Dhatu Varisai: Notes and Practice Guide for Carnatic Learners

Quick summary

What is Dhatu Varisai?

After having studied Sarali Varisai and Janta Varisai, you will proceed to Dhatu Varisai. This is one of the basic exercises (varisais) for Carnatic music that are traditionally traced to Purandara Dasa, the saint-composer referred to as the father of Carnatic music teaching.

“Dhatu” is ‘zig-zag’ or ‘jumping’ or ‘stairway’. So in Sarali Varisai, the swaras go up and down in a line – Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa. But in Dhatu Varisai, the swaras have a jumping motion, that is, you will sing something like Sa Ma, Ga Ma, Ri Ga, Sa Ri, where you sing out and then back down again. Due to this action, it is also called Vakra Varisai, which means crooked.

You will note that the name is also spelt slightly differently as Dhattu Varisai, Datu Varisai or Dhatu Swaras. They all are referring to the same exercise.

Like all foundation exercises, Dhatu Varisai has no lyrics. Because of this, if you are ever searching for “Dhatu Varisai lyrics”, what you are really seeking is the swara notation below.

Why Dhatu Varisai matters for beginners

Yes, singing in straight lines feels more natural. Singing leaps is more difficult, which is precisely why this exercise is so important. This is what practicing it regularly can do for you:

• A steadier sense of pitch. If the voice has to jump from Sa to Ma and land on Ma cleanly, your Ear and Throat feel safe in the shruti.
• More agility in your voice. The later stages of your journey include many fast passages in alankarams, gitams and kritis. Dhatu Varisai helps build the agility to sing these passages with ease.
• Better rhythm discipline. Since you sing in Adi talam, each note has to be on the beat.
• Confidence with speeds. You learn to transition from first to second speed without any loss of clarity.
• A smooth path to what comes next. Alankarams, gitams and swarajatis all use patterns that jump and return.

The easiest way to understand: Sarali Varisai shows you how to walk, Janta Varisai how to walk with a slight push, and Dhatu Varisai how to hop little by little.

Raga, tala and speeds at a glance

Just a quick note on the notation you will find below: the seven swaras are written as S, R, G, M, P, D, N. A dot over one of the letters indicates the upper octave. Many gurus and schools loosely divide the swaras into groups in various ways, so just stick to the one your teacher uses.

Dhatu Varisai lyrics (swara notation)

This is the swaras for Dhatu Varisai. Please note they are swaras and not words. Sing each swara firmly and with great clarity. Hold your hand on your Adi tala.

Dhatu Varisai 1 lyrics (1st and 2nd speed)

Dhatu Varisai 1 begins with the use of a short loop with a forward and back cycle. The opening line is:

S M G M R G S R S

Copying the shape of the first line, each subsequent line is started one swara higher: The second line is:

R P M P G M R G R

Noticing all the lines follow the same “reach ahead, step back, settle” concept, makes it much easier to remember when you begin to play the new idea.

Dhatu Varisai 2 lyrics (1st and 2nd speed)

Dhatu Varisai 2 will be the same raga and tala but will have a different jumping pattern. It is a good way to test your progress in the first exercise. Practice slowly and learn one line at a time and link the lines.

How to practise Dhatu Varisai step by step

Complete these steps in this order. They will help you whether you are being taught or you are revising at home.

Set your shruti. Select a pitch at which your Sa is relaxed and you are able to come to upper Sa without difficulty. Allow a tanpura or shruti box to play.

1. Warm up first. Practice one of your Sarali Varisai or Janta Varisai for three to five minutes. This will get your voice ready to record.
2. Say the swaras before singing them. Recite the notation with the tala claps. This allows you to get comfortable with the pattern without the stress of the pitch..
3. Sing the first line slowly at first speed. One swara per beat. Check each landing against the tanpura.
4. Add line by line. Learn one line, then add the next and then sing both together. Don’t try and learn the entire exercise all at once.
5. Hold tala in your hand. Keep your jumps in time with a firm Adi tala count.
6. Move to second speed only when the first is steady. Two swaras per beat should feel like the same exercise, only faster.
7. Record yourself. Play it back and identify moments you went offshruth or beat early.
8. Repeat daily. Small, frequent sessions are better than one longer session a week.

A simple 25-minute routine

You can use Artium’s free online music tools such as the Tanpura/Shruti Box, Metronome and Tala tool to set up this routine in a few taps.

Common mistakes to avoid

All but one of these are made by almost every learner. Fortunately they are something you can correct.

• Rushing into second speed. If your first speed is no good, the second will only exaggerate your mistakes.
• Drifting off the shruti on jumps. Lose the shruti on a jump. Hear the tanpura as you jump, not when your foot hits the ground.
• Ignoring the tala. If you perform the correct swara on the wrong beat, it is still considered a mistake.
• Dropping the last swara of a line. Attach the ending swara to its full beat before proceeding.
• Skipping breath planning. Know where you are going to breathe, preferably at the end of a line, and maintain the same spot for each breath.
• Practising without listening. Record your own voice at least once per week and listen back to compare with your teacher.
• Learning from notation alone. Notation indicates the swaras, but not how they are to be sung. Always be guided by your ears.

Practise Dhatu Varisai in Artium’s Practice Studio

Reading about Dhatu Varisai helps, but real progress comes from doing it. That is why we introduced the Practice Studio in the Artium Academy app, a space built for learners to practise between classes.

Inside the Practice Studio you will find a practice plan called Dhatu varisai. It is organised into four lessons so that you can move forward in a clear order:

1. Dhatu Varisai 1 – 1st speed
2. Dhatu Varisai 2 – 1st speed
3. Dhatu Varisai 1 – 2nd speed
4. Dhatu Varisai 2 – 2nd speed

This structure mirrors how Dhatu Varisai is usually taught: first build both exercises at a comfortable pace, then bring each one up to second speed.

It also combines into one place, those instruments you have to find elsewhere: a tanpura or shruti box, a metronome and a tabla. You can choose your shruti, set your tempo and practice with a beat in one place. The Dhatu varisai practice plan is now available on both Android and iOS, take it with you everywhere.

What makes the experience stronger is the learning around it. Artium Academy’s Carnatic classes are taught live, one-on-one, by certified teachers, and our curriculum is GRMP-recognized and curated by renowned Carnatic vocalist

To learn Carnatic music online with patience and guidance, start with the Artium Academy app from Google Play or the App Store.

What to learn next (alankaras, gitams, swarajatis)

Once Dhatu Varisai feels comfortable in both speeds, you are ready for the next steps:

• Alankarams. These are the next steps after the varisais. An alankaram In carnatic music is a melodic pattern sung to a tala, so your voice and your sense of rhythm improve together. Carnatic music has seven of them, one for each of the seven sapta talas, and Hindustani learners will know the same idea as alankar. A good way to begin is with the Eka tala alankaram, which is part of the Abhyasa exercises. If keeping rhythm still feels tricky, spend some time with the Talas and practise clapping each one before you sing. 
• Gitams. These are simple songs, usually set to easy ragas. They are the first time you sing swaras and words together.
• Swarajatis. These are short compositions with swara passages and a little more room for expression. They take you closer to singing varnams and kritis.

Along the way, it helps to get comfortable reading Carnatic music notation.

Conclusion

Dhatu Varisai might seem like an easy work-out, but it gently (and yet, quite surely) molds the singer you are creating. It trains the voice to take off and land, the ear to begin to trust the shruti, and the mind to keep a rhythm in your head while the swaras fly around you. So slow down and take it line-by-line and keep the tanpura on.

No need to do it all alone. With a crystal clear practice plan, the right tools and a teacher to steer, each session is a breeze.

Are you set to begin? Book your free 1:1 trial class with Artium Academy and learn from certified teachers at your own pace.