Veena - the subtlest musical instrument

[vgovindan]

(Thirunjana sampanthar marks an important stage in the development of the concept of gamaka and incidentally of the fretted Veena. The strings of the yazh as tuned to the sruti of the notes of the sudha scales , since it was plain instrument , there was no provision to manipulate the grace of the quarter toned figuring in the megaraakkurinji. This must have the people minds to leave behind the harp to improve the finger board instrument , popularly known as Veena”. ( r. Premalatha, Music through ages, p209)

http://www.tamilhindu.com/2009/07/thirumurai-isai/ - Tamil website

[shankarank]

யாழ்முரியுடன் இசைமரபை இழந்த திருப்பதிகங்கள், அவற்றின் இசைக்காக மட்டுமன்றி, அவற்றில் அமைந்திருந்த தமிழுணர்வு, இறையுணர்வு, மரபு வழிப்பட்ட இலக்கியச் சிறப்பு முதலிய காரணிகளால் மீட்கப்பட்டன; காப்பாற்றப்பட்டன.

Not true! The syllable formation and the interval and the balancing stress is all music - not literature! Literature does not need such a structure, except for easier remembrance ( of the ceYYul / verse form) in the oral tradition. And whence it enters oral tradition, it becomes music - the Shabda pramANa of the "Bharatiya culture". This is pan "Bharatiya", not limited to vedas. Tulsi Ramayan is music or mere literature?

Hence the later Gamaka music could be applied on top of it. Just like we do for Thiruppugazh today!

தேவாரத் திருமுறைகள் இயற்றமிழையும் இசைத்தமிழையும் ஒருங்கே கொண்டவை.. இயலிசைத்தமிழாகிய தேவாரத் திருமுறைகளில் ஒவ்வொரு பண்ணிலும் அமைந்த திருப்பதிகங்களில் யாப்புவகையினைக் கட்டளை என வழங்குதல் மரபு. பாவின் அடிகள் எழுத்தெண்ணி வகுக்கப்படும் முறைக்குக் கட்டளையடி எனப்படும். தொல்காப்பியர் பாக்களில் பயிலும் அடிகளையும் அவற்றில் அமைந்த சீர்வகைகளையும் எழுத்தெண்ணி அறிவதற்குரிய கட்டளை அடிப்படையிலேயே பகுத்து விதித்தார்

Yes ViSrAnti was added later, but the syllable count perfection is remarkably retained except in very few obscure instances, where crowding of syllables happens sometimes.

There was always this laya flair, since Pallavi (of the RTP) rendering was in vogue! Which has only evolved in aesthetic sophistication, even as Gamaka sophistication was developing and we have a cherished recognition of this aesthetic transported to Kriti renditions, across last 100 years going by the importance given to this from known recordings.

Laya in terms of Math, kAla pramANam as in 4-kaLai , 8 - kaLai may have declined, but kriti rendition has absorbed the required aesthetics and Mridangam also has evolved to support / embellish.

Were all the musicians perfect? Many musicians split paksha-rA | jIvAksha in nIVADa nE gAna. But there were and are musicians who are able to cross the beat bridge effortlessly. Some push rAjIvAksha to the next Avarta totally, affecting the prAsA!!

Do we need bhAsha-gnAnam for this? Aren't we a "sound" culture (pun intended!) with Eka santa grAhis, whether it be tamizh, or samaskirutam, or telungu or kannadam.


This struggle still continues. In the just concluded Cleveland Aradhana, Vid. Raghavachari effortlessly performed the bridge crossing without splitting the word, in "nIv(i)ha pa | rammul(o)" in amma rAvamma. Yet another musician pushed parammulO to after the beat, affecting the prASa and causing some breakdown in tALa flow.

That second musician was trying to be literary conformist!! But Raghavachari has bhAshA-gnAnam??!!!. Even the traditional point of view is altered even as it is expressed in our own language, post-colonial!

We are "literarized" by our education. But the framework is somebody else's. We become data point for "their" framework.

idukku pirittE pADiviDalAm. We can as well, split and sing it. Not that music is pre-eminent. Also, what is all music though?

From Siksha perspective that is valid. A Guru has the adhikAr to split and teach like that to students, to get things established first. It is the pre-eminence of the Guru vAk! We will be absolved of our sins.

May be vaiNikAs should absorb this pada integrity and play it pausing where necessary! That should make vocalists sit up and take notice!

I don't agree with this "iyal tamizh" (Literature) and "isai-tamizh" split for the versus Vs tunes (padam vs. paN) - for what is really a totality of sound and music.

அறிவு கெட்டவர்களன்று. அறிவால் கெட்டோமோ என்று கேட்கத்தோன்றுகிறது!