Well, singing does reduce a lot of stress. But singing the most challenging Tamil songs can be stressful. Ironic, isn’t it? But that’s alright, this can be like a test that assesses your improvement. The trick to sing complex Tamil songs with high notes is by concentrating on emotional expression and just not the vocal techniques.
Tamil music is rich in melody and rhythms and also features so many ranges of emotions. Some Tamil songs with intricate melodies demand good control over pitch, tone and time. Let’s take a look at some top 10 most difficult Tamil songs with few tips and steps to start practicing difficult Tamil songs. Let’s get moving on!
Narumugaiye
| Film: Iruvar (1997) |
| Singer: Unni Menon, Sujatha |
| Music Director: A.R. Rahman |
I must begin with appreciating this brilliant composition by blending the Classical and the Contemporary elements. Use of the raga Nattai has made ‘Narumugaiye’ one the most beautiful yet one of the Hardest Tamil songs to sing. It’s evident that the intricate ornaments like gamakas and deliberate delivery of notes are one of the hallmarks of carnatic vocal style.
The pace of the song is slow enough to showcase the emotional weight of each note and phrases. The grandiose character of Nattai compliments the ever so delicate lyrics, melody and the rhythms. Undoubtedly, balancing all these elements is what makes ‘Narumugaiye’ one of the most difficult Tamil songs of all time.
Kaal Mulaitha Poove
| Film: Maatran |
| Singer: Javed Ali, Mahalakshmi Iyer |
| Music Director: Harris Jayaraj |
I must say, singing ‘Kaal Mulaitha Poove’ requires really good vocal control just to navigate through the runs. The composer Harris Jayaraj has comfortably used Russian music sounds to create one of the most challenging Tamil songs to sing. One must definitely learn to maintain a consistent tone to balance the intensity of the emotions during the dramatic sections.
Perfect delivery of melismas and runs in the verses is just another challenging part of this Tamil song with fast-paced lyrics.
Ratchasa Mamaney
| Film: Ponniyin Selvan 2 |
| Singer: Shreya Goshal |
| Music Director: A.R. Rahman |
‘Raatchasa Mamane’ remains to be one of the Top 10 most difficult Tamil songs to sing of all time. This song is typically set in a periodic drama called ‘Ponniyin Selvan.’ The composer uses a grand orchestration to create a grandiose cinematic feel. The traditional Indian sounds give goosebumps to everyone.
Precision on the timing throughout the song needs to be well taken care of. The Syncopated rhythms and rapid changes may confuse the singer. But by Listening to the song can help a lot in rhythmic awareness and coordination with the pattern of notes.
Sowkiyama Kanne
| Film: Sangamam |
| Singer: Nithyashree |
| Music Director: A.R.Rahman |
‘Sowkiyama Kanne’ is one of the most difficult Tamil songs of all time, a beautiful timeless classical song composed by A.R. Rahman. This compositional style reflects his mastery in classical and other genres of music. The melody travels through major and minor tones expressing the emotions of both sorrow and happiness.
Let’s talk about the exceptional singing of Nithyashree in the verses with jathis and swaras. The key feature of her singing is emoting the lyrics with expressions and ornamentations. And that’s why this is one of the hardest Tamil songs to sing. This song is set in moderate tempo. There is a perfect blend of warmth, depth and a delicacy of voice and instruments.
Uyire Uyire
| Film: Bombay (1995) |
| Singer: Hariharan, K.S. Chithra |
| Composer: A.R. Rahman |
Modern arrangements on Indian Classical facets makes this iconic ballad to resonate so exceptionally well with its listeners. Though it is one of the difficult Tamil songs for singers of any level, ‘Uyire Uyire’ is also one of the most cherished songs of millions of music lovers.
The vocal performance of legendary singers Hariharan and Chithra ji brings the melody to life with an incredible emotional depth. Use of voice ornamentations like gamakas, slurs and glides and its tender delivery particularly during the high pitched parts are challenging as well as hard to replicate. Now this is why ‘Uyire Uyire’ from Bombay falls under the category ‘complex Tamil songs with high notes.’
Pookal Pookum Tharunam
| Film: Madharasapattinam (2010) |
| Singer: Harini, Roopkumar, Andrea Jeremiah |
| Music Director: G.V. Prakash |
The challenge lies in getting through the verse without breaking the emotional stability. ‘Pookal Pookum Tharunam’ is one of the complex Tamil songs with high notes. I’m not gonna lie! It is tough. The flowing melody has elements from both the classical and folk genres.
One needs to have a wide vocal range and good vocal control to even attempt singing this song. The jumps between the low and high notes does require some vocal training. Careful review of phrasing and microtonal variations like gamakas is absolutely important. Now, we know why this romantic piece is one of the most challenging Tamil songs to sing.
Minsara Kanna
| Film: Padayappa |
| Singer: Nithyashree, Srinivas |
| Music Director: A.R. Rahman |
It’s evident that both the singers bring an incredible feel and emotional depth to this semi-classical piece which is one of the Top 10 most difficult Tamil songs to sing. It also happens to be one of the Tamil songs with complex rhythms. It’s very admirable to listen to Srinivas’ smooth and melodious voice complementing Nithyashree’s delicate yet powerful vocals.
The melody is based on Raag Vasantha with traditional instrumentation and subtle use of modern orchestration. I always feel that the dynamic flow in the rhythm patterns complements the emotional push and pull of the lyrics. One needs to understand the foundational concepts of music to sing ‘Minsara Kanna’, a Tamil song with challenging vocal techniques.
Kattu Kuyilu
| Film: Thalapathy (1991) |
| Singer: S.P. Balasubramaniam, K.J. Yesudhas and Chorus |
| Music Director: Ilayaraja |
Rhythm patterns in ‘Kattu Kuyilu’ is the driving force of this song, especially the flow of percussions. Anyone would start to hum the melody once you hear the opening beats. But surely this is one of the easy songs and not the challenging Tamil songs for beginners is what we think, right? Well, let me assure you that this is one of the Tamil songs with high notes.
Combination of traditional folk elements with smooth chord progressions resonates well with anyone who listens to this song. It is best to practice vocal exercises to increase vocal ranges before taking on songs like these to perform.
Kaatrin Mozhi
| Film: Mozhi (2007) |
| Singer: Krishnaraj, Sujatha Mohan |
| Music Director: Vidyasagar |
‘Katrin Mozhi’ is a romantic ballad composed by Vidyasagar and is one of the difficult Tamil songs for singers. It features remarkable singers Krishnaraj and Sujatha Mohan, Tamil singers who are well known for difficult songs, with lush orchestrations. The melodic movement is smooth handling both modern and traditional elements of music delicately. Subtle shades of emotions along with the tender vocal delivery of the singer brings warmth.
For female and male singing voices, this song demands the ability to sing with smooth transitions without having messed up the emotional context. Precise control over pitch and vocal ornamentation like subtle gamakas and accents adds another layer of difficulty.
Hey Rama Oru Vaarama
| Film: Hey Ram(2000) |
| Singer: Hariharan, Swarnalatha |
| Music Director: Ilayaraja |
This timeless classic is deeply rooted with emotions tied to the movie’s narrative. The sparse musical arrangements adds emotional weight to the song. This difficult Tamil song for singers is set in a steady tempo. I must say the haunting melody revolving around raag Panthuvarali sort of creates musical stillness that lets the listeners reflect on the delicate lyrics.
Any singer who attempts to perform this Tamil song with high pitches, needs to engage with the subtle nuances of emotion without overshadowing the melody line or the lyrics. Use dynamics and subtle gamakas to sing ‘Hey Rama’ one of the Tamil songs with intricate compositions.
FAQs
What are the most difficult Tamil songs to sing?
Some of the most difficult Tamil songs include Paranthu Pogindren, Antha Sivagami Maganidam, Ninaithu Ninaithu Paarthal etc.
Which Tamil songs have the highest notes?
Songs like Pookal Pookum Tharunam, Ennavale, En kadhale are some of the Tamil songs with high pitch.
What makes a Tamil song difficult to sing?
Technical challenges like high pitch, vocal control, precision and clarity in delivering emotions are the characteristics of difficult Tamil songs .
Are there any Tamil songs with complex lyrics?
Songs like Unnai kaanadhu naan, Chandralekha are some of the Tamil songs with tough lyrics.
Which Tamil songs are hard to play on instruments?
Songs like enna solla pogirai, Paarkathe oru madhiri, marainthirunthu paarkum are some of the most difficult Tamil songs to play on instruments.
Who are the singers known for difficult Tamil songs?
Singers like Hariharan, Chithra, Karthick, Harini are some of the Tamil singers known for difficult songs.
What are the toughest Tamil songs to master?
Aaromale, Adiye, Maiya Maiya are some of the toughest Tamil songs to master.
How to practice difficult Tamil songs?
Consistent practice with active listening and vocal training is the best way to practice difficult Tamil songs.
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