How to structure korvais (adi) 3 matras or 6 matras after.

[n00bpwner]

Hello,

I am having difficulty structuring korvais to 3 and 6 matras after samam. Lets take 6 for example for simplicity. Does the sum of all three repetitions of the korvai have to end at 6 matras after samam? or does each repetition of the korvai have to be at 6 matras? If its the sum of all 3 repetitions, then do I create a korvai for 34 matras? or 66 matras with one repetition? thanks

[mohan]

If it is Adi tala 1 kalai - one avartana will have 32 matras. If you want to start on samam and finish 6 after samam then the korvai can be
32+32+32+6 = 102 matras. Each repitition will thus be 102/3 = 34 matras.

Alternatively for a longer one you can try 64+64+64+6= 198 matras. Each repitition will 198/3 = 66 matras.
An example of this is given for a melakarta raga:

Code: Select all

GR,G RSND N,,, RS,R|SNDP D,,,|SN,S NDPM||
P,,, GRSN GR,S NDRS|NDRS ,NDP|SNDP SN,D||
PMGM ,GMP DPD, ,,MP|,MPD NDN,|,,PD ,PDN||
SNS, ,,GM PDGM ,PDN|MPDN MP,D|NSPD NSPD||
,NSR GR,G RSND N,,,|RS,R SNDP|D,,, SN,S||
NDPM P,,, GRSN GR,S|NDRS NDRS|,NDP SNDP||
SN,D PM

[mridangamkid]

Hello everyone, long time no see.

If you don't mind I'll try to have a crack this.

What 'mohan' said above is correct. Do a korvai and go from samam to samam (or wherever it may start... such as madhyamam, or whatever it is), and then just add 6 to the end- or one could also just add an extra aksharas to the pause. Please excuse my use of pure mridangam terms, for that's all I can really do!

If one wants just add 6 in the end - it is simple- just choose a six beat phrase.

For example, instead of just saying (starting from half way point)- Dhikutharikitathaka dhim, Dhikutharikitathaka dhim, Dhikutharikitathaka dhim (final dhim ending on samam) - you add a Thankitathaka Thankitathaka (the 6 matra phrase).

So it would be...

Dhikutharikitathaka dhim, Dhikutharikitathaka dhim, Dhikutharikitathaka dhim Thankitathaka Thankitathaka THA DHIM (The final Tha Dhim being an example of how show you are going back to the Pallavi line)


If you want to add the akshara's (akshara's are I believe like matra's, 4 akshara's per beat for chathusra nadai, 5 akshara's per beat for khanda nadai... so on) to the karvai (the pause), it is also pretty simple. Let's take for example a simple 5 beat phrase .... ThaDhiGiNaThom.

Now lets take the korvai being ... (starting one after madhyamam).....

...ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom (clap) ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom (clap) ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom Tha .. (the final Tha being on samam)

Now the two claps I wrote are karvais.... pauses. If you say the pause out loud (starting with 2), you'd realize you have 2 aksharas in each pause (Thom being 1, the clap being 2). Now we have a pause of 2 twice to make it land on samam. We want it to land 6 after samam correct? Well because there are only 2 places to add more aksharas, we would need to add 3 aksharas per place correct? Because 2 places to add the aksharas x 3 aksharas = 6 placements after samam. So rather than saying

ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom (2) ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom (2) ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom Tha.

We would do

ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom (2 3 4 5) ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom (2 3 4 5) ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom ThaDhiGiNaThom Tha.

Mathematically it makes sense, but then you'd have to look at if it is aesthetically pleasing, and if it possible to pull off. This one in particular is very difficult to say and keep thalam perfect such that it comes exactly 6 beats after.

If there are 3 pauses within the korvai (this is the case for longer korvais), you would just add 2 aksharas.

I understand this is very confusing and I hope someone who understood what I was trying to say could explain it better (I hope someone can understand me ), and as always, if I made a mistake, please correct me, I don't want to give out wrong information.

[Nick H]

Nice to see you back