Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Dual instrument (C&R) based perfect symmetry with bridge

This involves a number of call and response arrangements that have a symmetrical pattern and also includes a musical bridge.  With two instrument based C&R arrangements, I have not observed any symmetry around a bridge.  In other words, I have not come across a Raja composition that has a musical bridge in the center with perfectly symmetrical C&R arrangements on either sides of it.  In the previous post, there were two songs that had perfectly symmetrical but had a bridge at the end of the interlude. For the purposes of demonstration of a perfect symmetry with two instruments, we ignored the bridge at the end of the interlude.


  1. Melle Melle Vannu Chernu from Apaaratha (Malayalam 1991)
  2. Oli Tharum Sooriyanum from Vaalmiki (Tamil 2009)

Dual instrument (C&R) based imperfect symmetry with bridge

This involves a number of call and response arrangements that have a pattern and also includes a musical bridge. With some exceptions, the arrangement is symmetrical. This again is not an easy one as there are fewer compositions that use two instruments in a C&R arrangement throughout an interlude 

Vasantha Nilavin from Sooryan (2007 Malayalam) is a song that qualifies. The second interlude of this song is primarily a two instrument arrangement – Veena and a synthesizer. The arrangement patterns is as below:


Sy-Ve x2
Sy br
Sy-Ve x2
Sy Br
Sy-Sy x2

From a symmetry point of view, this is imperfect as the Sy x Sy arrangement breaks the symmetry. There are several combinations of ideal symmetrical arrangement with a bridge for this combination. However, this is more of a theory and no guarantee of a great melody as the current Raja arrangement is quite melodious. As this interlude is short, it could be still symmetrical with some extension.

Sy-Ve x2
Sy br
Sy-Ve x2
Sy Br
Sy-Sy x2
Sy Br
Ve-Ve x2

Or

Sy-Ve x2
Sy br
Sy-Sy x2
Sy Br
Ve-Sy x2
Sy Br
Ve-Ve x2

Let’s hear the imperfect, but melodious two instrument arrangement of Vasantha Nilavin…