Carnatic Music of South India Flashcards
raga
melodic framework/resource consisting of rules which appear in form of musical scales/phrases unique to Indian classical music
Raga uses…
swaras (sa/ri/ga/mi/pa/da/ni) similar to Western classical solfege.
Ragas include…
set phrases that evoke moods and emotions (more than merely scales).
Improvisation is significant in Indian music because…
(1) it is a continuous process
(2) essential aspect of Indian music/culture
alapana
(1) improvisation purely following raga that precedes and introduces pre-composed or improvised form (“running over the notes”)
(2) rhythmically free and abstract
(3) No text or swaras
Alapana is subject to…
performer’s individual style within norms of Carnatic tradition.
The objective of alapana is…
to reveal the essence of a rage by creating skillful melodic patterns related to the ascent and descent of raga.
Two major kinds of Carnatic music are…
(1) kalpita sangita
(2) kalpana sangita
kalpita sangita
composed prior to performance by a musician other than performer (“created music”)
kalpana sangita
created during performance through improvisation (“imagined music”)
gamaka
ornamentation/inflection as controlled shaking, articulation, sliding and other manipulation of tones by voice/instrument
Gamaka support raga by…
giving the essence of raga (just a scale without).
Gamakas also interpreted as connectors between notes because…
they add more life to the notes.
Carnatic music is taught…
aurally using rote learning to emphasis improvisation skills in performance.
Written notation in Carnatic music is…
nothing more than memorization aid.
