Last week one of my students asked me when I would start teaching her songs or Keerthanas. I told her that she had a long way to go!
Everybody seems to be in a hurry to learn music. Though there are umpteen numbers of institutions that promulgate Carnatic music in a jiffy, the traditional style of teaching still remains the most authentic of all.
Learning Carnatic music can be broadly classified into three levels – basic, intermediate and advanced.
Basics – varisaigal and geetham
Intermediate – varnam and a few simple keerthanas
Advanced – keerthanas, alapana, neraval and swaras
None can omit a level to enter the next. Systematic study through the years is the ultimate approach.
Understanding the various musical forms in Carnatic music will enlighten us on the importance of a logical and orderly process of learning it.
What are the various musical forms in Carnatic music?
Carnatic musical forms are compositions composed with words for singing. These compositions are also played on various instruments. The musical forms can be largely classified into Abhyasa gana and Sabha gana. Abhyasa gana are designed for practice in order to improve upon one’s technical ability and Sabha gana are musical forms that are meant for presentation in the presence of an audience.
(To be continued….)
