Musical Jargon

drshrikaanth · Post by **drshrikaanth** » 09 Jul 2005, 20:19

CML heres to your request

As you all know, a mELakarta will have the same 7 swaras in both ascent and descent in the c0rrect order(SRGMPDN and back). rAgas consist of a pUrvAnga (SRGM) and a uttarAnga(PDNS). S and P are constant notes and will not change.
As mentioned, the 72 mELakartas are divide into 12 cakras with 6 rAgas each. First let us divide these into equal halves of 36. The frist and the second halves are in a way, mirror images of each othe. Te first 36 contain M1 or Suddha madhyama. The 2nd have the M2 or pratimadhyama.
The way the rAgas progress is very methodical. Within each cakra, the pUrvAnga is same for all the 6 rAgas. Hence the only changes are in the uttarAnga. As S and P are unique and unchangeable, the changes occur only in D and N. Both these swaras have 3 variants. D1, D2, D3 and N1, N2, N3. Of these D2 = N1 are same as also N2 = D3. Therefore they cannot coexist in the same rAga. Also N must always have a higher frequency value than D in a rAga. Hence we cannot have a rAga withD3,N1 as that is against the rule and also will be the same as D2,N2. This leaves us with only 6 possible combinations that give rise to 6 mELas in a cakra. The way they progress is of fixed order
1st mELa of any cakra will have both Suddha swaras- D1,N1. Next we have D1, N2. Then D1, N3. Fourth D2,N2 (remember D2=N1), Fifth D2,N3 and lastly D3,N3. The same pattern repeats in eac cakra.
Now coming to the change from one cakra to the next;-
the variation is in the pUrvAnga only. Here again as we know which madhyama is present and S is constant, changes occur only in R and G. Again they admit of 3 variants wherein R2=G1 and G2=R3 and cannot coexist. Also G must be higher in frequency than R in a rAga. Therefore we have the 6 cakras progressing thus 1st R1,G1; 2nd R1,G2; 3rd R1,G3; 4th R2,G2; 5th R2G3 and lastly R3,G3. The same pattern repeats in the pratimadhyama half with only M being different.
Hence, for instance, the first mELa of each of the 1st 6 cakras is identical with respect to uttarAnga but vary in pUrvAnga. Whereas within a cakra, pUrvAnga is constant while uttarAnga differs.

inconsequential · Post by **inconsequential** » 09 Jul 2005, 20:57

Dear Drshrikanth, thanks a lot for the explanatory post. some more explanations are available here

http://sawf.org/music/articles.asp?pn=Music

pls look for the articles written by smt Kiranavali Vidyasankar
- one of the star-siblings

regards

Sivaraman · Post by **Sivaraman** » 19 Feb 2006, 03:39

Dear Dr.Shrikanth,
I just happened to read your very erudite and lucid explanatory note on the structure of the melakartas and must thank you for making it so simple that even a lay rasika like me could understand the same.
Thank you and expect more such postings to initiate lay rasikas like me into the intricacies of CM.Particularly, I would appreciate a note on Thalas for Dummies like me.
Sivaraman.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 19 Feb 2006, 10:04

I second Sivaramanji's request for a tutorial on thala as well.

A few months back someone asked me 'There are janya ragas, is there a similar concept in thala like Janya thala'. I do not know if there is a such a parent child relationship in the 35 thala system or not.

I have another topic to discuss on thala from a composer's point of view and I will open a separate thread for that.

kaapi · Post by **kaapi** » 19 Feb 2006, 12:47

Sivaraman / VK,

In CM there are six angas for the tala. They are anudhrutham,dhrutam,laghu,guru, plutham and kAkapAdham. The 35 talas use only the first three angas in various combination while the 108 tAlas use all the six. The 35 tAlas are the fivefold variation of dhruva, matya,roopaka,jampa,thriputa,ata and Eka talas. Thus the tisra, chatusra, kanda ,misra and sanIrna jAti of each tala can be considered as a janya. If we introduce the nadai then there will be another level of five fold variation for each of the 35 talas.Thus there is a semblence of janaka -janya relationship.

This type of reasoning cannot be applied for the 108 tAlas. Each of them is a stand alone. Also there is no question of jAti or nadai variation for the guru, plutam and kAkapAdaham.

However what I have always wondered is, in what way two tAlas having the same count but differant angAs are differant. For instance both Adi tAlam and kanda jAti Jampa tAlam have a total count of 8. If the excercise is to do the tisram ,misram etc. keep adding and repeatedly divide by 8x4 ( in this case ) till the reminder reaches zero in both cases, then the entire subject of layam is a pedant's paradise.

On the other hand I firmly believe they are not the same and are expected to convey something differant to the listner /viewer. I also believe that in order to get an answer we have to search not in CM but in bharatanAtyam, a sister discipline.

Sivaraman · Post by **Sivaraman** » 19 Feb 2006, 22:31

Kaapi,
Thanks for the notes on thala.But what I am looking for is a more basic instruction on the lines of what Dr.Srikanth has done in the case of melakarta ragas.That is why I requested him to give us his expertise on the subject.
No offense to you, please.
sivaraman.

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 21 Feb 2006, 04:01

However what I have always wondered is, in what way two tAlas having the same count but differant angAs are differant. For instance both Adi tAlam and kanda jAti Jampa tAlam have a total count of 8. If the excercise is to do the tisram ,misram etc. keep adding and repeatedly divide by 8x4 ( in this case ) till the reminder reaches zero in both cases, then the entire subject of layam is a pedant's paradise.

On the other hand I firmly believe they are not the same and are expected to convey something differant to the listner /viewer. I also believe that in order to get an answer we have to search not in CM but in bharatanAtyam, a sister discipline.

Kaapi: I have the same questions in my mind. I created a new thread in the Composer's section since I felt the anGas might have more significance to the composers. May be that forum is a bad choice.....

Shrikaanthji, when you have some time, can you please comment on that?