IMPROVISATION IN SOUTH INDIAN MUSIC

(N.Ramanathan)

Improvisation, an English word, belongs primarily to the realm of Western Music where it is
explained as The art of performing music spontaneously, without the aid of manuscript,
sketches, or memory. Also in a more restricted sense, the art of introducing improvised details
into written compositions. (pp. 404-405, Harvard Dictionary of Music, Willi Apel).
Is the same idea prevailing here? What the are the terms in Indian languages that could be
said to correspond to this?
There are two sets of terms that we find being used. They are --
1. Mandharma-Sagta and Kalpita-Sagta
2. Anibaddha Gta and Nibaddha Gta.
The first set is in use today and the second one, namely, Anibaddha and Nibaddha finds
mention in Sagtaratnkara of rgadva (SR 4, 4cd-5) but is rarely seen to be used in later
works and has not come down in common parlance too. Let us take up the first set now.

Mandharma-sagta and Kalpita-sagta:

Mandharma and Kalpita are terms that do not find mention in any of the earlier works in
Samkskrta, Tamizh or Telugu. We come across for the first time, perhaps, in the books of
P.Sambamurti (1963:1). Mandharma-sagta is explained by the author as music
extemporised and performed. He adds Mandharma-sagta is improvised music. It is music
created on the spot and sung or performed. It is not a piece of music already composed by
some one else or even composed by the performer himself and memorised and reproduced.
On the other hand Kalpita-sagta is defined as compositions previously composed,
memorised, practised and performed.

rgadva speaks of Gna (popular music, in contrast to Gndharva which is art music)
as being of two kinds - Nibaddha and Anibaddha. The common suffix -baddha comes from the
root bandha means 'to bind. Hence that which is bound by regulations of sectional
organisation and types of texts to be used, is Nibaddha and encompasses compositions
belonging to the class Prabandha. Forms like lapti, due to absence of any binding come
under Anibaddha. From the description in the Sagtaratnkara one gets the feeling of
improvised referring to music that is put together or shaped during performance as opposed to
something which has already been put together.

One must however be clear that whether music is improvised or non-improvised,

basically, what is created must be music. In other words what is presented must be art and an
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object of beauty. And in this respect both improvised and non-improvised, work towards the
same goal, that is creation of an artistic piece. To be even more specific, improvisation is not
'the end but still only a means to an end.

Both non-improvised and improvised music have to work within the system underlying the
art music. Thus improvisation has to conform to the Rga, Tla, Laya and the rules of text and
the performer cannot take any liberty in this respect. Now let us move on to the areas of
improvisation.

Normally four forms relating to the sphere of improvisation are mentioned. They are:
a) lpana or Rga-lpana b) Tnam
c) Neraval d) Kalpana-svaram

Of these, the first two, namely, the lpana and Tnam are performed without any recourse
to Kalpita or the composed pieces. Neraval and Kalpana-svaram are rendered within composed
pieces which are also structured within the framework of a temporal-canvas or Tla.
Further with regard to their melodic character, the four forms could be sub-divided into two
groups. lpana, Neraval (in the first speed) and Kalpana,svaram (in the first speed) could be
said to have a multi-tier laya or multi-klaprama base. In other words, Svara phrases in two
or more tempos could be brought with in one melodic statement just as we see in a Krtana. On
the other hand Tnam, Neraval (in the second speed) and Kalpana-svaram (in the second
speed) have a uni-layer laya where the phrases should have one uniform klaprama without
mixing different tempos. This would be similar to the melodic character evident in a Tna-
varam, Svara-shityam passage of a composition of, say, yma str, or of a Tygarjas
Pacaratnam, or in a Madhyamakla-shitya passage of a Krtana.
We also see that Concert convention requires that Rga-lpana and Tnam are not
rendered just by themselves. They are invariably followed by a Krtana or a Pallavi. However a
composition, say, a Krtana can be commenced without an lpana preceding it and Neraval
and Kalpanasvara being rendered. Again between Neraval and Kalpana-svaram, the former is
always followed by the latter while it is not necessary that Kalpana-svaram should be preceded
by a Neraval.
. Now with respect to each of the forms of improvisation - Rga-lpana, Tnam, Neraval
and Kalpanasvara - there are guidelines, as for instance, the lpana-paddhati. lpana-
paddhati is the guideline for essaying an lpana in stages. Thus an artist is bound not only by
the rga and tla but also by the Form of lpana. Similarly while rendering Tnam, Neraval
and Kalpana-svara too he is bound by the respective Forms. Thus there is not all the freedom
and liberty in the area of improvisation as we usually delude ourselves into thinking. The
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knowledge of Rga and Tla is acquired only after rigorous training in the Non-improvised or
Kalpita sphere of music. Then rigorous practice and exposure must be had to learn the method
of lpana, Tnam etc. It is not uncommon to see artists filling a lot of rga and decorative
material into their lpana although the resultant essay or the composition of the lpana or
the form, remains badly shaped or aesthetically imperfect.

Now we come to some very pertinent and important questions.

If the entire procedure of developing lpana is prescribed and one has to confine oneself
to the melodic phrases permitted by the rga what will an artist do during improvisation? He
cannot create new rga phrases, can he? That would mean distorting the established image of
the rga. If he cannot create new phrases he can construct fresh decorative melodic patterns or
alakra-s. For instance, rga-s like T and akarbharaam have a large number of rga-
representative phrases as well as provide scope for weaving a large number of melodic
patterns. Rga-s like Cakravkam and Simhndramadhyamam may offer more scope of such
patterns but may not have that many rga-representative phrases. On the other hand a rga
like Bgaa or Sahna or Yadukulakmbhji may be dominated by rga-representative phrases
and it may be difficult to create many decorative svara patterns. In other words, if an artist
chooses relatively easy or not-so-restrictive rga like Vcaspati or Dharmavati, it would allow
him to essay a long Rga-lpana based mainly on the decorative patterns. Similarly with
respect to Tla too, there are tla-s and tempo that would be convenient for an artist to render
intricate Neraval and Kalpanasvaram, for instance, the Oru(ka)kaai-ditla, Reu(Dvi)kaai-
di, Rpaka, Miracpu and Khaacpu. There are some others like Mira-jhampa, Aatla, or
Tla-s with the gati of the composition being Tisra or Khaa, while rendering which he would
have to be constantly on the alert.
Thus which rga would a concert artist feel comfortable with for an elaborate treatment, an
hiri, Asvri, Husni, Sahna, Bhairavi, Bilahari, or Kravi? Which tla would he feel
comfortable with, Oru(ka)-kaai di, Reu(Dvi)-kaai di or Nlu(Catu)-kaai Adi? Kravi
and Orukaai/ Reu-kaai will be a safe choice. That is, those rga-s and tla-s in the system
that impose least restrictions are bound to be the obvious choice. In other words a highly
restrictive system is a hindrance to improvisation. But if his choice allows the artist a great deal
of freedom then would the improvisation revolve mainly around creating decorative patterns? In
that case, is improvisation as an aspect of serious art only a myth?

Although it has been argued that new phrases cannot be introduced in a rga, in reality we
do find that new phrases have regularly been interpolated into a rga dictionary through
improvisational forms like lpana. Concert singers like G.N.Balasubramanian are known to
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have introduced new phrases that have now come to be accepted as 'rga-representative'.
These new phrases get regularised and accepted when the composers of the subsequent
generation incorporate them into their songs. Scholars have shown in their research how
Mysore Vsudvcrya, Ppanam ivan and G.N.Blasubramaian, have incorporated those
phrases into their krtana-s which had till their time existed only in the sphere of lpana. Thus
the output of the Mandharma of one generation becomes an integral part of the Kalpita of the
next generation.
But when does a new phrase get created or sprout during improvisation? Real improvisation
is that when a musician comes out with a new or fresh extension of a rga, albeit
unconsciously, in an non pre-meditated mood, during intense concentrated playing without
consciously intending to play anything new or different. This moment may occur after several
years of rigorous performance of music and perhaps lasting just a fraction of a minute. Perhaps
he may not come out with anything new at all. At that moment questions like improvisation and
non-improvisation become a matter of secondary importance since at that moment the
musician has merged with his music.

Coming back to the aspect of Mandharma, it was mentioned that lpana, Tnam,
Neraval and Kalpana-svaram are the four forms relating to it. In actual reality, is improvisation
restricted only to the four forms listed above, namely, lpana, Tnam etc.? No. We do know of
another feature called the Sagati. Sagati-s, although, presumed to be the creation of the
composer of a Krtana, is seen to be supplied by a later composer or by a Concert performer.
While Sagati-s are pre-determined features learnt along with the song and rendered during a
concert, we have also seen artists like V Blacandar and Flute Mahligam add fresh or
impromptu Sagati-s to a krtana during the concert. Sometimes they also add variations to the
existing sagati-s. Would this also not come under improvistation?

Now this kind of a practice of adding sagati-s to a krtana of an other composer raises
many aesthetic questions. Is not a krtana too the end-product of a composers creativity? Have
other musicians any right to tamper with it or even use it as a tool or means for displaying their
improvisation ability? Further krtana-s are the only way the rga form is transmitted and
preserved along with the other melodic nuances like gamaka, modulation etc. And when
another composer or performer adds sagati-s how are we sure that the rga form as
envisaged by the original composer has been preserved intact? Should not learning and
preserving a composition intact be the first and foremost aim of a musician?

This brings us to the next important point. If there were no aspect of improvisation at all in
our music, would just rendering of songs be able to command the interest of an audience. For
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instance, in Western art music, the performance is based only on already composed pieces like
the Sonata, Concerto and Symphony. Is that system of music not able to command the interest
of an audience without there being an element of improvisation associated with it?
In the realm of entertainment, generally performing arts that involve communicating a story,
command interest of an audience. In the case of abstract arts like music, in South India,
audience is reached out to by projecting the element of language, whereby the text-dominated
krti-s began to dominate the concert format in the last 100 years. But for the last 800 years the
aspect of improvisation has been dominating the art-music for entertainment. Through
improvisation an artist uses the music to project himself and the audience relates to him
through his music. If properly learnt compositions were only to be rendered for an audience it
may not result in popular entertainment. It is perhaps believed that if an artist were to render
only the songs that he had learnt sincerely and practised deligently, he would only be a human
museum housing a beautiful exhibit and the audience would now be relating to the exhibit
(music) through him. And the music performance would acquire the colour of a museum with
just a handful of knowledgeable and curious onlookers occasionally trickling in. Does all this
mean that it is improvisation that bestows the much needed element of entertainment and thrill
to the public presentation of music, and without it music will have no 'entertainment' value?

Now let us turn to the composition. How intact can a composition remain when it is being
learnt and how undistorted will it remain when it is being practised and transmitted to the next
generation? To look at it philosophically from the point of view of Western aestheticians, a
musical composition exists only in the abstract. No composition can be rendered exactly again
and again. Every rendering is only an instance of the idea (the original composition) and which
has only a virtual form. In reality there is nothing as the song or the composition. Thus every
rendering of a song does undergo change however infinitesimal that might be, even if the
composer himself were to render them again and again. This change however would not
amount to improvisation.

We thus see that that there is not much difference between the Kalpita and Mandharma
since the end-product, namely, producing aesthetically pleasing music, is the same, with only
the process or method differing. And the question of Manodharma and Kalpita should not be
allowed to interfere with the appreciation of music.

Bibliography
Sagtaratnkara of rgadevawith the commentaries Kalnidhi of Kallinatha and Sudhkara
of Simhabhpala, ed. by Pandit S. Subrahmanya Sastri, pub. in the Adyar Library Series by
Adyar Library, Madras -- vol.II revised by Pandit V. Krishnamacharya, 1959;
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Smbamrti P., South Indian Music IV, The Indian Music Publishing House, Madras. 1963.

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Article already presented as

a) a paper at the Colloquium on Improvisation organised by the Brhaddhvani, Chennai on
13-12-1998.
b) an article in the Souvenir: Annual Music & Dance Festival 2007, Indiranagar Sangeetha Sabha,
Bengaluru.
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