06/21/2025
For more details about the book and the author Dr Jaishree Prasad , contact [email protected]
"Veena in the Theory, Practice and Experiment in Karnatak Music"
Authors:
Dr.K.S.Raghavendra Rao, Professor of Physics (Retd.), Bangalore University
Dr.M.K.Jaishree Prasad, Formerly Reader in Music (Veena), Sri Padmavati Mahila University, Tirupati
About the Book:
The Veena is a complete musical instrument providing Sruti, Tala, Swaras and Gamakas. It is at once ancient and modern. Its music can be melodious, vigorous, sweet, divine or just noisy.
This book is of an inter- disciplinary character, and has indepth information on Musicology, including the past and present techniques of Veena playing, its projected future, physiology of the ear, Physical Principles, Physical measurements using the veena and their interpretation of standard methods of research in Physics making the book quite unique.
This book shows in detail how this is possible. The historical development of the veena is given in detail, step by step with drawings and photographs. The constructional procedures of ancient as well as the modern veena are explained. The making of the modern veena is treated at length. The fixing of frets with accuracy is described.
The concept of Sruthi, Swara, Gamaka and Raga are thoroughly analysed in a scientific manner. Musical scales of the West are dealt with at sufficient length. To enable the reader to get a basic knowledge of the Science of Music, the physics of vibrations of strings and the physiology of the human ear are discussed.
The art of veena playing is analysed to give the Veena player an intelligent understanding of the functioning of his/her instrument. Rendering of Varnas, Kirtanas, Tillanas, Javalis and Kalpana swaras is explained with due stress on the role of Gamakas. An added feature is the advice of contemporary veena maestros who were interviewed specially for this work. The right hand (meetu) and left hand (fi*****ng) techniques are described with examples.
It is well recognized that the same nominal swara takes different shades in different ragas. Scientific experiments have been conducted with the help of several musicians of repute to determine the frequencies of swaras in ten popular ragas. As a consequence it will now be possible to state the arohana and avarohana more specifically by giving the frequencies of swaras.
The book has an exhaustive index and several other featuers which would be of great use to students, teachers, vainikas, research workers, and music lovers. The book is printed elegantly, hard bound and will be of lasting value.
