If you are new to Carnatic Music and have never heard of this type of music before, the question you may have is : What is Carnatic Music? Carnatic Music is an art form that originated in South India and is practiced in the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu.

Carnatic musicians sit on the floor cross-legged. This pose is called Sukhasana. The word Sukh means feeling of joy or happiness and the word Asana means a seat. This is a meditative pose with the spine erect and palms rested on the knees, shoulders relaxed and elbows bent slightly . The benefits of this Sukhasana include improvement in the body posture and strengthening of back muscles, improved flexibility in hips, knees and ankles. But viewers are highly cautioned to practice this pose only if they don’t have back, hip, knee or ankle problems.

Exercises to train the singing voice. For better sounding voice, practice breathing with your tummy. Your lower abdomen should expand when you inhale and should contract as you exhale. Practice inhaling and exhaling like this in the Sukhasana pose for a few times.

• Words for the beginner

  • Shruti, Swaram, Ragam, Thalam

  • Thattu, Veechu, Finger Count, Aksharam, Laghu, Jati, Dhrutam

• Sitting Posture and Singing Voice

  • Sukhasana

  • Breathing exercise and lip trills

What is Sarali Varisai? Varisai means a sequence or a series. Sarali Varisai brings the basics of Carnatic Music to life with its simple combination of notes that ascend, descend, loop, branch and repeat. Sarali Varisai is set in ragam “Mayamalawagowlam”. All Sarali Varisai’s are set in Adi Thalam. What is Adi Thalam? Adi Thalam is a beginner’s thalam. It has an 8 beat pattern which repeats. In the next module you will get to see a demo of Adi Thalam and get to start with singing Sarali Varisai.

Sarali Varisai #1 for sing along.

Sarali Varisai #2 for sing along