INDIA – South Asia

• A country about a third the size of the U.S. and home to a billion people. Capital: New Delhi.
• A unique synthesis arising out of a history going back thousands of years to 6000 B.C. with countless infusions of conquerors and people from other areas. Influences from: Immigration of Aryan people of Central Asia (2 nd century B.C.); Islamic conquests (12 th C. A.D.); Moghuls, 16 th C.; British empire – “Jewel of the Crown” – 17 th-20 th C. Present India since 1947, Independence. Formerly included region from Afghanistan, Pakistan to Burma.
• Mahatma Ghandi – 1869-1948. Preached non-violence.
• Hinduism the dominant religion, with about 10% of the population Muslim. No official religion. Hindus believe in reincarnation. Process can be repeated for thousands of years. Hinduism also teaches: non-violence, yoga, unimportance of material goods. A single spiritual force (Brahman) takes many forms that make up the many gods and goddesses of Hinduism. People choose whichever form pleases them--Most often Shiva (God of knowledge) or Vishnu. Also Krishna, Saraswati.
• India exported Buddhism to China, Korea, Japan and southeast Asia
• A caste system still evident in certain aspects of Indian life (Brahmins are of high caste; are associated with Hindu priesthood, scholarship and teaching, and in the South with music. Notions changing but still influences marriage, profession, status.
• India is the largest democracy in the world.
• Huge film industry—Bollywood (and “Cine music” or filmigit)
•  

Two Sanskrit epics: Ramayana and Mahabharata – written from oral sources from around 400 BC. Song texts, art, music, drama are based on these epics as in Southeast Asia, Indonesia and Srilanka (former Ceylon).

 Roots of Indian classical music are the Vedas (hymn texts)–oldest form of Indian music; sung in chant-like recitation style.. Brahmins entrusted with keeping the body of poems through oral transmission. Preserved archaic language—since 1200 BC.

Bhajans – Hindu devotional songs which are popular throughout India and describe the relationship between the human soul and God. Sung by soloists or by groups led by a soloist. (see textbook)

--Simple in structure

Natyasatra – Earliest extant music treatise (2 nd Century B.C.) that defines Indian classical music, theater, and dance. In Sanskrit.

--Defines the SRUTI – drone. Central to the music. Variable pitch.

DRONE - UNCHANGING TONE or group of tones against whieh melody moves. Marks the center of gravity for melody and raga.

(Note: The drone is provided by the tambura, or “sruti box”/harmonium or sometimes by electronic sound box.)

 Guru – teacher of music and spiritual knowledge (Shishya = student)

Traditionally, a student lives with, worships in ceremonies with, is supported by, serves and studies with his teacher. It is a life-long relationship and entails total commitment for both people.

Improvisation is the most important aspect of the music. So years of initial technical training are required to serve as a basis for improvisation.

 Gharanas (houses) – Family lineages of professional musicians. They are related or may be related by the guru-shishya relationship. The Dagars are most famous gharana/family (Dhrupad style)

Characteristics of Classical Music of India

--Transmitted mainly through memory and oral tradition

--Based on the RAGA melodic system and TALA metric cycles

--Improvisation prominent in performance, with a DRONE providing a sustained tonal center. (Imagination always a part of the art form). But standard improvisation today is about 250 years old.

--Regional differences between the classical music styles of northern and southern India. All North and South Indian music comes from the same source--Related to classical music systems of Turkey, Iran and the Arab world.

Since the 13 th century, India has been divided into two parts:

l) North India (Hindustani), which came under Islamic influence after the 13 th Century. Hindi-speaking, etc. (Indo-European language family)

2) South India (Carnatic or Karnatic) – South India (more orthodox Hindu). Karnatic tradition is characterized by conscious effort to preserve the ancient Indian traditions. Tamil-speaking, etc. (Dravidian language family).

NOTE: Historically speaking, the Mogul courts in North India and the Hindu temples in South India provided the patronage and contexts for performance.

The difference between North and South Indian music is that Hindustani music relies more heavily on improvisation. Although they feature different instruments, they both accept the centrality of the human voice in performance. The tambura or tanpura is the important support instrument for both (to provide a constant tonal reference point to the tonic).

Three layers of musical texture in Indian Classical music:

• Melody (based on raga)
• Drone (sruti)
• Rhythm (time cycles or tala)

RAGA (or ragam, raga)–Literally, “that which colors the mind”. Roughly, melodic mode--basis for melodic music. 200 ragas in North; 72 in South India but many secondary ragas.

A raga has a scale, a typical order of tones, and melodic structure as well as suggesting a character, a time of day, a season, colors, ethos and extra-musical ideas such as Hindu deities.

--Each raga has a “rasa” which is a prevailing mood or emotion.

--Each note (of a raga) has a unique placement in relation to other notes and spaces between notes. There is a pitch hierarchy. It has a definite incipient note, a melodic center and a final note.

It is both a concept, and a musical blueprint for performance (an outline and a “melody mold”)

The improvisatory aspect of raga performance permits great inventiveness, subtlety and individuality.

Theorists discuss the order of tones in a raga as a system much like western solfeggio (vocabulary to learn sounds—“do, re, mi”, etc.):

sa ri ga ma pa dha ni sa

Other terms related to Melody or Raga:

Svara – note. These are not definite pitches like in western music; but fluctuate.

Pillar tones – important “resting notes” (not dissonant)

Gamaka – ornamentation (on certain pitches) that determines the raga.

TALA – A rhythmic cycle (8 beats, 9, 10, 12, 14, etc.). There are subdivisions in these cycles.

“Adi tala” – 8-beat cycle (4+2+2). One of most popular talas.

After the introduction or alap, the time cycle is continual. The rhythm can be a simple pulse or a dazzling display of virtuosity in complex patterns. But these effects are always guided by tradition, taste and desired mood. Drummers shape the accompaniment to the song.

Sollukattus – spoken syllables that duplicate drum strokes and patterns

Order of sections in Karnatic music:

1. Alap or alapana -introduction of raga characterized by free rhythm

2. Tanam – a rhythmic exposition of the raga.(section has strong sense of beat, but not tala)

3. Kriti - the composition  

Class Notes from Praful Kelkar and Gundecha Brothers on North Indian Music - 4/20/06:

Raga – consists of notes that provide framework for the melody. Each raga has rules for performers about how to use these notes in each context. Also, the descending structure of the Raga is different than ascending notes.

Example: Raaga A hir Bhairav

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa

(flat) (flat)

Note that the two pitches are played slightly flat (approximately l/4 tone) called microtones. Different microtones are used in different Ragas.

An octave = at least 22 microtonal parts (unlike 12-tone western scale).

(The possibilities for delicate melodic inflections are quite beyond what the western ear is accustomed).

Alap –In the Alap the raga is revealed and elaborated. (must know how to approach a note, etc.)

The second part of the Alap has a pulse (Jor), followed by a section played with a faster pulse (Jhal) before the drum enters to set the cycle.

(Note: In South India this pulsed section of Jor/Jhal is referred to as “Tanam”, the rhythmic exposition of the raga after the Alap but before the drum enters to play “tala”).  

--syllables associated with drum patterns are called “bols” ( N. India ).

In a composition:

--lst sound is “ Om ”

--lst syllable is “Aa  

Instruments:

 VINA (veena or bin): large, plucked lute from the 16 th Century which is the main classical string instrument of the Karnatic tradition ( South India). Distinguished by originally having two large gourds at either end of the instrument. Today one of the gourds has become an integral part of the body carved out of wood. The other is ornately painted. A dragon head is carved at one end of the neck of the instrument. It has melody and drone strings, creating microtones through the technique of pulling, bending, sliding, flickering, etc

SITAR: large, fretted long-necked lute; probably the most widely recognized representative of the classical music of Northern India. Includes 4 to 7 melody strings and 12 or 13 sympathetic strings. Associated with a highly virtuosic style.

The sitar is the instrument of Ravi Shankar, the musician most responsible for bringing Indian music into the consciousness of the Western world. Since 1956 he has traveled throughout the world and had a penchant for working with artists outside his Hindustani classical tradition. Since his encounter with British rock musicians of the 1960’s (George Harrison of Beatles, etc.) the sound of this instrument has become familiar to our ears and Ravi Shankar has gained preeminence in our minds in terms of Indian music. Today his daughter, Noushka, continues the sitar tradition.

 TAMBURA: large, long-necked four-string fretless lute used for drone accompaniment

.TABLA: small barrel drum played with the right hand, usually paired with a BAYA, a small kettle drum. North Indian or Hindustani drum that keeps the rhythm cycle.

MRIDANGAM – two headed barrel drum of South India

PAKHAWAJ – two headed drum used in North and Central India (played for Dhrupad singing). The right side is tuned with a patch of iron paste (filings), and the left is tuned with a wheat flour paste. The drum was divided into two drums which became the tabla and baya.

The Indian flute is both a folk and classical instrument. Krishna, one of the most popular of the Hindu divinities is depicted as a flute player.

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