Beginners’ Carnatic music classes
Notes from an observer
I was delighted to sit through a few classes Vidwan Abhishek Raghuram was holding for new students who had enrolled to learn vocal music from him. It was so interesting, I took notes. Thankfully I had a pen and a book with me. Here is a jist of what I gathered. If there are mistakes, they are my own; my lack of understanding. Apologies for them in advance.
Do read and enjoy the construct of our ancient music form.
The seven swaras are named and denoted as follows:
Shadja – S
Rishabha – R
Gandhara – G
Madhyama – M
Panchama – P
Dhaivata – D
Nishada – N
The Shadja or S, is the reference swara. It is called the Aadhaara swara. All other swaras are sung relative to it. It is chosen depending on the ability of the singer (incase of a string instrument, based on its frequency range and tuning). This is also called the shruti of the performer, and the performance. Once set for a performance, shruti is constant.
Notice two swaras are in bold (Shadja and Panchama). They are unique in that they have no variant (meaning single frequency). These swaras are also called prakruti swaras. The other swaras have variants, as their frequencies are different. As beginners and as far as the human ear can decipher, there are 2 variants for the other swaras – R, G, M, D and N; they are notated as R1, R2, G1, G2, M1, M2, D1, D2, N1 & N2. These swaras are called vikruthi swaras.
In the order of increasing frequency, they are arranged as follows:
S R1 R2 G1 G2 M1 M2 P D1 D2 N1 N2
If we assign numbers starting from 0 for S, 1 for R1, 2 for R2 and so on, P is assigned 7, and N2 gets assigned 11. The number 12 is assigned to the higher S, lets notate it as S~.
If the frequency of the swara S is F hertz, then the frequency of swara S~ will be 2 times F hertz.
For a student of music, the basic building blocks are these swaras; a strong understanding and ability to reproduce these swaras for the shruthi will lay a very strong foundation to learn music.
Carnatic music is considered a raga-based form of music. Each raga is structured based on a set of swaras starting from S and going upto S~, and then descending back to the S. The ascent is Arohana and descent is Avarohana.
Beginners are taught the swaras based on a raga called Maayamalavagowla. Take a look at the swaras constituting this raga.
S R1 G2 M1 P D1 N2 S~
S and R1 are next to each other. G2 and M1 are again adjacent swaras. So are P and D1, as well as N2 and S~.
Let us sing the swaras from S to P for this raga. Stop at P, and replace P with S. Restart singing S where the frequency of P is assigned to S. Notice, the swaras P, D1, N2, S~ will sound as S, R1, G2, M1. Note: the aadhara shruti has been shifted in this case.
By numbers this is how the swaras are sung from S to P - 0 to 1, 1 to 4, 4 to 5, 5 to 7. Now notice the displacement from P to S~ - it is 7 to 8, 8 to 11, and 11 to 12. The displacement is the same – 0 to 1 versus 7 to 8, 1 to 4 versus 8 to 11 and 4 to 5 versus 11 to 12. Hence the pattern of the swaras is repeated, making it easier for the student.
Saint Purandaradasa Swami who pioneered this structured teaching methodology, opined that it will be easier to understand and repeat such patterns as the voice box will adjust to adjacent swaras - Humans ability to learn faster with repetition.
S-R1, P-D1 for arohana and S~-N2, M1-G2 for avarohana are again frequency patterns that are repetitive and hence make it easier for students to pick up music.
An exercise to understand the position or frequency of swaras can be tried using the swaras of Maayamalavagowla itself.
When the avarohana for this raga is sung, stop at P. Assign P as S~ (meaning instead of singing it as “pa”, sing it as “sa”). That means the frequency of P is considered a S~. Start singing the avarohana with this new S~.
P becomes the new S~. So, P is assigned number 12. So, the new N2 should be the swara adjacent to the original P (number 11), which is M2.
Now, by the descent of the raga, this new S~ is assigned the number 12. We know that 11 is the next swara while descending, and for P as S~, the original M2 will become N2.
Let us map these new swaras beyond the new N2. After 11, the next number in the descent is 8, and that is the new D1, which is the old G1. The new P will match the frequency of old R2.
This exercise has smartly introduced the student to M2, G1 and R2 of the original shruthi (with which the student began singing the avarohana).
Having completed this exercise, the student has sung 10 swaras - except D2 and N1.
Exploring raga maayamalavagowla further, if we sing the swaras in arohana upto Madhyama or M1, and transpose M1 to the aadhara shruthi or S. Sing the arohana of maayamalavagowla once again.
So original shruthi’s M1 becomes S and gets assigned 0. Number 1 gets assigned to M2, 4 to D2 and 5 to N1.
Nursery Rhyme “Mary had a little lamb” is set to the raga Shankarabharanam. The difference between Maayamalavagowla and this raga is with two swaras – R and D. While Maayamalavagowla is structured with R1 and D1, Shankarabharanam is structured with R2 and D2.
So Shankarabharanam’s swaras are S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S~, corresponding number assignment being 0, 2, 4, 5, 7, 9, 11, 12.
When the student sings the first line of the nursery rhyme (Mary had a little lamb), the frequency or swaras corresponding to the words “had”, “a” correspond to S, R2 respectively. This is another exercise for the student to understand if the R2 is being sung correctly; and rectified if necessary.
Once the frequency of R2 is internalised by the student, G2, M1, P are similar to Maayamalavagowla, and can be repeated with greater ease.
At P, repeat the earlier exercise by assigning P to S. Continue singing R2, G2 and M1. This new R2 is the D2 that the student needs to understand, sing, repeat and learn.
The student has thus learnt to sing D2 as well. The student has thus attempted 11 swaras, and will need to practice with rigour, and internalize each frequency or position to help pursue learning this art form.