*Rig Veda – comparable to Catholic chant tradition

Yajur Veda – rearranged Rig Veda from a later period

*Sama Veda – comparable to Orthodox chant tradition

Atharva Veda – derived from folk religious magic and incantations

They are known and performed only by a few people – upper class (caste)

But are considered the foundation of later styles (like Gregorian chants)

Physical vibrations of musical sound (nada) is connected to spiritual world

So faulty intonation might have adverse effect

1. Hindustani Music of North India - more smooth and melodious, influenced by the Persians. Performance style jealously guarded. Muslims fear music as a sensuous distraction to devotion to God.

Influenced more by Muslim culture

Aryan heritage

Hindi language

2. Karnatak Music of South India - more ornamented with more demanding melodies. It is also less exclusive of the upper class. In Hindu tradition music is seen as a means of contacting the Gods.

Less influenced by Muslim culture

Dravidian heritage

Tamil language

The two types of music have the same Veda heritage. Sometimes H & K music is the same, but named differently. Sometimes they are substantial or notable differences.

Sruti (sur in North) means basic ground tone of a drone

Sometimes Hindustani musicians call a microtonal ornamentation in performance a sruti

Svara (svar in North) means a tone or an interval

Jati – a means of classifying modes according to the number of notes they contain

Also special melodic characteristics of compositions in a particular jati

And extramusical connotations and mood (rasa)

Raga (rag in North, ragam in Tamil) – a scalar melody form including basic scale and basic melodic

structure.

Sanskrit ranj means to color with emotion

Scale of raga is shown in both ascending and descending form.

Some raga include notes changing directions

Some notes may have specific ornamentation (gamaka)

Ground tone (beginning tone) is sa (like do in do re mi)

Sa is most important note of the drone

Hindustani raga

Two tones (amsa) are important

Vadi - is not always the ground tone

Samvadi - is fourth or fifth tone above vadi

Theoretically there may be thousands of raga.

Books list (name or describe) up to 1,000 ragas

50 ragas are most frequent in both Hindustani and Karnatic music

Raga are organized into groups

By times of day which they should be played

By ragini (wives) or scenes from literature or the emotion produced

Division of raga into that or mela (melakarta)

Combining a set of four tones with another set of four tones

Later a lower four tones was added = 72 possible combinations

In 1930 Bhaktkhande developed a framework of 32 seven tone scales

10 of these are considered basic.

Tala = cyclic measure of time (rhythm)

Laya = tempo (fast or slow)

Druta = fast

Madhya = medium

Vilambita = slow

Matra (Hindustani) or Akshara (Karnatak) = basic beat (like metronome)

Tala cycle (Vibhaga or avarta) – varies from 3 to 128 beats in length; 7-16 are common

Anga – south Indian grouping of tala are of three types

Anudruta – only one beat

Druta – two beats

Laghu – may have 3,4,5,7, or 9 beats

Khali = beats that are felt but not stressed. Turn hand sideways to mark it.

Raga and Tala form the basis of Indian music.

They must be mastered before a person performs

Goal of performance is to play each raga in a new way every time without losing its characteristic.

They create their own music within the set bounds.

Alapana or alap = rhapsodic, free-rhythmic introduction

It reveals the notes of the raga

Drone of the ground tone plus the fifth of the drone is heard before the alapana.

If the raga doesn't have a perfect fifth, then it is the drone and fourth, or drone and ostinato figure

(repeated pattern of base notes - like Cannon in D - but no distinctive rhythm or tempo)

Drone reminds listeners of the music's starting point.

Entrance of tala (usually with drum) signals that alap is over.

1. In kriti (or kirtana) of South India there follows the pallavi, anupallavi and caranam.

Kriti are devotional songs with religious texts

Typically they are performed with a singer and an instrument

Each section is derived from a setting of poetry and improvisation of it.

It is all in one raga, although there are some new tones introduced

2. The dhrupad of North India is comparable to kriti

3. The khyal (North India) is a freer vocal/instrumental form.

It has two sections - sthayi and antara

Text may not be clear because of ornamentation

4.Ghazals - Muslim form

5. Thumri - vocal form more popular because words are in Hindi (North India).

6. Tarana (tillana in South) = a form with only syllables - no words.

7. Javali - South Indian lighter vocal genre

8. Gat - North Indian lighter vocal genre

These are comparable to Sonata, Rondo, Suite, Overature

Or ballad, dance music, hymns etc.

1. More than one creates a kind of contest

Drummer may try to trip up the artists with complicated beats.

Tihai - three cycles of tala in succession - so that it ends on the sam of the fourth cycle

2. For Dances - music orchestra consists of:

Dance master - also sings - plays talam on pair of small hand cymbals

Another singer

A mrdanga drum

A vina and/or violin

Drone instrument

Perhaps a flute or clarinet

3. North Indian Kathak - influenced by secular Persian court

Orchestra consists of

Sarangi

Sarod

Sitar

Tambura

Tabla or pakhawaj

Singer

Needs sliding pitch

Need drone

Needs rhythmic devices attached to instrument

a. Two-headed barrel drum - played standing or sitting

Usually played with hands

Dhol, dholak, Khol, Tavul, Tavil,

Tuning is done with dowel stick.

In North India the Pakhavaj is used to accompany sacred druphad songs

In South India the mrdanga is used - pitch is changed with paste patches

Treble is on right, bass on left

This is main drum of South INdia

b. Tabla - has permanent patches. Tuning is done with dowel stick.

Dahina is tuned to sa

Dahina (treble) and baya (bass) are played as a pair

There can be a whole set with different tones (like miniature kettle drums)

Ghatam - Karnatak - clay pot struck with the hand and fingers

a. venu or bansri (flute) (or bansuri)

Played by Krishna to bewitch people

Made from a stick of bamboo

b. shahnai - double reeded flute from near east

Also nagasvaram (South Indian)

It has extra holes that are plugged to regulate the pitch

Associated with temple and court ceremonies

Accompanied with smaller kettle drums called khurdak

South India accompanied by tavil.

c. Accompaniment flute plays the drone

Has three types of strings = Melodic, Drone and Sympathetic vibrators

a. Vina - has four melody strings and three drone strings

Drone strings keep track of the tala

Frets are metalrods set in beeswax - fixed not movable

Fretboard on two gourds

Upper gourd is only decorative

Players use coconut oil to lubricate their fingers while playing

Ornaments are made by pulling the string to one side

b. Sitar has 2-4 melody strings, 3 drones and up to 13 sympathetic vibrators

Also fingerboard on two gourds

Upper gourd is only decorative

Sympathetic strings give the sitar its special hollow sound.

Frets are concave, tied with gut onto the trough. Can be adjusted

Wire plectrum is worn on the index finger

Ornaments are made by pulling the strings sideways.

c. Sarod has six melody strings, 2 drone strings and sympathetic strings inside the body.

Has a parchment soundboard and metal fingerboard

Has no frets. Sliding notes are made by sliding the finger along the fingerboard

A plectrum or pick is used

Derived from a popular Afghan instrument

d. Tambura has 4-6 metal drone strings

Often accompanied with or replaced by a one note hand-pumped organ - sur petti

e. Dilruba - bowed lute

f. Sarangi - bowed lute - used by street musicians

g.

Introduced by missionaries

Table organ - sound produced by hand pumping

Reproduces the harmonium sound in popular music

c. Violin - held with foot

Integrated in last 200 years

d. Guitar - Hawaiian style with slide on a table