The term 'pada' has been used even in 'Sangita Ratnakara' of Sarangadeva and was used to denote any musical composition. 'Sringara Sankirtanalu' came into vogue since the days of Tallapakkam composers in the 15th century. Kshetragna, in the seventeenth century, appeared as the 'Father of Sringal Padams' and perfected the style. The padam emerged as a distinct genre with a nayaka-nayaki motif, three or more charanams, to be sung in the particular ragas which are conducive to enhance the 'bhava' of the padams. Krishna Ayyar is called the 'Tamil Kshetragna' for the excellence of his padams.

Krishna Ayyar was grand not only in his compositions but was so in his music too. He specialised in Ghanam rendition. His father, Ramaswami Ayyar was musician, composer and Asthana Vidwan of the Tanjore Court. His four brothers were all musicians. After initial training under his father, Krishna Ayyar with his brothers, Subbarama Ayyar and Sundaram Ayyar had training under Ariyalur Shenbagamannar and then Pachimiriam Adippayya in the distinguished company of Syama Sastri and Pallavi Gopala Ayyar. All the three brothers became samasthana vidwans. The family was a shrine for music.

Krishna Ayyar learnt from Bobbili Kesavayya the intricacies of 'ghanam' singing and became proficient in it. He found his patrons in Kabistalam Ramachandra Moopanar, Tiruvidaimarudur Amar Singh and Kacchi Kalyanaranga of Udaiyarpalayam. He was close to Choukam Seenu Ayyangar and Sankarabharanam Narasayya. He had met Tyagaraja at Tiruvaiyaru and Paidala Gurumurti Sastri at Madras. The song 'Summa Summa Varuguma Sugam' (Atana) was composed and sung before Tyagaraja. He sang at the reception to the Governor, Sir Thomas Munro at Madras. He had composed songs in praise of several deities in Thanjavur and Tiruchirapalli districts. His devotion to Kacchi Kalyanaranga was too profound for description. He had the obsession that Kacchi's appreciationwas worth several kingdoms. He would have flowered into one of the all-time greats with his erudition, musical acumen but he chose to stick on to that local chieftan of the arid area. he himself posed this to his patron when there was a shade of a lack of cordiality. Krishna Ayyar told him in a song that he stuck to him sacrificing his, all out of love. The patron surrendered since the musician's sacrifice was too enormous and magnanimous to be compensated. Ayyar foreswore a life of meteoric rice and princely luxury and cchose the life of commonplace, by deliberate intent out of sheer regard for a poor patron.