Murki is a short taan or inverted mordent in Hindustani classical music, known as pratyahatam in Carnatic music. It is a fast and delicate ornamentation or alankar, employing two or more notes and is similar to a mordent or ulta murki. A murki is less forceful than a khatka or a zamzama. A combination like R R S S could be a murki or a khatka or the starting point of a zamzama, depending on the force of delivery. Murkis may or may not be appropriate for a given raga. It is also employed in thumris and other lighter genres. In Punjab, it is also called harkat.
Murki produces deliberate shivering of voice while singing with the help of belly and throat muscles. Alankar is required to improve the Murki effect. To practice Murki, one can follow the below steps:
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Arooh: SRSRSRSR RGRGRGRG GMGMGMGM MPMPMPMP PDPDPDPD DNDNDNDN NS’NS’NS’NS’ S’R’S’R’S’R’S’R’ Avroh: S’NS’NS’NS’N NDNDNDND DPDPDPDP PGPGPGPG GMGMGMGM GRGRGRGR RSRSRSRS SN,SN,SN,SN,
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Arooh: SGSGSGSG RMRMRMRM GPGPGPGP MDMDMDMD PNPNPNPN...
Then set the tempo of tabla / metronome to 200 beats per min and repeat the process as above. With practice, one can improve the Murki effect in their throat.
