adrAH kratavo yantu vishvataH, interpreted as 'Let noble thoughts come from all
directions." .,And as an extension to this it can be said, let knowledge come from all
directions, all Gurus and all sources possible good sources.
Happy music learning.
1. Audience
This book is written for learners who are new to the concept of Indian music and
Carnatic music in particular. Notations are of the highest standards and are meant to
create a baseline for Carnatic music education in the UK. The depth of coverage of
additional insights and highlights are just enough to introduce terms and initiate further
interest on the topic.
This book is clearly for initial learners or what we call as Carnatic ‘Dummies’ for want of
a better term. This book is intended as a learning aid to be accessed along with face-toface learning from the teacher.
2. History of Notation in Carnatic Music
Contrary to what many people think, notation is not a new concept in Indian music. In
fact, even the Vedas, although orally transmitted for millennia, were written with
notation around 3,500 B.C. However, the idea of notation in Carnatic music was not
well-received, and it continued to be transmitted orally for centuries. The disadvantage
with this system was that if one wanted to learn a kīrtanam composed, for example, by
the great composer Purandara Dasa, it was necessary to find Purandara Dasa's student's
student's student's...student's student, if such a person still existed!
Written notation of Carnatic music was revived in the late 17th century and early 18th
century, which coincided with rule of Shahaji II in Tanjore. Copies of Shahaji's musical
manuscripts are still available at the Saraswati Mahal Library in Tanjore and they give us
an idea of the music and its form. They contain snippets of solfage to be used when
performing the mentioned ragas.
3. Authors
This book has been carefully and affectionately put together by Guru Ratna Srikantiah
and Composer and Violinist, Jyotsna Srikanth. The contents have been cherry picked to
suit to the needs of a busy learner keeping in mind their experiences
with many students from both the UK and India over a few decades.
Rathna Srikantiah,
vocalist and
composer
Ratna Srikantiah is a renowned Guru and vocalist. She has trained under the legendary
R.R. Keshavamurthy for 33 years and has released two albums. She specializes in
rendering the Carnatic Trinity and the Dasa compositions and is a well-respected
musicologist. She has trained many students to performance levels.
She has also published many articles on music in the newspapers having in-depth
knowledge of the theory of south-Indian/ carnatic music. Her singing is a blend of
melody combined with musical mathematics. In this concert learned Ratna will take us
through a journey of Dasa kritis which are rich in musical & lyrical values.
Jyotsna Srikanth is a die-hard fan and performer of Carnatic
music. She is ambitiously nurturing the higher objective to
develop keen and high calibre music students who take music
more seriously and make more serious music. She has been
imparting music education and residencies through Dhruv Arts,
where she is the Artistic Director for nearly a decade. Jyotsna is
Europe’s leading violinist from the Carnatic classical tradition,
Jyotsna Srikanth is also an accomplished western classical
musician who’s collaborated with acclaimed jazz, film, western
classical and contemporary music artists.
Based in London Jyotsna Srikanth has a strong Indian classical base and frequently performs
Carnatic Jazz-fusion alongside Indian classical. Her recitals combine a deep understanding of
traditional music with a jazz / contemporary touch. This rare balance between tradition and
modernity has helped her carve a unique niche, captivating audiences across the globe.
4. Other Contributors.
Dhruv Arts and Jyotsna Srikanth would like to thank many of their
friends for their ideas and contributions that helped in bringing this first
volume. Special thanks to our learned friend and teacher Kamala Murthy,
India for her contributions, also S Sharma for his musical and computer
skills.
Special thanks to Dr. Balamuraliksrishna ji and Murali Ravali Trust for allowing us to
reproduce his composition Gam Ganapate.