Indian Music (Carnatic) — Syllabus & Chapters

The complete syllabus for Indian Music (Carnatic) — every chapter you need to study, and how the exam paper is structured.

What you will study (chapters)

Chapter 1: Fundamental Technical Terms and Meanings
Chapter 2: Sa Re Ga Ma Notation and Common Symbols
Chapter 3: Musical Sound, Voice, Pitch and Grahabhedam
Chapter 4: Raga Classification and the 72 Melakarta Scheme
Chapter 5: Twelve Chakras and Katapayadi Formula
Chapter 6: Lakshanas of the Prescribed 24 Ragas
Chapter 7: Manodharma Sangita, Raga Alapana and Kalpana Svaras
Chapter 8: Dasavida Gamakas
Chapter 9: Scheme of the 35 Talas
Chapter 10: Chapu, Desadi and Madyadi Talas
Chapter 11: Kriya, Anga, Laya, Gati, Matra, Pranas and Shadangas
Chapter 12: Carnatic Musical Forms: Gita, Tana Varna, Padavarna, Kriti, Ragamalika, Padam, Javali and Tillana
Chapter 13: History of Carnatic Music: Composers and Theorists
Chapter 14: Classification of Musical Instruments
Chapter 15: Structure and Knowledge of Vina, Violin, Tampuro, Gottuvadyam and Flute
Chapter 16: Tuning of the Human Voice and Concert Instruments of South India
Chapter 17: Padas, Ragamalika, Tillanas and Javalis
Chapter 18: Prescribed Compositions in Carnatic Ragas
Chapter 19: Alapana of Prescribed Ragas
Chapter 20: Kalpana Swara, Notation Reading and Swara Identification
Chapter 21: Raga and Tala Recognition, Ear Tests, Sight-Singing and Musical Dictation

Frequently asked questions

How many chapters are there in Indian Music (Carnatic)?

The Indian Music (Carnatic) syllabus has 21 chapters, listed in full above. Cover the high-weightage chapters first using the exam pattern as a guide.

How do I know which Indian Music (Carnatic) chapters carry the most marks?

Compare the chapter list above with the exam pattern and the last few years of question papers — the topics that appear most often and the units with the highest marks are where to focus first. Always confirm weightage against the official syllabus for your exam year.

Has the Indian Music (Carnatic) syllabus changed this year?

Boards occasionally revise the syllabus or remove topics for a session. Always download the official syllabus for your exact exam year from the official ICSE & ISC portal rather than relying on an older copy or a social-media list.

How can I prepare for Indian Music (Carnatic) faster?

Begin with the most-frequently-asked topics and the last few years of question papers, then test yourself under timed conditions. If you want guided help, you can use the free AI study tutor for Indian Music (Carnatic) — practise past-paper questions and get instant feedback — or a focused Indian Music (Carnatic) study guide that condenses the syllabus into the topics that matter most — both are free to start.