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Silence is golden

Topic started by cram (@ 206.103.12.102) on Thu Nov 16 04:27:40 EST 2000.
All times in EST +10:30 for IST.

IR has demonstrated in many songs that silence, by way of a pause, can enhance the beauty and memorability value of a song. for instance, "enna saththam intha neram" from punnagai mannan - before both the interludes, he inserts a pause that greatly enriches the song. it is intriguing how those few seconds of "no-music" (for want of a better term) adds value to a song. what do you guys think? [i am a HCIRF, so my stress is on IR songs. i'm sure other composers have also employed this technique]

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Responses:

• From: kiru (@ 192.138.149.4) on: Thu Nov 16 10:36:15 EST 2000
  
  TO loosely quote IR, "I use music to create silence". Contrast this with, "its the beat that matters" attitude now. Gone are those subtle times.
  
  
• From: doubter (@ 208.142.210.30) on: Thu Nov 16 11:55:02 EST 2000
  
  kiru
  
  Not only beat. SOUND matters more than anything else.
  
  
• From: a.a (@ 203.199.228.84) on: Thu Nov 16 12:11:14 EST 2000
  
  In 60s and 1970s lots of songs were linked to the screen play proceedings and many of TMS,PS,solo numbers have this PAUSE...to add more feelings...
  Slowly this style is gone...as songs are meant for audio sales and count downs...than being part of screenplay....a.a's uncle...
  
  
• From: bb (@ 216.217.80.201) on: Thu Nov 16 12:46:04 EST 2000
  
  has someone noticed that in many ir songs, there is a pause before the second interlude starts?
  
  
• From: Swamiji (@ 198.102.112.201) on: Thu Nov 16 14:21:29 EST 2000
  
  Thats analogus to a douuble bar in sheet notation. Theres a pause, and we wait for something interesting to come later.
  
  
• From: eden (@ 202.144.64.4) on: Thu Nov 16 22:21:41 EST 2000
  
  I was told by a musician friend that `total-silence-pause' in an orchestra is a really tough job and the conductor / players are to have great mastery to accomplish this...however, in recorded music, there may be other techniques that can be employed using machines to accomplish this...
  
  
• From: G. Kuppusamy (@ 156.153.255.130) on: Thu Nov 16 23:04:22 EST 2000
  
  the song poovil vandu 'oorum kandu poovum kangal moodum' from 'kaadhal ovium' has a "near equivalent pause" in the prelude (near equivalent bcos a golusu sathham symbolizing short running of a female is simulated during that pause between the voice prelude and instrumental prelude). this followed by take over of a great piece of violin and mrithangam. it will not be that much effect had there weren't that "near equivalent" pause.
  
  btw a.a can u quote some 60s song which employ this silence technique? i cud remember only "singaara velanae dheva's" prelude aalapana(is it correct to use this word here?) and abrupt stop by saavithri(SJ) and followed by those famous lines "paadu santha paadu".
  
  hey..yes...how about the song "hey aatha aathorama vaariya" from "payanangal mudivadhillai" after the prelude Mohan(SPB) says "Hey" then there is a short pause and sings "aathaa aathoramaa vaariyaa". similarly in the song "vel muruganukku motta onnu poda poren doi" in pallavi and in one charanam(i think) there is a pause between "vel" and "muruganukku".
  
  
• From: sabesan (@ 64.163.212.80) on: Fri Nov 17 01:20:04 EST 2000
  
  "konji konji alaigal ooodaaaaa" - VEERA song at the start has a thabla (or some other instrument?) and a pause
  
  
  
• From: a.a (@ 203.199.228.112) on: Fri Nov 17 03:04:17 EST 2000
  
  Aaiyirum Iravugal....Karpagam...
  Enna Ninithu.....Nengil Oru Aalayam..
  Innum Naan Solla Vetkamthan....Rickshakaran(Aalagiya Tthamizh magal)
  Unnaithan Naan Arivene...Vazhalkai Padagu....
  I think Vetrans like Karthi can give more songs...
  a.a
  
  
• From: G. Kuppusamy (@ 156.153.255.130) on: Fri Nov 17 03:49:12 EST 2000
  
  "unnai naan ariven yennai andri yaar arivaar" from "guna" has this "silence technique" employed by IR for changing tune, tempo, etc of the song. I mean after the "varuthamaan" rendition by rekha there is a gap and the tabla take over for the racing "oyilaalo oyilaalo" bit. without this gap it will be very difficult to change the song's tempo and everything. judiciously used by IR.
  
  
• From: G. Kuppusamy (@ 156.153.255.130) on: Fri Nov 17 03:49:40 EST 2000
  
  a.a thanks for the list
  
  
• From: G.Ragavan (@ 164.164.128.13) on: Fri Nov 17 04:29:08 EST 2000
  
  a.a u r correct. One more song. bansaayee from Ulakam Chutrum Vaalipan.
  
  L.R.Eswari sings uravil vandtha sugam. the instruments followed up to sugam stop at sugam and the end of sugam continues as mmmmm with just LRE's voice. TMS also tried simillar in the same song. But LRE had done well.
  
  
• From: Trend (@ 216.68.113.227) on: Fri Nov 17 11:26:21 EST 2000
  
  I would like to point out one instance where I felt silence was artificial and not smooth or seamless.
  
  In a song in "Kalaignan" there is a song which Kamal sings on the stage(I don't remember the song but it's the second song on stage).It goes on like a pop song then suddenly Kamal switches to a slow emotive lines like "Munnam oru naal petra annai madiyil ..Thavazhthaen".The pop part ended abruptly and the silence continued for quite longer than necessary.As a result,the effect wasn't poignant but seemed forced.
  
  This may be attributed to the inexperienced director not aware of underplaying the effect.But I'm not sure.
  
  Moral of the story is:
  Silence is golden only when it comes at appropriate moments.
  
  
• From: Trend (@ 216.68.113.227) on: Fri Nov 17 11:27:11 EST 2000
  
  Could anyone tell me the starting lines?
  
  
• From: doubter (@ 208.142.210.30) on: Fri Nov 17 12:08:21 EST 2000
  
  Trend
  
  I think the song starts like 'kalaingyan kattuk kaaval illaatha kaatraip poala'. It was sung by SPB.
  
  
• From: Trend (@ 216.68.113.227) on: Fri Nov 17 12:11:33 EST 2000
  
  Doubter,
  
  Thanks
  
  
• From: G. Kuppusamy (@ 156.153.255.130) on: Mon Nov 20 23:37:59 EST 2000
  
  yes trend that silence sequence looks awkward in that song. may be the story wanted that kind of situation, a pop kind of song and suddenly the singer's mood changes due to the recollection of his past life or something like that. but still IR cud have used some other technique to show the switch. this silence was artificial one.
  
  
• From: Trend (@ 216.68.113.227) on: Tue Nov 21 15:01:05 EST 2000
  
  In the song "Roja Roja" from Kaadhalar Dhinam there is a brief silence in the charanam between "udaiyena eduthu....uruthhum roja" and "un per mella naan....".In that period the mood of the song momentarily changes from pain to happiness and reverts back later.
  
  Now each time as I listen to that song I look forward to that brief moment and I involuntarily smile.Great feeling
  
  
• From: MS (@ 129.252.222.2) on: Tue Nov 21 18:43:21 EST 2000
  
  A good number from Maragathamni in this regard is "jaamu raathiri" from "ennavo nadakkuthu"
  
  
• From: VK (@ ) on: Thu Nov 30 22:04:38 EST 2000
  
  Hi all,
  
  Quite a while since I posted. Anyways, here it goes:
  
  1. vaazhavaikkum kaadhalukku jai (after prelude)
  2. kalyaaNa maalai kondaadum peNNae (in the prelude itself)
  3. oru peNNai paarthi nilavai parthaen (very brief pauses after prelude and before interludes)
  4. ellOrum kondaaduvOm (after interludes and in charanam)
  5. maNNil indha kaadhal anri (lots of subtle off-beat pieces and gaps in prelude involving flute and pizz.str) and ofcourse the more famous "breath-taking" ;-) gap after charanam
  6. ooru sanam thoongirichu (after flute prelude)
  7. kaN pOna pOkkilae kaal pOgalaama (after interludes)
  8. chippi irukkudhu muththum irukkudhu (charanam)
  
  
• From: nvd (@ 161.142.78.85) on: Thu Nov 30 23:59:19 EST 2000
  
  In "KaATRey EnN VAasal" song, there will be a little silence by UK at the end of the song, continued by SS singing her lyrics. That was a little boost for that particular song, I suppose.
  
  

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