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MUSIC

DICTIONARY OF SOME SOUTH INDIAN MUSICAL TERMS

A collection of terms in South Indian Music ( with a few terms from North Indian Music ) with their meaning or description has been provided.



GAMAKA : the collective term given to the various shakes, graces, ornaments and embellishments used in Indian music.


GAMAKA SWARA : a graced note, the opposite of suddha swara or plainly uttered note.


GAMANA GITA : a march tune.


GAANA GITA : compositions which are the contribution of composers as opposed to folk songs or songs of unknown authorship.


GAANA KRAMA : is the style of singing various movements in a composition. The Gitam is sung right through without repeating any line. In the kriti each sangati is sung twice. The anupallavi is sung after the pallavi and the charanam follows the anupallavi.


GAANA SASTRA : the science of music.


GANDHARVA GITAA : the music that developed spontaneously (Gandharva- heavenly singers mentioned frequently in the Indian puranas and mythologies).


GHANA RAAGA : a raga whose melodic individuality is easily revealed through tana style of exposition. Nata, Gaula, Arabhi, Varali and Sri are examples.


GITAM :a musical composition learnt by students after a course in the preliminary swara exercises and alankaaras.