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The songs of the pre-Christian era, which is generally referred to as the Sangam period, are called the Tamil songs. The period of which ranged approximately between 300 BC and 3 AD is the period, which is said to have Tamil Music.
Some of the greatest works like Tolkappiam, Ettutogai, Patthupattu, etc provide a lot of information on ancient Tamil songs and music. Tamil songs and music is believed to be the mother of Carnatic music by some.
The 7 basic notes in the Tamil songs are known by Sanskrit names today. Earlier they were known by pure Tamil names such as, Kural, Tuttam, Kaikilai, Uzhai, Ili, Vilari and Taram.
The Tamil songs and music can be studied under different heads such as
a. Ancient Musical Treatises and Historical References
b. Musical Instruments used for accompaniment
c. Musical Forms applied to the songs
d. Melodic and Rhythmic Forms followed by the songs
The Tamil songs and music are considered to be one of the most ancient systems of music in the world. This system of the Tamil songs and music is a very special system of music. The characteristics of the system are very specific to the Tamil people.
The various historical references to the structure of the Tamil songs and music, the musical instruments used, the method of singing, the circumstances under which the music and the songs developed, etc have been cited in many different ancient texts. These texts date back to as early as the 1st and 2nd century AD.
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