Yakshagana Rāga (Kannada:ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ ರಾಗ, pronounced as
yaksha-gaana raaga)refers to
melodic modesMode is a term from Western music theory having three definitions :# the rhythmic relationship between long and short values in the late medieval period;...
used in
YakshaganaYakshagana is a dance drama popular in the state of Karnataka, India. It is believed to have evolved from pre classical music form and theatrical arts . Yakshagana is popular in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod district of Kerala...
. It is based on pre-classical melodic forms that comprise of a series of five or more musical notes upon which a
melodyA melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
is founded. Yakshagana Ragas have indigenous ragas and others derived from other forms of music. Ragas in Yakshagana are closely associated with a set of melodic forms called as Mattu.
Yakshagana Rāga (Kannada:ಯಕ್ಷಗಾನ ರಾಗ, pronounced as
yaksha-gaana raaga)refers to
melodic modesMode is a term from Western music theory having three definitions :# the rhythmic relationship between long and short values in the late medieval period;...
used in
YakshaganaYakshagana is a dance drama popular in the state of Karnataka, India. It is believed to have evolved from pre classical music form and theatrical arts . Yakshagana is popular in the districts of Uttara Kannada, Shivamogga, Udupi, Dakshina Kannada and Kasaragod district of Kerala...
. It is based on pre-classical melodic forms that comprise of a series of five or more musical notes upon which a
melodyA melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
is founded. Yakshagana Ragas have indigenous ragas and others derived from other forms of music. Ragas in Yakshagana are closely associated with a set of melodic forms called as Mattu. Yakshagana Ragas have their own
GamakaGamaka is the form of music in Indian classical genre, used in Karnataka, India as a unique form of storytelling. One person sings a stanza of a poem, applying suitable ragas to it so that is will be melodious to hear. Another person then explains the meaning of the stanza with examples and...
. Although Yakshagana Ragas shares names with other systems of music Ragas are different though names are same with a few exceptions. More than 80 ragas have been identified to have survived the onslought of popular and elite musical systems. In Yakshagana tradition, rāgas are associated with different times of the night throughout which Yakshagana is performed.
Nature of Yakshagana rāga
Rāga describes a generalised form of melodic practice. It also prescribes a set of rules for building the
melodyA melody , also tune, voice, or line, is a linear succession of musical tones which is perceived as a single entity...
. Yakshagana Raga is based not only on rules but also certain melodic structures called Mattu. It specifies the rules for movements up (
aaroha [आरोह]) and down (
avroha [अवरोह]) the
scaleIn music, a scale is a group of musical notes collected in ascending and descending order, that provides material for or is used to conveniently represent part or all of a musical work including melody and/or harmony...
, which
SwaraThe seven notes of the scale , in Indian music are named shadja, rishabh, gandhar, madhyam, pancham, dhaivat and nishad, usually shortened to Sa, Ri or Re , Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam...
(notes) should figure more and which notes should be used more sparingly, which notes may be sung with
gamakIn Indian music, gamak or gamakam refers to the variation of pitch of a note, using heavy forceful oscillations between adjacent and distant notes. Each raga has standard rules on the types of gamaks that might be applied to specific notes, and the types that may not...
a, phrases to be used, phrases to be avoided, and so on. The result is a framework that can be used to
composeMusical composition is:* an original piece of music* the structure of a musical piece* the process of creating a new piece of music- Musical compositions :...
or
improviseImprovisation is the practice of acting, singing, talking and reacting, of making and creating, in the moment and in response to the stimulus of one's immediate environment and inner feelings. This can result in the invention of new thought patterns, new practices, new structures or symbols, and/or...
melodies, allowing for endless variation within the set of notes. What makes Yakshagana singing different are, among other things, 'Yaksha Gamaka'. Yaksha Gamaka are distinct way of approaching a note or rendering a note to form a particular "Mattu".
More than adhering to stricter scale Yakshagana Raga follows the metre of
Yakshagana PoetryYakshagana poetry is a collection of poems written to form a music drama called Yakshagana. The poems are composed in well known Kannada metres using the frame work of Yakshagana Raga and Yakshagana Tala. Yakshagana also has what is called a Yakshagana metre...
called the Yakshagana Chandhas. The melody is formed from a deep voice formed by controling muscles as low as pelvic and abdominal muscles.This forceful high pitched singing came out of necessity as yakshagana bayalata is an outdoor activity and hence needs louder voice to reach large number of people in the audience. One need not claim that is the tredition and is the best. With the invention of mike it is possible to sing in soft voice and effectively. Recent singers in fact have adopted softer and clear singing. With the use of mikes similar changes are happening in classical music singing also. For a student of classical music the raga bhava in yaksha sangeeta appear to be too limited. many raga bhavas overlap and mask the identity and richness of raga bhava identity. Of late some bhagavatas being trained in classical music ( like Padyana Ganapati bhat or probebly Late kalinga navuda)can do better justice to the raga bhava richness. Yakshagana poetry of the past century is also influenced by drama and Hindustani music. As a result some Hindustani Ragas modified to suite Yakshagana performance can also be seen (e.g. Bhimpalas). Yakshagana has influenced theatre art in Maharastra as well.
Yakshagana Rāga and Time
Unlike in other classical forms Yakshagana performance starts with Raga Nattai.
Yakshagana Gamaka
Yakshagana music has its own Gamakas. Yakshagana Gamakas are name given to the set of sequence of notes used in only in Yakshagana ragas. It can also refer to, in popular parlance, inflections applied on notes. These Gamakas give a distinct flavor to Yakshagana ragas. These Gamakas are learned by training and are among features which make Yakshagana sound different from other forms of music.
Indigenous Yakshagana ragas
- Shatpadi (Note that this is different from Kannada prosody by the same name)
- Sangatya
- Kannada (This is different from Kaanada)
- Hoovu
- Koore (This is different from Kore Tala)
- Nepali
- Gopanithe
- Navarasa
- Vrundhavana
- Mechaali
- Koravi
- Divaali
- Mechchu
- Ghantaarava
See also
- Melody type
A melody type is a term used by musicologists and ethnomusicologists to represent a set of melodic formulas, figures, and patterns which are used in the composition of an enormous variety of music, especially non-Western and early Western music. Such music is generally composed by a process of...
- Maqam
Maqam is a modal structure that characterizes the art of music of countries in North Africa, the Middle East and Central Asia. In this area we can distinguish three main musical cultures which all belong to the Maqam family, namely the Kurdish, the Persian, the Arabic and the Turkish.*For Kurdish...
- makam
In Turkish classical music, Mevlevi music, and some Mosque music, a system of melody types called makam provides a complex set of rules for composing...
- echos
Echos is the name in Byzantine music theory for the melody type used in the composition of music. It is akin to a Western medieval mode or an Arabian maqam.-Overview and semantics:...
- muqam
A muqam is the melody type used in Uyghur music, that is, a musical mode and set of melodic formulas used to guide improvisation and composition....
- Nava rasas
- List of rāgas
- Rāga
Raga is a documentary about the life and music of sitarist Ravi Shankar. It is directed by Howard Worth....
, a documentary about the life and music of Ravi ShankarRavi Shankar , often referred to by the title Pandit, is an Indian classical musician and composer who plays the sitar. He was described as "the most famous Indian musician on the planet" by Ken Hunt of Allmusic....
- Rāga-Rupanjali. Ratna Publications: Varanasi. 2007.