Glossary of Carnatic music
Carnatic music terms are briefly described in this page. Major terms have their own separate article pages, while minor terms are defined / described here.
The order of terms is from basic to related terms, rather than alphabetic.Main terms
Nāda refers to music or musical sound. It also refers to the tone of a musical instrument.Anahata Nāda
Anāhata Nāda refers to the naturally occurring sounds.Ahata Nāda
Ahata Nāda refers to generated sounds or sounds made by efforts of man. It is of 6 types.
1.shareeraja - it emanates from the human throat. Example: vocal singing
2.Dhanuja - is born from string instruments. Example: Violin, veena etc...
3.Vayuja - us born when air is passed through narrow pipe like instruments.
Example: Flute, nadaswaram etc...
4.Charmaja
5. Lohaja
6.NakhajaŚruti is musical pitch. It is considered to be equivalent to tonic of western music. This is the pitch at which the drone is set, which is usually played by a tambura.Sthayi
In Carnatic music, Sthayi refers to the octave. Madhyama sthayi refers to the middle octave, Tara sthayi refers to the upper octave and Mandra sthayi refers to the lower octave.Swaram
Swaram or Swara is a single note. Each swaram defines the position of note in relation to the Śruti.Rāga
A rāgam prescribes a set of rules for building a melody - very similar to the Western concept of mode. Different combination of swarams and swaram phrases form different rāgams.Ārōhanam of a ragam is the ascending scale of the rāgam. It describes the rules for singing ascending notes of a rāgam, including the swarams to use and swaram patterns that form the rāgam.Avarōhanam of a rāgam is the descending scale of the rāgam. It describes the rules for singing descending notes of a rāgam.A Melakartā rāgam is one which has all seven swarams, namely, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni. The ārōhanam and avarōhanam of a melakartā ragam are strictly ascending and descending scales. It is also known as janaka rāgam, because other rāgams are derived from it.Asampūrna Melakartā
One of the 72 parent rāgams first created by Venkatamakhin which did not have strict rules of ascending / descending scales, did not insist on inclusion of all 7 swaras nor disallow vakra prayogas.Chakra
A chakra consists of a group of 6 Melakartā rāgams, which differ from each other only in the Dhaivatham and Nishadham.A Janya rāgam is one which is derived from a Melakartā rāgam. It may have a subset of the seven swarams Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni, an external swaram not found in its parent or vakra prayōgam of swarams in Ārōhanam or Avarōhanam.Tālam
Tālam refers to the rhythm cycle or beat cycle for a particular song.Ālāpana is a preface to a song, which explores the rāgam of the song, without any lyrics. It is a slow improvisation with no tālam.Niraval
Sāhitya vinyāsam / Niraval or Neraval is the repeated singing of one or two lines of a song, with improvised exposition in each repetition. Sāhitya vinyāsam in Tamil language is referred as Neraval.Kalpanaswaram
Kalpanaswaram literally means imagined swarams. It is the singing of swarams of the rāgam of a song, following the completion of the song. Though many phrases of the swarams may have been practiced, experienced artists may spontaneously play new phrases within the rāgam's rules - hence the term Kalpana. It is an improvisation of the rāgam, by singing the swarams, namely Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni.Tānam
Tānam is rhythmic / rhythm based improvisation of the rāgam. It is done with rhythm based syllables like tha, nam, thom and na. It is usually included as second part in a Rāgam Tānam Pallavi.Rāgamālika
Rāgamālika, which literally means garland of rāgams, is a composition that has different verses set to different rāgams. Rāgamālika swarams refers to singing of Kalpanaswarams in different rāgams.Rāgam Tānam Palavi
Rāgam Tānam Pallavi is a rendition of Carnatic music which lends to total improvisation, in different forms. It consists of Rāgam Ālāpana, Tānam and a Pallavi line. The pallavi line is sung many times in different speeds, different ranges of the rāgam and different octaves. This is usually followed by Kalpanaswarams, sometimes in multiple rāgams.Ugābhōga
Ugābhōga or Viruttam is a devotional verse or phrase sung in an imprompt choice of rāgam or rāgamālika usually before a song. The rāgam is usually the same as that of the song that follows.Manōdharma
Manōdharma is the concept of imprompt or spontaneous improvisation, which is one of the important aspects of Carnatic music. There are many types of improvisations, like Rāga Ālāpane, Tāna, Sāhityavinyāsa, Ugābhōga and Kalpanāsvara.Kalpita sangeetam
Kalpita sangeetam is music that is already composed, learnt and practiced. It is opposite of Manodharma sangeetam, which complements Kalpita sangeetam.Swarams
The seven swarams in Carnatic music, then followed by other terms related to swaram.Shadjam
The first swaram in the scale is Shadjam. It is invariant and is always included in all ragams.Rishabham
The second swaram in the scale is Rishabham. It has three pitch possibilities, namely Suddha, Chathusruti and Shatsruti.Gandhara
The third swaram in the scale is Gāndhāra. It has three pitch possibilities, namely Śuddha, Sādhārana and Antara.Madhyamam
The fourth swaram in the scale is Madhyamam. It has two pitch possibilities, namely Suddha and Prati.Panchamam
The fifth swaram in the scale is 'Panchamam'. It is invariant.Dhaivatam
The sixth swaram in the scale is Dhaivatam. It has three pitch possibilities, namely Suddha, Chathusruti and Shatshruti.Nishādham
The seventh swaram in the scale is Nishādham. It has three pitch possibilities, namely Suddha, Kaisiki and Kaakali.Anya swaram
Anya swaram in a janya rāgam is a swaram that is not found in its parent rāgam. Anya means outside the set/ group.Sthāyi
Sthāyi refers to an octave of music. There are 5 sthāyis in Carnaatic music, namely, Anumandara, Mandara, Madhya, Taara and Athitaara. Most artists sing over two octaves or two and a half octaves range. Very few can sing well in bigger ranges of 3 or more octaves.Anga
Anga means part. In the context of a rāgam's scale, the terms poorvaanga and uttaraanga are used. Sa, Ri, Ga and Ma notes in a scale are referred are poorvaanga, while Pa, Dha and Ni are referred as ''uttaraanga''Gamaka
Gamaka is the term used for variations of the swarams in a scale. It can refer to the shake of the note, grace around the note, decoration or embellishment of the swaram. It is an integral part of most rāgams, as it is not arbitrary but is essential part of the structure/ scale.Vādi swaram in a rāgam is the main/ primary swaram of importance in it. A vādi swaram is repeated quite often in a rendition.Samvādi
swaram in a rāgam has a concordant effect with the vādi swaram. It has a good effect to the ear along with the vādi. In Western music it is equivalent of the consonant.Vivādi swaram in a rāgam has a discordant effect with the vādi swaram in it. It may not have a pleasing effect when sounded together, but composers use appropriate phrases so that such discordant effect is skipped or avoided. In Western music it is equivalent of the dissonant.Anuvādi
Anuvādi swaram in a rāgam has neither concordant nor discordant effect with the vādi swaram.Janthi rāgams
Prayōgam
A musical notes phrase of a rāgam is known as Prayōgam.Vishesha Prayōgam
Vishesha means special. Hence, important phrases of a rāgam are known as Vishesha Prayōgams.Varjya
Missing swarams in a janya rāgam, when derived from a melakartā rāgam are referred as varjya. For example, Rishabham and Panchamam are varjya in Hindolam when derived from Natabhairavi.Vakram
Swarams are said to be vakram in a rāgam, if either the Ārōhanam, Avarōhanam or both, do not follow a strictly ascending or descending order. They go up and down. In such a rāgam, these swarams should always use the same order to give the unique melody of the rāgam.Upānga
A janya rāgam is Upānga if all the swarams in its scale are strictly derived from its melakartā rāgam. There are no anya swarams.Bhāshānga
A janya rāgam is Bhāshānga if an anya swaram is introduced in its scale, when derived from its melakartā rāgam.Nishādhāntya
A janya rāgam is Nishādhāntya if the highest note that can be played is the Nishādham. The rules for such rāgams are that they should be played or sung within the single octave - Ni, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. Examples are Naadanaa makriya and Punnāgavarāli rāgams.