Indian classical music is both elaborate and expressive.

Like Western classical music, it divides the octave into

12 semitones of which the 8 basic notes are, in ascending tonal order, Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa for Hindustani

music and Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni Sa for Carnatic music, similar to Western music's Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Si Do.

However, Indian music uses just-intonation tuning, unlike most modern Western classical music, which uses

the equal-temperament tuning system. Also, unlike modern Western classical music, Indian classical music

places great emphasis on improvisation.

Hindustani classical music is the Hindustani or North Indian style of Indian classical music found

throughout North India. The style is sometimes called Shstriya Sangt. It is a tradition that originated

in Vedic ritual chants and has been evolving since the 12th century CE, in North India and to some extent

in Nepal and Afghanistan. Today, it is one of the two subgenres ofIndian classical music, the other being Carnatic
music, the classical tradition of South India. Around the 12th century, Hindustani classical music diverged from

what eventually came to be identified as Carnatic classical music. The rhythmic organization is based on

rhythmic patterns called tala. The melodic foundations are called ragas. One possible classification of ragas is

into "melodic modes" or "parent scales", known as thaats, under which most ragas can be classified based on the

notes they use.

Thaats may consist of up to seven scale degrees, or swara. Hindustani musicians name these pitches using a

system called Sargam, the equivalent of the Western movable do solfege:

Sa (Shadja) = Do

Re (Rishabh) = Re

Ga (Gandhar) = Mi

Ma (Madhyam) = Fa

Pa (Pancham) = Sol

Dha (Dhaivat) = La

Ni (Nishad) = Ti

Sa (Shadja) = Do

Both systems repeat at the octave. The difference between sargam and solfege is that re, ga, ma, dha, and ni

can refer to either "Natural" (shuddha) or altered "Flat" (komal) or "Sharp" (tivra) versions of their respective scale

degrees. As with movable do solfege, the notes are heard relative to an arbitrary tonic that varies from

performance to performance, rather than to fixed frequencies, as on a xylophone. The fine intonational

differences between different instances of the same swara are called srutis. The three primary registers of Indian

classical music are mandra (lower), madhya (middle) and taar (upper). Since the octave location is not fixed, it is

also possible to use provenances in mid-register (such as mandra-madhya or madhya-taar) for certain ragas. A

typical rendition of Hindustani raga involves two stages:

 Alap: a rhythmically free improvisation on the rules for the raga in order to give life to the raga and flesh out

its characteristics. The alap is followed by a long slow-tempo improvisation in vocal music, or by the jod and

jhala in instrumental music.

Bandish or Gat: a fixed, melodic composition set in a specific raga, performed with rhythmic

accompaniment by a tabla or pakhavaj. There are different ways of systematizing the parts of a composition.

For example:
Sthaayi: The initial, rondo phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition.
Antara: The first body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition.
Sanchaari: The third body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition, seen more typically in dhrupad
bandishes
Aabhog: The fourth and concluding body phrase or line of a fixed, melodic composition, seen more
typically in Dhrupad bandishes.

There are three variations of bandish, regarding tempo:

Vilambit bandish: A slow and steady melodic composition, usually in largo to adagio speeds.
Madhyalaya bandish: A medium tempo melodic competition, usually set in andante to allegretto
speeds.
Drut bandish: A fast tempo melodic composition, usually set to allegretto speed or faster.

Hindustani classical music is primarily vocal-centric, insofar as the musical forms were designed primarily for

vocal performance, and many instruments were designed and evaluated as to how well they emulate the human

voice.

Although Hindustani music clearly is focused on the vocal performance, instrumental forms have existed since

ancient times. In fact, in recent decades, especially outside South Asia, instrumental Hindustani music is more

popular than vocal music, partly due to a somewhat different style and faster tempo, and partly because of a

language barrier for the lyrics in vocal music.

A number of musical instruments are associated with Hindustani classical music. The veena, a string instrument,

was traditionally regarded as the most important, but few play it today and it has largely been superseded by its

cousins the sitar and the sarod, both of which owe their origin to Persian influences. Other plucked or struck

string instruments include the surbahar, sursringar, santoor, and various versions of the slide guitar. Among

bowed instruments, the sarangi, esraj and violin are popular. The bansuri, shehnai and harmonium are important

wind instruments. In the percussion ensemble, the tabla and the pakhavaj are the most popular. Various other

instruments have also been used in varying degrees.

The tradition was born out of a cultural synthesis of several musical traditions: the Vedic chant tradition, dating

back to more than three thousand years ago,[1] the ancient Persian tradition of Musiqi-e assil, and various folk

traditions prevalent in the region..

The tradition dates back to the ancient Samaveda, (sma meaning "song"), which deals with the norms for

chanting of srutis or hymns such as the Rig Veda. The Samaveda outlined the ritual chants for singing the verses
of the Rigveda, particularly for offerings of Soma. It proposed a tonal structure consisting of seven notes, which

were named, in descending order, krusht, pratham, dwitiya, tritiya, chaturth, mandra and atiswr. These refer to

the notes of a flute, which was the only fixed-frequency instrument. This is why the second note is

called pratham (meaning "first", i.e., produced when only the first hole is closed). Priests involved in these ritual

chants were called samans and a number of ancient musical instruments such as the conch (shankh), lute

(veena), flute (bansuri), trumpets and horns were associated with this and later practices of ritual singing

Music is dealt with extensively in the Valmiki Ramayana. Narada is an accomplished musician, as

is Ravana; Saraswati with her veena is the goddess of music. Gandharvas are presented as spirits who are

musical masters, and the gandharva style looks to music primarily for pleasure, accompanied by the soma rasa.

In the Vishnudharmottara Purana, the Naga king Ashvatara asks to know the svaras from Saraswati.

The most important text on music in the ancient canon is Bharata's Natya Shastra, composed around the 3rd

century CE. The Natya Shastra deals with the different modes of music, dance, and drama, and also the

emotional responses (rasa) they are expected to evoke. The scale is described in terms of 22 micro-tones, which

can be combined in clusters of four, three, or two to form an octave.

While the term raga is articulated in the Natya Shastra (where its meaning is more literal, meaning "colour" or

"mood"), it finds a clearer expression in what is called jati in the Dattilam, a text composed shortly after or around

the same time as Natya Shastra. The Dattilam is focused on gandharva music and discusses scales (swara),

defining a tonal framework called grama in terms of 22 micro-tonal intervals (sruti[3]) comprising one octave. It also

discusses various arrangements of the notes (murchhana), the permutations and combinations of note-

sequences (tanas), and alankara or elaboration. Dattilam categorizes melodic structure into 18 groups called jati,

which are the fundamental melodic structures similar to the raga. The names of the jatis reflect regional origins,

for example andhri and oudichya.

Music also finds mention in a number of texts from the Gupta period; Kalidasa mentions several kinds of veena

(Parivadini, Vipanchi), as well as percussion instruments (mridang), the flute (vamshi) and conch (shankha).

Music also finds mention in Buddhist and Jain texts from the earliest periods of the Christian era.

Narada's Sangita Makarandha treatise, from about 1100 CE, is the earliest text where rules similar to those of

current Hindustani classical music can be found. Narada actually names and classifies the system in its earlier

form before the Persian influences introduced changes in the system. Jayadeva's Gita Govinda from the 12th

century was perhaps the earliest musical composition sung in the classical tradition called Ashtapadi music.

In the 13th century, Sharngadeva composed the Sangita Ratnakara, which has names such as the turushka

todi ("Turkish todi"), revealing an influx of ideas from Islamic culture. This text is the last to be mentioned by both

the Carnatic and the Hindustani traditions and is often thought to date the divergence between the two.

. The advent of Islamic rule under the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire over northern India caused

considerable cultural interchange. Increasingly, musicians received patronage in the courts of the new rulers,

who in their turn, started taking increasing interest in local music forms. While the initial generations may have
been rooted in cultural traditions outside India, they gradually adopted many aspects from their kingdoms which

retained the traditional Hindu culture. This helped spur the fusion of Hindu and Muslim ideas to bring forth new

forms of musical synthesis like qawwali and khyal.

The most influential musician of the Delhi Sultanate period was Amir Khusrau (12531325), sometimes called the

father of modern Hindustani classical music.[4] A composer in Persian, Turkish, Arabic, as well as Braj Bhasha, he

is credited with systematizing many aspects of Hindustani music, and also introducing several ragas such

as Yaman Kalyan, Zeelaf and Sarpada. He created the qawwali genre, which fuses Persian melody and beat on

a dhrupad like structure. A number of instruments (such as the sitar and tabla) were also introduced in his time.

Amir Khusrau is sometimes credited with the origins of the khyal form, but the record of his compositions do not

appear to support this. The compositions by the court musician Sadarang in the court ofMuhammad Shah bear a

closer affinity to the modern khyal. They suggest that while khyal already existed in some form, Sadarang may

have been the father of modern khyal.

Much of the musical forms innovated by these pioneers merged with the Hindu tradition, composed in the popular

language of the people (as opposed to Sanskrit) in the work of composers like Kabir or Nanak. This can be seen

as part of a larger Bhakti tradition, (strongly related to the Vaishnavite movement) which remained influential

across several centuries; notable figures include Jayadeva (11th century),Vidyapati (fl. 1375

CE), Chandidas (14th15th century), and Meerabai (15551603 CE).

As the Mughal Empire came into closer contact with Hindus, especially under Jalal ud-Din Akbar, music and

dance also flourished. In particular, the musician Tansen introduced a number of innovations, including ragas and

particular compositions. Legend has it that upon his rendition of a night-time raga in the morning, the entire city

fell under a hush and clouds gathered in the sky, and that he could light fires by singing the raga "Deepak", which

is supposed to be composed of notes in high octaves.

At the royal house of Gwalior, Raja Mansingh Tomar (14861516 CE) also participated in the shift from Sanskrit

to the local idiom (Hindi) as the language for classical songs. He himself penned several volumes of

compositions on religious and secular themes, and was also responsible for the major compilation,

the Mankutuhal ("Book of Curiosity"), which outlined the major forms of music prevalent at the time. In particular,

the musical form known as dhrupad saw considerable development in his court and remained a strong point of

the Gwalior gharana for many centuries.

After the dissolution of the Mughal empire, the patronage of music continued in smaller princely kingdoms

like Lucknow, Patiala, and Banaras, giving rise to the diversity of styles that is today known asgharanas. Many

musician families obtained large grants of land which made them self-sufficient, at least for a few generations

(e.g. the Sham Chaurasia gharana). Meanwhile the Bhakti and Sufi traditions continued to develop and interact

with the different gharanas and groups.

Until the late 19th century, Hindustani classical music was imparted on a one-on-one basis through the guru-

shishya ("mentor-protg") tradition. This system had many benefits, but also several drawbacks; in many cases,
the shishya had to spend most of his time serving his guru with a hope that the guru might teach him a "cheez"

(piece or nuance) or two. In addition, the system forced the music to be limited to a small subsection of the Indian

community. To a large extent it was limited to the palaces and dance halls. It was shunned by the intellectuals,

avoided by the educated middle class, and in general looked down upon as a frivolous practice. [5]

Then a fortunate turn of events started the renaissance of Hindustani classical music.

First, as the power of the maharajahs and nawabs declined in early 20th century, so did their patronage. With the

expulsion of Wajid Ali Shah to Calcutta after 1857, the Lucknavi musical tradition came to influence the music of

renaissance in Bengal, giving rise to the tradition of Ragpradhan gan around the turn of the century. Raja

Chakradhar Singh of Raigarh was the last of the modern era Maharahas to patronize Hindustani classical

musicians, singers and dancers.[6][7]

Also, at the turn of the century, two great stars emerged on the horizon: Vishnu Digambar Paluskar and Vishnu

Narayan Bhatkhande. Independent of each other, they spread Hindustani classical music to the masses in

general, and the Marathi middle class in particular. These two gentlemen brought classical music to the masses

by organizing music conferences, starting schools, teaching music in class-rooms, and devising a standardized

grading and testing system, and by standardizing the notation system. [8]

Vishnu Digambar Paluskar emerged as a talented musician and organizer despite having been blinded at age 12.

His books on music, as well as the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya music school that he opened inLahore in 1901,

helped foster a movement away from the closed gharana system.

Paluskar's contemporary (and occasional rival) Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande recognized the many rifts that had

appeared in the structure of Indian classical music. He undertook extensive research visits to a large number of

gharanas, Hindustani as well as Carnatic, collecting and comparing compositions. Between 1909 and 1932, he

produced the monumental four-volume work Hindustani Sangeetha Padhathi,[9]which suggested a transcription for

Indian music, and described the many traditions in this notation. Finally, it consolidated the many musical forms

of Hindustani classical music into a number of thaats(modes), subsequent to the Melakarta system that

reorganized Carnatic tradition in the 17th century. The ragas as they exist today were consolidated in this

landmark work, although there are some inconsistencies and ambiguities in Bhatkande's system.

In modern times, the government-run All India Radio, Bangladesh Betar and Radio Pakistan helped to bring the

artists to public attention, countering the loss of the patronage system. The first star was Gauhar Jan, whose

career was born out of Fred Gaisberg's first recordings of Indian music in 1902. With the advance of films and

other public media, musicians started to make their living through public performances. As India was exposed to

Western music, some Western melodies started merging with classical forms, especially in popular music. A

number of Gurukuls, such as that of Alauddin Khan atMaihar, flourished. In more modern times, corporate

support has also been forthcoming, as at the ITC Sangeet Research Academy. Meanwhile, Hindustani classical
music has become popular across the world through the influence of artists such as Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar

Khan.

Carnatic music or Karnaka sagtam is a system of music commonly associated with the southern part of

the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly confined to four modern states of India: Andhra

Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Post bifurcation of classical music into Hindustani and Carnatic,Hindustani music stream underwent structural

changes under the influence of Persian an Arabic influences. Carnatic music remained relatively unaffected by

Persian and Arabic influences. It was at this time that Carnatic music flourished in Vijayanagara, while

the Vijayanagar Empire reached its greatest extent.[12] Purandara Dasa, who is known as the father (Pitamaha) of

Carnatic Music, formulated the system that is commonly used for the teaching of Carnatic

music.[5][13] Venkatamakhin invented and authored the formula for the melakarta system of raga classification in his

Sanskrit work, the Chaturdandi Prakasika (1660 AD).[11] Govindacharya is known for expanding the melakarta

system into the sampoorna raga scheme the system that is in common use today.

Carnatic music was mainly patronized by the local kings of the Kingdom of Mysore and Kingdom of Travancore in

the 18th through 20th centuries. Some of the royalty of the kingdoms of Mysore and Travancore were themselves

noted composers and proficient in playing musical instruments, such as the veena, rudra

veena, violin, ghatam, flute, mridangam, nagaswara and swarabhat.[14] Some famous court-musicians proficient in

music were Veene Sheshanna (18521926)[15] and Veene Subbanna (18611939),[16] among others.

With the dissolution of the erstwhile princely states and the Indian independence movement reaching its

conclusion in 1947, Carnatic music went through a radical shift in patronage into an art of the masses with

ticketed performances organized by private institutions called sabhs. During the 19th century, the city

of Chennai (then known as Madras) emerged as the locus for Carnatic music.

The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even

when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style (known as gyaki).[1 Carnatic

music is usually performed by a small ensemble of musicians, consisting of a principal performer (usually a

vocalist), a melodic accompaniment (usually a violin), a rhythm accompaniment (usually amridangam), and

a tambura, which acts as a drone throughout the performance. Other typical instruments used in performances

may include the ghatam, kanjira, morsing, venu flute, veena, and chitraveena

8]
LikeHindustani music, Carnatic music rests on two main elements: rga, the modes or melodic formul,

and ta, the rhythmic cycles. Although there are stylistic differences, the basic elements of ruti (the relative

musical pitch), swara (the musical sound of a single note), rga (the mode or melodic formul), and tala (the

rhythmic cycles) form the foundation of improvisation and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music.

Although improvisation plays an important role,

Carnatic music is mainly sung through compositions, especially thekriti (or kirtanam) a form developed

between the 14th and 20th centuries by composers such as Purandara Dasa and the Trinity of Carnatic music..

Important elements of Carnatic music

ruti
ruti commonly refers to musical pitch.[19] It is the approximate equivalent of a tonic (or less precisely a key) in

Western music; it is the note from which all the others are derived. It is also used in the sense of graded pitches

in an octave. While there are an infinite number of sounds falling within a scale (or raga) in Carnatic music, the

number that can be distinguished by auditory perception is twenty-two (although over the years, several of them

have converged). In this sense, while sruti is determined by auditory perception, it is also an expression in the

listener's mind

Swara
Swara refers to a type of musical sound that is a single note, which defines a relative (higher or lower) position of

a note, rather than a defined frequency.[19] Swaras also refer to the solfege of Carnatic music, which consist of

seven notes, "sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-da-ni" (compare with the Hindustani sargam: sa-re-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni or Western do-

re-mi-fa-so-la-ti). These names are abbreviations of the longer

names shadja, rishabha, gandhara, madhyama, panchama, dhaivata and nishada. Unlike other music systems,

every member of the solfege (called a swara) has three variants. The exceptions are the drone

notes, shadja and panchama (also known as the tonic and the dominant), which have only one form;

and madhyama (the subdominant), which has two forms. A 7th century stone inscription in Kudumiyan

Malai[21] in Tamil Nadu shows vowel changes to solfege symbols with ra, ri, ru etc. to denote the higher quarter-

tones. In one scale, or raga, there is usually only one variant of each note present. The exceptions exist in "light"

ragas, in which, for artistic effect, there may be two, one ascending (in the arohanam) and another descending (in

the avarohanam).

Raga system
A raga in Carnatic music prescribes a set of rules for building a melody very similar to the Western concept

of mode.[22] It specifies rules for movements up (aarohanam) and down (avarohanam), the scale of

which notes should figure more and which notes should be used more sparingly, which notes may be sung

with gamaka (ornamentation), which phrases should be used or avoided, and so on. In effect, it is a series of

obligatory musical events which must be observed, either absolutely or with a particular frequency.[23]

In Carnatic music, the sampoorna ragas (those with all seven notes in their scales) are classified into a system

called the melakarta, which groups them according to the kinds of notes that they have. There are seventy-

two melakarta ragas, thirty six of whose madhyama (subdominant) is sadharana (perfect fourth from the tonic),

the remaining thirty-six of whose madhyama (subdominant) is prati (an augmented fourth from the tonic).

The ragas are grouped into sets of six, called chakras ("wheels", though actually segments in the conventional
representation) grouped according to the supertonic and mediant scale degrees. There is a system known as

the katapayadi sankhya to determine the names of melakarta ragas.

Ragas may be divided into two classes: janaka ragas (i.e. melakarta or parent ragas) and janya ragas

(descendant ragas of a particular janaka raga). Janya ragas are themselves subclassified into various categories.

Tala system
Tala refers to a fixed time cycle or metre, set for a particular composition, which is built from groupings of

beats.Talas have cycles of a defined number of beats and rarely change within a song. They have specific

components, which in combinations can give rise to the variety to exist (over 108), allowing different compositions

to have different rhythms.[24]

Carnatic music singers usually keep the beat by moving their hands up and down in specified patterns, and using

their fingers simultaneously to keep time. Tala is formed with three basic parts (called angas) which

are laghu, dhrtam, and anudhrtam, though complex talas may have other parts like plutam, guru,

and kaakapaadam. There are seven basic tala groups which can be formed from the laghu, dhrtam,

and anudhrtam:

Dhruva tala

Matya tala[

Rupaka tala

Jhampa tala

Triputa tala

Ata tala

Eka tala

A laghu has five variants (called jaathis) based on the counting pattern. Five jaathis times seven tala groups

gives thirty-five basic talas, although use of other angas results in a total of 108 talas.

In contrast to Hindustani music of the northern part of India, Carnatic music is taught and learned through

compositions, which encode many intricate musical details, also providing scope for free improvisation. Nearly

every rendition of a Carnatic music composition is different and unique as it embodies elements of the

composer's vision, as well as the musician's interpretation.

A Carnatic composition really has two elements, one being the musical element, the other being what is

conveyed in the composition. It is probably because of this fact that most Carnatic music compositions are

composed for singing. In addition to the rich musical experience, each composition brings out the knowledge and

personality of the composer, and hence the words are as important as the musical element itself. This poses a

special challenge for the musicians because rendering this music does not involve just playing or singing the

correct musical notes; the musicians are expected to understand what was conveyed by the composer in various
languages, and sing musical phrases that act to create the effect that was intended by the composer in his/her

composition.

There are many types/forms of compositions.

Geethams and swarajatis (which have their own peculiar composition structures) are principally meant to serve

as basic learning exercises.

Compositions more commonly associated with Indian classical dance and Indian devotional music have also

been increasingly used in the Carnatic music repertoire. The performance of

the Sanskrit sloka, Tamil viruttam and Telegu padyamu orsisapadya forms are particularly unique. Though these

forms consist of lyric-based verses, musicians improvise raga phrases in free rhythm, like an alapana,[32] so both

the sound value, and the meaning of the text, guide the musician through elaborate melodic

improvisations.[42] Forms such as the divya prabandham, thevaram and ugabhoga are often performed similarly,

however, these forms can also have a set melody and rhythm like

the devaranama, javali, padam, thillana and thiruppugazh forms.

The most common and significant forms in Carnatic music are the varnam and the kriti (or kirtanam).

Varnam
Varnams are short metric pieces which encapsulate the main features and requirements of a raga.[43] The features

and rules of the raga (also known as the sanchaaraas of a raga) include how each note of the raga should be

stressed, the scale of the raga, and so on.[44] All varnams consist of lyrics,[45] as well as swara passages, including

a pallavi, an anupallavi, muktayi swaras, a charanam, and chittaswaras.[44]

Known for their complex structure, varnams are a fundamental form in Carnatic music. [45] Varnams are practised

as vocal exercises in multiple speeds by performers of Carnatic music, to help develop voice culture, and

maintain proper pitch and control of rhythm. In Carnatic music concerts, varnams are often performed by

musicians as the opening item acting as a warm up for the musicians,[46] and as a means of grabbing the

attention of the audience.[44]

Kriti
Carnatic songs (kritis) are varied in structure and style, but generally consist of three units:

1. Pallavi. This is the equivalent of a refrain in Western music, with 1 or 2 lines.

2. Anupallavi. This is the second verse, also as 2 lines.

3. Charana. The final (and longest) verse that wraps up the song. The Charanam usually borrows patterns

from the Anupallavi. There can be multiple charanas.

This kind of song is called a keerthanam or a kriti. There are other possible structures for a kriti, which may in

addition include swara passages named chittaswara. A chittaswara consists only of notes, and has no words. Still
others have a verse at the end of the charana, called the madhyamakla. It is sung immediately after

the charana, but at double speed.

Today, Carnatic music is presented by musicians in concerts or recordings, either vocally or through instruments.

Carnatic music itself developed around musical works or compositions of phenomenal composers .There are

many composers in Carnatic music.

Purandara Dasa (14801564) is referred to as the Pitamaha (the father or grandfather) of Carnatic music as he

formulated the basic lessons in teaching Carnatic music, and in honour of his significant contribution to Carnatic

music. He structured graded exercises known as Swaravalis and Alankaras, and at the same time, introduced

the Raga Mayamalavagowla as the first scale to be learnt by beginners. He also composed Gitas (simple songs)

for novice students.

The contemporaries Tyagaraja (1759? 1847), Muthuswami Dikshitar, (17761827) and Syama Sastri, (1762

1827) are regarded as the Trinity of Carnatic music because of the quality of Syama Sastri's compositions, the

varieties of compositions of Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Tyagaraja's prolific output in composing kritis.[47]

Prominent composers prior to the Trinity of Carnatic music include Arunachala Kavi, Annamacharya, Narayana

Theertha, Vijaya Dasa, Jagannatha Dasa, Gopala Dasa, Bhadrachala Ramadas, Sadasiva

Brahmendra andOottukkadu Venkata Kavi. D. K. Pattammal, M. L. Vasanthakumari and M. S. Subbulakshmi,

commonly referred to as the female trinity of Carnatic music. Other composers are Swathi

Thirunal, Gopalakrishna Bharathi, Neelakanta Sivan, Patnam Subramania Iyer, Mysore

Vasudevachar, Koteeswara Iyer, Muthiah Bhagavathar, Subramania Bharathiyarand Papanasam Sivan. The

compositions of these composers are rendered frequently by artists of today.

Current Vocalists

Leading current vocalists include Sudha Ragunathan, Nithyashree Mahadevan, Sanjay Subrahmanyan, Bombay

Jayashri, P. Unnikrishnan, Aruna Sairam, O. S. Arun, Vishaka Hari, Priya Sisters, Ranjani-Gayatri, T. M.

Krishna, R. Suryaprakash, S. Sowmya, Sikkil Gurucharan, Bangalore S.Shankar, Malladi Brothers, Sriram &

Anuradha Parashuram, and others.

Other popular current vocalists include Carnatica Brothers (Shashikiran & Ganesh), Charulatha Mani, Vani

Sateesh, Gayathri Venkataraghavan, Nisha Rajagopal, Gayathri Girish, V. Shankaranarayanan, Savitha

Narasimhan, Dr Ganesh, Shankari Krishnan, Vijayalakshmi Subramaniam, Mambalam Sisters, Master

Balamuralikrishna, Sreevalsan J Menon, Mahanadhi Shobana, Saketharaman, Abhishek Raghuram, and others.

The most outstanding performances, and the greatest concentration of Carnatic musicians, are found in the city

of Chennai.[1] Various festivals are held throughout India and abroad which mainly consist of Carnatic music
performances, like the Madras Music Season, which has been considered as one of the world's largest cultural

events
Carnatic music is considered one of the oldest systems of music in the world. Carnatic music is a very complex system of music
that requires much thought, both artistically and technically. The basis of Carnatic music is the system of ragas (melodic
scales) and talas (rhythmic cycles). There are seven rhythmic cycles and 72 fundamental ragas. All other ragas are considered
to have originated from these. An elaborate pattern exists for identifying these scales, known as the 72 Melakarta Raagas.
Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, the three saint composers of the 19th century, have composed
thousands of krithis that remain fresh among musicians and rasikas. The most important specialty of Karnatic music is its
highly devotional element. The concept of the compositions are set entirely against a devotional outline. The notes of Carnatic
music is "sa-ri-gaa-ma-pa-da-ni". These are abbreviations of the real names of swaras which are Shadjam, Rishabham,
Gandharam, Madhyamam, Panchamam, Dhaivatam and Nishaadam.

carnatic music basics

Each note of the pattern (the swaraa) will have up to
three varieties. The only exceptions for this are the two
base notes shadjam and panchamam, sa & pa which
have only one form, and madhyamam, the middle
swara, which has only two notes. Spirituality has
always been the prominent content of Carnatic music.
The beautiful blending of the beauty and devotional
element has made it extraordinary and divine. The
basic idea behind indian music compositions has been
to see and seek the ultimate brahman or God. In fact, it
has been told in Hindu scriptures that the easiest and
best way to attain salvation is to sing the greatness of
the Divine power. In Hindu scriptures, music and God
have always been depicted together. Many deities have
their own musical instruments and are all portrayed as lovers of music. Lord Siva or
rudra is the embodiment of Nada (cosmic music) which is the first form of music.

Lord Krishna, the first of flautists, indicates his musical inclinations by the fact that
he is the Sama Veda among the Vedas. While Lord Siva is the embodiment of Nada
(cosmic music) and Tandava (cosmic dance),Goddess Parvathi is seen as the
embodiment of Lasya, the feminine quality.

Goddess Saraswati, the source of

wisdom is always associated with the
Veena (known as Vipanchi, or vina a
stringed musical instrument). Goddess
Lakshmi, the source of wealth revels in
music while Lord Vishnu, her consort,
plays on the percussion. Among the
saints as well, Narada and tumburu
are found as Vainika-Gayaka (experts
in music and Vina). Nandi, the holy bull of Siva, is the master of Laya. Demi-Gods
like Yakshas, Gandharvas and Kinnaras are all proficient in music and musical
instruments. In Hindu scriptures, music is known as Gandharva Vidyaa. Hanuman
was proficient in the instrument Hanumad Veena and this is the first form of the
present day Chitraveena.

The growth and development of Carnatic music through the centuries is a testimony
to the greatness of the Indian mind. It needs to be taken to the international arena
parallel to any other classical art form. This can be achieved if we understand it in
the right perspective and do not lose it to religion, for this mission we have this
music website. Carnatic music, the representation of a rich cultural heritage of
south India, the essence of spirituality evolved out of the heart and brain of the
pious ones and the gurus of the past. Thus carnatic music of South India is the
synonym to salvation and eternity. The Nada Brahma - God incarnated in a sonic
form to save humans from birth and rebirths. This website aims at educating
rasikas, providing them information on Carnatic music. Let us contribute to this rich
tradition of Carnatic music. Let us take a pledge to keep the flame bright for the
future. All efforts to support this idea are always welcome.