Across India, the chanting of the Sāmaveda forms a single sacred stream that divides into many regional currents, each shaped by its lineage, language, and ritual environment. At the broadest level, these styles differ in pronunciation and accent, in the density and shape of melodic ornamentation, and in the way the chant is embedded in ritual practice. Some traditions favor a more syllabic, clearly stepped melodic line, while others cultivate long, undulating phrases with intricate slides and oscillations. Tempo, the handling of pauses, and the interplay between lead chanter and responders also vary, giving each region a characteristic rhythmic and acoustic profile. Yet beneath these differences lies a shared commitment to precise pitch, duration, and textual fidelity, so that diversity unfolds within a common sacred grammar.

In the south, especially in Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, one encounters both the Jaiminīya (Tālāvākāra) and Kauthuma traditions, which are particularly noted for their melodic richness. The Jaiminīya style of coastal and southern Karnataka is markedly ornate and gāna‑oriented, with long, highly embellished lines and dense, wave‑like svarita patterns; here, exact pitch and micro‑ornamentation are themselves treated as offerings within the sacrificial context. South‑Indian Kauthuma recitation in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, by contrast, tends to articulate pitches more distinctly, with clear stepwise motion, long vowels, and gentler slides, while still allowing for ornamentation. In these regions, chanting remains closely tied to fire rituals and daily observances, and in Kerala especially, it is integrated with strict ritual timing, posture, and movement around the sacred fire. Local phonetic habits—such as the firm articulation of retroflex consonants—further color the sound of the chant.

Western and northern regions present different melodic “dialects” of the Kauthuma tradition. In Gujarat, Sāmavedic chanting is characterized by relatively clear, stepwise movement, fewer intricate gamakas than in Karnataka, and a bright, open‑throated vocal quality; small melodic motifs are often repeated and varied, and some lineages emphasize a more regular, metric feel. In parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and neighboring areas where Sāmaveda survives, the style is generally more restrained in ornamentation, with a strong accent on the udātta–anudātta–svarita patterning that can make the chant feel more accent‑driven than overtly melismatic. Here, too, regional speech patterns subtly influence vowel length, consonant color, and thus the overall contour and pacing of the recitation.

Central India and Maharashtra preserve traces of the Rānāyanīya subdivision of Kauthuma, though this heritage is now greatly diminished. This stream is known for having its own pada and gāna variants and for characteristic melodic cadences and ways of closing a chant, setting it slightly apart from mainstream Kauthuma practice. In many of these areas, performance has become sporadic and often survives more in scholarly or archival settings than in continuous ritual life. Taken together, these regional styles show how a single Vedic revelation can be sung in many voices: unified by text and intention, yet diversified by lineage, geography, and the subtle shaping power of local musical and linguistic cultures.