ,, ma ,, gu ,, - mo , ,, , ksha mu , | ra , ,, ,, ,, | ,, ,, ,, ,,||
2+ mu(1½)+ da(1½)+ma(1½)+gu(1½)+mo(5)+ksha(1)+mu(2)+ ra (8) + (8)||

One avarta of this chouka kala kruti consists of 32 hrasva svara aksharas. Each of the sahitya akshara is of different duration as shown above. The letter mu is of 3 hrasva akshara kala, la is of five aksharas and so on. A student should try and stick to this format as much as possible. In kruti, however, one may shift by one or two aksharas depending on the melody. In pallavi of RTP, the structure should be strictly adhered to.
After singing the neraval line fluently in the tala structure without any melody, students should make an attempt to create svara structures of their own for neraval line.

This may be done in different ways using svara structures available in compositions as discussed below.

A. Sing the line to the already existing melody lines and svara structures. This particular line of sahitya may be sung to the lines of pallavi …. svara raga sudha….and also anupallavi line ….. paramananda mane …. It may be necessary to change the melody line of pallavi/anupallavi slightly to suit the sahitya of nerval line. This exercise may also be done for any other krutis/varnams learnt in the same raga.

B. Take up various phrases that occur in the kruti (refer to notation in page 119) (Sarma, Sangita Vidya Bodhini), (page 236) (Pinakapani) and use them. For e.g.,
The first sangati of pallavi line is as follows:
; S R - G, G, - G, G, - M G M , | ; M P - , M G , | R , G , M P - G R G R ||
SṆ-svara-ra, ga……….| ….. | …… ||

Different raga phrases may be taken from the notation and improvised.

i) First they may take S R G G , G , G …. sing the line with the phrase SRG and end it as GR GRS S R GM

ii) Then next they may take up M G M…. and sing with this phrase as the base and end with MGR S, R GM

iii) Then the phrase M P - , M G , may be taken for improvisation

iv) Next the phrase G , M P - G R may be improvised upon.

After exploring all the phrases in pallavi, they may move to the anupallavi line and look for phrases that help in moving around and above P, and also in the higher octave.

 Pedagogy of Tanam
 (see my seminar paper 'Use of Tyagaraja Ghana Raga Pancaratna Krutis in Pedagogy of Tanam' ...... Original work presented at a seminar (not yet published) - for full paper see https://kanakadk.blogspot.com/2018/04/my-seminar-paper-presented-in-sri.html)

The madhya laya of tanam may be practiced by singing tanamta syllables for tana varnams. The syllables may also be practiced for Ghana raga pancaratna krutis of Saint Tyagaraja as shown below.
The tanam syllables for first caranam of Sri raga pancaratna kruti of Saint Tyagaraja may be practiced as follows:
S, ; - ; ; - ; S, - S Ṇ Ṇ S | Ṇ Ṇ S Ṇ - P | P - Ṃ P Ṇ S ||
ta,; - ; ; - a nam- ta a a / a | a a / a a - nam | ; ta/ - ta a a a ||

R, ; - ; ; - ; ; - G R R G | RR G R - R G R R | S ; ; G R ||
nam - ; ; - ; ; - ta a a / a| a a / nam , - , ta a a | nam ; ; ta a ||


, R S Ṇ- * Endaro mahanu….
, n a m,,-* …

Students may do this exercise for all pancaratna krutis of Saint Tyagaraja to learn to sing tanamta syllables with ease. They may observe the svara structures to understand tanam form. In tanam, phrases of different patterns like trisra, caturasra, khanda and misra and sankirna and combinations of 3+5, 5+3, 4+4, 3+3 etc.. are repeated. (page. 161) (Vedavalli). In the above example, one may observe the svara patterns as shown below:
S Ṇ Ṇ / S Ṇ Ṇ / S Ṇ
G R R / GRR / G R R / G R R
Observation of these svara combinations in various compositions will help in understanding the method of constructing svara patterns for tanam form (page 117) (Rama).

Conclusion

Students may first sing various phrases from compositions many times until they understand the nuances of each svara, its gamaka, anusvara, raga phrase and kalapramana properly. It is important to understand which phrase in the composition is good for which aspect of MS. Initially, they may use the exact phrase to sing but at a later stage, they may change it slightly to make it more aesthetic and melodious. Various phrases may be sung in different octaves and used in improvisation. One needs to understand which svaras can be elongated and which have to be sung short. For instance in raga Shankarabharana, the svara N is usually not used as a very long, extended note. By observing the compositions, one may learn these intricacies. It is very helpful to work on different phrases by writing them down in the initial stages. Continuous and rigorous practice will aid in using the phrases from memory rather than from written notes and help in getting spontaneity.
For understanding the actual method of rendition of various aspects, students have to listen to good musicians and imbibe. They have to work on each aspect, listen, understand, observe, analyze, notate and sing. They have to understand what suits their own voice and fits into their own concept of aesthetics. Over a period of time, they will develop a style of their own, and sing with ease and spontaneity.


Bibliography
Chinna Satyanarayana, Nookala. Sangita Sudha (lakshya sangita grandhamu) (from sarali varsas to Ata tala varnas). Hyderabad: Sri Datta Sai Graphics, 2002.
Kanaka Durga, K. "Notes from private collection of lectures, seminars, interviews of experts, literature and personal experience of teaching/learning music." 2017.

—. Use of Tyagaraja Ghana Raga Pancaratna Krutis in Pedagogy of Tanam. UGC Sponsored National Seminar on Group Kritis of Different Vaggeyakaras held on 20 & 21 March. Sri Padmavati Mahila Visvavidyalayam. Tirupati: Not yet published, 2018.
Krishna, T M. A Southern Music - The Karnatik Story. HarperCollins, 2013.
Menon, Rekha M. "Manodharma Sangit in Carnatik Music." Sangeet Galaxy 3.No. 1 (2014): 18-21.
Pedagogy . n.d. 2015. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pedagogy >.
Pinakapani, Sreepada. Sangeeta Sourabham. 1st. Vol. IV. Tirupati: Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanamulu, 1999. IV vols.
Rama, Pantula. The Shaping of an Ideal Carnatic Musician Through Sadhana. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House, 2008.
Ramanathan, N. "Improvisation in South Indian Music." Souvenir: Annual Music & Dance Festival 2007, Indiranagar Sangeetha Sabha (2007). <http://www.musicresearch.in/>.
Sambamoorthy, P. South Indian Music-II. 8th. Vol. II. Chennai: The Indian Music Publishing House, 1998. VI vols.
Sankaran, Trichy. "Improvisation in Indian (Karnatak) Music with a special reference to its Rhythmic aspects." The Journal of the Music Academy LVII (1986).
Sarma, Akella Mallikarjuna. Sangita Svararaga Sudha. Hyderabad: Sai Sannidhi Sangita Prachuranalu, Vasantapuri Colony, Malkajgiri, - 500047, 2001.
—. Sangita Vidya Bodhini. 2nd. Hyderabad: Kanti Computer Deta Systems, Somajiguda, 2008.
Subba Rao, TV. "The Seven Lamps of Sangita." The Journal of the Music Academy X.Parts I-IV (1939).
Vedavalli, M. B. "Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi." The Journal of the Music Academy LXVIII (1997): 161.


((My article published in on-line journal Sangeetgalaxy.co.in)
Vol. 7, Issue -2 (July 2018) pp. 6-11 Sangeet Galaxy
ISSN: 2319-9695
www.sangeetgalaxy.co.in)

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Use of Tyagaraja Ghana Raga Pancaratna Krutis in Pedagogy of Tanam

• Introduction

            Manodharma sangitam (MS) is an essential part of Karnatic classical music (KCM) concert performance. It has five aspects to it namely - ragalapana, kalpanasvara, neraval, tanam and pallavi (of Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi - RTP). Pedagogy is the art and science of teaching where in the teacher guides a student to learn how to learn. 

            The raga svarupa and tala structures are embedded in various compositions. Different compositions may be used in different ways to explain various concepts of KCM and MS.

            In this paper, I will discuss how to use Tyagaraja pancaratna ghana raga krutis to initiate a student in the manodharma aspect of tanam.

• What is Tanam?

            Rendering of a raga in madhyamakala (medium speed) with the use of the syllables ta and na, derived from Ananta sabda, is known as tanam. Tanam may be sung in a combination of three layas - vilamba, madhya and druta depending on artists’ preferences, vocal capability, raga or guru’s tradition. Tana is not bound by any tala but there is rhythm in it. Tanam is usually sung without accompaniments, however some artists (Semmangudi Srininvasa Iyer) used to sing tanam to the accompaniment of mrudanga. Tanam follows alapana and precedes compositions such as kruti (Rama, Tyagaraja Arabhi raga kriti-Na moralanu vini yemara valena)  and pallavi of RTP.

• How do teachers guide students to sing Tanam?

            A. How do you teach singing of tanam syllables?

            Teachers may ask the students to practice all Tyagaraja ghana raga pancaratna krutis using tanamta syllables. This greatly helps in singing the syllables with ease, as the laya of these kruits resembles tanam laya. The tanam syllables may be written for first caranam of Sri raga pancaratna kruti of Saint Tyagaraja as shown below. (Venkateswarulu):

S, ; - ; ; -  ;   S, - S Ṇ Ṇ S | Ṇ Ṇ S Ṇ - P̻   ;  | ;   P̻      -   Ṃ  P̻ Ṇ S  ||

ta,; - ; ; - a nam- ta a a  / a | a  a  / a  a  - nam | ; ta/ - ta a  a   a  ||

R, ; - ; ;  - ;  ; - G R R G | RR G R  -   R G R R | S    ;  ;  G  R  ||

nam - ; ; - ; ;  - ta a a / a| a a /  nam , - , ta a a |  nam ; ; ta a ||

, R S Ṇ- * Endaro mahanu….

, n a m,,-* …

            As may be seen, the use of akara is predominant in the form. Some artists also use okara to get the sound of omkara sabda. The second syllable or the akara is usually given stress (R. Vedavalli, Tanam (Part 1 & 2)) similar to the method used to sing technical lessons of janta svaras. The positions of the syllables may be changed to understand how it affects the aesthetics.

             Some artists (Pantula Rama) have sung these kruits using tanamta syllables (Rama, Arabhi Raga Tyagaraja Pancaratna kruti - Sadhinchene ). The use of syllables - tanamta, anamta, anamtomta, tomtomta etc. is purely a personal choice of the artist. The actual method of singing may be imbibed by listening.

            B. How do you weave svara structures in tanam?

            The svara structures in these five kruits may be studied to understand the svara structures of tanam form. In tanam, phrases of different patterns like trisra, caturasra, khanda and misra and sankirna and combinations of 3+5, 5+3, 4+4, 3+3 etc.. are repeated. (page. 161) (M. B. Vedavalli, Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi). The svara structures in tanam sometimes resemble yati format of gopucha, damaruka etc. All these can be seen in ghana raga krutis of Tyagaraja.

            In the above notation, one may observe the svara patterns as shown below:

S Ṇ Ṇ / S Ṇ Ṇ / S Ṇ

G R R / GRR / G R R / G R R

As may be seen, the phrases are repeated twice / four times. This repetitive nature of svara phrases and the use of hrasva aksharas helps in maintaining the lively rhythm of the form.

            In the second caranam of Endaro mahanu, the svaras are as follows:

R, GR RGRR SṆ S,

S, RS SRSS ṆṆ P̻,

These svara patterns, similar in structure, are in the region below madhya sthayi G and then end in mandra P.

            In the fourth caranam of Endaro mahanu, the svaras are as follows:

S S Ṇ P̻,

R S Ṇ P̻ ,

G R , S Ṇ P̻

Ṃ P̻ ,

P̻ Ṇ SR, ,

G R S R M P,

From the above, one may see that there is a method in the expansion of patterns. In the above structure, the phrase SNP and the svara P are being highlighted.

            Observation of these svara combinations in pancaratna compositions will help in understanding the method of constructing svara patterns for tanam form (page 117)  (Rama, The Shaping of an Ideal Carnatic Musician Through Sadhana). 

            C. How does one begin tanam? Can I use long notes?

            Again, the answer to these questions lies in the five krutis. In the above notation, one may observe that the caranam begins with a long note of 10 hrasva (single/short) aksharas (notes) and ends on the same note with a duration of two single svaras.

            Therefore, while singing tanam, you may begin in madhya sthayi S with a long note and then start singing various patterns in that region. Tanam may also be begun with single/short note, and a note other than S such as  R, G, M (Rama, Tyagaraja Arabhi raga kriti-Na moralanu vini yemara valena) or mandra sthayi svaras N / D depending on the raga

            D. How do you expand tanam form?

            Tanam rendition is similar to raga vistara with appropriate emphasis on the syllables. One may observe every caranam of the krutis to understand the method of expansion in each region of different octaves.

            E. How do I move from one octave region to another?

            Movement in different region of the three octaves is done using melodic phrases with the use of elongated notes. Again ideas may be obtained from the kruits, as seen in the above notation, the first caranam ends with a short melodic phrase - G  R   , R S Ṇ - and joins with the sahitya Endaro mahanu.

            Some artists sing tanam using durita sangatis in the upper octave. These krutis contain may svara structures with sthayi vaiations such as the svaras in caranam 9 of Sri raga kruti - ĠṘ ṘĠṘṘ, Ṙ Ṙ, - GR RGR R,R and SS, PP, ṘṘ, . After singing durita kala phrases, one may end on adhara S. Then sing svara phrases resembling gopucha yati in vilamba kala and close the tanam form as shown below:

ta-a-a namta / ta-a-a-namta

a- namta /namta

namta

• Conclusion
              In the initial stages of singing tanam, this kind of guidance to the students may be necessary especially in an institutional set where students come from different cultural backgrounds. However, at a later stage students need to imbibe the form by listening to tanam renditions of both vocalists and instrumentalists.

Bibliography

Krishna, T M. A Southern Music - The Karnatik Story. HarperCollins, 2013.

Rama, Pantula. "Arabhi Raga Tyagaraja Pancaratna kruti - Sadhinchene ." SICA Program-19 January. Hyderabad: Scholar's personal recording mp3 file, 2015.

—. The Shaping of an Ideal Carnatic Musician Through Sadhana. New Delhi: Gyan Publishing House, 2008.

Rama, Pantula. "Tyagaraja Arabhi raga kriti-Na moralanu vini yemara valena." PSTU Tyagaraja Aradhana -16 March. Hyderabad: Scholar's personal recording mp3 file, 2013.

Sambamoorthy, P. South Indian Music-II. 8th. Vol. II. Chennai: The Indian Music Publishing House, 1998. VI vols.

—. South Indian Music-IV. 8th. Vol. IV. Chennai: The Indian Music Publishing House, 1998. VI vols.

Sankaran, Trichy. "Improvisation in Indian (Karnatak) Music with a special reference to its Rhythmic aspects." The Journal of the Music Academy LVII (1986).

Shivakami, Kavitha R. "Madhyamakala Format in the Melodic Structure of Tyagaraja Kirtanas." (n.d.). <http://www.musicacademymadras.in/sites/default/files/kavitha.pdf>.

Vedavalli, M. B. Ragam Tanam Pallavi - Their Evolution, Structure and Exposition. 2nd. Chennai: Printer-Student Offset Services; 20 Apex Chambers; Thiagarayar Salai , Pondybazaar, 2014.

—. "Ragam, Tanam, Pallavi." The Journal of the Music Academy LXVIII (1997): 161.

Vedavalli, R. Sangita Sampradayam - A collection of lectures on Carnatic music. Vol. I. Chennai: Devaganavali Trust, 2008. II vols.

—. Sangita Sampradayam - A collection of lectures on Carnatic music. Vol. II. Chennai: Devaganavali Trust, 2010. II vols.

—. "Tanam (Part 1 & 2)." Sruti July, August 2012: 51-53.

Venkateswarulu, Oleti. Tyagaraja Pancaratnamulu. Hyderabad: Potti Sreeramulu Telugu University, 2003.

*************

My seminar paper presented in Sri Padmavati Mahila Viswavidyalayam, Tirupati on 21 March 2018

https://blueroseone.com/store/product/pedagogical-aspects-of-manodharma-sangitam-in-karnatic-classical-music

Voice Culture

In Karnatak Classical Music

(read my book 

https://blueroseone.com/store/product/pedagogical-aspects-of-manodharma-sangitam-in-karnatic-classical-music )

(My paper presentation in a seminar on Teaching Techniques in Karnatic Music in Potti Sreeramulu Telugu Univ. on 13-14 March 2017)

Introduction

            In voice culture we have two words - voice and culture. The word voice means - sound formed in the larynx etc. and uttered by the mouth, especially human utterance in speaking, shouting, singing etc. The word culture here means - improvement by mental or physical training.  (Thompson)

            ‘Voice is speech and is produced by the mouth, not by the vocal cords.’ (Marafioti). The vocal cords vibrate and produce sounds called the laryngeal sounds. The vibration is caused by exhaling air from the lungs in coordination with the mind and brain. These sounds are perfect tones but are throaty and weak. They are transformed into vowels and consonants by a phonetic process taking place in the mouth, giving origin to the voice. The resonating chambers add volume and quality to the voice.

            Good singing requires smooth transition of notes, artistic twists and various tonal shades. Training in voice culture helps one to acquire this capability. According to Dr. SAK Durga, there are two distinct systems of voice training - empirical and scientific.

“a) Empirical method: This method takes into account the quality of sound produced and prescribes the methods empirically which would make the voice sound better. These are based upon trial and error process. The traditional voice training methods of South India are based on this method.

b) Scientific method: This method first analyses the cause for the tonal impurity and then explains the scientific action to be adopted to produce a good tone or to erase the tonal impurity.

            Keeping in view the requirements of South Indian Music, it is advisable to combine both the scientific and traditional methods in voice culture.

Factors influencing voice production in singing:

1. Breath - Control of breath flow is delicate in voice production for song as the singer has to sustain a note for a long period and must execute lengthy musical phrases.

2. Flexibility - Vocal flexibility ensures correct enunciation of words and musical phrases.

3. Resonance - Proper adjustment of resonators should be practiced for music to be audible.

4. Mouth Shape - The shape of mouth affects the quality of tone.

5. Vocal Range - In singing about two and a half octaves range is made use of while in oratory it is about one and a half. In speaking the range is much lesser and lies below the center of the complete vocal range.

6. Inflection - In singing the inflections are elaborate and formalized. Use of appropriate inflections is necessary to suit the emotional content of sahitya and raga bhava.

7. Enunciation - Clear diction is very important in singing. Perfection in speaking is the first step to perfection in singing. Distinct and clear articulation of vowels and consonants affects speech and song.

8. Phrasing - Correct phrasing adds meaning and beauty to singing.

9. Speed - Too slow a speed may not make sense of the musical words and will sound sluggish. Too fast a song may lack clarity and volume. So it is always better to sing in a moderate speed.

10. Volume - Pitch level, resonance adjustment and breath control are the deciding factors for volume.

11. Hearing - Hearing one’s own song helps in aligning one’s voice to the selected pitch (sruti), control of volume and tonal quality in different octaves. This in turn improves singing quality.

12. Imagination - Mental perception or imagery of the words or tones is very necessary for an individual to utter a word or note. The vocal cords are more guided by the mental perception of the sound.

13. Prolongation of vowel sounds - In varnams and kritis vowel sounds akara, ekara are elongated.

14. Definite pitch relation - Singing is done only in definite fixed scales and pitch.

15. Dynamics - The vocal inflections and modulations are produced artistically through defined steps or musical intervals.

The last three factors are unique to singing while all the others are common to both speaking and singing.

The quality of singing voice depends on

- the natural quality of the speaking voice (governed by the anatomy of vocal apparatus and resonance chambers)

(play audio files of Usha Uthup and Lata Mangeshkar)

- the language, culture and civilization.” (Durga)

The art of singing is governed by - physiology, acoustics and psychology:

Physiology - controls the mechanism of voice production.

Acoustics - controls the physical product of the vocal apparatus- the sound.

Psychology - Singing constitutes the artistic medium for expressing our thoughts and feelings through music. The voice needs intellectual support, inspiration and emotions. The psychological contribution to the art of singing can be defined as the sense of singing…….. Psychology is the very soul of the art of singing.

‘The full extension of the natural range of the voice is produced only by using the minimum tension of the vocal cords and the minimum breath required for each tone. This establishes a correct mechanism of voice production. The laryngeal sounds must be transmitted to the mouth free of any interference; freedom is the fundamental pillar of voice production. ….The voice produced by the maximum energy of the vocal organs is under a strain, while the minimum of power produces its normal efficiency. This normal efficiency is what should be conceived as the physiological function.’ (Marafioti)(pg. 75)

The mechanism of the human voice consists of three elements:

a. The moving power - This consists of the lungs - the respiratory muscles, bronchial tubes and the trachea.

b. The producing power - the larynx, its muscles, cartilages and vocal cords.

c. The resonating power - The chest, the tracheal tree, the larynx itself, the pharynx, the oral cavity, the nasal cavity, and the sinuses are vocal resonators. Besides these, all other body’s cavities can also be considered to be resonating chamber.

Figure 1. Vocal Apparatus (taken from (Marafioti))

Some common problems faced by the students:

1. What is open throated singing?

            Generally teachers tell their students “Akara sadhana helps in open throated singing which in turn helps manodharma aspects of ragalapana and tanam. The practice of svara and sahitya helps in improving enunciation which in turn improves the manodharma aspects of svaraprastara and neraval. Practice should be done in all three octaves.”  

(Explain how epiglottis closes the larynx using Figure 3)

Figure 3-Vocal Apparatus (taken from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vocal_pedagogy  )

2. How do you improve vocal range?

            Practice of scales in all the three octaves- mandra, madhya and tara sthayis helps in improving vocal range. The practice should be done in a slow speed reaching out one svara at a time. As rightly pointed out by Marafioti in his book ‘Caruso Method of Voice Production’(pg. 76)

‘Low pitched tones are of limited sounding power. These tones which carry the low part of the compass of the voice to its physiological limit can be formed only by the minimum breath. This tone is very feeble and is of no practical use in singing, but serves a great advantage in the mechanism of voice production. It establishes the deepest point of support for the consecutive tones of the range, like the cornerstone in the foundation of a building.’ (Sing mandra sthayi to demonstrate)

 3. Karnatak classical music is composition oriented and in a concert, the emphasis is on madhyama kala.  The system does not give any space or time to breathe while singing. So how do you breathe, manage the resonating body parts and place your voice correctly?

            First you practice at slow speeds and low volume; and then slowly increase the speeds of the renditions and sing in normal volume. In this process of practice the mind learns to control the breath, the correct placement of the muscles and hence the voice.

            We should practice alankars in different speeds - varying from very slow to very fast. In the practice of alankaras in very slow tempo one can feel the resonance in the chest. As the speed increases, one can sense the change in resonating chambers from chest to the pharynx. Fast tempo brings the voice forward and uses head resonance.  Very fast tempo brings the voice to lips and the nasal cavities are resonating. (Demonstrate by singing alankara at different speeds.

             In this exercise one can observe that the amount of air used for singing becomes less and less as the speed increases. And also the loudness of the tone becomes less. Clarity is also affected which is undesirable. This should guide a student on:

- how to sing brighas and phrases in  higher octave; and

- on selecting the speed of renditions suitable to his/her vocal capability.

            All the resonating chambers resonate at all times but to varying degrees. For e.g. in singing akara at adhara shadja the abdomen and chest resonate more than the head (Demonstrate). But a slight touch of ma kara (as we do in omkara chanting) provides resonance of pharynx and head. This makes the tone of the voice very lively and also gives better feel of alignment to the sruti. (The easy way to get it is to say omkara; stop halfway and then say akara -Demonstrate)

4. Is the placement of voice in kalpita and manodharma the same?

            In alapana depending on the use of vowels akara, ekara etc. the placement of voice will change. While akara is placed closer to the origin of sound, ekara is placed much forward in the mouth.

            Below is a figure showing placement of vowels - a, e, i, o and u. This may not always hold in Karnatak classical music. This needs to be discussed in greater detail.

Figure 2- Production of Vowels (taken from (Marafioti))

5. How do you align your voice to tara shadja with ease?  

            The gamakas - namita (singing in low volume), mudrita (singing with closed mouth or humming), (g)humpita (sing as in hum kara as we sing in s ,,ṡ ,,) provide an answer to this question. Appropriate and timely use of these gamakas helps one in sticking to correct sruti. Gamaka means movement. Whenever we discuss gamaka, we talk about the movement of svaras. We tend to ignore the movement of air, the movement of muscles and the movement of resonating chambers. All these movements put together make our music. For obtaining correct movement of svaras, correct movement of the other three is equally important.

(-Sing Kalyani raga alapana near tara shadja to demonstrate; and show the volume variation, placement of voice and shape of the mouth.

-Sing Arunam karuna tarangi…. in 6.5 sruti)

6. The sangita and sahitya also affect the placement of voice. If the sahitya is such that the vowel ‘e’ coincides with tara shadja, it is easier to sing. A-kara is difficult in higher octave. For example:

- vande mataram - In this song the words and music flow smoothly. (sing the traditional raga). (Explain how the presence of ‘m’ in mataram helps in bringing the voice forward; despite being an akara is easier on voice.)

-kriti - siddhi vinayakam - raga Shanmukhapriya -- anupallavi siddha yaksha kinneradi…. the letter ki in kinneradi helps in sruti alignment and also for shifting the resonating chamber from abdomen/chest to neck / head.

- Sankarabharanam raga - Ata Tala Varna - Last chitta svara - s, , s, s - ps ,s - d n s n , d p- mgm d, -m, r, -gmgrs ….

            In some kritis it becomes very difficult to reach higher ṡ with akara for eg…

- Kriti - Vijayambike vimalatmike -raga Vijayanagari- Muthaih Bhagvatar- (ajavandite amarendranute…)

- Kriti Venu gana loluni - raga Kedaragoula - (ali venu lella dristi chutti…)

-Javali- parulanna mata - raga Kapi- (momu chinna…) 

- Sarvam brahma mayam 

7. Placement of Voice:

            A pleasant look on the face helps one get the correct voice. But the expression on the face will be decided by the bhava of the sahitya. You cannot sing a kriti like ‘durmarga chara adhamula’ with a smile on the face. It requires some amount maturity on the part of the singer to sing these songs.

            The sahitya bhava affects the emotions which in turn affect the vocal muscles. Thus the tone is affected. The choice of songs to be taught to children is also important. The songs should give joy and happiness.  Songs with bhakti are also good.  Simple songs like raminchu varevarura and Dikshitar’s nottu svaras are a good choice for beginners.

8. How to overcome Fear?

            Stage fear may affect one’s vocal apparatus which in turn affects the voice. Fear may cause

- contraction of the larynx and pharynx,

-the stiffening of the tongue and palate, and

- the bending of the epiglottis over the opening of the larynx. These may be caused by some medical problem also. But if it is due to fear, one has to overcome it by meticulous planning as mentioned below:

- prepare a list of items to be presented in the concert. Care should be taken to include different kinds of ragas, compositions etc. If any changes have to be made on the stage either due to bad voice or any other unexpected situation one should be prepared for it.

- practice all the compositions thoroughly

- practice improvisational aspects

- practice any announcements that you want to make

- familiarize with the concert venue and cultural background of the audience

- do rehearsals with accompanying artists. If possible videotape it and evaluate

- Good appearance gives psychological strength. Performer should be neat and well groomed. Clothing and accessories should be professional and comfortable.

Conclusion:

             I wish to conclude with a few words of advice given by Chitravina Ravi Kiran on Voice culture -

“Voice culture is a very simple concept. Basically it is training the voice to produce whatever the mind wants, which in turn requires us to train  the mind to want the correct things…The  mind should know what are the yardsticks for Karnatak music, what are the yardsticks for Hindustani, …for light or Western music. The requirements of each system are different….the way in which it is appreciated, understood is different. So the mind should first learn that particular idiom …. There are certain things that are common to all the systems…like singing tunefully…producing a good acceptable, pleasing tone… pronouncing the lyrics properly. …. One should be aware of the specific requirements of Karnatak music such as gamakas… oscillations, glides etc…. One should be aware of all these things to be able to sing properly. Voice culture is first mind culture….familiarize  with the system, learn from great gurus, listen to great masters, read books… and then practice…First sing long plain notes then oscillated notes….One should know the degree of oscillation in various contexts in different ragas. …Oscillation of Todi gandhara can be properly done only when the mind is trained first. Different tempos should be practiced ….slow and fast. ….Voice should be trained to sing in different volume levels-dynamics. …voice modulations should follow the raga aesthetics. … the akara concept is very important….the shape of mouth and changes in volume, change the tone… All these have to be practiced and one has to work …. we have to practice for many hours, days, and years…. we have to see what is sounding good for our voice. … we have to understand our own body constitution, our own preferences for music…some people may like sharper sound…also we have to see what our natural voice is capable of doing… range of the voice…at least two octave range should be there.”  (from the website - https://streaming.acharyanet.com/blog/voice-culture-videos-tips-carnatic-musicians/  )

Works Cited

Durga, S A K. Voice Culture - The Art of Voice Cultivation. Delhi: B. R. Rhythms, 2007.

Marafioti, P. Mario. Caruso's Method of Voice Production-The Scientific Culture of the Voice. New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1922.

Thompson, Della, ed. The Concise Oxford Dictionary of Current English. 9th. Delhi: Oxford University Press, 1995.

Websites accessed on 5 March 2017:

http://www.singwise.com/cgi-bin/main.pl?section=articles&doc=VocalTractShaping

http://artandscienceofsinging.blogspot.in/2010/05/how-do-i-open-my-throat.html

http://cmed.faculty.ku.edu/private/wurglerarticle.html

Music – An All-Inclusive Subject

(My article published in Journal of National Seminar on Katha Kirtan held in Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bangalore on 23 Oct 2016; Seminar was conducted by Vanamala Center for Art and Culture)

The purpose and benefits of music education are manifold. Music is to the mind and soul, what sport is to the human body. Music is an all-inclusive subject. Indian music, especially, contains in itself philosophy, religion, culture, psychology, biology, physics, environment and much more. This paper explores briefly this very aspect of our music.

Music - Philosophy:          

Human beings tend to swing or tap their toes on hearing their preferred form of music. Children have a natural instinct to sing or whistle catchy tunes irrespective of their cultural background. As the famous quote states –

‘Shishur vaetti pashurvaetti vaetti gaana rasam phanihi’

- all living beings enjoy the essence of music. Music is a universal language that all living beings use to convey their different emotions. A disciplined practitioner of music attains salvation. As sage Yajnavalkya says in Yajnavalkya smriti (III-4-115)

‘Veena   vaadana  tatvajnah  sruti   jaati  visaaradah ǀ

Taalajnasca  aprayaasena  moksha  maarge  niyaschati ǁ’

- the one who is an expert in playing on the vina or well versed in the sruti-jati (raga) saastra or a master of the tala saastra can attain moksha without much effort. Practice of classical music is a veritable yogabhyasa. (Rajagopala Aiyar, 1981)

It is believed that human body contains 72, 000 naadis (nerves), and the number of melakarta ragas was chosen to be 72 in number. The seven svaras sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da, ni activate the seven chakras in the spinal cord. These seven chakras – muladhara, svadhishtana, manipura, anahata, ajna and sahasrara are not physically perceptible but are invisible energy centers. Yogis perform asanas and pranayama to awaken kundalini shakti lying dormant in muladhara chakra. For a classical musician, kundalini awakens and reaches sahasrara with minimal effort as every music student is practicing the first six steps of the eight fold path of ashtanga yoga – yama, niyama, asana, pranayama, pratyahara, dharana, dhyana and samadhi, as a part of his rigorous training. Of course, salvation (mukti) will be attained only if yama, niyama, etc. are strictly followed throughout one’s life.

Music - Religion:

The spirit of bhakti is a dominating factor in all forms of Indian music, be it folk, semi-classical or classical. Sama veda contains hymns taken from Rig veda set to simple music and we believe our classical music has its origin in sama veda. Music during the period of Ramayana (in Tretha yuga) was known as gandharva veda and the music sung by kush-luv is famous as gandharva ganam. Many Hindu gods such as Nataraja, Nandi, Saraswati and Krishna as well as sage Narada have been depicted in temple idols as playing musical instruments such as vina, venu and mridanga. Gods have been described by many composers as sama ganalola and gana priya. Naada or music is the body of god, as was described by Saint Tyagaraja in his famous Chittaranjani raga kriti - Nada tanumanisam Sankaram and Arabhi raga kriti - Nada sudha rasambilanu.

Many vaggeyakaras such as Annamayya, Purandara dasa, Tyagaraja, Muthuswamy Dikshitar and Syama Sastry practiced music to experience communion with god and attained salvation. This music is being practiced now-a-days as art music sung on public concert platforms. Our music is so designed as to provide both entertainment and enlightenment. It appeals to both layman and scholar alike.

Music - Culture:

Study of folk music is equivalent to study of our culture and traditions. Folk music has a song for every occasion be it mundane day-to-day life, festivals or special events such as marriages etc.. Folk music employs catchy tunes in rakti ragas set to simple rhythms that are easy to learn and sing.

The music, especially, vocal music practiced in a particular region is more appealing to those who are aware of the history, culture, language and religion of that particular region.

Music - Psychology:

Musically rendered words have greater influence on the mind than mere spoken or written words. As William J Jackson aptly puts it across in his article-

“If the words are not merely spoken but sung they build a living bridge that links him with the things referred to by the words. The melody transmutes distinctions and separation into togetherness. ….. singing of the many great souls to whom he bows in awe (in Sri raga pancharatna kriti Endaro mahanubhavulu) Tyagaraja in a sense joins their ranks and his listeners participate in their devotion too. ….Singing man reaches a new depth of the world and by the same token a deeper level of himself.” (Jackson, 1981)

The aesthetic appeal of any music, however, is closely linked to the perception of the listener that is to say it is subjective in nature. What is music to one’s ears may be a mere cacophony to someone else.

Music - Biology and Medicine:

The rhythmic aspect of music is a part of our physiological make-up as can be seen in our breathing process and heart-beat. Music and rhythm are also a part of the world around us. Human vocal cords are very unique and can produce a very wide range of sounds. Understanding the functioning of vocal cords and the role of abdominal muscles, nose, head etc. in the production of good voice are an essential part of music learning.

It is a very common experience that music soothes the mind and the body. History is replete with stories about the therapeutic effects of music on various physiological conditions such as high blood pressure, neurological disorders etc. Sri Ganapati Sachitananda Swamiji conducts naadayoga chikitsa (music therapy) sessions for the benefit of people. Many studies are being conducted on the effects of music on human health, cognitive abilities and behavior of children. Reliable quantitative results are difficult to obtain as music is sublime and subjective in nature. Despite this fact research is going on in these areas.

Music - Physics and Mathematics:                 

Music in its simplest form is sunaada (pleasing sound) produced by combining the three basic elements - svara, laya and pada either by human voice or a musical instrument. In physics we describe sound as a form of wave produced by a vibrating body. Here the vibrating body is human vocal cords or strings of vina, violin etc or column of air in a flute or a membrane in percussion instrument. The harmonic disturbance created by these instruments travels through air and reaches the listener and then it is perceived as music.

Every sound wave has an associated wavelength, frequency, amplitude, timber etc. which can be quantified using the laws of physics. The development of acoustic and material science has influenced many theoretical aspects of music besides the making of our musical instruments, construction of auditoriums and recording of music.

Classical Indian music is sung to a tonic note – the adhaara sruti. The positions and frequencies of the six svaras ri, ga, ma, pa, da, ni are determined in relation to the adhaara shadja – sa. The twenty two srutis in one octave are calculated using the concept of cycle-of-fifths and cycle-of-fourths ie., all the srutis that are in sa-pa and sa-ma bhaava in one octave. The frequency intervals can be expressed as multiples of 3 and 2 as described below.

If we follow simplest mode of tuning by ascending fifths we obtain a series of intervals. The first five intervals of this series, beginning from sa are:

Panchamam                                        = 3/2                =          3/2

Chatusruti Rishabham                        = 9/8                =          3²/2³

Chatusruti Daivatam                          = 27/16            =          3³/2².2²

Chyuta madhyama Gandharam          = 81/64            =          3².3²/2².2².2²

Chyuta Shadjama Nishadam              = 243/128        =          3³.3²/2³.2³.2

The second sruti-jati is obtained from ascending 4^th s or descending 5^ths. The 3^rd, 4^th and 5^th sruti-jatis are calculated in a similar way. (Danielou, 1946)

Many such mathematical and physical relations can be found in the theoretical and practical aspects of Indian classical music. Also, mathematical calculations are used in svara prastara, an important aspect of manodharma sangitam (improvisational music) which forms an essential part of Karnatic music concert.

Music - Environment:

The local flora and fauna find a mention in many of our classical and folk music compositions.

Tyagaraja described in great detail all the flowers and leaves with which he worshipped Lord Srirama in many of his kritis. To name a few - Tulsi and Bilva leaves, Champaka, Asoka, Punnaga and Vakula flowers find mention in the kritis Sree Tulasamma, Tulasi dalamulache, and Siva siva siva-yanarada. Dikshitar’s Bhairavi raga kriti Chintaya makanda mula kandam mentions the name - makanda which means mango in Sanskrit. In folk also, many songs sung during events such as marriage, child-birth etc. mention the use of turmeric, sandalwood paste, betel leaves and nuts.

All these songs can be taught to children to educate them on the medicinal properties of these leaves and flowers. Their awareness about the surrounding environment can be enhanced using these musical compositions.

Conclusion:

One needs the knowledge of many subjects to understand both theoretical and practical aspects of music. And conversely knowledge of music enlightens one on many aspects of human existence. To conclude one can say that music education helps in overall development of human personality. Everyone may not be able to perform a full-fledged concert but nevertheless, can be taught to understand and appreciate music.

- K. Kanaka Durga, PhD Scholar;

Potti Sriramulu Telugu University, Hyderabad

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Bibliography:

English Magazines, Journals and Books:

1. Adyanthayya, N. M. (1946). The Therapeutic Qualities of Music. (T. V. Subba Rao, & V. Raghavan, Eds.) The Journal of the Music Academy, XVII(I-IV), 58-66.

2. Danielou, A. (1946). The Categories of Intervals or Sruti-Jatis. (T. V. Subba Rao, & V. Raghavan, Eds.) The Journal of the Music Academy, XVII(Parts I-IV), 76-77.

3. Indian Culture and Music (B.A. Degree Course-Indian Music) (Vols. Package I, II). (1992). Madras, Tamilnadu, India: University of Madras.

4. Jackson, W. J. (1981). A Western Musicologist on Sri Tyagaraja. (T. S. Parthasarathy, Ed.) The Journal of Music Academy, vol LII, 157.

5. Rajagopala Aiyar, P. K. (1981). Sama Veda and Sangita. The Journal of the Music Academy, LI, 62-71.

6. Ranade, G. H. (1971). Hindusthani Music - Its Physics and Aesthetics (3rd ed.). Bombay: Popular Prakashan.

7. Roy, R. (1953). Philosophy of Music: Rhythmic Aspect of Physiology and Psychology. The Journal of the Music Academy, XXIV(I-IV), 104-117.

8. Sambamoorthy, P. (1998). The Teaching of Music (4th ed.). Chennai, Tamilnadu: The Indian Music Publishing House.

9. Sastri, K. V. (1954). The Science of Music. Tanjore, Tamilnadu, India: Research Publications.

10. Shankar, R. A. (2015, September). Musical tree walks inform and delight. (V. Ramnarayan, Ed.) Sruti(372), pp. 28-33.

11. Viswanathan, R. K. (1948). The Physics of Music. Annamalainagar, Tamilnadu, India: The Annamalai University.

Telugu Books:

12. Ganapati Sachitanandaswamiji, S. (2010). Raga Ragini Nada Yogamu. Mysore: Raga Ragini Trust.

13. Sarngadevudu. (2009). Sangita Ratnakaramu. (G. Srirama Murthy, Trans.) Hyderabad, India: Potti Sriramulu Telugu Viswavidyalayam.

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