An Introduction to Carnatic Classical Music

1. An Introduction to Carnatic Classical Music When we talk about Indian music, many genres or forms of music come to mind – folk music, film music, Indian pop, and Indian classical music. However, these are mainly the forms of India’s own genre – Music of India. And a significant form, millions of years old Indian classical music is further divided into Hindustani and Carnatic Music – the two forms that evolved as separate genres over the centuries. Whatever one’s personal background and aspirations may be, Carnatic music remains a quest for undiluted aesthetic experience. Origin Carnatic music owes its name to the Sanskrit term Karnātaka Sangītam which denotes “traditional” or “codified” music. The corresponding Tamil concept is known as Tamil Isai. These terms are used by scholars upholding the “classical” credentials and establishing the “scientific” moorings of traditional music. It is believed that the Carnatic music of India is the music of deities – Devas and Devis. Not only does it take you on a journey of rich musical experience, but it is also deeply connected to sentiment. Therefore, each composition brings out the personality of the composer. Earlier Carnatic music was taught the traditional way in the Gurukala system where the students lived with their gurus (teachers) to learn the art of Carnatic music. But now, with the advancements in technology, students take daily or weekly lessons and learn Carnatic music online such as at Artium Academy. The two important elements of Carnatic Music 1. Raga A raga consists of a set of rules used to create a melody. It specifies if a scale of a note should move up or down, and which note should be used more, used sparingly, or sung

2. with gamaka (a vibration or oscillation of a note). The ragas are segmented into sets of 6 known as chakras (wheels) based on the scale degrees – median and the supertonic 2. Tala Tala refers to the number of times a beat set will be played or sung in a composition. Every tala has a circle with a fixed number of beats that seldom change in composition or song. Learning Carnatic Music Carnatic music has made admirable contributions to the music world and gained prestige. If you want to become a Carnatic musician and take Carnatic vocal classes, start your journey at Artium Academy. Their music teachers take 1:1 live classes for Carnatic vocal music, hindustani vocals and every other course. All the courses are designed by industry artists. To learn more about the courses, visit their website directly rather than searching for music schools near me. Happy singing!