Editing Carnatic music (section)

===Raga Alapana===
{{Main|Alapana}}
An alapana, sometimes also called ragam,<ref name="Wolf1999">{{cite journal | last = Wolf |first = R.| title = untitled | journal = Asian Music |volume = 30 | issue = 1 |pages = 199–203 |year = 1999|doi = 10.2307/834271|jstor = 834271}}</ref> is the exposition of a [[raga]] or tone – a slow improvisation with no rhythm,<ref name="RoyalCarpetGlossary-R">{{cite web|url=http://www.karnatik.com/glossr.shtml|title=Royal Carpet: Glossary of Carnatic Terms R|work=karnatik.com}}</ref> where the raga acts as the basis of embellishment.<ref name="Nettl1974"/> In performing alapana, performers consider each raga as an object that has beginnings and endings and consists somehow of sequences of thought.<ref name="Nettl1974"/>

The performer will explore the [[ragam]] and touch on its various nuances,<ref name="Wolf1999"/> singing in the lower octaves first, then gradually moving up to higher octaves, while giving a hint of the song to be performed.<ref name="RoyalCarpetGlossary-R"/>

Theoretically, this ought to be the easiest type of improvisation, since the rules are so few, but in fact, it takes much skill to sing a pleasing, comprehensive (in the sense of giving a "feel for the ragam") and, most importantly, original raga alapana.