Melodic Movement Research Articles

Hindustani raga and singer classification using 2D and 3D pose estimation from video recordings

Using pose estimation with video recordings, we apply an action recognition machine learning algorithm to demonstrate the use of the movement information to classify singers and the ragas (melodic modes) they perform. Movement information is derived from a specially recorded video dataset of solo Hindustani (North Indian) raga recordings by three professional singers each performing the same nine ragas, a smaller duo dataset (one singer with tabla accompaniment) as well as recordings of concert performances by the same singers. Data is extracted using pose estimation algorithms, both 2D (OpenPose) and 3D. A two-pathway convolutional neural network structure is proposed for skeleton action recognition to train a model to classify 12-second clips by singer and raga. The model is capable of distinguishing the three singers on the basis of movement information alone. For each singer, it is capable of distinguishing between the nine ragas with a mean accuracy of 38.2% (with the most successful model). The model trained on solo recordings also proved effective at classifying duo and concert recordings. These findings are consistent with the view that while the gesturing of Indian singers is idiosyncratic, it remains tightly linked to patterns of melodic movement: indeed we show that in some cases different ragas are distinguishable on the basis of movement information alone. A series of technical challenges are identified and addressed, with code shared alongside audiovisual data to accompany the paper.

ИННОВАЦИОННЫЕ ПРОЦЕССЫ В МУЗЫКАЛЬНОМ ФОЛЬКЛОРЕ НАРЫМСКИХ СЕЛЬКУПОВ

The article discusses the processes of development of modern musical folklore among the Narym Selkups based on the analysis of the publication “Ob tunes of Narym Selkups” (compiled by V. Tuzakova and I. Korobeynikova, Tomsk, 2015). Russian folklore and Soviet mass song are influencing the modern musical folklore of the southern Selkups, and the creativity of amateur Selkup composers (melodists) is developing. In the works of modern musical folklore, the main marker of national identity is the Selkup language. Manifestations of the “Selkup” musical style (scale, organization of melodic movement) are partially preserved, but new stylistic features come to the fore: arrangements defining the musical style of new songs, instrumental accompaniment, square structural constructions peculiar to modern music and other means of popular musical genres. Onomatopoeia of the voices of animals and birds, which are associated with the traditional taiga landscape for the Selkups and bring the “image of a place” to modern compositions, are widely used in modern folklore works. This allows us to consider the modern musical folklore of the Selkups in the light of the concept of the sounding landscapes of the Arctic.

Analyzing the Role of Melodic Contours in Music Therapy for ADHD Therapeutic Interventions

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is one of the most common neurodevelopmental disorders affecting children; it impacts their academic growth, social habits, as well as daily lifestyle routines. This review aims to explore using melodic contours as a possible therapeutic intervention for those affected with ADHD. Melodic contour refers to the shape of a musical melody, encompassed by various aspects such as the rise and fall of a pitch, the direction of melodic movement, and the overall pattern of the melody. Music therapy has shown promise as a form of treatment for individuals affected by neuropsychological behaviors such as ADHD. The use of melodic contours is a specific technique in music therapy that can be used to target patients’ attention, impulsivity, and emotional regulation. This review explores the theoretical background of melodic contours and their potential therapeutic benefits, though it warrants further research into clinical trials to test the effectiveness of using specific melodic contours for ADHD treatment.

Bolivian “Music of the Wind” in guitar works: aspects of artistic implementation

The relevance of the article is to consider Bolivian guitar music as an important component of the modern South American repertoire. On the example of the works of famous composers and performers Alfredo Domínguez, Fernando Arduz, and Jilberto Rojas, connections with the folklore traditions of the country, the poetics of Bolivian "wind music", and its timbre specificity have been revealed.
 Main objective of the study is to reveal aspects of the artistic embodiment of Bolivian «music of the wind» in academic guitar work. The scientific novelty of the article lies in the introduction of materials about Bolivian musical culture and guitar creativity into domestic musicological circulation.
 The methodology includes methods of historical, comparative, phenomenological, structural and functional analysis to study: genre and style elements of Bolivian folk music of Indian and Creole origin in academic guitar work; organology of traditional instruments and timbre characteristics of sound; phenomena of imitation of the voices of nature, the timbres of Bolivian wind, percussion, and string-plucked instruments by modern guitar means of sound production; genealogy of rhythmic structures and their manifestations in the researched works; decorative and visual ritual attribution; correlation of associative-figurative series with timbre connotations, specific genres and intonation and chord patterns; anthropological connections of the sound space of «music of the wind» with the surrounding natural and landscape environment and the state of metaphysical dialogue of man with the surrounding world.
 Results and conclusions. In the analyzed compositions («Feria», «Por la Quebrada» by A. Dominguez, «Despedida de Los Chunchos» by F. Arduz, «Guadalquivir» by J. Rojas) various resources of performing guitar technique used to imitate the voices of nature, authentic timbres of ancient Bolivian aerophones quena, erke, сaña, membranophones caja, local chordophones charango, relevant in modern conditions of collective ritual music-making practice. Sound and image connotations are correlated with the voices of Bolivian folk instruments, ritual decorations, plasticity of dance movements, visualization of natural landscapes and attribution of totemic cultures. In the process of defining genre components, the contrasts of juxtapositions were demonstrated: takirari, tonada and Andean huayño, ceremonial Indian ceremonies and sardana dance of Iberian origin, metric fluctuations of Creole and Indian rhythms, melodic movements of pentatonic nature with melismatic ornaments of the Andean type. Linguistic and genre characteristics of guitar works were investigated taking into account the anthropological experience of Bolivian scientists studying their musical and ceremonial culture, which in particular determined the search for the historical roots of musical phenomena among the exhibits of archaeological museums, exhibits of musical instruments, and artifacts of the life of indigenous peoples.

Analisis Lagu Anak-anak Ciptaan A.T. Mahmud

The purpose of this study was to analyze and describe children's songs created by AT Mahmud. This type of research is content analysis research. The main instrument in this study was the researcher himself and assisted with a set of musical instruments such as guitars. Data collection techniques are carried out by means of observation, documentation and library studies. The steps of analyzing data are collecting data, clarifying data, describing data and concluding data. Based on the results of the analysis of three children's songs by A. T. Mahmud shows that the musical characteristics of the song A. T. Mahmud are; 1) processing dominant rhythmic motifs undergo reps; 2) more melodic movements using stepping movements (M2 and m2 intervals); 3) Dominant melodic motif processing techniques using sequence techniques; 4) Chord progressions only use the main chords I, IV and V (major / minor); 5) the dominant cadens appear namely Authentic cadense; 6) the birama marks used are 2/4, 3/4, and 4/4; and 7) Cemara, Kereta Keretaku and Pemandangan songs fall into the category of one- and two-part form songs. Based on the musical characteristics of the song created by A. T. Mahmud caused the songs to remain sung and survive to this day. The element of simplicity in the selection of tone, rhythm, and harmony remains A.T Mahmud's consideration in making children's songs so that they are easy to sing and beautiful to hear.

The deconstruction of Byzantine mode-organization and the new Chrysanthine ‘order’

This paper was written to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the publication of musical treatise by Archbishop Chrysanthos of Madytos (c.1770-1846), the first work towards a ‘scientific’ treatment of Greek ecclesiastical music (1821)[1]. Chrysanthos attempted to reorganize the modal and rhythmic theory of this music, and reform the musical notation that has remained to this day. The paper deals with an aspect of Chrysanthine modal system that has not received due attention so far: the abandonment of the traditional authentic-plagal order and its substitution by a new one that does not make sense if placed outside its cultural context and historical antecedents. Chrysanthos’ main point of reference seems to be the Ottoman makam system that had already penetrated post-Byzantine chant but was now given a new momentum[2]. Before that, Greek composers used the Byzantine modal division into four authentic (kurioi) and four plagal (plagioi), positioned a fifth apart from each other. The authentic modes were mostly ascending in terms of melodic movement, whereas the plagal were descending (though one has first to ascend in order to get down!). Otherwise, every authentic-plagal pair shared the same melodic scale (usually an octave), which they traversed according to certain melodic motifs (some common to all, others unique to every mode).[1] Chrysanthos, Εισαγωγή εις το θεωρητικόν και πρακτικόν της Εκκλησιαστικής Μουσικής / συνταχθείσα προς χρήσιν των σπουδαζόντων αυτήν κατά την νέαν μέθοδον παρά Χρυσάνθου του εκ Μαδύτων, Διδασκάλου του Θεωρητικού της Μουσικής (Paris: Rigny, 1821).[2] In this paper, the Turkish terms have been rendered into their original script except for makam (mode) and usul (rhythm), the Anglicized plural form of which (makams and usuls) has been preferred instead of the longer makamler and usuler. The Greek names have been transliterated into Latin according to British Standard for transliteration of Cyrillic and Greek characters (BS), 1958.

An acoustical and psychological study on contribution of lyrics in raga-based happy and sad Indian music

A perfect complementary relationship between the lyric and the melody can give birth to a beautiful song. The melodic expression of a song is universal but the lyrical expression is not – lyric is culture specific because of its language dependence. Can melody itself communicate the core emotions of a song? Or does the addition of a lyrical sense significantly change its emotional experience? This study looks for the answers focusing on a unique subgenre of Indian Classical Music – Ragashroyi compositions, where the melodic movements sincerely follow the Raga pathways but the lyrics explore a much deeper and wider variety of emotions compared to Raga bandishes. Recordings were collected from two eminent vocalists (1 male, 1 female), each of whom was asked to sing (with proper lyrics) and hum (without meaningful lyrics) any two Bengali Ragashroyi compositions of two opposite emotions – happiness and sadness. Hurst Exponents, obtained from robust non-linear Detrended Fluctuation Analysis (DFA) of the recorded acoustic waveforms, were compared for each song-humming pair having same melodic structure to understand the acoustic contribution of the lyrics in a song quantitatively. A comparative audience response study was also conducted where several humming and song clips were played randomly and two groups (one which understands Bengali, the other which does not), each having 30 participants, were asked to mark the emotions and the characteristic features corresponding to each clip on 5 point Likert scale, and their responses were compared for each song-humming pair. This pilot study on Ragashroyi Indian music explores in depth the contribution of lyrics in vocal music from both the perspectives of computational acoustics and audience psychology.

МУЗЫКАЛЬНЫЕ И ВЕРБАЛЬНЫЕ КОМПОНЕНТЫ В МУСУЛЬМАНСКОМ БОГОСЛУЖЕНИИ

To begin with that is well known fact that any traditional culture (including Islamic culture) is variable in its nature. The regional component of divine service (Krasnoyarsk, Kazan, Moscow) is a specific factor of modification in this article. Moreover, it is assumed that the objective reason of the appearance of regional features of the researched musical material could be the vastness of the Russian territory and the relative distance of mosques in provincial cities from the Kazan center. By the way, despite the different ways of musical intoning, the sacred word of the Koran remains unchanged, and variability is the universal principle of any traditional culture. The ritual-plastic side introduces a special feature in the chanting of juma-namaz, the Friday prayer, that is prescribed by the Koran (obligatory collective prayer of Muslims is performed on Friday during the noon prayers in mosques). Actually in any religious cult prayer practice is associated with certain bodily movements that are determined not only the nature of vocal intonation, but often with the direction of the melodic movement. Moreover, this interconnection of musical and plastic intonations in chanting of juma-namaz deserves a separate consideration. The ritual gestures are strictly defined. They are canonized not only by gestures and movements, but also with what verbal formula they must be coincided. The main complex of ritual movements in juma-namaz is concentrated in “dramatic heart” of worship. It is concentrated two rak’ahat-standing (the canonized order of words and actions that constitute the Muslim prayer). The supreme variety of movements is “Takbir” (exaltation of God), which includes a waist-bow and straightening, two earthly bows and seats, a waist-bow and straightening after a bow. The gestures can be changed during one chant or in the transition between two chants. The special cohesion of bodily and melodic movements is singled out the hymns of rak'ah in general. By the way, if in the first two chants attention is focused on intense melodic movement in a relatively unfolded vocal form, in “Takbir”, on the contrary, the relative “low mobility” and shortness of melodic structures “the score” of body movements is richer. Taking everything into account, the body movement is not an end in itself. It is just one of the ways of expressing the prayer state of the soul, which is in some way consistent with other methods – words and melodies. In this case, the art of the singing also acts as one of the methods of prayer and it determines not only by the proper musical patterns (it is secondary), but it mostly determines be the tajwid (the rules of reading the Koran).

Evolution de la pensée prosodique à travers la notion de mouvement (France, 1600-1740)

The grammatization of languages first occured through a transfer of the model developed for Latin and Greek, and its application to different object languages. However, this model barely considers prosody, seen at its origin, among the Greeks, as an accompanied song with a melodic movement of the voice, noted by the different accents. In the Latin traditi on, the study of intonati on, stress and quantity is integrated into rhetorics, and reflections on vocal efficiency in poetries. For a long time, the French authors interested in prosody were concerned with versification, and not grammar. The introduction of the new theoretical program of general grammar, with the aim of writing the universal bases of languages, triggers a new interest among grammarians in the prosody of languages in general, and that of French in particular. Slowly, the discipline found its autonomy and a place within French grammar. In this process, the new conception of time and mo vement, which emerged throughout the seventeenth century in other fields such as physics, philosophy or even music, played a significant role: movement was viewed as being in close connection with the soul, and time became the measure of movement.

Exploring Chinese Poetry using Adobe Spark Video

This tutorial offers Chinese learners from lower-intermediate to advanced level a digital approach to exploring Chinese language and culture through poetry, using a free educational tool: Adobe Spark Video. Based on a multimodal (verbal, visual and textual) and transmedia (from abstract text to digital production) approach, it provides learners with a step-by-step guide to synchronising a selected Chinese poem with recorded recitation as well as corresponding images and music. Grounded in the concept of digitally mediated learning, this activity aims to enhance learners’ autonomy, creativity and participation in the process of foreign language acquisition (Hourigan & Murray). In following this process, learners will have the opportunity to improve not only precision in their reading, listening and speaking skills, but also their understanding of the aesthetics of Chinese literature. Such an approach is particularly relevant to the learning of Chinese, given that tone, prosody and melodic movements are considered distinctive and crucial in Chinese speech, notably in literary genres such as poetry, making poetry recitation an important cultural and pedagogical (though not often practised) aspect of studying the language. Furthermore, in producing an audio-visual illustration, learners are engaged in a process of cultural decoding and recoding linguistically and digitally, thus also deepening their understanding of Chinese cultural and historical traditions in which this poetry is embedded. While this tutorial makes its demonstration through a classical Chinese poem, ‘A Quatrain’ by Du Fu (712–770 ce), the digital tool and method can be applied to other types of Chinese literary text or to the learning of other languages and cultures. This tutorial can be used by learners independently for self-study or by teachers to complement other learning activities. It is adaptable for either university courses or non-accredited lifelong learning. The tutorial will explain the detailed technical process step by step and provides a demo video to showcase the product. It is recommended that the activity is further facilitated by input on the language and background of Chinese poetic traditions where appropriate.

Принципы применения народных инструментов фольклорной традиции в народно-певческом исполнительстве (к вопросу преподавания дисциплины «Народные инструменты фольклорной традиции»)

Обращение будущих руководителей народно-певческих коллективов кразнообразным инструментам фольклорной традиции обусловлено как возросшим интересоммузыкантов к народной крестьянско-посадской музыкально-инструментальной культуре, так изадачей сохранения стилистики песенно-инструментального языка, помогающей создатьэтнический художественный образ фольклорных произведений. Специфика применениятрадиционных фольклорных инструментов обусловлена синкретичностью фольклорноготворчества. Авторами представлена апробированная система применения народных инструментовфольклорной традиции в народно-певческом исполнительстве, основанная на основополагающихпринципах. Выявленные и систематизированные в результате исследования принципыприменения народных инструментов фольклорной традиции в народно-певческомисполнительстве могут служить теоретическим и методическим основанием организацииучебного процесса в образовательных учреждениях культуры и искусства по дисциплине«Народные инструменты фольклорной традиции».

Children’s choir in MarkKarminskyi’s creativity

Children’s choir in MarkKarminskyi’s creativity

Вопросительные высказывания в русской и испанской звучащей речи (на материале телеинтервью)

This article is devoted to the study of interrogative statements in Russian and Spanish sounding speech. The role of intonation in creating interrogative meaning is considered. The research is based on the analysis of fragments of video recordings of TV interviews. The texts of the video recordings of the sounding quasi-spontaneous Russian and Spanish speech of the participants of the TV interviews were subjected to an auditive analysis. Analysis of the results of the study of the parameters of interrogative statements in Russian and Spanish sounding speech made it possible to conclude that the behaviour of melodic signs on stressed syllables is nationally specific: the peculiarity of Spanish intonation, which clearly contrasts with Russian, consists in the continuing melodic movement on back-stressed syllables. Based on these parameters of interrogative statements, an attempt is made to represent the system at the intonation level for the Russian and Spanish languages. The appeal to the systematic approach in the study of the intonation level allows us to determine the main units of this level - intonemes as sets of differential features for each of the languages that form communicative types of utterances, and draw conclusions about the main differences in intonation systems.

Anton Bruckner’s Psalm 112: on the road to creative maturity

Relevance of the study. Psalm 112, written in 1863, is an example of a fully formed authorial style. The constant attitude of the composer to certain biblical images and, accordingly, their intonational embodiment enabled to return to the compositional model of Psalm 150. It is evident that the spiritual works of the early period of the composer’s creative work did not lead to a prejudiced thought them. Therefore, the study of the works that preceded the First Mass, their detailed analysis and scientific understanding, including Psalm 112, becomes relevant.Main objectives of the article are to consider Psalm 112 in the context of the theme and imagery of other psalms addressed by the composer, to analyze the methods of working with biblical primary source, to identify the features of intonational dramaturgy and stylistic features of the work in terms of the ratio of author and borrowed, to reveal the meaning of leiton for the further evolution of style.Findings and conclusions. The affinity of biblical images in the Psalms, addressed by A. Bruckner in the early period of his work, contributed to the formation and crystallization of the means of musical embodiment of the sacred text. The image of praise, summed up in one word “hallelujah”, is perhaps the most important from the beginning of the composer’s creative career. This led to the choice of intonation formulas, such as strong-willed rising quarto, repetition ofthe tone (usually steady) in combination with the dashed rhythm, melodic movement within the tetrachord, reliance on the sounds of tonic three-tone. Skillful motive work, striking harmonyc technique bring A. Bruckner’s style of the late eighteenth century. In quarto-quintile tonal ratios, A. Bruckner inherits the classical principles, in the Tetriary, as well as the second shifts, the romantic ones. Although the work is considered instructive, Psalm 112 has clearly defined features of the author’s style, especially since it was created on the eve of Mass in d minor.The movement in two directions can be noted in the works of A. Bruckner: with respect to form and composition, the composer continues the classical principles, but in the interpretation of biblical images and the rethinking of the baroque semantics of numbers in the intonational embodiment, the author's individuality is clearly expressed. In the musical language of Psalm 112, a path to the future is outlined — to Psalm 150, the beginning of which is genetically related to the beginning of Psalm 112. Reflection, autobiography is manifested in a return to the past, to a model that was realized in perfect form in Psalm 112.

Violin miniature in creativity by Liudmila Shukailo: features of the genre interpretation

Violin miniature in creativity by Liudmila Shukailo: features of the genre interpretation

A prosódia de perguntas e asserções: um estudo situado de espanhol no Brasil

Neste trabalho, descreve-se a entoação (F0 e duração) de perguntas totais e parciais e de suas asserções correspondentes em enunciados lidos em espanhol por quatro informantes: duas brasileiras, falantes de espanhol como L2, e duas espanholas, falantes de espanhol como L1. Para a descrição e análise dos dados, partimos de trabalhos realizados para o português brasileiro (MORAES, 1998; CUNHA, 2000; MORAES, 2006, 2008; BARBOSA, 2012; FROTA, 2013) e para o espanhol (NAVARRO TOMÁS, 1944; SOSA, 1999; CANTERO, 2002; HIDALGO NAVARRO, 2006; ESTEBAS VILAPLANA, PRIETO, 2009; FERREIRA DE SÁ, 2013; SILVA, 2016). Os resultados mostram que o padrão mais frequente para enunciados do tipo pergunta total apresenta movimento ascendente na região prenuclear e na região nuclear. Nas perguntas parciais o movimento melódico predominante é descendente. As asserções se caracterizam por contorno prenuclear ascendente com pico geralmente na sílaba tônica ou postônica prenuclear, queda da F0 ao longo do enunciado e acento nuclear num nível médio ou baixo seguido de F0final baixa. No que diz respeito ao parâmetro duração, em enunciados do tipo pergunta total e pergunta parcial, as 4 informantes apresentam padrão semelhante: encurtam as sílabas da região prenuclear e a pretônica nuclear e alongam a tônica e a postônica nucleares. Nos enunciados assertivos, observa-se que as informantes brasileiras encurtam as pretônicas e postônicas prenucleares e alongam as tônicas. As informantes espanholas, por sua vez, alongam pretônicas e tônicas prenucleares e encurtam as postônicas. Na região nuclear as 4 informantes apresentam padrão similar, com alongamento das tônicas e postônicas.

From Interval, to Trill, to Undulation: Expressions of Vulnerability in the Melismatic Gestures of Jacques Brel and Stromae

In this article, I propose a musico-cultural analysis of expressions of vulnerability in the connections between musical interval, linguistic texture, and language. I focus on the productive qualities of the in-between space of the voice within a specific interval—the falling semitone—and demonstrate how the exaggerated use, repetition, and reverberations of this interval by two Belgian musical artists, Jacques Brel (1929–1978) and Stromae (b. 1985) contribute to a cartography of vulnerability particular to their aesthetic projects and cultural critiques. This analysis places Michel Serres’ philosophies of communication and Roland Barthes’ grain de la voix into dialogue with an examination of the aural in-between. The exaggerated repetition of the semitone is heard as an undulation reminiscent of a melisma (several notes sung over one syllable), which is mirrored in the embellished trilled [R] consonant particular to these two artists. Visualizing the shared melodic and linguistic acoustic movements as undulations provides a point of access into the in-between space of the sung voice that reframes weakness, failure, and vulnerability as highly choreographed and exploited central aesthetic projects shared by Brel and Stromae.

La entonación de las interrogativas absolutas no marcadas en el español boricua

The present investigation focuses on the intonation of unmarked Puerto Rican yes-no questions. Puerto Rico belongs to the Caribbean dialectal zone from an intonational point of view, hence this type of questions is accompanied by a final descendent melodic movement, which is untypical in the rest of the Spanish speaking world. By the help of 51 Puerto Rican utterances taken from spontaneous speech Youtube videos, we will examine if the characteristic falling pattern of this type of sentences is a circumflex one starting from the last accented syllable, or a rising one followed by a fall starting from the last accent. In addition, it is also our aim to determine the percentage of the final fall.

Rhymes in the development of rhythmic and speaking skills of preschool and early school age

The paper discusses the concept, definition and classification of nursery rhymes, and how they are processed. Rhymes are 'short children's songs that serve to counting children at play, which at the same time can be very suitable for developing a sense of rhythm' (Pedagogical Lexicon, 1996, pp. 56). There are several types of nursery rhymes and their classification according to different criteria. They can be classified according to form and content, as well as whether their authors are children or adults. The criterion of understanding classifies them into rhymes rational sense, irrational - meaningless, and rhymes with a partial sense (see examples of rhymes at Milenkovic & Dragojevic, 2009). According to an embodiment - the musical component rhymes are classified in the speaking which develops a sense of rhythm and sung, whose melodic movement of the highest in the fourth volume. Treatment begins with teaching nursery rhymes by ear, then the symbols represents the rhythm of nursery rhymes (phases with the adoption rhymes see at: Milenkovic & Dragojevic, 2009). In addition to this term in the literature can be found other names for the same name forms: counting, beads, classifying. There are many advantages that rhymes processing brings: the development of speech and speech creativity, encourage foreign language learning, developing communication skills, emotional and social maturation, encouraging cultural‚ awareness, developing ethical and moral values, exploring the contents of nature and society. In selecting the nursery rhymes, it is necessary to pay attention to mental and physical development of children and to adjust the selected rhymes to their age. The paper presents the characteristics of rhythmic development and speaking skills of preschool and early school age. To this end are designed examples rhythmic rhymes and pointed to the need for interdisciplinary nature of the teaching subjects, and the correlation of teaching Serbian language, the Music Education / Music Culture and Physical Education. It is emphasized the role of educators / teachers, as well as the need for quality training of students in the study programs for the education of educators and teachers for the organization and implementation of focused activities that will develop the mentioned abilities in children.

Coarticulation and Gesture: an Analysis of Melodic Movement in South Indian Raga Performance

ABSTRACTThis article presents an analysis of small‐scale melodic movement in South Indian rāga performance employing the concept of coarticulation, defined here as the tendency for the performance of a unit to be influenced by that which precedes or follows it. Coarticulation has been much studied in phonetics and also explored to some extent in sign language and the kinematics of instrumental performance. Here I seek to account for variation in the performance of Karnatak musical units known as svaras (the scale degrees of a rāga) and gamakas (ornaments) through the phenomenon of coarticulation, thus providing an analysis of small‐scale melodic movement that focuses on the dynamic processes which form the style rather than on the categorisation of discrete elements.The material investigated is a video recording of ālāpana (improvisation) in rāga Toḍi performed by the Karnatak violinist T. V. Ramanujacharlu in Tamil Nadu, South India. A section of the recording is transcribed into staff notation and visualised through pitch‐contour graphs created in Praat sound‐analysis software. The hand movements required to produce the musical phrases are described from observation of the video alongside figures showing motion‐tracking data. Interviews with musicians, participant observation and the author's experience as a student of Karnatak violin provide the foundation for interpretation of the material. Results show that coarticulation can be seen between svaras through the oscillatory gamakas with which they are performed. Atomistic and gestural conceptions of South Indian music are discussed, following which suggestions are made for the implications of this research in modelling the Karnatak style, as well as for potential applications in musical information retrieval (MIR).