Gamakas

Gamaka is way of beautifying the notes or swaras which we play. It is an integral part of Indian music.

Gamaka is a style of landing on the desired note from a different note (A gamak note). There are many different ways of applying the Gamak to landing notes.

We can apply gamak to a particular note from a preceding note or a succeeding note.

Applying Gamakas while Ascending in a simple scale, S R G M P D N S’.

Example of applying gamaks while ascending, from succeeding notes.

(This style of applying gamaks is used commonly)

^GR

^MG

^PM

^DP

^ND

^S’N

^R’S’

Example of applying gamaks while ascending, from preceding notes.

^.NR

^SG

^RM

^GP

^MD

^PN

^DS’

Applying Gamakas while Descending in a simple scale, S’ N D P M G R S.

Example of applying gamaks while descending, from preceding notes.

(This style of applying gamaks is used commonly)

S’

^R’N

^S’D

^NP

^DM

^PG

^MR

^GS

Example of applying gamaks while descending, from succeeding notes.

S’

^DN

^PD

^MP

^GM

^RG

^SR

^.NS

While we ascend in a scale, gamakas from succeeding notes are commonly used. While descending in a scale gamakas from preceding notes are commonly used.

In Bansuri flute because we get a ‘stopper’ when ‘Pa’ comes, usually we don’t apply the gamaks for some notes around ‘Pa’ and play them in a simple manner so as to get the smooth sound. In the examples above, for those notes which are coloured orange, play them without the superscript.