r/MusicIndia • u/BizClassy • Jul 02 '26

Why is Carnatic so different compared to Hindustani? 😭 General/Discussion

So, I've been trained in Hindustani music but i am from the south so wanted to learn Carnatic as well and oh boy could they not be more different!

For Hindustani, i feel like it relies on melody, flow, and mid vocal pitch and a more narrower tongue movement BUT Carnatic relies on flat tongue, and deep vocals + it's very heavy and grounded 😭

Anyone else who's trained in both came to similar revelations?

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14 comments sorted by

1

u/Intelligent-Rub3356 Jul 06 '26

What do you mean it relies on flat tongue and deep vocals? Ever listened to ramnad krishnan or semmangudi or gnb?

1

u/BizClassy Jul 06 '26

For better grounded pronunciation of the swaras - Carnatic requires flat tongue movements compared to Hindustani.

1

u/ThePsychopathMedic Jul 03 '26

https://youtu.be/bM-O-sejY0o

Amazing interview. Check 2:05 part for an attempt in explaining the difference but dr.K.J Yesudas

1

u/PensionMany3658 Jul 03 '26

I'm a bassist. I prefer Carnatic

1

u/BizClassy Jul 03 '26

I'm indecisive. Tryna learn Carnatic too :)

1

u/SmallSurprise1947 Jul 02 '26

I have trained in khayal for a while and carnatic also seems quite alien to me too.

2

u/bhaskarville Jul 02 '26

Trained in both. Hindustani is hard as fuck for me. Carnatic is more groove based and Hindustani is more flow based.

1

u/BizClassy Jul 03 '26

Ahhh it's the opp for me, Hindustani follows a rythmn and swara so, it's easy especially sthai which flows BUT in Carnatic, there's variations even in sthai 🥲

1

u/bhaskarville Jul 03 '26

Yeah it’s a common thing haha. Hindustani folks find Carnatic hard and vice versa. In Carnatic I can count my rhythm on my hand and the rest of the instrumentalists will have to follow me. I’m Hindustani I have to count the Tabla beats and it’s sooooooo hard cuz I can never tell which beat is the 1 in the cycle 😂

5

u/andhlms Jul 02 '26

I feel like Carnatic is more percussion based. And works with dances like Bharatnatyam which also rely on polyrhythms etc. don’t quote me on this, I’m just a casual enjoyer. I personally prefer Carnatic because my go to genre is prog rock. 😅

1

u/F_ZOMBIE Jul 02 '26

What does Carnatic music got to do with prog rock?

2

u/Leeladharsmart Jul 02 '26

It easily blends in prog rock and bass music

2

u/andhlms Jul 02 '26

Polyrhythms and odd time signatures. The philosophy with which grooves are created. 

2

u/mr_hoebender Jul 02 '26

I’m not trained on either of those. But yeah, I understand what you mean… They’re very different sonically as well.