Gamakam

Question 1

What is a gamakam, what systems of music are they in, where can they be found, how common are they and what do they determine?

Answer 1

• Vibrations/Oscillations of swaras
• Vedic chants
• Very rare to sing plain notes
• Determine melodic character of raga

Question 2

What shows how common they are?

Answer 2

Gamakams are present even in ragas that are not Sarva Swara Gamaka Varika Ragas

Question 3

What are Sarva Swara Gamaka Varika ragas?

Answer 3

All swaras are sung to gamakas

Question 4

What are the different views on the number of gamakas?

Answer 4

• Nanyadeva in his commentary on Bharatha’s Natya Sastra + Parsvadeva in ‘Sangita Samaya Sara’: 7
• Narada in ‘Sangita Makaranda’ : 19
• Givinda Dikshitar, Venkatamahi, Sarngadeva + other writers: 15

Question 5

Later a system of how many gamakams was formed, how did 15 become this number, what is the name of this system and who spoke of it first?

Answer 5

• 10 gamakams
• Those that differed in minor details like shake, speed + duration were amalgamated
• Dasavitha gamakams
• Sangita Ratnakaram

Question 6

Dasavitha gamakams (what are they and give examples):

Answer 6

• Arohana: Grace embracing notes in ascending order eg. s r g m p d n s
• Avarohana: Grace embracing notes in descending order eg. s n d p m g r s
• Dhalu: Starts on basic notes + produces higher notes in conformity with raga and bhava eg. sP sM sG sR
• Sphurita: Janta swara phrase where first note is faint, whereas second is stressed eg. ss rr gg mm pp
• Kampita: Shake eg. Ppp
• Ahata: Swara phrase in ascending order eg. sr rg gm mp
• Pratyahata: Swara phrase in descending order eg. sn nd dp pm
• Tripuncha: Triple order notes eg. sss rrr ggg
• Andola: Swinging movement eg. srsDd srsPp srsMm srsGg
• Moorchana: Starting on S, proceeding regularly in arohana krama + finishing on dirga N etc eg. srgmpdN rgmpdnS