Gamaka is a critical element of Indian music, both Karnatic and Hindusthani. There are 10 (dasavidha) or even 15 (pancha-dasa-vidha) types of gamakas described in works such as Sangeetha Sampradaya Pradarshini. Gamakas also exist in other forms of music; however, the variety, complexity and usage as seen in Karnatic music is unparalleled.

What is gamaka? It is the decorative or adornment elements added to a note. Examples of such decorative elements are – oscillating a note, gliding from one note to another, stretching a note from another note, etc. You can listen to some examples here:

Usage of gamakams is what gives a raga its own distinct form. Without such decorations to notes it may not be easy to identify a particular raga, as multiple ragas may have the same sequence of notes in its scale. As an example, avarohana of Sankarabharanam, Bilahari and Arabhi are the same – if we merely look at the notes alone(S n3 d2 p m1 g3 r2 s). However, when the correct gamakams and highlights are applied to the notes, each of the ragams emerge as a distinct one from the same set of notes. Listen to the same here:

Thus, gamakams have to be considered an integram part of Karnatic music, not just an additional aspect that is optional.

Similarly, consider the sequence of “srg” sung with correct oscillations in two major ragams – Sankarabharanam and Kalyani. You can listen to this here:

What is interesting is: sr~~~~~g— is typical of Sankarabharanam where r is oscillated and g is relatively a plain note. Whereas, in Kalyani, s r-g~~~~ is the typical usage, ie., r is a plain note, and “g” gets the oscillation.

It is to be noted that some of the gamakams can be demonstrated only in instruments such as the Veena.

Given below is the dasa-vidha gamaka (10 types) classification, which is perhaps a simpler classification.

Dasa Vidha (10 Varieties of) Gamakas:

Aaroha: Asceding order of notes: Eg: “s r g m p d n s”

Avaroha: Usage of descending order of swaras: Eg: “s n d p m g r s”

Daalu: Starting on a note and then moving to the next in conformity with the pattern of the raga,touching the starting note before each note. Eg, singing “r, g, m,” when sequence sounds like “sr, sg, sm,” on closer inspection.

Spurita: Simplest example of this gamakam is singing of Janta swarams. Eg ss rr gg mm is sung with an oscillation between the two notes, resulting in ‘sns rsr grg mgm..’, with the middle note hidden in a quick movement. Similarly “g” is a very important note for mohanam, and when used in janta sequences – “gg p,p, dp S,S,” (varaveena mrdu paani). One can clearly observe the “gg” is rendered with oscillation, touching the lower note r (rgrg); but “r” remains hidden.

Kampita: Long note oscillating in its own place. Here, unlike spurita gamakam, the lower note is not touched; nor does it touch the higher note. The oscillation is given “in-place”(nattakurinji “ma”)

Aahata: sequence of notes in ascending order such as “sr rg gm mp…”

Pratyaahaata: Sequence of notes in descing order such as “sn nd dp pm …”

Thripuccha: Usage of repeating notes in triplets. “sss rrr ggg…” (Eg: Bhairavi Ata Taala Varnam: PPP DDD NNN ss r).

Andholita: The effect produced by a long note followed by a higher note. (eg: ss,,,, m being heard as “s(rs)m”)

Moorchana: Starting from one note and going to the same note in the next higher or lower octave, traversing the swaras in the ragam. (eg: ‘gpdSRG’ in mohanam)

Spuritam and Kampitam are the gamakams that are applied to a note itself. All other gamakams are expressed only by a sequence of notes that are connected with each other in a particular way.