I'm attempting to study Kamala Rani's Book on Nattuvangam (specifically essence of nattuvangam) and I need help with specific terms. I don't know if the context is necessary to decipher them, but I would be happy if some fellow rasikas could explain these concepts of tala.
Thanks in advance!
Rettak Kalai Chowkkam
druthathattu (samam)
arai yedam
Kal yedam
mukkal yedam
Nattuvangam by Kamala Rani
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Nick H
- Posts: 9472
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 02:03
The last three describe the edepu... the starting point of the song within the cycle. Samam edepu means song and cycle simply start together; these three begin after the beat by, respectively, half, quarter, and three-quarters.
I do not know where the "y" comes from, but then I do not speak any of the languages in which these technical terms can be put.
From this sample, I think this lady must spell a lot of her terms in ways I do not know from my basic mridangam class, which would make it difficult to interpret.
Retta kalai... two-kalai, two beats to each count. Chowkkam, I think I knew the meaning once...
err... drutha... thattu.. puzzled!
I do not know where the "y" comes from, but then I do not speak any of the languages in which these technical terms can be put.
From this sample, I think this lady must spell a lot of her terms in ways I do not know from my basic mridangam class, which would make it difficult to interpret.
Retta kalai... two-kalai, two beats to each count. Chowkkam, I think I knew the meaning once...
err... drutha... thattu.. puzzled!
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ardhanariswar
- Posts: 107
- Joined: 01 Apr 2008, 22:36
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vasanthakokilam
- Posts: 10958
- Joined: 03 Feb 2010, 00:01
Nick, that is quite funny. If someone says 'kAl vaikka iDam koDu', 'rendu mukkAliyai samama podu' I can see you trying to understand that with laya terminology. See how you will interpret it and check with your wife how close you are. 
ardhanariswar: Nick had already told you everything except "druthathattu (samam)" . That is a bit ambiguous with out the context.
Let me try to guess what that might be. No guarantees that it is anywhere close to what the author is referring to.
1) In rupaka, the thala starts on a drutham. So a thattu on drutham jives with samam.
2) In some pada varnams in Adi, the Nattuvanguvam takes off on the thattu of the second drutham of the Adi thala. The singer then takes it back on the original eduppu.
So, if the song starts on samam, the nattuvangam then gets ( 2 + 8 times N ) times 4 * 2 ( in chathusra nadai two kalai) sollus to compose the solkattu. For example, if the goal is to have 6 avarthanams in a certain segment, then ( 2 + 8 * 6 ) *4 *2 = 400 sollus to design the nattuvangam portion.
ardhanariswar: Nick had already told you everything except "druthathattu (samam)" . That is a bit ambiguous with out the context.
Let me try to guess what that might be. No guarantees that it is anywhere close to what the author is referring to.
1) In rupaka, the thala starts on a drutham. So a thattu on drutham jives with samam.
2) In some pada varnams in Adi, the Nattuvanguvam takes off on the thattu of the second drutham of the Adi thala. The singer then takes it back on the original eduppu.
So, if the song starts on samam, the nattuvangam then gets ( 2 + 8 times N ) times 4 * 2 ( in chathusra nadai two kalai) sollus to compose the solkattu. For example, if the goal is to have 6 avarthanams in a certain segment, then ( 2 + 8 * 6 ) *4 *2 = 400 sollus to design the nattuvangam portion.