{{Use dmy dates, date=August 2023 In

Carnatic Music Carnatic music (known as or in the Dravidian languages) is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Telangana and southern Odisha. It is o ...

, Kalpanaswaram (also called swarakalpana (spelt alternatively as svarakalpana), manodharmaswara or simply swaras), is melo-rhythmic

raga A raga ( ; , ; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. It is central to classical Indian music. Each raga consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, fro ...

improvisation Improvisation, often shortened to improv, is the activity of making or doing something not planned beforehand, using whatever can be found. The origin of the word itself is in the Latin "improvisus", which literally means un-foreseen. Improvis ...

in a specific tala. As part of swarakalpana, the musician delivers increasingly complex, improvised sequences in the Indian music solfege (sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, da, ni) within or towards the end of a composition. Swarakalpana is integral to the

Pallavi A pallavi is a refrain in carnatic music, commonly associated with South India. It is the first part of any formal composition ( Krithi) which has three segments – Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam (which can be one or more). Pallavi is usuall ...

portion of a Ragam Thanam Pallavi and typically follows the neraval. It is also common for seasoned artists to perform swarakalpana during recitals of various other

kritis A ''kriti'' () is a form of musical composition in the Carnatic music literature. The Sanskrit common noun ''Kriti'' means 'creation' or 'work'. A kriti forms the mental backbone of any typical Carnatic music concert and is the longer format o ...

Facts

The ''kalpanaswaram'' may start at any place in the tala, but invariably the artist must end their improvisation at the first note of the first phrase of the composition, at the place in the rhythm cycle, where that note is. To arrive at that note, one has to approach it from the closest note below. There are, however, instances when ''kalpana swaras'' are rendered at various starting points of the composition which may not coincide with the start of the Tala cycle. In such cases, the ''kalapana swaras'' should always end at the same position irrespective of where they start. For example: 2 or 4 counts after the start of the Tala Cycle. ''Kalpanaswaram'' improvisations increase in intensity with the tala cycles used. One complete tala cycle is called an avartanam. While improvising, the musician must abide by the rules of the raga and ensure that

swara Swara () or svara is an Indian classical music term that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, a note, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave, or ''saptanka''. More comprehensively ...

s used in the imaginative phrases are all-inclusive in the basic Aarohana (ascent) and

Avarohana An Avarohana, Avarohanam or Avaroha, in the context of Indian classical music, is the descending scale of any raga.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ''Glossary'' pages, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications The notes descend in pitch ...

(descent) structure of the raga. Some ragas omit notes and others have zigzagging ascents or descents. The great musicians develop a vocabulary of phrases in ''kalpanaswaram'' as in an alapana, especially when doing kalpanaswaram at low speeds, which allow for more gamaka. The place where the first note of the first phrase of the composition exists in the rhythm cycle is called the eduppu. Kalpanaswaram is performed in a Carnatic Concert for the main song, the singer chooses to perform the ''Raga Alapana''. However, in concerts, artists often choose a difficult raga in which to perform Kalpanaswaram. Although there are no set rules, the artist may decide to expound the expressions of a particular raga in Kalpanaswaram as opposed to Alapana. Take the Raga Sahana (

janya ''Janya'' is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic (South Indian) music a ''janya raga'' is one derived from one of the 72 '' melakarta'' ragas (fundamental melodic structures). ''Janya'' ragas are classified into various types based on a vari ...

of 28th

Melakarta Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales ( ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be derived. A ''melaka ...

raga

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 ...

): *

Arohana Arohana, Arohanam, Aroh or Aroha, in the context of Indian classical music, is the ascending scale of notes in a raga.''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, ''Glossary'' pages, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications The pitch increases a ...

m : S R G M P M D N S *

m : S N D P M G M R G R S In this raga, when the artist improvises, when ascending in pitch after the Pa (Panchamam), the Ma (Madhyamam) needs to be sung, or the raga will be wrong. So with a raga like Sahana or Anandabhairavi, Purvi Kalyani, etc., which have Dhattu (jumping)

ms in their arohanam and/or avarohanam the Kalpanaswaram is harder to master and perform.

References

Carnatic music terminology