Volume 6, Issue 10

Study of Techniques used while adapting popular Western Instruments to perform Carnatic Music

Author

Author: V. Vijay Arun, Research Scholar, Tamil Isai Kalloori, Thanjavur University | Guide: Dr. V. V. Meenakshi, Professor and Principal, Tamil Isai Kalloori, Chennai

Abstract

Abstract: Indian Classical Music, with its deep historical roots, has been preserved and transmitted across generations for thousands of years. Carnatic music, a subset of Indian classical music, has traditionally been played on instruments such as the veena and performed vocally. Historical references to ancient instruments like the yaazh, which is a precursor to the veena, are found in Sangam literature, indicating the long-standing tradition of instrumental music in South India[3]. In the 19th and 20th centuries, Western instruments such as the violin began to capture the imagination of Indian musicians, beginning with pioneers like Baluswamy Dikshithar and Thanjavur Vadivelu, who first adapted the violin to Carnatic music. Since then, several Western instruments, including the viola, guitar, mandolin, piano, saxophone, and electronic keyboard, have been adapted for Carnatic performance[5]. This paper explores the various techniques and styles that have emerged as musicians sought to adapt these instruments for Carnatic music. Key techniques include specific fingering systems, adaptations of the gayaki (vocal) style, modifications to instrument structure, the electrification of instruments, and the use of electronic technologies such as pitch-bending devices to more effectively render the microtonal nuances of Carnatic music[4]. By examining these adaptations, this paper sheds light on the ways in which tradition and innovation coexist and how technology has played a significant role in the evolution of Carnatic music performance.

DOI

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