South Indian Music and its English and South Indian names

In brief South Indian Music and its English and South Indian names

“In Carnatic music, the octave is divided, as in other major systems, into twelve parts, but the seven notes are given sixteen different names(though some of their melodic values overlap).The first note(Sa)and its fifth perfect or dominant(Pa)are constants. Among the other notes, Ri,Ga,Da and Ni have got three values each, while Ma has two values.”

In the history of Indian music, great musicologists and composers such as Bharata, Mªtanga,Purandara Das and Tyªgarªja treated it as a purely melodic system.In fact all the musical systems of the world had been melodic in the past.Harmonic progressions only started to be used in music in 1600 A. D.The European musical system was the first in the world,to successfully introduce harmonic progressions in music.Since then,efforts have been going on to experiment harmonic elements in South Indian music too.Yet an integral South Indian harmonic system is not yet mature.

A comprehensive research into the harmonic grammar of South Indian music has
never been done before.This pioneering exploration assesses one by one,the chordal
structure of seventy-two fundamental scales (mÂlakarta rªgams),and the chordal
structure of sample derivative scales (janya rªgams). The critical evaluation of the
chordal structure of scales brings forth the salient features of South Indian harmony.


This survey also exposes certain original features of South Indian harmony such as
basic dyads, solitary-roots and avoided-roots.

The first sphere is common sphere for the South Indian melodic school and for the South Indian harmonic school.It includes twelve notes, sixteen note-positions (svara stªnams),the scheme ofseventy-two fundamental scales (mÂlakarta rªgams),the scheme of countless derivativescales (janya rªgams),the scheme of hepta-rhythms(sapta tªlams)and the scheme ofnine feelings (nava rasams).The second is the exclusive sphere of the South Indianharmonic school.It includes octaves of semitonal intervals,structure of chords,methods of harmonic refinement,inversions of the chords, the grammar of harmonicprogressions and harmonic musicography(sangeeta lipi).


THE SCHEME OF FOUR DISSONANT NOTES (VIVDI SVARAMS)

In South Indian music, there is an intricate scheme of four dissonant notes (vivªdi
svarams). E double flat, D sharp, B double flat and A sharp (sudha gªndhªram, shatsrutirishabham, sudha nishªdam and shatsruti dhaivatam ) are the four components of thisscheme. One should remember that without the scheme of four dissonant notes (vivªdisvarams), only thirty-two consonant fundamental scales (samvªdi mÂlakarta rªgams)could exist. The production of dissonant notes is done by alloting two values, to fourkeys of the octave. In the consonant mode, these four keys will function as consonantnotes. But in the dissonant mode, the same four keys will function as dissonant notes.


THE SCHEME OF SIXTEEN NOTE POSITIONS (SVARA STNAMS)

This scheme of South Indian music, envisages sixteen intervals in an octave.

There are four note positions (svara stªnams) in this arrangement, which are additional to the twelve semitones.They are E double flat, D sharp, B double flat and A sharp (sudhagªndhªram, shatsruti rishabham, sudha nishªdam and shatsruti dhaivatam ).

Without the scheme of sixteen note positions (svara stªnams), the formation of seventy-two heptatonic scales (sampoorÖa rªgams)1 would be impossible. The English names,traditional South Indian names and abbreviations of sixteen note-positions (svarastªnams) are as follows.


SIXTEEN NOTE-POSITIONS OF AN OCTAVE

ENGLISH NAMES ORIGINAL SOUTH INDIAN NAMES

1 C (tonic) Shadjam (Sa)
2 D flat (Db) Sudha rishabham (Ri.1)
3 D natural (D) Chathusruti rishabham (Ri.2)
4 D sharp (D#) Shatsruti rishabham (Ri.3)
5 E double falt (Ebb) Sudha gªndhªram (Ga.1)
6 E flat (Eb) Sªdhªrana gªndhªram (Ga.2)
7 E natural (E) Antara gªndhªram (Ga.3)
8 F natural (F) Sudha madhyamam (Ma.1)
9 F sharp (F#) Prati madhyamam (Ma.2)
10 G natural (G) Panchamam (Pa)
11 A flat (Ab) Sudha dhaivatam (Dha.1)
12 A natural (A) Chathusruti dhaivatam (Dha.2)
13 A sharp (A#) Shatsruti dhaivatam (Dha.3)