Carnatic Guitar - Four rAgas

A set of random phrases from 4 of my favourite rAgas: nIlAmbarI, suraTi, sAvEri and dEvagAndhAri on my new acoustic-electric guitar... I replaced the steel strings with 'sillk and steel' because I like the mellow nylon sound...Comments welcome...

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Carnatic
• Guitar
• Hari
• Bharadwaj
• raga
• music
• indian
• classical
• surati
• nilambari
• neelambari
• string
• saveri
• devagandhari
• surutti

[vinvonvin2]

Hello, I just started learning Guitar myself. I want to learn in Carnatic way (since I have a very little exposure to Violin in Carnatic). Can you please guide me where I should start? Which is the best string tuning order that suits Carnatic music? Thanks.

[haribharadwaj]

@vinvonvin2

Something like alternate B and E (pa-sa-pa-sa-pa-sa) would be a good tuning to start with. Once you get comfortable with the fret location of the different notes, playing sarali varisai-s with gamakas (i.e the way they are sung) would be nice to explore.. Though I mostly did not formally learn from a teacher, I'd recomment that if you have access to one..

[rahulpersonals]

Hi,

can you teach us online?

[haribharadwaj]

@rahulpersonals

Not sure if I can do anything on a regular basis.. but I can do the occasional chat..

[GayakiVainika]

Beautiful!

[haribharadwaj]

Thanks.. but long time no upload from you :(

[redskullz124]

On the subject of Carnatic Metal. I don't know if you've already heard of the rock band "motherjane" from Kerala, but their guitarist uses a lot of carnatic phrasing in his guitar leads. Check out the band especially the songs Mindstreet, Fields of Sound and Chasing the Sun, if you haven't heard them already.

[tnemyo]

I love that you use both slides and bends (on that nilabari M!) to create gamaka. Your music shines through brilliantly but Id rather not hear that scratching along the strings. As a fellow commentor on the ravikiran video Im surprised you bother playing with that thing. I just feel that using a finger and a 'half' just isn't as expressive as a violinist using all 4 fingers or a mysore veena artists split fingering technique. Pick up a teflon slab sir! Keep music alive in AA after I leave...

[haribharadwaj]

I believe you.. there are a lot of things that are 'tough' in this world.. what moves me is beautiful music irrespective of how simple it is.. skill/virtuosity is not something that would impress me in itself.. I'd be curious to see samples of 'carnatic metal' though

[puru00047]

yes carnatic metal is about tapping..screaming..while playing normal carnatic gamakas..extremely tough improvisations...believe me..