Geetam, (
Sanskrit: गीतम्; gītaṃ) the simplest music form in
Carnatic music, was created by
Purandara Dasa in order to introduce ''
tala
Tala may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Tala (comics), a fictional character in DC comics
*''Tala'', a 1938 volume of poetry by Gabriela Mistral
*Tala (music), a rhythmic pattern in Indian classical music
* "Tala" (song), by Sarah Geronimo ...
s'' with ''
sāhityaṃ'' (lyrics).
Gītaṃ literally means "song" in
Sanskrit.
Structure
A gītaṃ is a simple devotional melody song with same tempo throughout the song. There is no "anga" change, repetition and Sangati in gītaṃ. Gītaṃs usually have 10/12 avarthanams.
Though gītaṃs have no absolutely defined divisions of
pallavi,
anupallavi or charanas, they may be observed in some cases. Some gītaṃs contain sections rather than the defined divisions (pallavi etc.). They often have no sangatis or variations, with each
swara taking one syllable of the sahitya. The gītaṃ is sung without repetition from the beginning to end. However most gītaṃs are concluded by repeating a portion of the opening part. Gītaṃs are set in medium tempo and contain no ''saṃgatis'' or variations and the flow of the music is natural. The theme of the ''sāhityaṃ'' (lyrics) is to praise God. Students learn these gītaṃs after attaining a course in the preliminary saraḷī svarās and alaṃkārās.
Types of gītaṃs
There are three types of gītaṃs in Carnatic music tradition:
* ''Sāmānya gītaṃ'': the simple song and it is also called sādhāraṇa gītaṃ or sancāri gītaṃ.
* ''Lakshaṇa gītaṃ'': the ''sāhityaṃ'' (lyrics), instead of praising God, enumerates in so many words, the lakshana of the raga, in which it is composed-giving among other details, its vakra svarā, graha, nysa, aṃśa svarā and its parent raga (
mēḷakarta rāga). Most lakshaṇa gītaṃs have been composed by
Purandara Dasa.
Royal Carpet: Glossary of Carnatic Terms G
/ref>
* ''Suladi gītaṃ'':
Some well known gītaṃs
#''Vara Vīṇā Mr̥dupāṇi'' ( Sanskrit) in Mohanam Raga (Janya of 28th Mela Harikambhoji
Harikambhoji (pronounced harikāmbhōji) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 28th ''Melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system.
One of the first scales employed b ...
) - Rupaka Tala
#''Śrī Gaṇanātha (Laṃbōdara)'' ( Sanskrit) in Malahari Rāga (Janya of 15th Mela Mayamalavagowla) - Chathushruti Jati Rupaka Tala
#''Analekara'' in Shuddha Saveri Raga (Janya of 29th Mela Sankarabharanam Sankarabharanam may refer to:
* ''Sankarabharanam'' (1980 film), an Indian Telugu-language musical drama film
* ''Sankarabharanam'' (2015 film), an Indian Telugu-language crime comedy film
* Sankarabharanam (raga)
Dhīraśankarābharaṇaṃ, c ...
) - Tisra Jati Triputa Tala
#''Kamala Jaḍala'' (Telugu) in Kalyani Kalyani may refer to:
Film and television
* ''Kalyani'' (1940 film), a Hindi film
* ''Kalyani'' (1952 film), a Tamil film
* ''Kalyani'' (1971 film), a Kannada film
* ''Kalyani'' (1979 film), a Telugu film
* ''Kalyani'' (1983 film), an Oriya ...
Rāga 65th Mēḷakarta Rāga)- Tisra Jati Triputa Tala
References
External links
Sivakumar Carnatic Music Archive Geetam collection
{{Webarchive, url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090116060619/http://www.ecse.rpi.edu/Homepages/shivkuma/personal/music/varnams/index.html , date=16 January 2009
The Pulijalas
Carnatic music
Carnatic music terminology