Discuss the three different musical layers of musical texture in a Carnatic musical ensemble include an instrument associated with each layer

(Examples of musical instruments may vary)

What will be an ideal response?

• Melodic Layer: principal melodic soloist (voice, violin, bamboo flute, saxophone, veena, or mandolin) and the melodic accompanist
(a violin if accompanying a principal vocal soloist, which is common)
• Drone or sruti Layer: sustains tonal center and the tone a fifth above tonal center, played on sruti-box (reed organ), tambura (four-stringed instrument) or an electronic drone created on a small synthesizer, which eliminates the need for a performer.
• Rhythm (percussion) Layer: improvised, complex rhythmic patterns based on a tala (metric cycle); led by the principal accompanying percussionist, playing a mridangam (double-headed Indian drum), sometimes with subordinate percussion instruments such as kanjira (tambourine), ghatam (clay pot), or morsang (jew's or jaw's harp)