How much you know about Carnatic Music - Page 4

Originally posted by: Swar_Raj

And Carnactic is always a mystery to me😕. I prefer Hindustani, may be because I am from North😛

same here. i prefer the hindustani more than carnatic classical music. one reason being i find carnatic classical much more complicated than hindustani. the number of raagas is also more in number. i tried to gain knowledge on this too but found it really difficult and retired hurt 😛. thought better to stick to hindustani only.

I love Carnatic for its devotional content/bhakti rasa. I love Hindustani for its shringaar rasa.

So what if I can't detect the raga? So what if I know nought about talas? Music has to touch the soul, and both these schools of Indian music touch my soul.

its same here. i also find it difficult but very intersting.I think the main reason for this is I find it very close to our original traditions.

Iam posting this article which I find it intersting to diff. between both forms of music.


No other country in the world has produced as many great music composers as India has, over the centuries. To list all of those composers by itself is a daunting task and to include within that list, the life history of each composer and the songs that they had composed would be mindboggling. Therefore, in this article, I will briefly narrate the contributions of some of the Carnatic music composers and their contributions to enrichment of our music system.

Until the end of thirteenth century, India had only one system of music. There was no distinction made among this system as Hindustani or Carnatic music. It is only around the fourteenth and fifteenth century, the Indian music system began to differentiate itself into Northern Indian or Hindustani music and Southern Indian or Carnatic music. While the Northern Indian music was enriched by the influence of the Islamic influence, the Carnatic music has retained its age old traditions and originality.

The Southern Indian music system was believed to have been referred to as Carnatic music by Vidyaranya, one of the prime ministers of the Vijayanagaram Kingdom in current day Andhra Pradesh. Why was this music called Carnatic music? Several explanations are offered for this terminology, some plausible while others, not so accurate. The word Carnatic means ancient or traditional and therefore, the music that is ancient and followed the traditions were called Carnatic music. Caru or Karu also means black and since this music was quite prominent among the Dravidian culture of Southern India, whose people were darker skinned, some say, it was called Carnatic or Karnatic music. It also means the music of the people of the central parts of India. Karu also means center and atakam means place. A few people claim that the music originated from the state of Karnataka. However, this is not likely to be an origin of the word Carnatic. First of all, the music had its roots to the Vedic times, thousands of years ago and second, the State of Karnataka did not exist in the fiteenth century. It came into existence, just about forty years ago. I believe that the Carnatic music belongs to all of the states of Southern India because great composers and great musicians have originated from each of these states. It is also important to mention that Carnatic music has significantly benefited from great Composers from other parts of India.

Carnatic music has one of the most complex thala systems among the world's music systems. Both in terms of the mathematical ranges and rhythmic varieties or thalams used, Carnatic music has no parallel.

21.What does sampoornam mean when applied to Melakarta ragas?

In melakarta ragas, all seven swaras occur in either the arohanam or ascending order or the avarohanam or the descending scales. That is, they would be Sampoornam( complete) or would contain a complete set of the swaras.

Of the seven swaras (eight, when we include the swaram Sa that is repeated at the end of the seventh), the first four Sa-Ri-Ga-Ma are called Purvanga swaras and the remaining Pa-Da-Ni (or the higher end swaras) are called the Uttaranga swaras. The note Pa or Panchamam does not vary and is fixed. Of the remaining two swaras Da and Ni, Da or the Daivatham can occupy three positions or three variations and Ni or the Nishadham for two positions (although it can occupy three positions, because the Ni has to be always be higher than the Da, in practice, it allows only two variations)

Originally posted by: punjini

So what if I can't detect the raga? So what if I know nought about talas? Music has to touch the soul, and both these schools of Indian music touch my soul.

Yu are right sahana. i listen to them just for this reason. they touch yu even if yu dnt understand the language. and my fav is MS Subbulakshmi. I especially luv her bhajans. even now i dnt listen to the usual Hanuman Chalisa sung by so many singers. when i hav to listen to hanuman chalisa it is by her that i listen to.

but i like listening to hindustani more though 😛

There is a wide difference in the Carnatic style and Hindustani classical music that you end up preferring one style. I much prefer the carnatic classical music, having learnt both Carnatic and a bit of Hindustani classical on violin, the method of carnatic is far more difficult and complex than Hindustani.

Ragas expressing various emotions
Certain ragas bring out certain emotions when they are rendered. The following gives a brief example of such ragas.

Emotion	Examples of Ragas
Karuna or Compassion	Sahana, Nadanamakriya, Kanada
Sringara (Romance)	Surai, Khamas, Huseni
Raudra (Anger)	Atana, Arabhi
Veera (Valor)	Bilahari, Devagandhari, Hamsadvani
Hasya (Humor)	Mohanam, Kedaram, Hamsadvani
Mangalam (conclusion of auspicious or happy occasions)	Saurashtram, Surari, Madhyamavati, Yadukulakamboji
Arpuda (amazement)	Saranga, Hindustani Behag
Bibatsa (Disgust)	Atana
Bhayankara (Fear)	Punnagavarali
Shantha (Peace)	Sama, Vasantha
Source: Splendor of South Indian Music by Dr. Chelladurai