SIGNIFICANCE OF PRACTICING varnas in Carnatic Music
Carnatic Music is one such genre that is stringent and known for its discipline . Varnas are one musical form that is taught in mid-level for the students for various reasons that are quite important . While there are some misconceptions about the importance of learning varnas , there are indeed many advantages for the artist even at the advanced level . Let us dwell into this topic on how varnas help out the students as well as senior artists .
What are the types of varnas ?
Tana Varnas : These varnas comprise of Pallavi , anupallavi , muktayi swaram , charanam and chitta swaras . They are simpler in terms of structure and help the student to introduce various raagas and how to present them . Some of the examples are Jalajakshi- Hamsadhwani , Sami Ninne- Shankarabharanam . Usually , tana varnas are mostly composed in Adi Taalam . Pada Varnas : Pada varnas are mostly utilized by classical dancers for the lyrics which can be used well for abhinaya . While Tana Varnas do not have lyrics for muktayi swaras and chitta swaras , Pada Varnas have lyrics for every phrase . Kamboji pada varnam is quite popular and Natakuranji varnam is excessively performed by musicians and classical dancers alike .
Chowka Kaala Varnas : These varnas are advanced in comparison to tana varnas and pada varnas . Viriboni in Ata Taalam is a classic example of such varnas . These varnas are quite helpful for the musician to get a firm grip on the raaga as well as well as the taalam .
By practicing varnas , the students can have excellent grip on the raga that would help them to perform kritis with ease . The artist can take chitta swaras as reference for raagalapana in kritis which is highly advantageous . Practicing varnas in two speeds is an excellent way to perform kritis and advanced aspects such as raagam , taanam and Pallavi . Instead of directly using the chitta swaras as it is for swarakalpana , the musician can experiment by giving an innovative touch for the perfotmance .
There are also some exclusive varnas such as Daru varnas such as Maathe Malayadhwaja in raaga Kamas composed by Muttaiah Bhagavatar . This composition helps the musician to understand the jatis and become perfect in them . Navaragamalika varnam is an experimental varnam where each part of varnam has a different raaga .
Regularly practicing varnas in two speeds is quite important for mid-level as well as advanced students . It also brings a thorough understanding of the raaga and the nuances of the swaras in it . Here are some of the most popular varnas which the students can practice :
1 . Ninnu Kori- Mohana Raagam- Aadi Taalam
2 . Jalajakshi- Hamsadhwani Raagam- Aadi Taalam
3 . Saami Ninne- Shankarabharam Raagam- Aadi Taalam
4 . Ninni Kori- Vasantha Raagam- Aadi Taalam
On the beginning of new year , take time to practice varnas and become a fantastic performer on stage and gain thorough knowledge of each raaga .
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