In music, ornaments or embellishments are musical flourishes—typically, added notes—that are not essential to carry the overall line of the melody, but serve instead to decorate or "ornament" that line, provide added interest and variety, and give the performer the opportunity to add expressiveness to a song or piece. Many ornaments are performed as "fast notes" around a central, main note.
Carnatic music, known as Karnāṭaka saṃgīta or Karnāṭaka saṅgītam in the South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, and Sri Lanka. It is one of two main subgenres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu Texts and traditions, particularly the Samaveda. The other subgenre being Hindustani music, which emerged as a distinct form because of Persian or Islamic influences from Northern India. The main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing) style.
A grace note is a kind of music notation denoting several kinds of musical ornaments. It is usually printed smaller to indicate that it is melodically and harmonically nonessential. When occurring by itself, a single grace note indicates either an acciaccatura when notated with an oblique stroke through the stem, or an appoggiatura when notated without. When they occur in groups, grace notes can be interpreted to indicate any of several different classes of ornamentation, depending on interpretation. For percussion, such as drums, a related concept are ghost notes — supportive snare-hits at a lower volume.
Indian classical music is the classical music of the Indian subcontinent. It has two major traditions: the North Indian classical music known as Hindustani and the South Indian expression known as Carnatic. These traditions were not distinct until about the 15th century. During the period of Mughal rule of the Indian subcontinent, the traditions separated and evolved into distinct forms. Hindustani music emphasizes improvisation and exploration of all aspects of a raga, while Carnatic performances tend to be short composition-based. However, the two systems continue to have more common features than differences.
Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, shastriya sangeet. It is played in instruments like the violin, sitar and sarod. Its origins from the 12th century CE, when it diverged from Carnatic music, the classical tradition in South India. Hindustani classical music arose in the Ganga-Jamuni Tehzeeb, a period of great influence of Perso-Arabic arts in the subcontinent, especially the Northern parts. This music combines the Indian classical music tradition with Perso-Arab musical knowledge, resulting in a unique tradition of gharana system of music education.
The venu is one of the ancient transverse flutes of Indian classical music. It is an aerophone typically made from bamboo, that is a side blown wind instrument. It continues to be in use in the South Indian Carnatic music tradition. It is referred to as nadi and tunava in the Rigveda and other Vedic texts of Hinduism. In Northern Indian music, a similar flute is called bansuri. In the South, it is also called by various other names such as pullangkuzhal (புல்லாங்குழல்) in Tamil, oodakuzhal (ഓടകുഴൽ) or kurungu kuzhal in Malayalam (Kerala) and ಕೊಳಲು (koḷalu) or ಮುರಳಿ(muraļi) in Kannada (Karnataka). It is known as pillana grōvi or Vēṇuvu (వేణువు) in Telugu. It is also called as Carnatic Flute.
Dhīraśankarābharaṇaṃ, commonly known as Śankarābharaṇaṃ, is a rāga in Carnatic music. It is the 29th Melakarta rāga in the 72 Melakarta rāga system of Carnatic music. Since this raga has many Gamakās (ornamentations), it is glorified as "Sarva Gamaka Maaṇika Rakti Rāgaṃ".
Arabhi or Aarabhi is a ragam in Carnatic music. It is a Janya raga, whose Melakarta raga is Shankarabharanam, 29th in the 72 Melakarta raga system.
Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande was an Indian musicologist who wrote the first modern treatise on Hindustani classical music, an art which had been propagated for centuries mostly through oral traditions. During those earlier times, the art had undergone several changes, rendering the raga grammar documented in scant old outdated texts.
Janya is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic music a janya raga is one derived from one of the 72 melakarta ragas. Janya ragas are classified into various types based on a variety of features.
Devagandhari is a raga in Indian classical music. In carnatic classical music, Devagandhari is a janya raga, whose melakarta raga is Shankarabharanam, 29th in the 72 Melakarta raga system. This is not to be confused with Karnataka Devagandhari, which is a janya of Kharaharapriya similar to Abheri.
Mayamalavagowla is a raga of Carnatic music. It is classified as 15th melakarta raga under Venkatamakhin's melakarta system. Originally known as malavagowla, "maya" was prefixed to it after the advent of the scheme of the 72 melas. The number 15 was assigned to it following the Katapayadi sankhya system. This is a morning raga.
Ahir Bhairav is a Hindustani classical raga. It is a mixture of Bhairav and the ancient, rare raga Ahiri or Abhiri, or perhaps a mixture of Bhairav and Kafi.
Malkauns, known also as rag Malkosh, is a raga in Indian classical music. It is one of the oldest ragas of Indian classical music. The equivalent raga in Carnatic music is called Hindolam, not to be confused with the Hindustani Hindol.
Bhairavi is a janya rāgam in Carnatic music. Though it is a sampoorna rāgam, it has two different dhaivathams in its scale making it a Bhashanga Ragam, and hence is not classified as a melakarta rāgam.
Carnatic raga refers to ragas used in Carnatic music. A Carnatic raga has several components - primordial sound (nāda), tonal system (swara), pitch (śruti), scale, ornaments (gamaka) and important tones.
Sargam refers to singing the notes, mostly commonly used in Indian music, instead of the words of a composition, with use of various ornamentations such as meend, gamak, kan and khatka, as part of a khyal performance. This is generally done in medium-tempo as a bridge between the alap and taan portions.
Kalyanavasantam is a rāgam in Carnatic music. It is a janya rāgam from the 21st melakarta scale Keeravani. It is a janya scale, as it does not have all the seven swaras in the ascending scale. It is a combination of the pentatonic scale Chandrakauns of Hindusthani music and the sampurna raga scale Keeravani.
Alankara, also referred to as palta or alankaram, is a concept in Indian classical music and literally means "ornament, decoration". An alankara is any pattern of musical decoration a musician or vocalist creates within or across tones, based on ancient musical theories or driven by personal creative choices, in a progression of svaras. The term alankara is standard in Carnatic music, while the same concept is referred to as palta or alankara in Hindustani music.
Garudadhvani or Garudadhwani is a rāgam in Carnatic music. It is a janya rāgam from the 29th melakarta scale Shankarabharanam. It is a janya scale, as it does not have all the seven swaras in the descending scale. It is a combination of the sampurna raga scale Shankarabharanam and the pentatonic scale Mohanam.
