By choosing an octave based on G# or A for basic “Sa”, all types of voice will be able to join in comfortably.
This is demonstrated by a noted singer and vocal guru, Dr. Nookala Chinnasatyanarana: for this audio lesson1 he chose G# as basic “sa” to enable male and female voices to practice together; and this without unnecessary strain even when repeating a given exercise many times:
Matching sruti for practice (2 min. recorded from Eswar digital tanpura)
Repetition with scope for expressive variation is, of course, the very idea behind getting into the flow: “Pursuing flow through learning is more humane, natural, and very likely more effective way to marshal emotions in the service of education. […] Whether it be in controlling impulse and putting off gratification, regulating our moods, so they facilitate rather than impede thinking, motivating ourselves to persist and try, try again in the face of setbacks, or finding ways to enter flow, and so perform more effectively–all bespeak the power of emotion to guide effective effort”.2
A simple way of testing such insights is to practice raga Sankarabharanam (with G# as basic “sa” as heard above):
Read like a text: left-to-right, top-to-bottom Note: this pattern may be applied to any melakarta raga (Hindustani that) | Learn more >>
A series of similar audio and video lessons is freely accessible on YouTube. [↩]
Daniel Goleman in Emotional Intelligence (New York: Bantam Books, 1995), pp. 106-8 [↩]
Gamaka has been defined by Sarngadeva and others as the ornamentation of a note by shaking it. But evidence from their works can be cited to show that the idea of gamaka is more extensive than the connotation of this definition; it has been used to convey the idea of beautifying a note not only by the shake but by any other means which seem to be efficient or adequate. For instance by the adjustment and control of the volume of a single note it can be made to assume different shades of colour, and these effects can be, and have been legitimately classed under the category of gamakas. […]
This complexity in the nature of gamakas, as used in vocal and instrumental music, has been noticed and exhaustively treated in Sanskrit treatises on music. They offer an abundance of material on this subject as well as on others. […]
Though the employment of gamaka in music is plain enough it is a long time before we come across the term gamaka in Sangita literature. Bharata does not use the word gamaka in his Natya Sastra. […]
Among authors who came after Bharata, Narada in his Sangita Makaranda and Matanga in his Brhaddesi mention gamakas though they do not enumerate any list of them or seek to define them. Along with the idea of gamaka, the expression ‘gamaka’ was perhaps being slowly evolved. Narada in dealing with alankaras says that he will describe 19 gamakas but their definitions are missing in the existing recension of his treatise. Matanga freely uses the term gamakas in the definition of ragas and gitis. As in so many other respects, he is the writer who gives the most important information on this subject between the time of Bharata and Sarngadeva. […]
The gamaka has come to occupy a vital place in our system of music. It is not simply a device to make melodic music tolerable, and it is not its function merely to beautify music. It determines the character of each raga1, and it is essential to note that the same variety of gamaka appears with different intensity in different ragas. The function of the same gamaka in different ragas varies subtly and establishes all the fine distinctions between kindred melodies by an insistence, which is delicate but withal emphatic, on the individuality of their constituent notes. The gamaka makes possible the employment of all the niceties in variation of the pitch of the notes used and is therefore of fundamental importance to our music. If the personality of any raga is to be understood it cannot be without appraising the values of the gamakas which constitute it.
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S. Rajam (1919-2010) is credited with defining the visual identity of South India’s classical music. The present recording was made at his Mylapore home on 12 December 1997 when rehearsing for a lecture-demonstration; an annual event serving to highlight rare facets of South Indian (Carnatic) music. More about this recording & Sangita KalasikhamaniS. Rajam >>
A couple of years ago, musician-friend Ludwig Pesch invited me to a music lesson taught by S Rajam. One of the disciples there was Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam. The bond between the master and the student became evident as the lesson wore on. As the midwinter sun cast lazy shadows across the courtyard, I saw the guru lapse into proud silences, letting his disciple sing unaided. […] The memory of that master lesson at Rajam’s home remains etched in my memory. As the master and the student rendered a composition in Anandabhairavi, a curious butterfly lodged itself on my shoulder. The stillness of that moment lent me a certain delicate joy. It was something deeper than contentment—an ability to stay absolutely rooted to the music. The rest, as they say, is mere noise.
Anyone who is familiar with the world of Carnatic music, would recognise S. Rajam’s paintings of the Trinity—Syama Sastry, Tyagaraja and Muthuswami Dikshitar. They are probably his most popular creations. But his paintings of the seven swaras based on the visualisation of the swara personalities described in Sangeeta Kalpadrumam—the treatise by vidwan Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar, are equally interesting and beautiful. That Kalpadrumam was the source of inspiration for these paintings has been acknowledged by the late Rajam himself, in the detailed notes that he has given to Sruti.
A combination of “Muki-Prana” Ragam – Tanam – Pallavi Concept and Pallavi lyrics by TR Sundaresan – Mridangam Tuned and sung by S Srivathsan
TR Sundaresan, on the occasion of India’s celebration into the entry of the 76th year of Independence, brings this humble presentation as a dedication to the country. Through the journey of Independent India there have been many great musicians who have contributed to Indian Classical music and its rich tradition.
The late Dr Sri Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna’s contribution is incredible to this field of Art. One among his contribution is the Tala System he invented through the concept of ‘Muki’. ‘MUKI’ gives a different form of 175 Talas to Carnatic Music apart from the existing 175 Talas.
‘Muki’ is applied over the ‘Kriya – Prana’ of Tala. The ‘Sashabhtha Kriyas of the Tala is explored with the relevent five different kinds of “Gathi” ( acknowledged by him as the ‘MUKI‘) and the Nishabtha Kriyas remain as 4 Mathras throughout the Tala cycle per Kriya.
On the event of Dr Balamurslikrishna’s Anniversary TR Sundaresan takes the concept of ‘MUKI’ as a source of Inspiration to present a celebrating moment for the 76th year of Independent India. TR Sundaresan has taken the Ata Tala, which has two Lagu and two Drutams to explore this. The first Lagu with Tru Muki Trisra Jathi and the second Lagu with Pancha Muki in Kanda Jathi.
Two Drutams are set to Saptha Muki. In this Sundaresan has applied three different Mukis within the Tala Cycle and given a new Tala name called Triveni. This tala has 76 mathras per cycle to honor the 76th year of Independence. The lyrics for the Pallavi is written by Sundaresan himself to acknowledge Dr Balamuralikrisha on his remembrance day with the Tala Mudhra and Raga Mudhra to the lyrics. The lyrics are tuned by Vidwan S Srivatsan who will give vocal support for this Laya exploration.
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