Carnatic music
Carnatic music is a classical music tradition of South India built around raga melodies and tala rhythms, performed in vocal and instrumental forms.
Raga: A melodic framework that organizes characteristic notes, phrases, and expressive associations in South Asian music. Ragas supply Carnatic music with melodic identity and rules for improvisation.
Alapana: An unmetered melodic exposition of a raga in Indian classical music. A Carnatic alapana explores a raga before a composition establishes tala.
Purandara Dasa: A sixteenth-century Kannada composer and devotional poet traditionally regarded as a foundational teacher of Carnatic music. His pedagogical exercises became a standard framework for Carnatic beginners.
Carnatic vocal music: The vocal performance tradition of Carnatic music, featuring compositions, improvisation, and rhythmic accompaniment. Singing is the tradition’s primary concert medium and model for instrumental phrasing.
Hindustani classical music: The classical music tradition of North India, shaped by raga, tala, improvisation, and distinct historical influences. Its shared concepts but different styles make the clearest comparison with Carnatic music.
Tala: A system of rhythmic cycles that organizes beats and subdivisions in South Asian music. Tala cycles structure timing, accompaniment, and rhythmic improvisation in Carnatic performance.
Niraval: A form of improvisation that varies a selected phrase of a composition while preserving its words and rhythmic placement. Niraval develops a kriti line through melodic variation within its rhythmic setting.
Trinity of Carnatic music: The collective name for composers Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Syama Sastri. Their compositions became a central pillar of the concert repertoire.
Veena: A family of plucked string instruments, including the Saraswati veena used in Carnatic music. The Saraswati veena translates vocal-style raga ornamentation onto strings.
Dhrupad: An old Hindustani vocal genre marked by solemn raga exposition and structured composition. Dhrupad offers a contrasting approach to raga development and vocal presentation.