Author: Karthika

Alankāram is a set of 7 varisas composed in 7 different tālas. Hence they are called Saptha Tāla Alankāram. These are composed  in the rāgam Māyāmālavagaula.

The 3 main components of tālam are:

1) Laghu (beat & fingercounts) and the symbol is I
2) Drutam (beat & wave) and the symbol is O
3) Anudrutam (beat) and the symbol is U
These are called Angās.

Laghu (beat & fingering) varies according to the Jāthi. There are 5 types of jāthis.
They are:
1) Tisra jāthi – Three (Beat+2 fingercounts)
2) Chaturasra jāthi – Four (Beat+3 fingercounts)
3) Khanda jāthi – Five (Beat+4 fingercounts)
4) Misra jāthi – Seven (Beat+6 fingercounts)
5) Sankeerna jāthi – Nine (Beat+8 fingercounts)

The 7 tālas in the alankāram are:

1) Chaturasra jāthi Dhruva tālam
Its angās are I O I I. That means, laghu, drutam, laghu, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 14 (4+2+4+4)

2) Chaturasra jāthi Matya tālam
Its angās are I O I. That means, laghu, drutam, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 10 (4+2+4)

3) Chaturasra jāthi Rupaka tālam
Its angās are O I. That means, drutam, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 6 (2+4)

4) Misra jāthi Jhampa tālam
Its angās are I U O. That means, laghu, anudrutam, drutam. Its aksharakāla is 10 (7+1+2)

5) Tisra jāthi Triputa tālam
Its angās are I O O. That means, laghu, drutam, drutam. Its aksharakāla is 7 (3+2+2)

6) Khanda jāthi Ata tālam
Its angās are I I O O. That means, laghu, laghu, drutam, drutam. Its aksharakāla is 14 (5+5+2+2)

7) Chaturasra jāthi Eka tālam
Its angās are I. That means, laghu. Its aksharakāla is 4 (4)

In these, the sancharas are mainly in the tāra sthāyi (Upper octave) hence the name Tāra Sthāyi Varisas.  Tāra sthāyi varisas are also called Mel sthāyi/Hechu sthāyi or Upper sthāyi varisas. These are set in Māyāmālavagaula rāgam, Ādi tālam.

Tāra Sthāyi Varisa 1

Tāra Sthāyi Varisa 2

Tāra Sthāyi Varisa 3

Tāra Sthāyi Varisa 4

Tāra Sthāyi Varisa 5

In Madhya Sthāyi Varisas, the swara sancharas are mainly in the madhya sthāyi (Middle octave). These are composed in Māyāmālavagaula rāgam, Ādi tālam.

Madhya Sthayi Varisa 1

Madhya Sthayi Varisa 2

Madhya Sthayi Varisa 3

Madhya Sthayi Varisa 4

Madhya Sthayi Varisa 5

Madhya Sthayi Varisa (All)

Janta Varisas are a series of musical phrases, which are composed and sung in pairs.
After learning the sarali varisas, next comes the janta varisas. These are composed in Māyāmālavagaula (15th Melakartha) rāgam, Ādi tālam.

Janta Varisa 1

Janta Varisa 2

Janta Varisa 3

Janta Varisa 4

Janta Varisa 5

Janta Varisa 6

Janta Varisa 7

Janta Varisa 8

Janta Varisa 9

Janta Varisa 10

Janta Varisa 11

Sarali Varisas are one of the basic music lessons that a beginner will go through. By practicing these, a student will get a thorough knowledge of swaras. Sarali Varisas are composed in  Māyāmālavagaula(15th Melakartha) rāgam, Ādi tālam.

Ārohanam (notes to be sung in the ascending order of pitch) – S R G M P D N S

Avarohanam (notes to be sung in the descending order of pitch) – S N D P M G R S

The notes figuring in the rāgam Māyāmālavagaula are:

1. 1. Sa- Shadjam

2. Ri- Suddha Rishabham

3. Ga- Antara Gāndhāram

4. Ma- Sudha Madhyamam

5. Pa- Panchamam

6. Dha- Suddha Dhaivatham

7. Ni- Kākali Nishādam

Sarali Varisas

Sarali Varisa 1

Sarali Varisa 2

Sarali Varisa 3

Sarali Varisa 4

Sarali Varisa 5

Sarali Varisa 6

Sarali Varisa 7

Sarali Varisa 8

Sarali Varisa 9

Sarali Varisa 10

Sarali Varisa 11

Sarali Varisa 12

Sarali Varisa 13

 

Carnatic Music is one of two main sub genres of Indian Classical Music and is very much popular in the states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka.

Carnatic Music is strictly adhered to Sruti which is referred to as Musical Pitch. It is said that Sruti is evolved from the chanting ‘Om’. There are 7 primary notes in music also called Saptha Swaras. They are:

1. Sa (Shadjam)
2. Ri (Rishabham)
3. Ga (Gāndhāram)
4. Ma (Madhyamam)
5. Pa (Panchamam)
6. Dha (Dhaivatham)
7. Ni (Nishādam)

In these, Shadjam(Sa) and Panchamam(Pa) are called Achala Swaras which means they never change. Rishabham(Ri), Gāndhāram(Ga), Madhyamam(Ma), Dhaivatham(Dha) and Nishādam(Ni) has variants. When the varieties of notes combines, they become a Rāgam.

Next is the Tālam. Tālam refers to a measure of time and is formed mainly with three basic components. They are:

1. Laghu (beat & fingering)
2. Drutam (beat & wave)
3. Anudrutam (beat)

The rāgam that a beginner in Carnatic Music learns first is ‘Māyāmālavagaula‘ and in the case of tālam, Ādi tālam is the first one.