Music is not merely a series of organized sounds. It is more about organized thoughts. Any system of music that relies on improvisation needs a strong foundation for creativity to be meaningful. As far as the musician is concerned, clarity of thought is the first step towards creativity, or, for that matter, re-creativity. Only when a musician decides a fraction of a second earlier exactly what phrase is to be rendered will the execution be sure and organized.
Any artiste in two minds is in danger of losing track and doing justice to neither idea in the end. If creativity and classicism must co-exist, the boundaries must be well defined, norms adhered to and conventions dutifully followed, as far as possible. Random noises should not be produced under the banner of experimentation. Restraint is the hallmark of refinement, which in turn is one of the chief indicators of the stage of evolution of a system.
Does this look like too many chains on the artiste ? No. Can one create when the mind is preoccupied with rules, borders and conventions ? Yes. Should one be straitjacketed and stick to the routine ? No. Can such a system appeal to listeners in this day and age ? Yes. Proof ? The wide-ranging appeal of Carnatic music among unprejudiced listeners.
Carnatic music is all about disciplined creativity. Since both creative and re-creative aspects are given equal status, the first and foremost function of each is to complement the other. The concert format itself is such that both aspects make their appearances in turns, in most instances. A listener will find that the different kinds of improvisations occur either as a prelude to the song or as an extension of it. The creative parts can be purely melodic, melo-rhythmic or wholly rhythmic.
The following are the main types of improvisations
Raga Alapana : This is a purely melodic improvisation. As mentioned in Chapter Two, each raga is highly individualistic with its own colour, mood and so on. A musician renders a succession of phrases so as to create the atmosphere of the raga, and to lay a foundation for the composition (and probably other creative aspects) to follow. Many consider this to be the most important aspect in Carnatic music.
A couple of simple comparisons might help in understanding the concept better. One can liken it to painting a masterpiece. Each phrase that is rendered represents a stroke of the brush, and each part is beautiful whether seen in isolation or in relation to the whole, although the vision of the artiste is in the totality of things. For the performer, the parts are just incidental. To an observer, each part represents something beautiful, with more to follow. An element of suspense is maintained, as to what the total picture will reveal after the last stroke. Just as it is possible to express a given idea, say ‘Landscape or ‘Still life’or any given theme in different styles, the same raga can be expanded in various ways. Each artiste portrays his or her concept of the raga keeping the basics constant. The same artiste may develop the same raga differently on different occasions.
Again, raga expansion may be compared to a journey of exploration, each step promising more. The fact that even the artiste does not know where he (or she) may end up along with the audience adds romance to the exercise. This does not mean that the whole affair is devoid of any strategy whatsoever. Only, the tactics evolve on stage.
In a concert, one will find these pure melodic expansions in varying durations for different songs, ranging from a few seconds to 15-20 minutes (or even more if the circumstances warrant it). Some songs may even start without this preamble. When developed for 15-20 minutes before a major composition, it is done very systematically, covering three octaves and many speeds. The convention, in many ragas, is to render a few key phrases of the raga to establish its identity, re-start at the lower octaves at slower speeds, and gradually build it up, before culminating in a sort of mini-crescendo. It may be likened to the concept of building a pyramid.
Tanam : Though often rendered sans percussion, the element of rhythm is more obvious in this type of improvisation. Listeners of Hindustani music will find that it has a lot of similarity to Jod and Jhala, or the nom-tom of the Dhrupad style. A vocalist uses non-meaningful syllables like nom, torn, ta, but these are said to signify the words anantam (boundless) or aanandam (bliss), that are attributes of the Almighty. It is generally rendered at medium speed, and just before commencing the main piece of the concert, after the raga alapana. Tanam is developed stage by stage, from rhe lower to the higher octaves. On occasions, artistes render the tanam in a few other ragas too, apart from the original one, to make it more colourful to the audience.
Neraval : A line of a composition, or an independent line of music {pallavi — distinct from the opening section of a composition) is elaborated melodically, keeping the lyrics constant. It would not be wrong to say that neraval is the merging point of the creative impulses of the artiste with that of the composer. Neraval is one of the most important forms of improvisation, also because it is done using melody, rhythm and lyrics.
Kalpana Swaras : This form of improvisation using swaras is rendered before landing on a given point in a composition. This is considered by many to be the most exciting aspect in Carnatic music, as a sort of contest develops on the stage among artistes. The leader executes something challenging and the accompanists try to repeat it, if not do better. A skilful artiste will not be put off if they succeed, but will only be spurred on to perform at a higher level. This goes on until all the artistes join together in a grand musical climax.
Tani Avartanam : Pure rhythmic improvisation by the percussionist(s). If there is more than one instrument involved, the mrdangam becomes the lead instrument, while others such as the ghatam, kanjira take up from where the mrdangist leaves off. The rhythmic aspects of Carnatic music are extremely thrilling (though very complex at times), and have made them so popular that exclusive rhythmic concerts are held. In a melody-oriented concert, the tani avartanam is just an extension of the song and usually lasts between five and twenty minutes (roughly 8-12 percent of the total duration of the concert), after which all the artistes complete the piece in unison.
If all the above improvisational forms were rendered in a single song, it would easily be apparent that the emphasis of the improvisational theme gradually but surely shifts from the purely melodic to the purely rhythmic, with the melo-rhythmic in between.
Appreciating creative aspects : In the initial stages, one can try to identify the creative aspects while they are being rendered. Generally, during the creative parts, the artistes perform in turns; they join towards the climax – easy for the listener to spot. Once creative music has been recognized, the listener can just let the music play on his (or her) emotions. With more exposure, one can try to anticipate the succeeding notes or phrases. If this anticipation is correct, nothing better! If not, no worries! It probably only means that the listener’s creative impulses are different from those on stage !