Lesson 1 – Sarali Varisai

Sarali Varisai (also referred as Swaravali Varisaigal) is the basic exercise and serves as building blocks for beginner students for both carnatic style singing (carnatic vocals) and also for carnatic instruments. There are totally 14 exercises in this and the Sarali varisai notes are also sometimes referred as Sarali varisai lyrics is to be practised in 3 speeds. Once the student has mastered Sarali Varsai they can move to the next set of exercises called Janta Varisai.

Practising Sarali varisai helps students to get a good grasp of melody and rhythm. Sarali varisai is practised in Maya Malava Gowlava Ragam & Adi Talam (8 beats).

This exercise is sung in the raga Mayamalavagowla, which is suited for a beginner to learn both in vocal and instrumental. This raga or scale is practised in Arohana (ascending) and in Avarohana (descending) as shown below.

Arohana : s r1 g3 m1 p d1 n3 s
Avarohana : S n3 d1 p m1 g3 r1 s

It is easy for the beginners to learn Sarali Varisai as the swaras or the notes are placed in balanced distances from one another. Here the purvanga or first half is symmetrical to the uttaranga or second half. This helps a student to render the raga easily. Sarali varisai is set in one octave beginning from Madhya shadja to Tara shadja.

The key feature of Sarali varisais is the sequence in which they have been composed. The exercises in Saralai Varisai helps student to progress step by step, so that the student learns about the interval between the swaras.