Music of India

Karen Ongcol John Ricky JubayErwin Cinco Jane DoroteoMichelle Muslimen

India is one of the oldest countries in the world having at least fifty centuries of history. Along with Egypt and China, it is also considered as one of the cradles of civilization.

Music of India

According to ancient Hindu scriptures, it was believed that music was a gift from heaven. They thought that sound is God and everything is a manifestation of God.

Shiva (the destroyer)Brahma (the creator)

Vishnu (the preserver)

In India, music is call “Sangeet,” which means the art of playing musical instruments, singing and dancing.

Indian music is a sacred form of artistic expression that dates back to the ancient times.

Vedas – religious chant where Indian music began and without accompaniment.

Indian music is the oldest unbroken musical tradition in the world.

It is considered the most intricate musical system that contains highly developed polyrhythms, delicate nuances, ornamentation, and microtones.

There are important aspects that form the “heart” of the musical tradition of India.

1. Guru – teaches the Vedas through oral tradition.

2. Vinaya – teaches students to be humble towards elders, or those who are in authority.

3. Sadhana – teaches practice and discipline.

The art of Indian music has been constantly called guided improvisation.

The music of India can be divided into two unique traditions:

1. Carnatic (folk) - with its main musical center located in Chennai (previously named Madras) - a more pure form of Indian music with less influence from the migrating people

Purandara Dasa is considered the father of Carnatic music

2. Hindustani Vedic (religious)-dominates the northern half of the Indian subcontinent largely developed in the courts of the major centers for Indian music

Elements of Indian Music

Tala (Rhythm)-Known to be the rhythmic time cycle of Indian music.- Composed of long and short beats that are accented and unaccented.Sam – the first beat of tala/ accented beatKhali – the empty beat/ unaccented beat

- Marked by hand claps, hand waves and movement of the fingers.

Angas – smaller rhythmic patterns of tala.

Kinds of Tala1. Dadra – the shortest kind of tala with 6 beats.

- accented on 1 and unaccented on 4.X – accentedO - unaccented

1 2 3 4 5 6 x o

LEGEND: X – tap the drum O – wave hand for silence

- clap hands for unmarked beats

2. Tintal - 16 beats, accents on 1,5,13 except 9.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

x x o x

3. Ektal – 12 beats, accents on 1,5,9 except 3 and 7.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 x o x o x

4. Jhaptal – 10 beats, accents on 1,3,8 except 6.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 x x o x

Raga (Melody)- Indian word for scale or melody- It is a specific arrangement of tones.- Compositions are based on 72 types of scales, many of them similar. - The literal translation of the word Raga is "that which colors the mind."

SA RE GA MA DA DHA TI Do re mi fa sol la ti 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Most important tone of Raga:a. Vadi - the principal tone and most sonant or most important note of a Raga.b. Samvadi – the second principal tone

Shruti – Indian melody which uses 22 microtones and an ornamentation of raga.

- this add texture to the melody of the music.Microtone – a musical interval smaller than a halftone.

Moods of Raga: Happiness Sorrow Devotion etc.Tranquility Heroism

Examples of Raga:1. Desh – evening and seasonal (rainy)

- principal mood: romantic & sad2. Sarang – early afternoon raga

- principal mood: heroic3. Raga Bharian

Drone (Harmony)

- A low monotonous sound that is continously played throughout the composition. - in Indian musical tradition, tambura (string instrument) is used to play the drone.

What is the importance of drone in Indian music? It provides the tonal anchor of the melody and it gives unity to the composition.

Indian Vocal Music

•Vocal music is considered very important and the most ancient of all its musical traditions.

•It is also well regarded and well appreciated by its people.

•Samaveda – the old musical texts in India which have crude musical notations.

•The performance of vocal music is a form of prayer and communication to the Supreme Being.

•For them, a song is a vehicle or medium for communication and interaction process between the worshipper and the deity.

• Vocal music in India is a way to express deep devotion to God.• It is manifested through the art of

vocalization, which becomes more than just a vocal warm-up but an act of worship.• It is accompanied by long hours of

physical practice and yoga.

Most notable songs of North India:•Dhun or Kirtan for Hindus•Bhajan•Shabad for Sikho•Kawali for Muslims

Gangal – one style known for its rich romantic and poetic content.

Lakshan Geet – a style oriented toward musical education.

Swarmalika – used for pedagogic purposes and sargam is used instead of words.

Tamil Nad – songs to describe the scenic beauty of a particular region in the country.

Vijaya – song used to bid a person farewell.

Musical Instruments

a. Non-membranous Percussion (Ghan)

1. Ghatam – a percussion instrument that is made out of clay. - actually a clay pot and played by striking with the hands.

2. Chimpta – fire tong with small brass jingles. - it is played by clicking the tongs with the hand following a rhythmic pattern.

b. Membranous Percussion (Avanadoh)1. Tabla – a pair of drums most common and

popular in Northern India. - it is made of wood and has head made

of stretched animal skin. - both drums have a black spot at the

center that is made of manganese and iron dust.

- it is made by tapping the fingers on the surface of the drums.

2. Mridangam – a classical drum of Southern India.

- it literally means clay-body and was originally made of clay.

- it is a double-headed drum that is barrel shaped and is played between the thighs of the drum players.

c. Blown or Wind Instrument (Sushir)

1. Venu – flute found in the Southern part of India. - it has 8 holes.

2. Bansuri – flute from the Northern part of India and has six holes.

3. Nagaswaran – a double-reed instrument with a conical bore that enlarges towards the end. - it has 7 finger-holes with 5 additional holes drilled at the bottom that are used as controllers. - it is played in temples, procession, festivals, and wedding ceremonies.

d. Plucked Stringed Instruments (Tat)

1. Veena – most distinctive instrument in Southern India. - it is carved from a single block of jackwood which continues as a long fretted neck from which another resonator is attached. - 4 strings are used to play the melody while the remaining 3 strings are used to play drone.

2. Sarod – a musical instrument that is smaller than the sitar. - it has a metal finger board with no frets. - the strings are plucked or played with a pick made of coconut shell.

Tambura

3. Tambura – a drone instrument that is made of jackwood. - it has a long unfretted neck which has 4-6 tuning pegs inserted into the upper end resonator.

4. Sitar – most popular string instrument in Northern India. - it is made of a teakwood and seasoned gourds. - it has a long neck with 20 metal frets and 6-7 main strings. - it is used for solo parts in a composition. Sitar

e. Bowed-Stringed Instruments (Vitat)

1. Sarangi – the most popular stringed instrument that is used to accompany vocal music. - it is shaped like a squashed guitar and is made from a block of hollowed-out wood that is covered with parchment. - this instrument has no frets and is played with a bow.

2. Saringda – a bowed fiddle similar to sarangi. It has either a round or pointed head, unlike the sarangi that has a square head. - it is usually one to two feet in length. - it is played with a bow made from horse hair.