konnakol
The art of performing rhythmic patterns vocally in South Indian Carnatic music.
In Depth
Konnakol uses specific syllables (ta, ki, na, tom, etc.) to vocalise complex rhythmic compositions. It serves both as a teaching method and a performance art in its own right. Konnakol practitioners can vocalise polyrhythms, metric modulations, and mathematical rhythmic structures of staggering complexity. The practice has attracted Western musicians seeking to deepen their rhythmic understanding, influencing jazz drummers and progressive rock musicians.
Konnakol master B.C. Manjunath has demonstrated rhythmic patterns so complex that audiences assume they are composed, but they are entirely improvised within the tala framework.