Learn Carnatic Music Theory, Interactively.
Explore Sa Ri Ga Ma, swaras, ragas and talas through interactive lessons and playable exercises - from Sarali Varisai and Alankaram to Geetham and Kriti. Learn the theory, hear it, and practice it as you go.
Four ideas to start with
Sruti
Your reference pitch - the tambura drone every performance is tuned to. Each musician chooses the sruti that suits their voice, and every swara is heard relative to it.
Swara
The seven syllables Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Da Ni - Carnatic musicβs solfΓ¨ge. Sa and Pa are fixed; the other five have variants, giving sixteen swara positions to build ragas from.
Raga
Far more than a scale: a melodic personality - which swaras to use, how to ornament them (gamaka), and which phrases give it life. Mayamalavagowla comes first for students.
Tala
The rhythmic cycle, kept visibly with claps, finger counts, and waves. Adi tala - an eight-beat cycle - carries a huge share of the repertoire.
Try the swaras
These are the swaras of Mayamalavagowla - the raga every Carnatic student meets first - with Sa placed on C. Tap to hear each one, then play the first sarali varisai and sing along.
From exercises to artistry
Learning Carnatic music follows a proven step-by-step path: from sarali varisai and janta varisai through alankarams, geethams, and varnams to krithis and manodharma. Each stage builds the skills the next one needs, and every Artium Carnatic music course follows this same structured curriculum.
Fundamentals
Shruti, the sixteen swara positions, the three sthayis, and tala kept with your own hands - the vocabulary everything else is built from.
Talas, interactively βBeginner Exercises
Sarali, janta, and sthayi varisai, then alankarams in the sapta talas - daily abhyasa in Mayamalavagowla that makes the swaras automatic.
Practice varisai here βBeginner Compositions
Geethams and swarajathis - the first real songs, one swara per syllable, starting with Sri Gananatha in Malahari.
Meet the geethams βVarnams
Tana and pada varnams concentrate a raga into one piece. Learned in multiple speeds, they are the warm-up of professionals for life.
Varnam guide βCompositions
Krithis, keerthanas, devaranamas, and more - the vast repertoire of the Trinity and beyond, each linked to its raga, tala, and composer.
Explore krithis βAdvanced Technique
Gamaka, sangati, briga, akaram, and voice culture - refinements shaped phrase by phrase with your expert teacher in live classes.
Manodharma
Improvisation: alapana, neraval, kalpana swara, tanam, and finally ragam-tanam-pallavi - music created in the moment.
How improvisation works βConcert Preparation
Building a repertoire list, sequencing a concert, working with accompanists, and performing - the stage your whole journey points toward.
Ragas, talas, composers & songs
Everything on this site is connected the way music actually is: every song knows its raga, tala, and composer - follow any thread.
Ragas
Playable arohanam and avarohanam for melakartas and janyas, with the compositions that live in each.
Browse ragas βTalas
All seven cycles plus Adi, each with an interactive clapper and its compositions.
Clap the talas βComposers
Tyagaraja, Dikshitar, Syama Sastri, Purandara Dasa, and the makers of the repertoire.
Meet the composers βSongs
Geethams, varnams, and krithis - each linked to its raga, tala, and composer.
Browse songs βLearn by playing
Take the swaras you just met into a game - sing into the mic and climb the ladder.
Carnatic is best learned from a guru.
Artium teaches Carnatic vocal live, 1-on-1 - book a free trial with an expert.