Lesson-41 : WCM Vs Carnatic - Philosophical Comparisons

Hi All,

Warning : Once I start this topic on WCM Vs Carnatic, I may wander here and there and it is the responsibility of the reader to collect and correlate whatever useful contents from these discussions, as he feels so !

Disclaimer : Any view expressed here is of author only and at the same time author is not to entertain any “How dare you can Compare this and that “ sort of complaints ! .
Read the following Q & A
(This may not be word by word translation, but just conveying the overall meaning of Q & A.) :

“Why there are no significant Carnatic based songs from you ? “

“If I don’t spoil Carnatic music, that’s the service I am making to that (laughs)…”
The period was somewhere around 1978 and that was in one of the Radio interview and you might have guessed by now, that the answer was from IR !

Really shocking and surprised you are…Aren’t you ?

I also felt that shock because, around that time, I started hearing from various news/ tidbits that IR was learning Carnatic music daily in the morning with some famous carnatic musical Gurus….!

Imagine a gold medallist of Trinity College in WCM, starts his lessons on Carnatic at that age and also when he was already a roaring success in film world!

Don't forget the decade of film composing experience of IR before Annakkili as an associate with GKV etc!

One cannot doubt his Carnatic music knowledge, if you carefully analyse even his initial two years of hit songs! A wider spectrum of Carnatic base and innovations can be easily identified even now!

In spite of all these, IR still felt that he shall formally learn Carnatic music. Because he felt knowledge is not sufficient, attaining skills are what the primary requirement!

My point here is, I view IR as WCM expert who tread into the Carnatic field and obtained the expertise of that also and then expanded his horizons !

Having the advantage of not started the Carnatic first, his perceptions of Carnatic music are flexible & unbiased and he might have approached Carnatic from the point of view of WCM, which he already knows thoroughly.

So while learning and expertising the Carnatic music, he interchangeably superimposed the one philosophy and rules over the other !

( I repeat the words Philosophy and Rules ! The one who knew both, applied exactly the rules and philosophy ! Its others perception that he violates the other ! )
That made and even now makes IR different !

As the beginners to both WCM and Carnatic, let us also get into the path IR might have followed and look at the both the perspectives…!

Because…… IR’s WCM is Carnaticised and IR’s Carnatic is also WCMised…!

Three major Philosophies and Perspectives we shall have to study to understand his amazing creations !

First : Scale Vs Raagam Concepts !
Second : Modulation Concepts !
Third : Harmony Concepts!

Then let us have begining with a small learning of above perceptions of both the fields…!

Lesson-42 : WCM Vs Carnatic - Scale Vs Raagam - Pattern Formation Comparison

Let us take the Pattern Formation of both WCM and Carnatic.

We have seen the pattern construction of WCM scales.

Basically, the exercises involved the following two things:

1) Selecting a Note as Tonic

2) Based on this Tonic, construct the Pre-determined Pattern (either Major or Minor as required for us)

For further variations, we shifted the Tonic (say by Perfect 5th upwards or downwards) and repeated the pattern formation. We are sure and know that we struggled to keep the pattern same..!
To say it in simple logical way, We kept changing the Tonic as per Step-1, whereas the Pattern in Step-2 exercise remained and kept absolutely the same.

Imagine, the reverse of this…..!

Meaning, keep the Step-1 constant, and Change the very pattern itself ! That’s’ Carnatic scheme of pattern formation.

Because,,,,,,,Carnatic Philosophy is

“Select any one note as the Tonic…

Then onwards, that Tonic SHOULD BE / MUST BE / COMPULSORILY maintained and remain same……! Through out the concert……!”

You might have noticed the Thampoora….or… Shruthi Petti …. etc.. being the integral part of any Carnatic concert….!

Now do you realize the importance of such instrument……?

This makes you to stick to the note you started as Tonic and help in remaining in that Tonic through out the concert…!

Percussion instrument like Mridhangam etc are having equal importance in Carnatic concert…! These are also tuned based on the tonic shruthi set in Tampura , shruthi petti…etc !

While the vocal and instruments like violin can pick-up and adjust quickly to the shruthi required, It is difficult to adjust and change the shruthi of these percussion instruments which will take considerable time…!

Imagine in the middle of the concert or between songs, if the Tonic changes…! then the whole Carnatic orchestral system arrangement will go haywire….!

Abaswarams…the great sin…!
When you compare this with WCM system, because of the frequent shifting of tonics, you generally never find the percussion instrument separately (except in few operas –dramas - for any dramatic effect and occasional/ selected usage in symphonies…! ).

So back to track…! In nut shell, if we compare the basic philosophies,

WCM scheme Fixed the Pattern and Changed the Tonic

Carnatic scheme Fixed the Tonic and Changed the Pattern itself….!
Now, you can realize the opportunity Carnatic is giving us …..in terms of pattern formation….!

While WCM prescribed only Two main patterns ( Major & Minor ), Carnatic scheme can have millions of Pattern formations…!
It is better to have the basic knowledge of Pattern formations of Carnatic scheme.

Again everything is mathematics…! Some Permutaions & Combinations !

We will see that in our next session…!

Lesson-43 : Carnatic Ragam Pattern Formation - Part-1 - Basics

Let us continue our discussions on Pattern Formation as visualized by Carnatic scheme…!

As many of you already aware, Carnatic Scheme has 7 notes, Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni

Now, in WCM system we know that there are 12 keys (black and white) for an octave.

But in reality Carnatic scheme has 16 notes in total between Tonic to Ocatve !

While Sa and Pa has no variations, Ma has 2 variations and the balance Ri, Ga, Dha and Ni have 3 variations each, totalling to 16 notes between an Octave.

These are tabulated below:



However, the variation between certain notes like (R2 & G1) , (R3 & G2) , (D2 & N1) and (D3 & N2) are so minute, you can ignore that variation and represent these 16 keys in the 12 key system as below:



For our discussion purposes, let us presume that middle “C” as our Fixed Tonic as required by Carnatic. We have to use these 12 notes to form a pattern of Carnatic Scheme. How many notes to select…?

Carnatic scheme at the outset demands 7 notes (or less…! )

(Remember WCM demands strictly 7 notes and nothing less or more is accepted..! ).
Let us analyse the case of 7 notes selection ( viz. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni) out of 12 notes available.
Also, there are certain restrictions of notes posed while selection :

Certain notes are must (Sa & Pa) and the notes which have alternatives (Ri, Ga, Ma, Dha & Ni ) you shall select within that alternatives satisfying certain mutually exclusives conditions.

Conditions :

Sa and Pa have no variations and must be selected.

Ma is having 2 variant and select any one at a time.

Ri, Ga, Dha and Ni are having 3 variants each out of which you select any one variant for each.
(At the same time in certain variants, mutually exclusive conditions arise between Ri & Ga as well as Dha & Ni due to the adoption of the method of 16 notes represented in the 12 Keys.)

To explain the above visually, let me give the Comparative position of the 12 keys - Carnatic Vs WCM as below : (Taking C as the Tonic, Sa ) To simplify let us also use only the Sharps




For example…..

- If R1 is selected, we have 3 options for Ga …….as G1 or G2 or G3.
- If we select R2, our options for Ga is restricted to ……..either G2 or G3 only (as G1 is ruled out by R2 selection)
- If R3 is selected, our option for Ga is restricted to…… G3 only, (as G1 is crossed and G2 is ruled out by R3 selection)

Similarly

- If D1 is selected, we have 3 options for Ni …….as N1 or N2 or N3.
- If we select D2, our options for Ni is restricted to ……..either N2 or N3 only (as N1 is ruled out by D2 selection).
- If D3 is selected, our option for Ni is restricted to…… N3 only, (as N1 is crossed and N2 is ruled out by D3 selection)

With the above set of conditions we can start with our Carnatic Raga Pattern Formation which is purely as per mathematical topic of "Permutation & Combinations".

We can see that in our next session.

Lesson-44 : Carnatic Ragam Pattern Formation - Part-2 - Melakartha Formation

So the Carnatic Pattern formation basically involves selecting the 7 notes from the 12 keys, satisfying certain mutually exclusive conditions described earlier.

Let us recall those conditions:

Sa must be Selected.

Pa must be Selected.

Ma have two variations M1 or M2

- If R1 is selected, we have 3 options for Ga …….as G1 or G2 or G3.

- If we select R2, our choice for Ga is restricted to 2 options……..either G2 or G3 only
(as G1 is ruled out by R2 selection)

- If R3 is selected, our choice for Ga is restricted to 1 option …… G3 only,
(as G1 is crossed and G2 is ruled out by R3 selection)

Similarly

- If D1 is selected, we have 3 options for Ni …….as N1 or N2 or N3.

- If we select D2, our 2 options for Ni is restricted to ……..either N2 or N3 only
(as N1 is ruled out by D2 selection).

- If D3 is selected, our 1 option for Ni is restricted to…… N3 only,
(as N1 is crossed and N2 is ruled out by D3 selection)

Mathematically, the selection process will give a table of 72 basic patterns called “Melakartha Raagam”

To illustrate the typical process, let us analyse the first case and extreme cases of Perumnuation Combination

Formation of the first Pattern will be like this :



To complete octave , C is added back

So the resulting pattern is:

C – C# - D – F – G – G# - A – C

(S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N1 S)

The above pattern is called “Kanakangi” in Melakartha Scheme.

Take the extreme 72nd raagam pattern :



The resulting pattern is :

C – D# – E – F# – G – A# – B – C

( S R3 G3 M2 D3 N3 S )
This is called as “Rasikapriya” in Melakartha scheme.

In between the 1st and 72nd ragam , remaining 70 other patterns of Melakartha scheme are arranged.

I am not burdening you with the exercise of formation of balance Pattern formations ! Once you understand the basic principle, you can do that automatically.

Let us have a glimpse of the 72 raagam as in the Melakartha Table, in our next session.

Lesson-45 : A Glimpse of Melakartha Table

As discussed earlier the basic raagam pattern exercises will yield 72 raagams called Melakartha Ragams.

The Melakartha table is illustrated below for your easy ready reference.

(Click here and Download the Excel File format from the file section of Ilaiyaragam Group)

Examine that carefully…! And particularly visualize their grouping !



They are basically divided into 2 Major divisions

36 ragams based on M1 and remaining 36 ragams based on M2.

Within that also, they are arranged in groups of Six, each called “Chakra”.

Also the name of ragam is so selected that, from the first two letters you can tell their number (there is a method for that !), and from their number you can easily make out that what kind of variants of R, G, D and N are used in that particular raagam.

Amazing…isn’t it…!

Just like Periodic Table we used in the Chemistry …..! Very number will indicate you the property of the element…!

Also, you can see from the Melakartha table and examine the Sanakarabaranam pattern (no 29 ) and check whether it matches with our Major Scale pattern.

Similarly, Keeravani (21) matches our Harmonic minor scale, Gowri Manohari (23) matches our Melodic Minor ascending, and Natabairavi (20) matches our Melodic Minor descending pattern !
So WCM is having only 4 recognised patterns against the 72 patterns of Carnatic.

This makes the Carnatic the richer…! Isn’t it ?

Now, on Pattern formation w.r.t. Carnatic as well as WCM, we have some comparative ideas.

So, once again, we are wiser than yesterday …. .!

In the next session, we will further expand our knowledge on other Pattern formations in Carnatic scheme.

That will give you a picture of the Scale Vs Raagam concepts !

Lesson-46 : Scale Vs Raagam - A Bird's Eye view!

We saw the 72 basic patterns of Carnatic Scheme in our last discussions. These are called Melakartha Raagam.

Which itself is reflecting the relatively wider canvas Carnatic is handling than WCM.

But Carnatic again open its avenue for further pattern formation with various options!

All such other Raagas are seen as the derivatives of one of these 72 parent raagam.

Basically we must understand one basic difference between Scale and Ragam.

As emphazised at the time of explaining Scale earlier, the combination of notes in a particular pattern gives a feeling. In Raagam also that created feeling is most important.

But in Carnatic, such a feeling is not only created by mere availability of swarams / keys / notes in the pattern, but also by :

-the way the combination of these notes take place to form some identifiable phrases,
- the way the stress on certain notes or leser stress on certain notes, or some frills on certain notes etc are made

and so on.....!

To illustrate the point, you may check that with the Same Major scale notes, if you omit certain notes altogether and try to play a song, it will be giving a totally different feeling.

For example, omit the Sub-Dominant and Leading note in a Major scale ( ie omit F and B in a C-Major scale) , the resulting pattern with 5 notes is significantly different. In Carnatic scheme this is called “Mohanam”.

Similarly, by omitting the Sub-Dominant and Sub-Mediant in a Major scale (for example, omit F and A in C-major), we can get different pattern, which is called “Hamsadhwani” in Carnatic.

Even with the same 7 swarams, if you empahasize a particular combination of notes as phrases, then that is separately recognized as different Raagam.

For example instead of Sa Ri Ga Ma….. you use the phrase as Sa Ga Ri Ma..... and emphasise this in the pattern, this is considered as a different raagam. (here you break the sequence of notes either in ascending or descending or both )

So what I try to explain, unlike Scale, which decided the 7 notes that should be available in a pattern and named it Major or Minor and left the matter there itself, Carnatic Raagam scheme, gives importance to the combination and type of usage of notes also and register that as a separate Entity.
In WCM, while playing the song even if one omits certain notes repeatedly and later on added back etc , till the time one is using the notes defined for Major scale, it is within the Major scale.

But, In Carnatic, the song will be identified as Mohanam or Hamsadhwani, etc etc.
Again in Carnatic concert, when one sing a song on Mohanam pattern, he must use that raagam through out that song… (even though certain songs are composed as raaga maalika with different raagams, but these are exceptions..)

Similarly, what you see in the Melakartha Table (provided to you) as No 8 Thodi, has the same 7 notes as Sindhu Bairavi (not considered as Melakartha).

But the usage and stressing and frills (Gamakams) of certains notes differentiate Thodi (Gangai Karai mannanadi…) from Sindu Bairavi… (Naanoru Sindhu , Poongatru pudhiraanadhu..etc…) !
So Raagam is having deeper meaning and connotations when compared to the Scale of WCM.

Though the swarams of Keeravani or Nata Bairavi may be matching with the Minor scales, a song in WCM Melodic Minor and Carnatic Natabaiaravi may be giving a different feeling for the new listener !

Same is the case with Sanakarabaranam and the Major Scale, even though they are having same 7 notes.

If you look at the same point of above para in another angle,

WCM allows you to roam with the “Flexibility” while Carnatic binds you with “Rigidity” of one-song-one-raga concept.

In Carnatic, Any additional swarams or change of swarams will be viewed as Abaswaram and indicate your lack of knowledge or seen as your inability to follow the swarams and raagam disciplines.

[ This was the precise case, in the earlier periods, when IR was used to be criticized by Carnatic exponents…. For mixing up of swarams, whereas He was knowingly using the WCM perspectives on Carnatic with due love and respect for both! ]
In Pattern formation, Carnatic gives the enormous Flexibility, (but for a single song, it poses a discipline of sticking to same raagam/ pattern).

Some patterns formed from Major Scale equivalent are given below as examples : (Raagam – Ascending – Descending )



As you can see and feel, the options of pattern formations are many in Carnatic .

- Same ascending and descending –
- Different ascending and descending –
- Even 6 notes pattern – 5 notes pattern – 4 notes pattern etc
- Pattern with violation of sequence of Sa-Ri-Ga-Ma etc etc….

AS FAR AS WCM IS CONSIDERED, ALL THESE WOULD HAVE BEEN NOTATED AND WRITTEN UNDER THE SAME MAJOR SCALE.

See closely the minute change of Aarabhi and Bilahari (Maaman Voodu machu voodoo);

Difference in Aarabhi ( Aasai Kiliye…) and Suddha Saaveri (Kovil Mani Osai thannai);

Similarity of Aarabhi and Devagaandhaari (remember the famous fighting between Ragavendhar (Judge) and Krishnan (driver) in film Sindhu Bairavi…? )
Note the slightly complicated pattern of Kedhaaram (Pon Maalai Pozhudhu) and Neelambari etc.

My aim is to give you some idea about the pattern formation ability of Carnatic scheme in comparison with the WCM.

In order to avoid too much deviations from present WCM discussions we are aiming at, I restrict myself here now.

In our next session, let us see some of the points on Modulation aspects of WCM vis-à-vis Carnatic scheme.

Lesson -47 : WCM Vs Carnatic - Modulation Aspects - Part-1

In the last few discussions, we have seen the apparent benevolence of Carnatic scheme in bestowing upon us in terms of numerous pattern formations and thereby the possibilities of using numerous ragas by us while composing a song.

But at the same time, Carnatic scheme is disciplining us "Hello, all raagams are available to you OK…But use only one at a time….! And dont spoil its appearance & structure !"

On the other hand, WCM is constrained with the number of patterns it has its just three or so

But there is no restrictions whatsoever from jumping one from pattern to another…!

IN FACT, IT RATHER ENCOURAGES AND EVEN STIPULATES SOME RULES FOR SUCH SHIFTING OF SCALES FROM ONE TO ANOTHER....!

Its not only just shifting of scale, even the shifting of tonic…!

Which is un-thinkable in Carnatic scheme ! Major to major ……Major to Minor……..Minor to Major ….etc etc…!

This is what called Modulation….as explained earlier….!

The only fundamental guidance WCM prescribes is “While Modulating from One scale to Another, it is preferably effected by change of any one note …either by raising of note or flattening of note ! and reach another Major or Minor…!”

For example if you are in C-Major, You can modulate to the following :




Once you have modulated to the other nearby major or minor, then you are having again the options of further modulating upwards to additional sharps or flats OR modulating back to original…. Previous one….!
As you can appreciate now, while one makes the gradual transition from one scale to another, in the transition zone, you may be getting the notes of both old scale and the new modulated scale…!

Which may create an illusionary effect to Carnatic experts that some shifting of Raagam is taking place !

For the WCM expert , he did nothing new except that he was following the modulation rules…!

Again the change of raagam perceptions also one shall look at two basis :

One way is without noting the shifting of Tonic, you name the swarams and see it as a ragam of EXISTING TONIC only and measure the shift of raagam and name it….!

Second perception is clearly identifying & feeling the CHANGED TONIC and measure the deviations from the new Tonic..and perceive the shift of raagam and name it….!

Whatever, the case may be, one thing is sure, that in the “changing zone” of one color to another, you can certainly get some “Rainbow” of colors !

Thats what the precise case IR was "highlighting" in his How To Name It……!

Where he compares the Modulation Effects of Bach's compostion with our Outlook of Raagam !

Lesson -48 : WCM Vs Carnatic - Modulation Aspects - Part-2 - IR THE WISER !

Please Listen from IR Album "How To Name It?" two numbers of pieces titled,

“I Met Bach….” &

“…. And We Had Talk…”.
Here IR has given a new look to the Bach’s Prelude in A-Major as well as Bourre in E-Minor.
(This prelude of Bach is available in the Ilaiyaragam file section also ! Please Click here and download the midi file part3emj.mid and the tab file Bourree In Em-00.tef In case you want tab software, download the exe file tabled32.exe ) .

In the prelude, what Bach has done 300 years ago is writing a composition for Violin piece in A-Major scale and is continuously modulating into various major and minor scales in a sequence….!

During such transition from one scale to another, if you look at Carnatic angle…., you can perceive a different rainbow of Carnatic Raagams !

So the brilliant IR has identified those transition zones and in order to highlight them he added one more Carnatic line to the existing Bach’s composition and Plays the both Western Bach (300 years ago) with Carnatic IR in synchronized fashion…!

IR's imagination is "Had Bach met Thiagaraja and both understand each others music and joined hand to create a New World of Music ...?!!"
That's the theme of HTNI !
If you hear the Bach’s composition and then IR’s HTNI’s piece you will be so mesmerized….who is playing for whom…?

Is Bach is doing the background music for IR or IR is doing the background for Bach…?

Its with so much Perfect Balance between WCM and Carnatic…!

And this is what to be called as fusion…!
Which made this possible for IR…?

Imagine if he remained himself constrained to any one field, the net result is he would have remained a good disciplined fellow for that particualr field but we all would have been starved of certain GEMs !

His imagination and enthusiasm of bringing the best out of two by adding the advantages & flexibilities of both the field only made this possible!

He has been doing that right from Annakili…..!

With "Potruvar Potralum...Thootruvar Thootralum...Pogattum Kannanukke...!" type of resolutary mind !

Imagine, one person is offering you the plate consist of gold ornaments….! Another person is offering the plate consists of full of diamonds…!

Imagine both says you take only theirs and not others !

And I feel the wiser approach is to get both the gold and diamond and make a Diamond studded Gold ornament!

The value and look and elegance….. everything is multiplied, rather than when they are seen as an individual !

But imagine if both the persons who offered the individual gold or diamond, now started criticizing that he spoilt the gold with diamond and vice versa….!

So to conclude the WCM Vs Carnatic perceptions, let me summarise like this….!·

-Carnatic gives the flexibility of Patterns but pose the constraints of their usage and shifting from one to another….!

- WCM has the constraint of Patterns but has flexibilities of usage or shifting from one to another…!

And the wiser sense tell that ……AVAIL ALL THE FLEXIBILITIES OF BOTH……rather than worrying about their constraints !

IR not only remained wiser……HE DISCOVERED…HE REGULARISED SUCH FUSION….HE INVENTED THE NEW SET OF UNWRITTEN RULES FOR SUCH FUSION IN DOING SO…..!
To recognize those things, one will need a century ! And to learn and follow that ……centuries and centuries are needed…!

Like the genius mathematician Ramanujam, he has written thousands of such Musical Theorems in short steps in each of his musical compositions…!

To solve and realize and prove and adopt them is for the next generation job….!

To perceive that we have to educate ourselves…. So that even if it is not possible for us to do, we can guide our next generation towards that !

And can see them attaining that with enjoyment and self-satisfaction !
Our discussion on WCM Vs Carnatic will continue for one last time which will lead us to the new zone of WCM learning…

That is introduction to Chords & Harmony…..!

Lesson -49 : WCM Vs Carnatic - Melody Vs Harmony

We have seen the comparisons of WCM vs Carnatic w.r.t. the Pattern formation abilities, Modulation aspects and the flexibilities and rigidities etc.

Today we will see one more significant parameter which distinguishes WCM and CCM ( is that term Ok for Carnatic Classical Music ?)

To start the subject in over-simple way (!) , Imagine the following situations :

Case-1 :
One single person (or single instrument) is singing a line of a song….!
Case-2:
A group of persons (or set of instruments) all are singing the same line of the song in synchronization (Carnatic Experts singing Pancha Rathna Keerthanai in Thiruvaiyaar during Thiagaraja Aaradhanai….!)
Case-3:

A group of persons (or set of different instruments) all singing, but each one is singing different lines at a time….no control whatsoever…! (Like we sometimes sing Jana Gana Mana…..! )
Case-4:

A group of persons (or set of different instruments) all are singing different lines, but there is a controlled way of singing such that at any given moment of time, each one’s note is connected with other’s note with a specified relationships and all maintain strictly such relationships by singing their individual part with utter discipline.
In WCM terminology, the first category is called Monophony and the rest three categories are called Polyphony.

Individually, you can call the first Category as Melody singing, the 2nd one as Chorus singing in unisons , the 3rd is called the Cacophony and THE FOURTH TYPE IS HARMONY !

CCM practices and advocate the theory of First Category ie Melody and WCM the Fourth category…Harmony, which includes the Melody line also !
(you can witness the 2nd category in Carnatic to limited extent only in Thiruvaiyaar … … What they play or sing is the same song… in unisons…!)
Whereas you can categorize most of the other MDs of film music in the first three category, IR has uniquely positioned himself in the Fourth Category….!

That’s his USP…!

Whether you understood or not about the intrinsic nuances and rules of this 4th category, viz Harmony, over the years, you have been so developed and fine tuned by IR, in your listening habits, that you distinctly identify his style of this Harmony even unconsciously and enjoy this…!
Now my aim is to make you enjoy this consciously…that’s all !
While listing the 4th category (Harmony) above, I was stressing about the discipline …!

You can easily understand why that’s required ! Because, any elongation or cutting short will severely affect the relationship of musical notes or the silences each one is playing or singing…!
Now, you yourself can vouch for that strict discipline IR is demanding from every singer and player…while they perform their part !

Because…..hundreds of notes (and even silence….!) form a single line of song….and mulitiple singing involves such multiplied notes composing…!

When you put such huge efforts for specific purpose of setting the Relationships of Notes and Silences, how much painful it will be to loose that relationships…!! And spoil the song…!

CCM allows the freedom of improvisation of a song while singing, but within the pre-defined parameters like : no modulation, no change of raagams, no abaswarams etc, no "dhush-prayog” of prayogams , maintaining the bhaavam of songs, following concert etiquettes etc.

That’s quite possible in CCM, being the follower of a single line melody concept, you are not going to spoil others…since, ‘effectively’ there is no presence of “others” !

All the other instruments and percussions are basically serving the “supportive” role only and not to do the parallel “domination” or improvisation….!

(Even if Lalgudi has to play for MS Subbulaksmi, he knows how to downplay or play the “exact role” )

Of course each will get their own chance to show their skills in a specified time allocated as “Thani Aavardhanam…”

Similarly, in CCM in the name of improvisation, we can witness a lot of “frills” are getting added to show one’s skills as well as to show the nuances of Raagam & song one is singing…!

Traditionally, in film music, from the period of Baagavathar, to TMS to SPB to Hariharan ……., that’s expected from them as a natural output …. to show their skills…even many MDs giving instructions to the singers to improvise on their own ….!

Not in case of IR……! For obvious reasons….!

Now you can understand why IR is not wrong…!

Why the people who never understood that concept (in his early career of IR), has made drastic comments and left him…!

Its all the stuff called Harmony of “Category Four” which made that !

As you know, WCM has only Major and Minor scales.

All the relationship rules of Harmony are based on the intervals of the notes of these scales only as perceived by WCM exponents and developed over the period of time !

There are ocean of such Harmony rules and findings…..

which is ideal,
which is good,
which is tolerable,
which is not tolerable,
which is to be avoided

etc etc…..
Such harmony concept enriches WCM in spite of the limitations of number of patterns it can offer…!

Also you can easily recognize that WCM by its nature of Harmony concept with multiple lines is so helpful in Orchestral Music composition !

Orchestration is the life line of Film Music!

In short… If you want to term the CCM concept as Horizontal expansion oriented, …..WCM concept is the Vertical expansion oriented……!

But IR’s ingenuity and strength is on the creation of his magic of applying these Harmony concept and rules to Carnatic Raagas…!

Which nobody would have imagined/dared to do that !

Thus giving a new Music entity to the World, which is enriched in both Horizontal and Vertical directions…..!

Enriched Many times exponentially !
We on this part of the world and living in this period of this legend, are so lucky and fortunate to witness and listen such music…!

And specially, we the IR followers are so blessed to have realized (consciously or un-consciously) that divine gift given to us by him and we have developed such taste to appreciate and retain that !

Only when we understand that consciously and make efforts to sustain, we can carry that for our next generation !

So far, the comparisons made between these WCM & CCM are basically to understand, the basic and fundamental frameworks adopted by the individual musical philosophies only.

It is not to compare the superiority of one over another !

Each has its own advantages, flexibilities, rigidities etc.

But the final aim is to make you appreciate how IR adopted both to the advantage of music field and enriched our life !
From next lesson onwards, we will get back into the WCM concepts on Harmony and chords and related topics..!

Lesson-50: Harmony - The Basic Composing Tool - Part-1

We are back to WCM track….!

I would request you to just revise the Lesson-3 once again, where I tried to answer about the basic question of What is harmony ?

As said earlier, Harmony is the multi-line concept of music, but we must remember these multi-lines are integrated vertically also, note by note.

This vertical connection is what the Chord concept is all about !

Let us go into some simpler understanding…!

While listening to any IR song, you can listen, visualize, and feel the various voices and instruments all are complimenting each other, so beautifully !

Now, you will be wondering, if a single line song composing needs so much pains taking effort, how much will be the efforts to be made in composing each of the instruments that are accompanying the voice…?!

Your query of worry is true to some extent, in that, most of the composers see the various accompanying lines of instruments as a separate entity and struggle to compose them.

Even after synchronising them, the outcome of combined song+instruments may be either successful or unsuccessful depending upon the experience and ingenuity of the composer in composing and getting the output.

So, these old time MDs (or generally MDs not using WCM-Harmony as basic tool of orchestration) used to claim credit for orchestration and usage of 40 instruments songs, 60 instruments, 100 instruments etc etc….!

That is Not the case with IR…..!

The Complexity OR the Simplicity, in whatever way you look at it, its one and same for IR…!

Whether two instruments passage or 20 instruments passage, for IR’s composing, it’s fundamentally based on Harmony (which usually viewed as Four Part Harmony in WCM ! .......meaning in a lay man term, a four line integrated music…!)
For less than four, the principle and effort is same and you only hide the not-required-now parts !

For more than four, you either multiply some parts or take the clue from any one part and further develop that…!

The point here is, when you compose, all the lines of voices and instruments are to be seen as integrated item and not as a separate individual lines !

We can enjoy the SPB voice separately, the Violins separately, the Bass Guitar separately, etc….!

But in reality, all the notes of these are interconnected ….every moment of it…!

So next time when you enjoy a song of IR, visualize it as an integrated system of lines !

Lesson-51: Harmony - The Basic Composing Tool - Part-2

So, to recapitulate once again, each of the vertically integrated notes in a harmonised music (e.g. four part or three part harmony) form the Chords….!



So please visualize the composing a song as a composing of chords structured one after another…!

What you are composing is not a single line song, but you are composing the whole orchestrations simultaneously…!
Though conceptually it looks simple, to compose in that fashion, you need a tremendous knowledge and control of complete concept of WCM.

Usually, in our film composing, what the composer forms the melody with his harmonium etc is (the first level composing to get approval from Director/Producer) the single line composing.

But while writing for orchestration, it will be the harmony writing of balance parts (three or four or multiple parts of harmony as required)!

IR writes such hundreds of notes forming chords and harmony in a flat half an hour approximately….!
Absolutely unbelievable speed……!
Each individual instrumentalists copy their parts separately while he goes on composing…..and so when composing is over, the full song is ready for rehearsal….!

You may feel that the simulatensous composing of multilines is complicated, but if you understand the basic principles and rules of chords and part writing based on Harmony, atleast the framework is very clear and starightforward…!

So what I am trying to make you visualise is a Top-Down approach of a song composing….!

To compose you shall follow Harmony Part writing…!
Part writing consists of forming Chords in succession !
Single Chord formation consist of writing notes vertically in the inter-related way.

That inter relation (in vertical direction) is all about the individual notes and the Chemistry / Physics/ Mathematics…of their INTERVALS….!
So, the fundamental learning block is “Interval”…and their quality…!
Now you can appreciate, why we were so much elaborating and stressing about the Intervals, while learning Major and Minor scales, in our earlier lessons …!

So, we will reinforce our knowledge of intervals, then learn the concept of chords and then the very minimum basics of Harmony writing…! In that order….!

I want to create some interest in you regarding Harmony subject, by requesting you to visualize the subject as a strategic key to unravel the mystery of composing a song in WCM way……which is the IR’s way…!

Listing and explaining of various rules of harmony is beyond the scope of my present effort…!
(A simple way to say that is “beyond my knowledge and capabilities”….! )

Becasue, The subject is so vast and amazing…to make anybody puzzled….
But our aim is, as usual, to understand the basics, concepts…in the mathematical way ….. and in a simple way….!

That will help you to appreciate the IR’s effort in a better manner…!

And who knows…one day some of you will get into the subject so deep to become a composer in future……!

To carry on the torch of IR…into another generation….!

Lesson - 52 : Refresh Knowledge on Intervals

Let us recall and reinforce some of our earlier understandings on Intervals.

(Please Refer to Lesson 22 ) (and other previous related lessons as you required!)

Intervals measure the distance between two notes and also the name given to them indicates the quality of interval.

We saw that Major Scale has the Perfect Intervals for 4th and 5th and all other intervals w.r.t. Tonic are Major intervals.

In case of Harmonic Minor Scale, the 3rd and 6th intervals are Minor and all other intervals are same as Major scale.

Then we also learnt the method of finding the intervals of any note to a note above it, this was measuring the number of semitones they were separated and based on the table we can name the intervals.

The reference table is reproduced below again :

In order to get any interval between any two notes, based on the difference of how many Semitones they are separated the following table can be used : (bracketed names are theoretical possibilities only, though sometimes may not have direct relevance in case of WCM)


Alternative way to calculate any interval is,

- assume the Major scale on the base note and
- measure the relative distance of the Major scale interval and
- adjust for the variations to get the final correct intervals.
For example, if we have to find the intervals between F and B, remember the scale of F major,
and we know in F-Major we get B-flat as the fourth note to give the Perfect 4th interval.

But in our case, we need the interval of B which is a semitone higher.

So the interval has to be Augmented 4th.

(To check it, if you measure the actual semitones separation based on the Keyboard visualization, this comes to 6 semitone; as per the above table, this is called the Augmented 4th since F and B is separated by 4 letters alphabetically, it cannot be 5th.)

So interval measurement ability is one pre-requisite skill while naming the chords etc.

So have some practice on that.

Aim is that even if we could not tell mentally, check leisurely using the keyboard figure and verify from the table and confirm yourself.

With time passing, you can do that mentally and quickly also.

Our aim is to understand the concept and not writing some exams now..!

So don’t worry about any complexity initially. In fact everything is simple mathematics of addition or subtraction !

Certain other basic formulae you shall remember are :




In nut shell, the path of semitone wise progress is

(Diminished---Minor---Major---Augmented) or
(Diminished---Perfect---Augmented)

In our next session we will see a new Concept "Inversion" of intervals.

Lesson - 53 : Inversion of Intervals

Now one more new concept we will learn and that is the Inversion of Intervals…
Many of you know that, in mathematics, any degree of angle can be expressed as the Complimentary of 180 degree also.

Same way, here also the interval measured in one direction can be complimented in the other direction backward (from the same base note) and that’s simple called inversion.
For example remember the Middle C.

If we measure the interval to a note G which is placed above in the Stave (meaning, in the key board you will travel upward to right from Middle C to locate this G..) the interval is Perfect 5th as we know that.

Suppose if we want measure the interval for G which is placed below the middle C in the stave, which will be coming in the Bass Clef..(meaning, you will travel downward to left from middle C to locate this G..), the interval if measure this will be Perfect 4th!

Keeping the C at center, the interval of C to G upwards – Perfect 5th. The inversion of this interval is C to G downwards is Perfect 4th.

Like this we may locate any inversion of intervals.

But there is a simple mathematical solution to that.

Any interval if you invert it, you have to deduct the interval number from 9, and the quality or name of the interval will be inverted as follows :



So Simple…!

For example C to D is a Major 2nd.

Its inversion ( C to D located in reverse direction) will be Minor (9-2 =7) so Minor 7th.

(You check it through semitone methods also).

Some more examples to explain :



And so on…….!

So with the above understandings and methodlogies, we can more or less master the intervals of any notes.

And Chords are built up of two or more intervals !

We will see about the Chords in our next session

Lesson - 54 : Chords - The Gateway to Harmony

Let us start with our first encounter with Chords!

As I promised, I always want to make the matter simpler….!

One step in that direction is to use only the scale of C-Major or A-Minor in our preliminary discussions …. !

For simplicity sake….. because……… as you know, these scales use only pure white notes and do not involve “accidentals” such as sharps and flats…!(of course you know, A-minor Scale anyhow will use the sharp in leading note ….!)

Once the basics are understood, you can apply the same principle to any Major scales or Minor scales with flats or sharps…!

Another problem is of our internet posting which has constraints of tabulating and picture embedding…etc.

So, I may adopt the method of explaining the vertical chords with horizontal writing and you have to bear with that…! You can re-write them in a scoresheet and study further…!

For example the Chord of C which is C, E, G which are coming one over another, I may write as C-E-G and so on. …!

(Of course, I will use the tabulation of rows and columns also to give better effect, wherever possible)

What is a Chord …?

Many of you who have heard that terms from various musical discussions or otherwise, immediately associate the Guitar and strumming of its strings with the name Chords …!

OK…. You have some idea…!

But I want to explain the definition of Chords in general term as “Playing more than one note at a time in any instrument ........ or......... Singing more than one note at a time! “

In general, as per WCM, Considering a particular scale, taking any note as the first note, basic Chords are formed when the notes of First, Third and Fifth are played together.
For example, in case of C-Major, considering the note D, the chords are formed when we play the notes D-F-A together.

The point to be noted is, these notes shall be the part of the scale we are considering…! (for example in case of G-Major, it will be D-F#-A, since G-Major is using F#, as we know)

Such Chord formed by 3 notes of ( 1st+3rd+5th ) is called a Triad….!

Hereafter, we will continue our discussions on Chords formed by three notes only, which are all triads..!

Now, as usual, naming conventions is what we shall know about….!

Similar to the interval names, the name of Chords also have two important ingredients…!

First one is the letter….( like C, D etc)…! This is selected as the letter on which the Chord construction starts. …! For example, in case of Chord formed by notes D-F-A, we select the letter D, which is the note on which the other two notes F and A are added to form the chord !

Second one is title, which expresses its quality … like, major, minor, augmented, diminished etc…. (which are similar to the name of the intervals)…!

But, you might have already noticed, a triad is formed with two intervals built one over another…

ie…interval between 1st and 3rd notes and the interval between 3rd and 5th notes!

So both the intervals put together determine the name of the chord…!

For naming of traids, the following conventions are followed :




In case of our Triad example D-F-A,

the interval between D and F is .....Minor..
and the interval between F and A is .....Major…!

So the chord is to be named as D-Minor…!

(The above example itself gives the hint to you, that a Major scale can have certain Minor Chords also and vice versa….)

So, now onwards be careful in realizing the terms like Major Scale, Major Interval and Major Chords etc…

we are talking about three entirely different entities…!
The collection of three notes together forming chord…can be done on any note taking that as starting note…!

So naturally, any scale which has 7 notes can have corresponding 7 chords/ triads also…! Isn’t it..!

We can name those seven Triads of Major scale as well as Minor Scale… In our next session…!

In the meanwhile, you can also have a try on that…. taking the C-Major and A-Minor as our model scales…! And as usual my request to you is, to play and feel those chords…!

Link for Further Lessons!

Please Click the following Link for Further Lessons

CSR-WCM LESSONS - VOL - 3

For ease of handling, further Lessons are published in the blog

http://csr-wcmlessons-3.blogspot.com/

Regards

CSRamasami