|Indian classical music| |Music of India| A Lady Playing the
Tanpura, ca. 1735 (Rajasthan) |Media and performance|
|Nationalistic and patriotic songs| |National anthem||Jana Gana
Mana| Carnatic music (Sanskrit: Karnāṭaka saṃgīta, Tamil:
paṉṉicai) is a system of music commonly associated with the
southern part of the Indian subcontinent, with its area roughly
confined to four modern states of India: Andhra Pradesh,
Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu. It is one of two main sub-
genres of Indian classical music that evolved from ancient Hindu
traditions; the other sub-genre being Hindustani music, which
emerged as a distinct form because of Persian and Islamic
influences in North India. In contrast to Hindustani music, the
main emphasis in Carnatic music is on vocal music; most
compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on
instruments, they are meant to be performed in gāyaki (singing)
style. Although there are stylistic differences, the basic
elements of śruti (the relative musical pitch), swara (t