3.4 The first gamaka, and what notation cannot write

The same thing, four instruments

The exercise is the same whichever one you play. What changes is how you make it.

Singing

The ornament comes from the throat: the second note of the pair is reached through a quick movement from the note below or above rather than struck cleanly. Listen first and imitate; there is no position to memorise.

On the veena

On the veena the ornament is usually a pull: the string is deflected sideways along the fret so the pitch rises into the second note rather than being fretted at it. That is why the left hand is trained to pull from the first week.

On the violin

The ornament is made by the left hand sliding into the note, with the bow unbroken across both notes of the pair. Bowing each note separately produces two clean notes and no ornament, which is the commonest beginner mistake here.

On the flute

The ornament comes from the fingers rather than the breath: a hole is rolled off or half-covered so the pitch arrives at the second note from below. Tonguing the second note separately gives a clean attack and destroys the effect.

Work through these

• Listen for the ornament in a recorded janta varisai before trying to make it.

  Gamaka (music) · Reference

• Produce the ornament slowly on one pair of swaras.

• Look at the written line and see that the ornament is not on the page.

• Ask your teacher which version of it their school uses.