Module 6: Musical forms · Lesson 1

Gitam, swarajati and varnam

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Pieces for learning

Students do not begin with concert songs. They begin with training pieces that gradually build up control of the voice, the raga and the tala. In the traditional order, the exercises are followed by three kinds of pieces: gitams , swarajatis and varnams .

Gitam: the simple song

A Gitam is a plain, short song. Its tune is straightforward, with few ornaments, and the words matter little. It is a first taste of singing a raga with words, and it has the beginner’s job of showing the notes of a raga in a simple setting. Gitams are usually in praise of a god or goddess and are practised at three speeds.

Swarajati: notes and words

A Swarajati comes next. It has a main theme (pallavi), sometimes a second section (anupallavi), and at least one concluding section (charanam), with a mix of sections that have words and sections that use only note names. Swarajatis are sung in lessons, in some concerts and in dance, and it is usual to learn them before the varnam.

Varnam: the great training piece

The Varnam is the most important training piece. It packs the main features of a raga into one short, structured composition, so that learning a varnam teaches you the raga’s shape, phrases and ornaments. Singing it also builds voice control, steady pitch and command of the rhythm.

A varnam falls into two halves:

• the first half has the main theme (pallavi), the second section (anupallavi) and a passage of notes only, the Muktayi swaram ;
• the second half has the concluding section (charanam) and several note passages called ettugada swarams (also known as chitta swarams in some sources).

Two types

• A Tana varnam has words only in its first three sections, and the rest is notes. It is the usual concert type.
• A Pada varnam has words in more of its sections, which makes it suitable for dance, because the dancer can act out the words.

Where varnams are heard

A varnam is traditionally performed as an opening item of a concert, and in Bharatanatyam as a central piece of a dance recital.