Janta Varisai - Lesson 2

Janta Varishais: These are forceful sequences, which facilitate the students to add weight and majesty to their voice. They make use of a form of ornamentation called "spuritham" which is rendering a note twice: plain the first time, and with force from the previous note (i.e. the note just below this note in frequency) in the raga the second time. Teachers must take care that the concept of sphuritham is very clearly embedded in the students' minds. The tendency to render it in a bland and insipid manner should be avoided.

Janta Varisai Exercises :
Notations :
* s = sa ; r = ri ; g = ga ; m = ma ; p = pa; d = dha ; n = ni ;
* Capitalized letters are in the higher octave.
* Letters with a period "." after them are in the lower octave.

Speeds :

Janta Varisai is sung in three speeds.


First speed - two notes per unit
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ss rr gg mm pp dd nn SS

Second speed - four notes per unit
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
ssrr ggmm ppdd nnSS SSnn ddpp mmgg rrss

Third speed - eight notes per unit
1 2 3 4
ssrrggmm ppddnnSS SSnnddpp mmggrrss

5 6 7 8
ssrrggmm ppddnnSS SSnnddpp mmggrrss

Let's get started with the janta varisai lessons.

Basic ascent/descent with jantavarisai.
1. ss rr gg mm pp dd nn SS
SS nn dd pp mm gg rr ss

2. 2. Janta Emphasis (starting and ending) at each of the seven notes

s s r r g g m m
r r g g m m p p
g g m m p p d d
m m p p d d n n
p p d d n n S S
S S n n d d p p
n n d d p p m m
d d p p m m g g
p p m m g g r r
m m g g r r s s

3. Zigzag: srgr-rgmg-... pattern
s s r r g g r r
s s r r g g m m
r r g g m m g g
r r g g m m p p
g g m m p p m m
g g m m p p d d
m m p p d d p p
m m p p d d n n
p p d d n n d d
p p d d n n S S
S S n n d d n n
S S n n d d p p
n n d d p p d d
n n d d p p m m
d d p p m m p p
d d p p m m g g
p p m m g g m m
p p m m g g r r
m m g g r r g g
m m g g r r s s

Hear the first three lessons of janta varisai here.

janta1.mp3

4. Janta with single notes (eg: ssr-ssr-sr), and pattern repeated.

s s r - s s r s r
s s r r g g m m
r r g - r r g r g
r r g g m m p p
g g m - g g m g m
g g m m p p d d
m m p - m m p m p
m m p p d d n n
p p d - p p d p d
p p d d n n S S
S S n - S S n S n
S S n n d d p p
n n d - n n d n d
n n d d p p m m
d d p - d d p d p
d d p p m m g g
p p m - p p m p m
p p m m g g r r
m m g - m m g m g
m m g g r r s s

Hear the 4th exercise of Janta Varisai below.

Janta2.mp3

5. Janta with single notes (eg: ssrrg-srg), and pattern repeated.

s s r r g - s r g
s s r r g g m m
r r g g m - r g m
r r g g m m p p
g g m m p - g m p
g g m m p p d d
m m p p d - m p d
m m p p d d n n
p p d d n - p d n
p p d d n n S S
S S n n d - S n d
S S n n d d p p
n n d d p - n d p
n n d d p p m m
d d p p m - d p m
d d p p m m g g
p p m m g - p m g
p p m m g g r r
m m g g r - m g r
m m g g r r s s

Hear the 5th exercise of Janta Varisai below:

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6. Janta with dheergams interspersed (ss, - rr, -gg) and pattern repeated.

s s , r r , g g
s s r r g g m m
r r , g g , m m
r r g g m m p p
g g , m m , p p
g g m m p p d d
m m , p p , d d
m m p p d d n n
p p , d d , n n
p p d d n n S S
S S , n n , d d
S S n n d d p p
n n , d d , p p
n n d d p p m m
d d , p p , m m
d d p p m m g g
p p , m m , g g
p p m m g g r r
m m , g g , r r
m m g g r r s s

Hear the 6th exercise of Janta Varisai below :

janta4.mp3

7. Janta with dheergams interspersed in a slightly different pattern (s,s - r,r -gg) and pattern repeated.
s , s r , r g g
s s r r g g m m
r , r g , g m m
r r g g m m p p
g , g m , m p p
g g m m p p d d
m , m p , p d d
m m p p d d n n
p , p d , d n n
p p d d n n S S
S , S n , n d d
S S n n d d p p
n , n d , d p p
n n d d p p m m
d , d p , p m m
d d p p m m g g
p , p m , m g g
p p m m g g r r
m , m g , g r r
m m g g r r s s

8. Triple janta (sss-rrr-gg) and pattern repeated.

s s s r r r g g
s s r r g g m m
r r r g g g m m
r r g g m m p p
g g g m m m p p
g g m m p p d d
m m m p p p d d
m m p p d d n n
p p p d d d n n
p p d d n n S S
S S S n n n d d
S S n n d d p p
n n n d d d p p
n n d d p p m m
d d d p p p m m
d d p p m m g g
p p p m m m g g
p p m m g g r r
m m m g g g r r
m m g g r r s s

Hear the 7th and 8th exercise of Janta varisai below :

janta7-8.mp3

An extra lesson to get thorough with the lessons 6,7, and 8 is the janta varisai combination. The material is not present in the 'ganamrutha bodhini' book.

COMBINATION :

ss , - r r , gg s , s-r , r gg

ss s - r rr gg ss rr gg mm


rr , - g g , mm r , r-g , g mm

rr r - g gg mm rr gg mm pp


gg , - m m , pp g, g–m , n pp

gg g- m mm pp gg mm pp dd


mm , - p p, dd m , m-p , p dd

mm m-ppp dd mm pp dd nn


pp , - dd , nn p , p-d ,d nn

ppp - d dd nn pp dd nn SS


SS , - N N , DD S, S-N , N DD

SS S-N NN DD SS NN DD PP


NN , - D D , PP N , N-D , D PP

NN N-D DD PP NN DD PP MM


DD , - P P , MM D, D-P , P MM

DD D-P PP MM DD PP MM GG


PP , -M M , GG P, P-M , M GG

P P P-M MM GG PP MM GG RR


MM , - G G , RR M , M-G ,G RR

MM M-G GG RR MM GG RR SS


9. Janta with dhatu-style jumps and zig-zag (ss mm gg rr) followed by janta pattern.
s s m m g g r r
s s r r g g m m
r r p p m m g g
r r g g m m p p
g g d d p p m m
g g m m p p d d
m m n n d d p p
m m p p d d n n
p p S S n n d d
p p d d n n S S
S S p p d d n n
S S n n d d p p
n n m m p p d d
n n d d p p m m
d d g g m m p p
d d p p m m g g
p p r r g g m m
p p m m g g r r
m m s s r r g g
m m g g r r s s

An additional lesson for Janta varisai (Not in the book)
10. Janta with s-r s-r pattern repeated

ss rr sr sr
ss rr gg mm
rr gg rg rg
rr gg mm pp
gg mm gm gm
gg mm pp dd
mm pp mp mp
mm pp dd nn
pp dd pd pd
pp dd nn SS
SS nn Sn Sn
SS nn dd pp
nn dd nd nd
nn dd pp mm
dd pp dp dp
dd pp mm gg
pp mm pm pm
pp mm gg rr
mm gg mg mg
mm gg rr ss

janta9_10.mp3