Janta Varisai For Beginners : Building a Strong Base in Carnatic Music

Let us start: What is Janta Varisai?

Janta varisai (Janta Swaralu in Telugu) is the second exercise after Sarali Varisai, Janta varisai means pairs or twin and is also sometimes referred to as Jantai Varisai or Jhanta Varisai is a logical extension of Sarali varisai. The notes that are sung once in Sarali Varisai are repeated twice. So you will find the notes in Janta Varisai occurs in pairs. This exercise is practised in Mayamalagowla Ragam and Adi Talam.

Jantai Varisai is a kind of alankaram, which beautifies the way swaras is delivered while singing. This varisai adds extra complexity and decorative detail to a raga in carnatic music and can be used for both vocal and instrumental music. 

Importance of Janta Varisai

Following are the reasons what makes this exercise important:

• Development of musical skills and also aids in memory retention.
• Improves concentration levels and listening skills.
• Establishes the tonic note or starting note of the composition.
• Understanding the mode, or scale, of the composition.

How to Practice Janta Varisai Notes?

This exercise helps to build a strong foundation for all the other exercises and helps in developing a good sense of pitch and rhythm. There are various ways to practice Janta Varisai for beginners.

• Use a shruti box or a drone to help you sing in the correct pitch.
• Another way to practice this varisai is to sing along with recording the phrases. It helps you keep in tune with the right pitch. You can also find this varisai notation online, which can help you understand the structure of the phrases.
• This exercise has to be practised in 3 speeds
  • First speed – Two notes per beat.
  • Second speed – Four notes per beat.
  • Third speed – Eight notes per beat.
• Practicing this varisai with a friend or in a group can also be helpful as you can get feedback on your singing. Keep practicing and soon you will be able to sing it fluently!
• The best way to practice this varisai is to approach a Carnatic music teacher who can guide you through the exercise and help you sing in the correct pitch.

Benefits of Practising Janta Varisai For Beginners

Practicing Janta varisai especially for beginners is an excellent way to improve your Carnatic music skills. It will help you develop a good sense of pitch and rhythm.

• Improved control of breath and voice, which is key for any singer.
• Better understanding of raga
• Develops rhythm skills
• Helps to sing fast passages with clarity and precision
• Builds foundation for all other Carnatic music exercises.

Janta or Jantai means two notes and they come as pairs. Therefore the notes are repeated twice. In this exercise, a swara will be repeated two times, wherein the second swara will be stressed. This enables the student to sing or play an instrument, the same swara twice on the same place, with perfect swarasthana.

Jantai Swaralu or Jandai Varisaigal

Janta Varisai notes are also tuned to the raga Mayamalavagowla and set to Adi tala

Janta Varisai Notes in English, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada & Malayalam

Mastering Janta varisai for beginners enables to build strong fundamentals which will enable them to use them in gamakas like sphurita, tiripa, ahata etc. in later stages. Once you have learnt this exercise, you can move to next set of exercise – Dhattu varisai or Dhattu Varisaigal.

Advanced Concepts

There are different Janta varisai, depending on which notes are used. The most common is the sampoorna Janta, which uses all seven notes. Others include the shadava Janta, which uses six notes, and the oudava Janta, which uses five notes.

Madhyama kala, dheerasha kala and tara sthana are the other most popular ones. Each of these has its unique benefits that can help in the overall development of a musician.

Conclusion

Janta Varisai is an essential aspect of Carnatic music. It has a long and exciting history that has helped make Carnatic music famous worldwide. Anyone who wants to learn this form of music should take the time to practice it regularly. With its continued popularity, there is no doubt that this form of Carnatic music will continue to thrive for many years to come. If you want to learn more about Janta Varisai or Carnatic music in general, check out our online carnatic music classes. We are more than happy to help you out!

FAQs

Related blog: Difference Between Carnatic and Hindustani Music