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| SEPTEMBER -2002 |
| I am about to give my first concert next week here is USA. I have been practising every day for this. Now, just 10 days before the concert I am having throat pain. Last month I lost my voice for two weeks after the throat pain started. I am nervous about the same happening again. What can a person do to make pain subside and also what are the precautions artistes like yourself take when practising for hours everyday? Any diet restrictions that can ease voice pain, irritation?
-desperate amateur
One of the more common reasons for the symptoms described by this lady is tension before a concert. Another important reason is the overstraining of the voice due to excessive practicing. Voices differ in their capacity to take long duration practice. Hence one needs to observe how much strain one's vocal chords can take. This can be inferred by looking out for signs such as pain in the throat or voice fatigue while practising. If such symptoms are noticed stop practising immediately.
For now the only practical solution that I see to this problem is for her to stop singing for a week. A couple of days of total mouna vratam (no talking at all) will help a lot. Two days before the concert she can sing a little bit in order to check her voice and bring back its volume but she should not at any cost strain it again. During her mouna vrata she should gargle with salt water atleast 5 to 6 times a day. Avoiding cold food, liquids and solids is a must. In my experience antibiotics do not generally help. It is only discipline that will help her regain her voice.
The last but most important advice is that she should relax herself and if possible pray or meditate. All the best to the young musician!
JULY -2002
I am a carnatic music lover from Ahmedabad.I happened to listen to the Ragam Thanam Pallavi of M.L.Vasanthakumari in Raga Revati set to Misrachapu Thala.Can singers sing RTP in thalas like Khandachapu,Roopakam, or should they stick to the pattern of singing pallavis set to Khandajathi Thriputa Thalam. If singing RTP in Misrachapu Thalam is wrong, then how could M.L.Vasanthakumari sing RTP in Misrachapu Thala?
-Sathya
As you have observed yourself, this is not a traditional practice. The concept of chapu and roopakam (as short talas ) is itself an abbreviation of longer talas such as tisra triputai, jampai etc . Singing RTP in talas such as chapu and roopakam instead of their original versions and in ragas such as Revathi is the preference of the singer.
How do I enrich my voice and protect it from deteriorating ? What exercises help to keep the voice in shape?
-Ranjani Krishnan
You have not mentioned what kind of deterioration you want to protect your voice from. If it is to do with the shruti then the only way to keep your voice from further deterioration is to sing in a comfortable shruti and not be very particular about singing in a higher shruti. The only way to protect your voice is to realise the limitations and capabilities of your voice and not over strain your vocal chords in anyway.
I have a low-pitched voice. When I began to learn Carnatic music, my guru identified my sruthi as 4 and half (F sharp). This was quite some years ago and of late, I find that I'm comfortable singing in 4 kattai (F). However, I find that I'm unable to reach the low 'ma' in this sruthi. Also, I feel that some songs don't produce the desired effect in such a low sruthi. I have two questions now.
(a) Can I alternate between 2 sruthis- singing some songs in one sruthi and some others in another sruthi ?
(b) Can I sing in 4 and half while I practise but actually sing in 4 when I'm presenting the song to others? Would switching sruthis affect my voice and my music?
-Priya
There are various kinds of voices. Yours seems to be a base voice. Reaching mantara sthayi madhyamam is not very crucial. As far as the "desired effect" that you expect, is concerned, each person has to realise the limitations of his/her voice and explore all the possibilities within its limits. It is untrue that people with a base voice cannot produce good music. Alternating between 2 shrutis is the recipe for spoiling your voice. It is not worth straining your vocal chords in order to sing in a higher shruti, whether in practice or in a performance.
JUNE -2002
I recently attended a concert and made this observation. I would like to know whether this is permitted or not. While singing the kalpana swaram for a kriti, which was in 2 kalai adi talam, the artist sang the kalpana swaram for half the talam and took the eduppu. That means for every half talam the artist finished her kalpana swarams. Generally what I have seen is that in the last long swaram, where the end note taken is Sa or pa, kalpana swarams are done for one tala, half a tala, quarter etc. Is this ok or is it an innovation?
-Subashri Mani
From your question it is not clear whether the eduppu at half avartanam were the same words which occur at the beginning of the talam? if yes then singing swaram for half an avartanam and taking the eduppu half way through the talam is certainly not acceptable to tradition. This may only be called a new style.
MAY -2002
I have heard Smt Kalpagam Swaminathan render Manji ragam with antara gandhara prayoham (for Dikshitar krithis Ramachandrena and Srisaraswati). Haven't heard this version of manji elsewhere. Can you comment on the usage of Antara gandharam in manji please.
-Narayanan
Antara gandhara prayoga in manji is seen prominently only in Gopalakrishna Bharati's song "Varugalamo". Subbarama Dikshitar in his Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini does not mention the use of antara gandharam for manji (including the instances of the two kritis of Muthuswami Dikshitar that have been mentioned viz: Ramchandrena and Srisaraswati) Shyama Shastri as you may have noticed has not made use of antara gandharam in "Brovavamma". Hence it may be confidently said that antara gandharam in manji is a later addition.
This is a question about using chatursruti dhaivatham in ritigowlai when rendering Nilotpalamba bhajare (2nd vibhakti in the nilotpala series of Dikshitar). Is this ragam the same as nariritigowla, in which the other vibhakti krithi, Srinilotpalanayike is composed. (I have the thought that 'nari' is added for the katayapadi nomenclature and that both the krithis are in the same ragam). Please give your valuable comments.
-Narayanan
In the Sampradaya Pradarshini "Sri Nilotpalanayike" is listed as Nari ritigowla under the 20th melam with sudda daivatam. Subbarama Dikshitar uses the name Ritigowlai interchangeable with Nari ritigowlai. Some experts say that "Nilotpalamba" as sung in Ritigowlai today is to be sung with sudda daivatam. However it is a controversy yet to be resolved, Sampradaya pradarshini does not even list this composition.
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| This is a new column from KutcheriBuzz.com And your host is the Madras based and well known carnatic vocalist Vidushi R. Vedavalli. A recipient of the Sangita Kalanidhi award from The Music Academy, Vedavalli is one of the seniormost gurus of carnatic music today. A disciple of Srirangam Iyengar of Madura Brothers and Mudikondan Venkatarama Iyer, she runs the Devaganavali Trust in Madras devoted to music projects. She invites everyone who has a question on carnatic music to post their questions. She hopes to cover a range of topics: preliminary training in music, voice training, exercises and practice, building a repertoire, concert presentations, development of manodharma, teaching methods, structuring the concert, references... The floor is open to you. Yes, you can post issues that bother you too. Maybe you just want to know how to take care of your voice or, you want her to suggest a few cassettes that help you train in distant Mexico? This space is yours. Vidushi Vedavalli is here just to guide you. Shoot your questions. |
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