Introduction

Overview of violin acoustics

Violin in East and West
Ornamentation in Music
Panchadasa and Dasavidha Gamakas
Western Classical Music
Right-Hand Techniques
Left-Hand Techniques
South Indian Classical Music
Right-Hand Techniques
Left-Hand Techniques
Comparison of Violin Techniques
Conclusion

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Pitch of a vibrating string

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 Playing a single note on the violin
also generates harmonics or
secondary waves which have
frequencies at integer multiples - 2
times, 3 times etc. of the
fundamental frequency

Harmonic Frequency Swara

1 440 Sa (0)
2 880 Sa (+1)
3 1320 Pa (+1)
4 1760 Sa (+2)

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 An overtone is any frequency higher than the fundamental frequency of a sound

When playing a particular swara on the violin, say ga, is

the violin vibrating in one particular frequency?

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 The quality of a musical note or sound or tone that distinguishes different
types of sound production, such as voices or musical instruments

Amplitude envelope Spectral Frequency

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 Western Classical Music South Indian Classical Music
Pieces are specially composed Violin playing focuses on
for violin reproducing vocal music
Music written for that
Music created for voice
instrument
Harmony Melody
Agreeable concord of various Regulated succession of
related notes concordant notes
Rules and notations for every No specific rules.
technique manodharma

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 Articulation Gamakas

Articulations are performed by the instrumentalist using different techniques such as

bow pressure, the position on the violin where the note is being played, the angle of
the bow as it touches the string, the various positions and movements of the wrist
and/or elbow, etc. The effect of using these various techniques results in the
creation of different sounds even though the same pitch is being played.
Arco Harmonics Slur
Bariolage Jeté Son filé
Bartók pizz Left hand pizzicato Spiccato
Bouncing bow Legato Staccato
Collé Marcato Sul tasto
Col Legno Martelé Timbre
Con sordino Pizzicato Tremolo
Contact point Ponticello Vibrato
Détaché Portamento Flautando
Down bow Richochet Rule of Down-Bow
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 Articulation Gamakas

Gamaka is the graceful movement of the swara, the fine pull of the string, which
brings happiness to the hearer.
Gamaka is a fundamental element of a raga
Swara and gamaka are intimately linked.
Gamaka has affective power
Gamaka builds up a relationship with neighbouring members
Who said Book Number
Sarangadeva Sangita Ratnakara 15
How many gamakas are there?
Palkurki Somanatha kavi Panditaradya Charithra 22
Ahobala Sangita Parijata 17
Basavappa Naik Siva Tatva Ratnakara 15
Somanarya Natya Chudamani 6
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 Panchadasa Gamakas – 15 Gamakas mentioned by Sārangadeva

स्वरस्य कम्पो गमकः श्रोतचृ ित्तसुखावहः |

तस्य भेदास्तु ततररपः स्फ़ुररतः कम्म्पतस्तथः ||
ऱीन आन्दोलऱत वलऱ त्रिलभन्न कुरुऱाहताः |
उल्ऱालसतः प्ऱाववतस्ि गुम्म्फ़तो मुद्रितस्तथा ||
नालमतो लमचश्रतः पञ्िदशेतत पररकीततिताः |

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 Panchadasa Gamakas – 15 Gamakas mentioned by Sārangadeva

स्वरस्य कम्पो गमकः श्रोतचृ ित्तसुखावहः |

तस्य भेदास्तु तिरिपः स्फ़ुरििः कम्पपिस्तथः ||
लीन आन्दोललि वलल त्रिलिन्न कुरुलाहिाः |
उल्लालििः प्लावविस्ि गुम्पफ़िो मुद्रििस्तथा ||
नालमिो लमश्रििः पञ्िदशेतत पररकीततिताः |

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Tiripa – Playing one of the notes of a phrase with some stress

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Sphurita – A janta swara phrase wherein the lower note in between each
janta swara group is faintly heard. The second note of each janta is stressed

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Kampita – A shake. When one oscillates between two swaras while holding a
particular swara, a kampita is achieved

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Līna – Merging of a note softly into another note

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Andolita – A free swinging. Holding on a note for some time and then pulling
the string or gliding on it so as to reveal a higher note

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Vaļi – Producing the chhāyā of two or three notes from the same swarasthāna
by deflecting the string in a circling manner (only in fretted instruments)

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Tribhinna – Produced by placing the left-hand fingers on a swarasthāna so

that the fingers are in contact with three strings, and then by plucking the
three strings with the right hand fingers either simultaneously or successively
(only in fretted instruments)

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Kurula – This is the production from a swarasthāna, of the note of another

sthāna with force

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Ᾱhata – Sounding a note and then producing another note without a separate
stroke (only in vina)

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Ullasita – Jāru or glide

• Etra jāru
• Irakka jāru
Starting on a note and reaching a different (higher or lower) note by gliding
over the intermediate notes

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Plāvita – This is a variety of Kampita

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Gumpita – Belongs to vocal music. The tone is slender at the start and goes on
increasing in both volume and pitch

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Mudrita – Belongs to vocal music. Produced by closing the mouth and singing

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Nāmita – Belongs to vocal music. Singing in a slender tone

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 Tiripa
Misrita Sphurita
Nāmita Kampita
Mudrita Līna
Panchadasa
Gumpita Gamakas Andolita
Plāvita Vaļi
Ullasita Tribhinna
Ᾱhata Kurula

Misrita – Mixture of two or three of the other varieties

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

A grace embracing notes in ascending order

s r g m p d n ṡ

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

A grace embracing notes in descending order

ṡ n d p m g r s

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

Starting on a basic note and producing the higher notes in conformity with
the rāga bhāva.

Beginning on shadja and sounding panchama, etc

s P s M s G s R

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

A janta swara phrase wherein the lower note in between each janta swara
group is faintly heard. The second note of each janta is stressed.

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

A shake. The manipulation of the note is such that there is not even the
remotest suggestion of the adjacent notes.

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

A grace present in the arohana

s r r g g m m p

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

A grace present in the arohana

s r r g g m m p

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

Swaras in triplets

sss rrr ggg mmm

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

Playing swaras in the following manner:

srsDd srsPp srsMm

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 Dasavidha Gamakas

Arohana Avarohana Dhālu Sphurita Kampita

Āhata Pratyāhata Tripuscha Andola Murchhanā

Starting on shadja and proceeding regularly in the arohana krama and

finishing on the dirgha nishada, then starting on rishabha, proceeding
likewise, to finish on dirgha shadja, and so on.
. . .. ... ... .
srgmpdN rgmpdnS gmpdnsR mpdnsrG pdnsrgM

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 Grouping of gamakas

1 2

• Sphurita • Kampita
• Tripuscha • Lina
• Andolita
• Vali
• Ullasita
• Gumpita

Fingered stresses (Ravai) Slides / Shifts

Vibrato Portamento

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 Western Classical Music

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 Down / Up bow

On-string and Off-string bowing

Slur / Unslur

Crossing Strings

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 • Playing the notes smoothly without separation
Legato
• Legato is indicated by a slur

• Separated or detached type of bowing

Staccato
• The duration of bowing is reduced, thus the time value of the note is shortened

• Heavy staccato or hammer stroke

Martele
• Attack at the beginning of the note and is a pressed, heavy accent stroke

• Notes are to be played in separated or detached manner

Detache
• Direction of the bow changes for every note

• Fast or repetitive sound of increasing intensity

Tremolo
• Produced by playing the up and down-bow strokes fast on the string

• Playing the notes of a chord in succession

Arpeggio
• Sounded usually from the lowest to the highest

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 Bariolage • Same note is played on two strings alternately

Sul • Bow is drawn near the bridge

Ponticello • Louder, brighter sound

• Bow is drawn near the fingerboard

Sul Tastato
• Milder sound

Col Legno • Strings of the violin are played by the ‘stick’ portion of the bow

Col Legno • Similar to Col Legno, but the strings in this case are ‘hit’ by the wooden back
Dell’ Arco portion of the bow

Pizzicato • Strings are plucked with fingers

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 Glissando Double Stop Vibrato Harmonics Pizzicato

• Shifting technique
• Finger slides from one note to another
• Sliding by a semitone, tone, octave

Ascending Descending Chromatic

glissando glissando glissando

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 Glissando Double Stop Vibrato Harmonics Pizzicato

• Two notes are played simultaneously

• The left hand fingers are placed on desired notes on two strings
• The right hand plays the bow on two strings

Double stop Triple stop Quadruple stop

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 Glissando Double Stop Vibrato Harmonics Pizzicato

• The left hand oscillates on a particular note

• The wrist shakes, and the oscillation is carried to the finger
• The action of the finger is ‘rolling’

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 Glissando Double Stop Vibrato Harmonics Pizzicato

• A vibrating string is touched lightly at certain points

• Overtones are heard – Harmonics or upper partials
• Frequency is integral multiples of the original sound

Natural Harmonics Artificial Harmonic

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 Glissando Double Stop Vibrato Harmonics Pizzicato

• The left hand plucks the string

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 South Indian Classical Music

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 • For every note or svara, there is a change in bow stroke
Svara vil
• Used for all the speeds

• Played according to the text part of the song (meaningful words)

Sāhitya vil
• Bow is turned for each syllable of the words, and not for every note

• Similar to sāhitya vil, but there are no meaningful words

Ᾱlāpana vil
• There is a combination of all speeds

• Based on pressure and release of the right hand. The bow jumps along
Tāna vil
• Fingers and wrist of right hand are used to produce this effect

Pressure • Index finger of right hand gives pressure to the notes

bowing • This pressure is not fully released

Tillānā • Resembles swara vil and sāhitya vil, but it demands a technique
bowing • Certain phrases are rendered fast, where there is a sense of quickness

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 Double • Playing on two strings simultaneously
stops • Used in tānam, ālāpana or svara

• Playing very fast passages

Tremolo
• Middle of the bow or the nut of the bow is used

Fluttering • Similar to tremolo, but rendered fast with the tip of the bow
bowing • Notes are equally spaced

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Stopping Hitting Rolling Shaking Janta Slide Jump

• Stopping a finger at a particular point to produce a note

• Stops on E string:
FINGER FIRST POSITION THIRD POSITION FOURTH POSITION
1-f dha Sa Ri
2-f ni Ri Ga
3-f Sa Ga Ma
4-f Ri Ma Pa

Multiple Finger Stopping

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Stopping Hitting Rolling Shaking Janta Slide Jump

• Left hand finger hits the string for a particular note and returns.
• Used for rendering plain svaras
• viraladi

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Stopping Hitting Rolling Shaking Janta Slide Jump

• Point of contact of fingers is shifted not by sliding but by rolling

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Stopping Hitting Rolling Shaking Janta Slide Jump

• Finger oscillates without moving out of its position

• Tip of the finger rocks back and forth

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Stopping Hitting Rolling Shaking Janta Slide Jump

• Occurrence of twin notes

• Played by releasing the finger and replacing them
• Rendered in one turn of the bow for both notes

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Stopping Hitting Rolling Shaking Janta Slide Jump

• Movement of one or more fingers along the string

• Upward slide
• Downward slide
• Up and down slide

Single Finger Slide Multiple Finger Slide

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Stopping Hitting Rolling Shaking Janta Slide Jump

• Finger jumps and lands on a different note

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 Comparison of Violin Techniques

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 Western Carnatic
Detache Svara vil
Legato Sāhitya vil
- Tāna vil
Double stops Double stops
Tremolo Tremolo

Left Hand Techniques Fluttering bowing Fluttering bowing

Arpeggio -
Col Legno -
Staccato -
Bariolage (no specific name)
Martele -
Pizzicato (no specific name)

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 Western Carnatic
- Hitting
Glissando Jāru (gamaka)
(or)
Portamento
- Janta (gamaka)
Right Hand Techniques
Vibrato Shake
Vibrato Vibrato
Vibrato (slow) Rolling
Harmonics Harmonics
Left hand pizzicato (no specific name)

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• Ornamentations are present in all forms of music.
• The primary difference is the use of the instrument.
• To bring out the instrument characteristics and colour
• To replicate vocal music
• In Western music, the instrument colour is exploited in the score.
• In Carnatic music, it is exploited in the ālāpana, kalpanāswara and the tāna.
• Every musical form employs some unique violin techniques.

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 T H A N K YO U

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• Violin Techniques in Western and South Indian Carnatic Music
Dr. M. Lalitha

• Gamaka or graces of Music

Sri Parameswara Bhagavatar

• Ornamentation in South Indian Classical Music

GordonSwift

• Gamaka and Vadanabedha

Ranganayaki Veeraswami

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