About CarnaticABC

Plain-text notation for phrases that move.

CarnaticABC is a notation and rendering system for Carnatic music. It keeps the source simple while making slides, oscillations, and phrase shapes easier to see and hear.

Why this exists

Carnatic music is not just a sequence of fixed notes. Raga context, swara anchors, slides, oscillations, and phrase-specific movement all matter. CarnaticABC keeps the source readable while rendering continuous pitch movement for study, playback, and export.

@title Basic Mohanam Phrase
@raga Mohanam
@sruti C
@tempo 80

S R G{G-R-G-R-G} M | G{G-R} S ||

The curved motion inside the braces is the point: source stays editable, while the rendered result keeps the musical shape visible.

What you can do

  • Plain-text source editing with metadata headers.
  • Raga-aware pitch rendering for built-in and custom ragas.
  • Pitch-curve visualization and browser playback.
  • Saved songs for signed-in users.
  • Source download and import as the portability safety valve.

For your song library

The app will collect saved songs, practice settings, and lesson tools around the same notation source, so a phrase can move from sketch to study without being rewritten.

Why the source stays yours

Saved-song persistence is designed around source portability while notation and schema details evolve. Source export and import remain the trust-preserving escape hatch.