Below is a video for the first line of the Carnatic song Kurai Onrum Illai, as sung by the great MSSubbalakshmi.
Below the video is a screenshot of the swaras, frets, strings for EACH syllable. Towards the right of the image, the last two columns to the right gives simplified movements, where ever applicable. Let me know if you would like more…
Raga Nadanamakriya krithi by Bhadrachalam Ramadasu. Carnatic on Guitar. Swaras and notes useful for vocalists and other instruments too since the melody swaras has been found and transcibed to be used on any medium.
The complete song below. The instruction video is below that. (Details on learning with me through skype).
by ‘harcoding’ the swaras within the gamaka.
See the image below where the first few lines of Alaipayuthe has been transcribed and written using
Of course it’s high information density.
4 Layers to make sure that the music is represented as clearly as possible.
So that the message gets across and is viewed, understood and learnt by the viewer or student without doubt, by using the 4 different layers of information which will act as learning input and anti-mistake checklists.
Below is a simple example. The first two bars of Varaveena Mridupani, Mohanam Geetham. (see Varaveena on guitar to listen to the part)
| g g p p | d p s s | goes the first two bars swaras.
When transcribed and written as notes, the jhanta slide for the second ga, and the long slide for the dha are both invisible and lost.
In the notation given above, I have included the r-g slide for the second ga, written clearly as the notes within the gamaka.
Similarly the p-s-d slide which is the real movement behind the dha, has been written using the notes within the slide. A slide between the 3-8-5 frets on the first string of the guitar, when C note is the Sa.
This is what I mean by ‘hardcoding’ it. Not leaving the user to wonder about what is missing, nor leading to ambiguity.
This is how we play it. Write it as it is played. Practical musicians understand this.
It is a 2000 x 2819px file. Right click and open the image on a new tab to view it in its real size, download or print. I have kept the ratio correct for A4 printing.
See this post for more on Raga Mohanam, Varaveena, C Major scale to Raga Slides etc
Below are the swaras and notes with slides etc, for Kathal rojave from the movie Roja, done by ARRahman. Learn the moves to play or sing the song as in the original.
The swaras have been written so that,
eg: mn2pm is a slide, with hit only on the first m. If the same swaras were written as “m n2 p m”, then we need to hit on each of them.
To translate swaras to notes, use this swara note grid. See the notes for Kadhal Rojave in C below. (Chords for the song based on phrases?)
Here are the notes for the song, in C pitch (done by Krishna Pavan). The notes are almost identical to the swaras, with a few moves more or less here and there. Please feel free to use both the swara and note versions.
The notes have also been written similar to the swaras: two notes together = slide.
A simple table will give you a quick idea of each swara note when you choose a particular pitch.
If you want the E note to be your Sa, what will be your Ga3? (the G# note)
You want to sing in the pitch of A? Then D note will be the Ma1, F# will be the Dha2 and so on.
If you want E to be the highest note you play, and if M1 is the highest note in the song, then which note should the Sa be? (B is the Sa when E is the M1)
Based on the phrase notes, the song Kathal Rojave by a r rahman from the movie Roja has been harmonized as below. (how to play the song?)
Instead of following a generic family of chords based of approach, here the phrase notes have been closely followed, wrapping them in chords closest to the phrases used and within the scale.
More expertise with chords for ragas, songs, scales, phrases? Would like to learn music?
The E major scale family has the C#m, G#m and B major (the Vth) chords.
This song brings in the C major chord, G major chord etc into the harmony in a smooth and easy manner through the melody.
Below are the chords of the song based on the phrases. These are different at least partially, from the chords used in the original recording. The aim has been to find suitable chords based on the phrases, the melody notes.
The chord chart is below is the video
The song Kandukondein composed by arrahman. (The very first section for now. More to be added in time)
The melody with each move has been written as swaras below to be used by singers and instrumentalists other than guitarists too.
Swaras: s r2 g3 m1 p d2 n3 S
See this link to learn to connect swaras to notes. Since swaras can be used to play any pitch by appropriately assigning a note value to the Sa, you can use the swaras to play or sing the song in any of the 12 pitches as you wish.
The moves, gamakas have been written as swaras.
For example: pSnS means a hit on p and the remaining notes are part of the gamaka, played using slides, hammer ons and pull offs.
If it is written as p S n S, you need to hit each of the four notes.
Alaipayuthe Kanna (Raga Kaanada) Indan Raga song How to videos (on Guitar) along with the tabs, western notation, swaras and lyrics that can be used on any instrument or by singers. (Thanks to Sashi. E for taking the initiative to modify and use Lilypond to make the final layout.)
See here the for explanation on western notation with gamakas.
Right click and open the image on a new tab to view it in its real size, download or print. I have kept the ratio correct for A4 printing.
Below is a how to video of the Kalyani Raga based Ilayaraja song. Below the video, the tabs and western notation are given. Also given is a swara sheet, where the slides etc has been written in terms of swaras.
Since western notation is given and the video explains the slides, you maybe able to use it for instruments other than guitar too.
See the swara sheet if you would like to use swaras on your instrument. Swara sheet has the added advantage of giving you option to play in any pitch you wish, by choosing a Sa of your choice.
The song is based on The Lydian scale (major scale with #4th instead of 4th) except at one place where the slide requires a perfect fourth, based on what is heard in the recording.
The lydian scale notes when connected correctly gives us the Kalyani raga, this song being a very good practise content for the Raga Kalyaani.
Right Click the image and open in new tab to see in full. For now, the first part, the pallavi is given. Will add the second half in time.
Here is a video explaining the moves of the song Sundari Neeyum Sundaran Njanum by Ilayaraja. Below the video you will find the Guitar Tab, Western Staff Notation and Swaras for the song, with the gamakas included in the notation. Towards the end of the page are the chords (for now, simple chords. I will be uploading a more detailed Jazz worthy version of chords soon).
Right click and open image in a new tab to see in full size.
Below please find the chords for the song in Raga Kedaram using very simple C major scale based chords. Will add a more detailed set of chords soon. Please subscribe for future updates.
Below is a how to video, guitar tabs and western staff notation (with all slides included within) for the swaras of Padumanabha paramapurusha, an Indian Carnatic Raga Malahari Geetham, one of the basic compositions used by students.
This malahari geetham is a bit different in structure and phrases from the other three (Lambodara/Sree gananaadha, Kereyaneeranu and Kundagowra).
The topic of Malahari geethams has enough content to be made about including: The structure of Geethams, the lyrics version of the song, the comparison between malahari geethams while noting the similarity and reusage of phrases. One may realize that through the repeated structures in the 4 compositions, the composers have let us known what could be the core characteristics of Raga Malahari.
Further, since Malahari is a Janya or derivative of Raga Mayamalavagowla (similar in notes to Raga Bhairav in Hindustani), understanding the scale pattern of Mayamalavagowla and how they are distributed on the practically playable fretboard for ones needs, is of interest.
If you are someone interested in this topic, or in Indian raga playing, scales etc you may please subscribe to this site or the youtube channel by clicking the Subscribe button below (the button is made from code generated by youtube).
Please open the image in a new tab to see the complete song tabs and notation. This version is when one sings the song as its swaras. The lyrics version is to be made, with slides connecting the swaras, avoiding hits where there are no consonants (to follow soon).
Below is a video for you to learn Raga Malahari, derivative of Raga Mayamalavagowla (same scale notes as Rag Bhairav).
In the video, you see the fretboard and finger moves as I play the song, and above you see a video with the tab playing, the currently played note being in red.
Pause, clarify, learn, play.
Below are the swaras and notes with slides etc, for Kathal rojave from the movie Roja, done by ARRahman. Learn the moves to play or sing the song as in the original.
The swaras have been written so that,
eg: mn2pm is a slide, with hit only on the first m. If the same swaras were written as “m n2 p m”, then we need to hit on each of them.
To translate swaras to notes, use this swara note grid. See the notes for Kadhal Rojave in C below. (Chords for the song based on phrases?)
Here are the notes for the song, in C pitch (done by Krishna Pavan). The notes are almost identical to the swaras, with a few moves more or less here and there. Please feel free to use both the swara and note versions.
The notes have also been written similar to the swaras: two notes together = slide.
A simple table will give you a quick idea of each swara note when you choose a particular pitch.
If you want the E note to be your Sa, what will be your Ga3? (the G# note)
You want to sing in the pitch of A? Then D note will be the Ma1, F# will be the Dha2 and so on.
If you want E to be the highest note you play, and if M1 is the highest note in the song, then which note should the Sa be? (B is the Sa when E is the M1)
Based on the phrase notes, the song Kathal Rojave by a r rahman from the movie Roja has been harmonized as below. (how to play the song?)
Instead of following a generic family of chords based of approach, here the phrase notes have been closely followed, wrapping them in chords closest to the phrases used and within the scale.
More expertise with chords for ragas, songs, scales, phrases? Would like to learn music?
The E major scale family has the C#m, G#m and B major (the Vth) chords.
This song brings in the C major chord, G major chord etc into the harmony in a smooth and easy manner through the melody.
Below are the chords of the song based on the phrases. These are different at least partially, from the chords used in the original recording. The aim has been to find suitable chords based on the phrases, the melody notes.
The chord chart is below is the video
The song Kandukondein composed by arrahman. (The very first section for now. More to be added in time)
The melody with each move has been written as swaras below to be used by singers and instrumentalists other than guitarists too.
Swaras: s r2 g3 m1 p d2 n3 S
See this link to learn to connect swaras to notes. Since swaras can be used to play any pitch by appropriately assigning a note value to the Sa, you can use the swaras to play or sing the song in any of the 12 pitches as you wish.
The moves, gamakas have been written as swaras.
For example: pSnS means a hit on p and the remaining notes are part of the gamaka, played using slides, hammer ons and pull offs.
If it is written as p S n S, you need to hit each of the four notes.
Alaipayuthe Kanna (Raga Kaanada) Indan Raga song How to videos (on Guitar) along with the tabs, western notation, swaras and lyrics that can be used on any instrument or by singers. (Thanks to Sashi. E for taking the initiative to modify and use Lilypond to make the final layout.)
Below is the Indian Carnatic Raga song played from start to finish in one go, on a steel string acoustic guitar (done a few years back). Below this video is a playlist with 4 videos that show you in detail how to play the song with all the slides and moves that make it Indian Classical Raga.
Like it? Learn with me.
See here for the explanation on western notation with gamakas.
Subscribe to the youtube channel for more tutorials, how tos and teaching videos.
Right click and open the image on a new tab to view it in its real size, download or print. I have kept the ratio correct for A4 printing.
