It has been a while since I posted information regarding updates here. Chords for more songs have been added to Tamil Christian songs file [Baara siluvayinai, Belan ondrum illai Dheva, En Idhayam yaarukku theriyum, Endha kaalathilum, Enakkaai jeevan vittavarae, Maatchimai (Majesty), Oru thaai thaetruvadhu, Unnai thaan kaetkiraen and Yesuvae Aandavar (He is Lord)] and Transliterated songs file. Also these files have been re-organized completely with the songs now listed in the alphabetical order for easier browsing through the files.
Also, I have recently added one more video in Youtube for the Tamil song Aadhi Pidhaa Kumaaran. Unlike most of my other videos, this video is more about the usefulness of guitar synthesizer and looping technologies (currently available through various types of gadgets) in doing traditional praise and worship songs. Such traditional Indian Christian songs were generally composed utilizing Carnatic or Hindustani ragas which are primarily classical Indian musical scales.
Carnatic Music Intro: Let me give a small intro about Carnatic music here. The ragas (Carnatic scales) differ primarily from their western music counterparts in their utilization of what are known as ghamakas which are note ornamentations or expressive sliding between different (adjacent or farther notes) in strings. Thus by utilizing ghamakas (adding expressions to the semitones) the commonly known twelve western musical semitones can further be distinguished in Carnatic music as sixteen (what is more commonly known as) microtones. (Due to these additional finer expression details, it is often said that Indian Classical music lessons often need a physical tutor demonstrating the ghamakas than just the written notes.) I have added some additional information regarding Carnatic music in the Scales and Chords file for those of you who want to explore more about it.
The Tamil Christian Keerthanai, Aadhi Pidhaa Kumaaran is a classical composition in the janya raga known as Gambhiranata. The song is done here in D major and Gambhiranata raga involved here is a pentatonic scale known as Gambhiranata (Five note raga involving D,F#,G,A and C# notes). The Carnatic notes used in this raga are S, G3, M1, P and N3.
As I started attempting this song with guitar, I realized that the currently available gadgets are so advanced that we can utilize them with guitars to get any type of sound (for example, sitar or even tabla) for even ethnic musical styles.
Instrument set up: A MIM Fender Strat equipped with a GK-3 hexa-phonic pick-up triggering a Roland GR-30 guitar synthesizer (Sitar, Flute and Tabla sounds) which in turn triggers Roland SH-201 (strings sound) synthesizer through MIDI. Additionally, the regular guitar sound from the Strat's pick-ups are processed through a Zoom G9.2tt multi-effects processor for the distorted tone. The audio output from this set up is connected to a Boss RC-30 looper. For the backing track, a simple one measure loop was created overlaying tabla, sitar and string sounds from GR-30 over a basic RC-30 foot drum looping pattern.
The only chord that I have used (with Sitar tone) in the looping backing track in this song is D5 which involves D and A notes.
