Kalpana Swarams are improvised melodic passages sung or played by the performer in Carnatic music. Kalpana Swarams provide the artist with an opportunity to showcase their improvisational skills, creativity, and mastery of rhythm and melody. These improvised sequences of musical notes are sung or played by the performer without prior planning or preparation.
They serve as a vehicle for the performer to demonstrate their virtuosity, creativity, and understanding of rhythm and melody within the framework of the raga.

Kalpana Swarams are typically sung or played in a rhythmic cycle (tala), providing a structured framework for the improvisation. The performer spontaneously creates sequences of swaras (musical notes) that are in accordance with the rules and aesthetics of the raga being presented. Swaras are sung or played with various rhythmic patterns, including simple patterns (sama), double-speed (doubling), and triple-speed (tripling), adding complexity and excitement to the improvisation. Kalpana Swarams often involve interaction between the performer and the percussion accompaniment, typically the mridangam. The percussionist provides rhythmic support and accompaniment, responding to the swara patterns with complementary rhythmic phrases (korvais and nadai patterns). Kalpana Swarams can vary in length, complexity, and rhythmic intricacy, depending on the skill level and creativity of the performer.

The improvisation may include variations such as melodic elaboration, modulation to different octaves, and exploration of different rhythmic patterns. Kalpana Swarams are an integral part of a Carnatic music concert, providing a dynamic and interactive segment that engages both the performer and the audience.

Sangeet Samrat Chitravina N Ravikiran teaches techniques and nuances for presenting Kalpana swarams, an essential part of Manodharma (improvisation), along with practical demonstrations of these techniques in various compositions.

The lessons in this module are:

1. General Kalpanaswarams Techniques Parts 1-5
2. Kalpanaswarams for Paraku Neekekara - Kiranavali - Adi - Tyagaraja
3. Kalpanaswarams for Phani Mani - Mohanakalyani - Adi - Chitravina N Ravikiran
4. Kalpanaswarams for Seetamma Mayamma - Vasantha - Roopakam - Tyagaraja
5. Kalpanaswarams for Aiyanallavo - Devamanohari - Adi - Oottukkadu Venkata Kavi
6. Kalpana swarams in Bala gopala - Bhairavi - Adi - Muttuswamy Dikshitar
7. Kalpana swarams in Saraseeruhasanapriye - Nattai -Adi - Puliyur Doraiswamy Iyer

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