Carnatic music, also spelled as Karnatak or Karnatic, is most commonly used to accompany Bharatanatyam dances. This form of music is the music of Southern India that originated from Hindu traditions. Carnatic music focuses on the voice, and even musical instruments are played to imitate the sound of singing. This is the opposite of music in the North. Although raga (melody type, or framework for improvisation) and tala (cyclical rhythmic pattern) is the same for both regions, each has their own traditions and styles.

While carnatic music is mostly improvisational, there are several composed pieces by composers in the 16th and 20th century, such as the “trinity” of great composers of the early 19th century which consists of Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar, and Syama Sastri.