Swarmalika is a style of singing where the vocalist sings the sargam of the song (The notes according to the Indian gamut). The note-for-note relationship between the lyrics and the melody is very powerful in delineating the swar. The swarmalika is important in the education of North Indian music, because it is a mnemonic for remembering the rags. It is generally considered to be a beginners’ exercise rather than a full performance piece; However, it may be invoked for short periods in a full performance, although this is rare except for certain tans.
The instrumental accompaniment to swarmalika depends upon the performance situation. In a pedagogical situation, this tends to revolve around what is available in a typical instructional environment. Therefore, in a full student performance, this will usually consist of harmonium, tanpura, and tabla. However within an instructional setting, it will often be nothing more than a tabla peti/tabla app and a sur peti (shruti box)/drone app.
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