Practice › Gamaka Teacher
Gamaka lessons
The 26 gamakas of Carnatic music (Sangita Ratnakara) are the soul of raga performance. Start with the four most important: Kampita (vibrato), Orikku (slow slide), Jaru (quick slide), and Nokku (touch). Each lesson shows the target curve — try to imitate it with your voice.
Gamaka Teacher
Kampita (vibrato) (कम्पित)
Difficulty: ★☆☆
A gentle oscillation of pitch around the target. The classic Carnatic vibrato. Try to match the rate (4-5 Hz) and depth (±15 cents).
Hit play and try to imitate the curve with your voice
About gamakas
A gamaka is a deliberate ornament or movement applied to a swara. The Sangita Ratnakara (a 13th-century treatise) enumerates 26 distinct gamakas. Modern Carnatic music (post-Tyagaraja) uses a smaller set in practice, but these four cover the most-used ones. The other 22 are variations and combinations.