Great..... U have reached the final successfully. The following pattern is normally used in a concert. But there is no restriction that it should be like this and things should be followed as said. Some of the following items may also be missing, it depends upon the Musician. OK, now read it.

A concert normally begins with Varnam. Varnam is the basic learnt by the music students before going to learn any song or Keerthana. It gives the full essence of the Ragam thru' Lyrics and Swarams sung in all possible speeds. The structure of Varnam is

Pallavi

Anupallavi

Chittai Swara (Already constructed 2 lines of swara)

Pallavi

Charanam

Swara1 (Already constructed swaras)

Charanam

Swara2

Charanam

Swara3

Charanam

Swara4

Charanam

Here gradually the complexity of the Swara will be increased when U compared to the first. Also speed variation can be made to mark the efficiency of the Varnam. The concert's real tempo is based on how one sings Varnam. Varnam is just like taking a soup for Apetizer. All instruments will be playing during Varnam and other songs.

Varnam will be followed by song upon the Lord Ganapathi. This may be in the Ragams Nattai, or Goulai, or Hamsadhwani normally.

In the order of songs the Musician will choose one song to be in a slow phase and the next one in a fast phase with mixed Thalams to give variety and collection to the Rasikas. Followed by two or three songs, either Alapana or Swara or both Alapana and Swara can be sung for any song and they are to identify the Musician's talent and enjoy the real happiness of a concert.

Only Violin will be there during Alapana and for the song and Swara all the instruments will join. Each and every Swara is repeated by Violin more or less the same as the Musician sings. But there is no hard and fast rules that the Violinist should exactly reproduce what the Musician sings in the Swara or Alapana. The swaras the Musician sings are upto their imagination but under the limitation of the swaras in the corresponding Ragam.

Compulsorily a brief Alapana is sung first followed by a song in the same ragam of the Alapana. Then Niraval is performed in anyline of the song and Swara is rendered to the Niraval line. Slowly the Swaram start from Vilambam to Dhuritham and end with Muthaippu. (Hope U are familiar now as U had already read the Common terms used in this article). After muthaippu, the niraval line is sung once again and the song will then be completed after singing the remaining part of the song and come to Pallavi atlast.

Normally after the main song is sung by the Musician, only the Percussion Instruments will start performing individually and gave a very nice performance according to the respective Thala of the song. This is called as Thani Avarthanam. Vocalist and Violinist will just be putting Thala and the Percussion Instruments will render their talent by playing in different speeds (Technically called as Nadai ) but confined to the same Thala. For e.g. if the Thala is ADI, they will play in Thisra (Three), Kanda, Misra and Sangeernam (Nine) Nadai and end with Muthaippu. Theirs is not Swara, but only "Tha Ka Dhi Mi Tha Ka Tha Ri Ki Ta Ka..." pattern. When they conclude, the Musician will sing the song and make a fullstop.

It is shortly called as RTP and it reveals the full talent of the Musician as a whole. Just by this one single piece, U can easily judge the Musician's capability as it covers all the aspects together. Ragam is just the Alapana as U know in some Raga.

Thanam is a new word to U, right? Yes..... Here the word "Anandham" is taken and split into "NAM", "THANAM", "THA", "ANANDHA", "NAMDHA". Then according to the limit of the Ragam, Thanam is sung as "NAM THANAM THA ANANDHA NAMDHA NAM NAM THANAM THA..." pattern. Only Violin will be accompanied here with the Vocalist just like the Alapana.

Pallavi here refers to the pallavi constructed by the Musician itself in any Thala. Normally Pallavi contains a maximum of 2 lines of lyric. The Ragam Thanam and Pallavi will be in one single Ragam. A complex Thalam will be taken by the Musician to sing the Pallavi to show their talent. Here also Niraval will be in the Pallavi followed by Swara in Vilambam, Dhuritham and end in Muthaippu.

Ragamalikai of Swara will be sung in the same Thalam of the Pallavi and the Pallavi will be taken after the swara in the corresponding Raga everytime. So Pallavi will be sung in different Ragas with swara and the Musician conclude by singing the Pallavi in the original Ragam.

These are also songs which include Javali, Padham, Bhajan, DevarNama,Virutham, Thiruppugazh etc. etc. (Which are some lighter pieces sung in Carnatic). Normally Rasikas will enjoy much in this lighter side and only songs are given and there will be no alapana or swara. Finally Thillana will be sung.

So now if U go to a concert, I hope U are able to know the basic things and enjoy it. If atleast one turns out to be a good Rasika in Carnatic after reading this article, I am proud to say that my goal is achieved.