Tamizh's classical music

Only such book available now on ancient Tamil music is ‘Pancha Marabu' written by Serai Arivanar. As the name denotes, it has five chapters. Out of them, three are devoted to music and two to dance.

The work defines Isai (music) and Pann, the equivalent of the present day raga. The book explains the varieties of yazh, the number of strings and the kind of wood that was used to make them. It also gives the materials that were used to make the vangiyam (flute) and percussion instruments. 

References to musical form and structure in Sangam literature

The Arangetrukaadai, a chapter of the Silappathikaram, mentioned earlier, also provides details the musical instruments of the day such as the yal (a kind of a 14-stringed lute or harp), kulal (flute) and percussion instruments as well as pann, the equivalent of musical scales in the Western music paradigm. The chapter describes in intricate detail how the use of different notes with the help of the yal resulted in different pann. It appears that the equivalent of the seven basic notes (SRGMPDN) that form the foundational construct upon which all South Indian Carnatic and Hindustani music is built today, were in existence during the Sangam period but known by their Tamil names of Kural, Tuttam, Kaikilai, Uzhai, Ili, Vilari, and Taram. Additionally, there were terms for the upper and lower octaves of each note for example Kurai Tuttam and Nirai Tuttam for the lower and upper octaves respectively. According to Venkatasubramaniam (2010), the Tiruvaduturai Mutt palm leaf manuscripts (AD1742) list the twenty-one common pann that were sung during the day and night and their contemporary approximations.

Name of the pan and their Equivalent present day raaga

Palaiyazh  - Harikambhoji

Velavali - Velavali

Siragam  - Sriragam

4Malakari - Malhari

Narayani - Narayani

Bhairavam - Bhairavam

Varati - Varali

Dhanasi - Dhanyasi

Ramakri - Ramakriya

Salarapani - Anandabhairavi

Padumalai - Natabhairavi

Mullaippani - Mohanam

Marudayazh - Kharaharapriya

Chevvazhiyazh - Todi

Gowdi - Gowri

Padai - Padi

Guchchari - Gurjari

Nagadhoni - Nagadhvani

Bowri - Bowli

Sayari - Saveri

Kedalikkurinji - Kedaram

Udaya giri - Revagupti

Nagaragam - Nagasvaravali

Surtungaragam - Suryakantam

Megaragam - Kokilapriya

Sigandi - Sigandi

Sayavelarkolli - Sarasangi

Mandral - Nattaikkurinji

Andi - Vasantha

Sandi - Purvikalyani

Viyandam - Vilasini

Saral - Ratnakanti

Pancha marabu jathi

Unique choreography

- Sri Mudhraalaya

- Lakshmi Ramaswamy

Works

Computer Recognition and Transliteration of Mridangam Mnemonics

An overview of Tamizh classical music

Music of the Narikorava people

Veena and Yazh