Sound Of Music
The term Intonation in music means, put simply, producing notes that are in tune. It is what we would call śruti śuddham. The most important factor for producing a note in tune is possessing an accurate outlook of that note. Once this is present, intonation is developed by practicing to match the note we produce with this standard. In Carnatic music, of course, we do not have an "absolute note" -- they are all relative to the chosen reference ṣaḍjamam. Thus, for perfect intonation, a keen sense of hearing is absolutely essential. When performing in large halls, musicians hear their own instruments only very faintly. And there isn't enough echo either. So, intonation becomes a big challenge. Now, an accompanying Carnatic artist has a tougher problem -- he needs to be able to hear the main performer as well. Furthermore, an instrument that is initially tuned perfectly to the taṃbūrā, may go out of tune during the course of the concert; and the musician needs to be able t...