Geethams

Question 1

What is the literal meaning of “geetham”?

Answer 1

song

Question 2

What does the word “geetham” refer to in Carnatic music

Answer 2

A specific kind of composition

Question 3

Dhatu + Mathu = ?

Answer 3

Geetham

Question 4

Does the tempo change while singing a geetham?

Answer 4

no, it is uniform tempo

Question 5

Are geethams sung w/ P, AP, Charanam?

Answer 5

no, it is continuous

Question 6

Are geethams sung w/ repitition?

Answer 6

no

Question 7

khandika

Answer 7

section (of a geetham, at least)

Question 8

Typically, how many khandikas do geethams have?

Answer 8

2-3

Question 9

How do some geethams end?

Answer 9

by repeating a portion of the opening part

Question 10

True or false:

There are geethams in ALL saptatalas & their varieties

Answer 10

True

Question 11

When are geethams learned in the Carnatic music syllabus?

Answer 11

After sarali, janta, dhatu, uppersthayi, & alankaras

Question 12

What are the 2 types of geethams?

Answer 12

Sanchari Geetham, Lakshana Geetham

Question 13

Other names for Sanchari Geethams

Answer 13

Samanya, Sadharana

Question 14

What are Sanchari Geethams usually in praise of?/

Answer 14

Acharyas, musical luminaries, or gods

EX: Gana vidya Durandara - Nata - Saptatala - Pydala Gurumurthy Shastry

Question 15

Who/what was “Gana Vidya Durandara”, by Pydala Gurumurthy Shastry in praise of?

Answer 15

His guru, Sri Sonti Venkata Subbayar

Question 16

What tempo is a Sanchari geetham usually set in?

Answer 16

medium

Question 17

Do sanchari geethams have any intricate combos/hard stuff?

Answer 17

no

Question 18

True or false:

For each swaram, there is usually a syllable in the sahityam

Answer 18

true

Question 19

True or false:

Meaningless words/phrases are sometimes found in Sanchari Geethams

Answer 19

True

EX: aa yiya yiya ~ from geetham 10 (Rere srirama, Arabhi ragam)

Question 20

saama gaana

Answer 20

melodious song

Question 21

True or false:

Sometimes, famous sanskrit shlokas are introduced as sahityam for sanchari geethams

Answer 21

True

EX: Amari Kimari (Nata) & Sri Ramachandra (Bhairavi)

Question 22

How many swaras are usually in one akshara?

(in a geetham)

Answer 22

1

Otherwise, it disrupts the rhythm

Question 23

ati chitra tama margam

Answer 23

1 swaram per akshara

Question 24

Pillari Geethams

Answer 24

Purandara Dasa’s intro geethams, in praise of Ganesha, Shiva, & Vishnu

Question 25

Who was an important Geetham composer after Purandara Dasa?

Answer 25

Pydala Gurumurthy Shastry

Question 26

Were there any notable geetham composers after Pydala gurumurthy Shastry?

Answer 26

no

Question 27

One of the names of Pydala Gurumurthy Shatry

Answer 27

"veyyi geetham" Pydala Gurumurthy Shatry

Question 28

How do you sing a Sanchari Geetham w/ 2 khandikas?

Answer 28

the 2nd one after the first ## Footnote EX: Kamala Jadala (Kalyani, Triputa)

Question 29

What are the 5 *Gana Ragas*?

Answer 29

Nata, Goula, Arabhi, Sri, Varaali ## Footnote EX: Rere Srirama (Geetham 10) - Arabhi - Triputa

Question 30

Examples of Rakthi Ragams

Answer 30

Mohanam & Kalyani

Question 31

Rakthi Raga geethams

Answer 31

Geethams set to Rakthi Ragams | * like Mohanam & Kalyani ## Footnote EX: Varaveena - Mohanam - Rupakam

Question 32

Ragamalika geethams

Answer 32

Geethams with more than 1 ragam ## Footnote These kinds of geethams are not in use today.

Question 33

What does the sahityam of a lakshana geetham describe?

Answer 33

lakshna of the ragam geetham is set to | * along w/ a small deiva stuti

Question 34

What **Exactly** do lakshana geethams describe in the sahityam?

Answer 34

* Whether ragam is melakartha/janya * Whether it is a bashanga/upanga ragam * Whether it is audava/shadava/sampurna ragam * Murchana of ragam * whether it is a vakra/vajra ragam * jiva swara (essential) * nyasa swara (end) * graha swara (beginning)

Question 34

vakra ragam

Answer 34

A ragam with a zigzag pattern of swaras (EX: Natakurinji) ## Footnote S R G M N D N P D N S / S N D M G M P G R S

Question 35

varja ragam

Answer 35

omits one or more swaras in either arohana, avarohana, or both (EX: Saveri) ## Footnote S R M P D S / S N D P M G R S

Question 36

Bashanga ragam

Answer 36

Ragam w/ 1 or more swaras not found in its parent ragam