K 92 LThe Journal of Pedagogy and Research in Creative Arts 20256. Kukkuṭa7. Maṇḍūka8. CakraSome observations about tānam being sung in the present times• Tāna has no tāḷa but has laya (rhythm)• Even today, when tānam is performed in Kerala, it is a practice to play Sarvalaghu on the MṛdaṅgamIt is also necessary to see how the tāna which is sung or played in continuation of the rāga ālāpana differs from the ālāpana. • Ālāpana can be sung according to the rakti of the rāga up to madhyama and tārasthāyi. But the tāna, in any rāga, begins with a long note in the madhyasthāyi. • Prayōga-s can be sung in different tempos in the ālāpana. However, tānam often has the same kālapramāṇa. • An ālāpana may include all the three octaves. The tāna is to take four notes and give a set of prayōga-s within them. These sets are mostly in the combination of 3,4,5 notes. • The ālāpana can be completed in madhyasthāyi ṣaḍja or it can be completed in tārasthāyi ṣaḍja. Tānam is generally concluded in the madhya ṣaḍja with the pattern ‘ḍ ṇ s - ḍ ṇ s - ḍ ṇ s - ṇ s r , s – r , s ,’. • Ālāpana is often sung with the rakti prayōga-s of the rāga. When the tāna is sung based on a pattern, some of the prayōga-s which are not included in the ālāpana and Kalpana svara-s of the rāga are also sung. • Ālāpana can be sung in all rāgas. But it is difficult to sing tānam in some rāga-s.
K 93 L2025 Tamilnadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts UniversityI have deduced some playing methods to practice tānam on the Vīṇa. To sing some of them, tāna varṇa-s can be used as practice exercises. In tāna varṇa, the applied division is 3,4,5. For example, consider the varṇam Ninnukōri in Mōhana rāgam. g , g , r , , , s s r r g g r r tā . ā . nam . . . tā . . . nam . . ta s R g r s r s ḍ s r g p g r s r tā . ā . nam . . ta tā . a . nam . . taWe can also practice divisions of tānam with alaṅkāra-s. for example, consider the Dhruva tāḷa alaṅkāram. It can be practiced in miśra cāpu tāḷa as given below. s r g m g r s r g r s r g m ā . . nom . ta tā . . . nom . . ta r g m p m g r g m g r g m p tā . . nom . ta tā . . . nom . . taTānam can be practiced with the alaṅkāram-s in all 72 mēḷakarta-s. To practice playing tānam on the Vīṇa, the syllables Rāma, śri rāma, ananta rāma, kalyāṇa rāma and so on can be applied as under.
K 94 LThe Journal of Pedagogy and Research in Creative Arts 20251. p , p p , p p , prā . ma rā . ma rā . map , p , p p , pśrī . rā . ma rā . map p , p p , pa nan . ta rā . ma2. p m p p m p p m prā . ma rā . ma rā . map m p m p p m pśrī . rā . ma rā . map p m p p m pa nan . ta rā . maThe same can be applied to alaṅkāra-s1. s r g m r g m psī . tā . rā . ma .g m p d m p d nsī . tā . rā . ma .
K 95 L2025 Tamilnadu Dr J Jayalalithaa Music and Fine Arts University2. s r s r gśrī . rā . mar g r g mśrī . rā . ma3. s , r , g s r gkal . yā . ṇa rā . mar , g , m r g mkal . yā . ṇa rā . ma4. s r s r g m g mkal . yā . ṇa rā . mar g r g m p m pkal . yā . ṇa rā . maIn the above patterns, the usi tāḷa is employed in the highlighted positions. It can be stated that tānam was first sung and later adapted on the Vīṇa. We find references to Śyāmā śāstri singing rāgam, tānam, Pallavi and also Caturdaṇḍiprakāśika mentions that Tānappa played rāgam, tānam. But the exact method employed by them is not clear. Also, the present day Vīṇa is in practice only from the 1550s. Hence it can be concluded that tānam was first sung and later on played on the Vīṇa. The tānam sounded attractive in the instrument due to the continuous nādam and the usi tāḷam in between the attractive patterns.
K 96 LThe Journal of Pedagogy and Research in Creative Arts 2025