Carnatic Music

Carnatic music is one of the two main forms of classical music in India. Karnataka has made immense contribution to the field of Carnatic music. Shaarjnadava is the earliest known exponent of Carnatic music from Karnataka. Later on, Karnataka's Carnatic music tradition has been graced with the works of such legendary composers as the Shivayogis, Purandara Daasa, Govinda Dikshit and his legendary son Venkata Mukhi, who revolutionized Carnatic music. Tyaagraja and Muttu Swamy Deekshit followed in their footsteps to create the great legacy of Carnatic music in Karnataka.

Considered to be one the most ancient musical traditions still alive, Carnatic music employs a system of 72 scales within an octave and is mainly monophonic in nature. The knowledge of Carnatic music has been handed down through tradition from ancient times. Its popularity continues undiminished. With a tradition of innumerable vocal and instrumental virtuosos, Carnatic music is one of the richest musical traditions in the world. Like all classical forms of Indian music, Carnatic music is seen as a way for an individual to transcend the self and experience the divine.

Carnatic music of Karnataka is largely influential in finalizing the intricate musical structure of the genre. A performance typically begins with the varnam which is a free rendering of the melodic structure of the song presented without any rhythmic accompaniment. Pallavi is a song unit covering one cycle of the respective tala. The instrumentalist gets a chance to improvise in this part of the composition. The swara-kalpana allows improvisation to the drummer. The final part is the ragamalika, where the soloist improvises freely before returning to the original composition. Veenas and violins are the most commonly used instruments. They are accompanied by percussions of different kinds, mainly the mridangam and the ghatam.