Gamakam Flashcards
1
Q
What is a gamakam, what systems of music are they in, where can they be found, how common are they and what do they determine?
A
- Vibrations/Oscillations of swaras
- Vedic chants
- Very rare to sing plain notes
- Determine melodic character of raga
2
Q
What shows how common they are?
A
Gamakams are present even in ragas that are not Sarva Swara Gamaka Varika Ragas
3
Q
What are Sarva Swara Gamaka Varika ragas?
A
All swaras are sung to gamakas
4
Q
What are the different views on the number of gamakas?
A
- Nanyadeva in his commentary on Bharatha’s Natya Sastra + Parsvadeva in ‘Sangita Samaya Sara’: 7
- Narada in ‘Sangita Makaranda’ : 19
- Givinda Dikshitar, Venkatamahi, Sarngadeva + other writers: 15
5
Q
Later a system of how many gamakams was formed, how did 15 become this number, what is the name of this system and who spoke of it first?
A
- 10 gamakams
- Those that differed in minor details like shake, speed + duration were amalgamated
- Dasavitha gamakams
- Sangita Ratnakaram
6
Q
Dasavitha gamakams (what are they and give examples):
A
- Arohana: Grace embracing notes in ascending order eg. s r g m p d n s
- Avarohana: Grace embracing notes in descending order eg. s n d p m g r s
- Dhalu: Starts on basic notes + produces higher notes in conformity with raga and bhava eg. sP sM sG sR
- Sphurita: Janta swara phrase where first note is faint, whereas second is stressed eg. ss rr gg mm pp
- Kampita: Shake eg. Ppp
- Ahata: Swara phrase in ascending order eg. sr rg gm mp
- Pratyahata: Swara phrase in descending order eg. sn nd dp pm
- Tripuncha: Triple order notes eg. sss rrr ggg
- Andola: Swinging movement eg. srsDd srsPp srsMm srsGg
- Moorchana: Starting on S, proceeding regularly in arohana krama + finishing on dirga N etc eg. srgmpdN rgmpdnS
