RMIM Archive Article "283".
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian
#
# RMIM Archives..
# Subject: Historical prespective on India Music and Definitions
# Introduction to the Music of India
#
# Posted by: uusharma@uxa.ecn.bgu.edu (Vandana Sharma)
# Source:
# Published by the Centre of Indian Arts, London during the Sanskritik
# 7th Festival of Arts of India under the artistic direction of Birendra
# Shankar.
#
When I carefully read the following article, it made a good deal of
sense to me and gave me a fairly good intro to Indian music.
I think it would be a good idea to discuss the aspects and theory of
Indian music, those that are mentioned in the article as well as those
that are not. If there are concepts that are unknown or confusing to
you, point them out. If you are unaware of some of the music
terminology used in the article, please ask. I'm sure our RMIM gurus
are still around to help us out! And, of course, I am here as well to
help with the basic theory of music.
-Vandana
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Once a King asked a sage how to make sculptures of the Gods. The sage
said, "Someone who does not know the laws of painting could never understand
the laws of sculpture. Someone who has no knowledge of the principles of
instrumental music cannot know the laws of dancing. Someone who does not
understand the art of vocal music cannot understand the principles of
instrumental music."
It is through the medium of the arts that people of different nations and
backgrounds are able to communicate and understand each other better.
The West is becoming more familiar with Indian music - it is no longer
merely an exotic expression of the East, but is reaching an ever growing
and more knowledgeable and appreciative audience.
HISTORY
The music of India and its history are too complex to be described
briefly. Nevertheless a brief introduction will help those who are new
to Indian music; they will no doubt be more influenced by what they hear
than by what they read but a foreknowledge of certain theoretical points
may assist their appreciation.
HERITAGE
Indian music has a very long, unbroken tradition - the accumulated
heritge of centuries. The origin can be traced back to Vedic days -
nearly two thousand years. The culture of India today is an outcome of
the interaction and interweaving of races and cultures, both indigenous
and foreign; and it is the study of the contribution of these various
races and tribes that gives us the picture of the evolution of Indian
music. The Negrito, the Mongoloid, the Dravidian, and the Aryan, have
all contributed to the complexity of Indian culture.
North Indian music is popularly known as Hindustani music and South
Indian as Karnatic; their origin is the same, only the approach and style
are different. When and how the two main schools crytallized would be an
interesting study but the earliest treatises of Indian music do not make
any distinction between Northern and Southern schools.
INFLUENCES
One of the strongest and most significant influences has perhaps been
that of Islam (and of Persian music); a few centuries of Muslim invasion
and rule brought in its wake a changed perspective in the style of
Northern Indian music, rather than in its structure. Not being part of
the religious ritual it was necessarily fostered outside the places of
worship; hence an element of physical pleasure, particularly of the
courtier, became predominant.
It is interesting to note the influence of Indian music on sculpture and
particularly painting. Painters have portrayed the theme of the Raga and
they have named their paintings after the Ragas and Raginis. Both
paintings and sculpture concentrate on creating contained, volume-filled
forms. Great care is taken to keep the basis simple. The moving line
and contained space complement each other, giving each other meaning.
This is exactly analogous to the character of Indian musical melody,
which moves in smooth united motions, including within its curves
definite units of musical form.
STRUCTURE
The tradition of Indian music should be understood in the context of
Indian life and thought. The theory and practice of Indian music are the
logical result of a consistent development, a distintive process, which
plays an integral part in Indian history and culture. One should not
listen to Indian music and judge it in terms of Western music or any
other musical form. It would be like judging Beethoven or Brahms in
terms of Raga (the basis of Indian melody) and Tala (the basis of Indian
rhythm). Ideally, the western listener is requested to forget
counterpoint, harmony, and mixed tone colours and to relax into the
rhythmic and melodic pattens of a great cultural heritage.
Each melodic structure of Raga has something akin to a distinct
personality subject to a prevailing mood. Early Indain writers on music,
carried this idea further and endowed the Ragas with the status of minor
divinities, with names derived from various sources, often indicating the
origin or associations of the individual Ragas. In theoretical works on
music each Raga was described in a short verse formula, which enabled the
artiest to visualise its essential personality during meditation prior to
the performance. This borrowing of the meditational technique used in
Hindu worship enabled the musician to enter into the mood of a particular
Raga and thus perform is successfully.
TECHNICAL ASPECT
Raga is neither a scale, nor a mode. It is, however, a scientific,
precise, subtle, and aesthetic melodic form with its own peculiar
ascending and descending movement which consists of either a full octave,
or a series of six or five notes. An omission of a jarring or dissonant
note, or an emphasis on a particular note, or the slide from one note to
another, and the use of microtones along with other subleties,
distinguish one Raga from the other. There are 72 'melas', or parent
scales, on which Ragas are based.
Raga has its own principal mood such as tranquility, devotion, eroticism,
loneliness, pathos, heroism, etc. In Indian music there is above all an
awareness between man and nature, each acting and reacting on the other,
andhence each Raga is associated, according to its mood, with a
particular time of the day, night or a season. Improvisation is an
essential feature of Indian music, depending upon the imagination and the
creativity of an artist; a great artist can communicate and isntill in
his listener the mood of the Raga.
'Tala' is the second important factor in Indian music. These are
rhythmic cycles ranging from 3 to 108 beats. The division in a Tala and
the stress on the first beat, called 'Sum', are the most important
features of these cycles. Talas having the same number of beats may have
a stress on diferent beats, e.g. a bar of 10 beats may be divided as:
2-3-2-3, or 3-3-4, or 3-4-3. Within the framework of the fixed beats the
drummer can improvise to the same extent as the principal artisits after
going their separate ways, come back together with an accent or stress on
the first beat. Thus, the 'Sum' becomes the most important beat of
emphasis thougout a recital of Indian music, since this urge for unity
and its fulfilment are the most rewarding experience.
GLOSSARY (General)
Alap: is the first movement of the Raga. It is a slow, serene movement
acting as an invocation and it gradually develops the Raga.
Jor: begins with the added element of rhythm which (combining with the
weaving of innumerable melodic patterns) gradually grains in tempo and
brings the raga to the final movement.
Jhala: is the final movement and climax. It is played with a very fast
action of the plectrum which is worn on the right index finger.
Gat: is the fixed composition. A gat can be in any Tala and cab be
spread over from 2 to 16 of its rhythmic cycles in any tempo, slow,
medium or fast.
A Gat (for a fixed composition), whether vocal or instrumental, has
generally two sections. The first part is called "pallavi" - South
Indian term - or "asthayi" - North Indian term - which opens the
composition and is generally confined to the lower and middle octaves.
The following part of the composition is called the "anupallavi" (or
antara) which usually extends from the middle to upper octaves. In South
Indian music further melodic sections called "charana" follows the
"anupallavi."
TALAS
Dadra rththmic cycle of 6 beats divided 3-3.
Rupak rhythmic cycle of 7 beats divided 3-2-2.
Jhaptal rhythmic cycle of 10 beats divided 2-3-2-3.
Ektal rhythmic cycle of 12.
Adha-Chautal rhythmic cycle of 14 beats divided 2-4-4-4.
Teen-Tal rhythmic cycle of 16 beats divided 4-4-4-4.
(Northern Form)
Dhrupad compositions have four parts or stanzas, viz. Asthayi, Antra,
Sanchari and Abhog. Dhrupad is accompanied only by the Tanpura and
Pankhawaj. Dhrupad is considered to be the oldest classical vocal forms
of Hindustani music.
Hori Dhamar: These compositions are akin to Dhrupad and enjoy identical
status. Despite the variations in the themes of these compositions, all
of them are associated with the festival of Holi (playing of colors) and
the compositions are all of 14 beats time cycle.
Khayal: The Dhrupad style of music was replaced by the romantic Khayal
(the word Khayal means imagination, idea). The most important features
of a Khayal are 'Tans' or the running glides over notes and 'Bol-tans'
which clearly distinguish it from 'Dhrupad'. The slow (Vilambit) and
fast (Drut) styles of Khayal are the two recognised types today.
Tappa: This is a distinct style having its origin in the Punjab. Its
beauty lies in the quick and intricate display of various permutations
and combinations of notes. It is strange that even though the Tappa
lyrics are in Punjabi, Tappa is not sung in the Punjab. Banares and
Gwalior are the strongholds of Tappa. Bengal has also been greatly
influenced by the Tappa style.
Thumri: Thumri originated in the Eastern part of Uttar Pradesh. Its
most distinct feature is the erotic subject matter picturesquely
portraying the various episodes from the lives of Lord Krishna and
Radha. The beauty of Thumri lies in the artist's ability to convey
musically as many shades of meaning as the words of a song can bear. It
is a much freer form than 'Khayal'.
(Southern Form)
Varnam: A composition usually sung or played at the beginning of a
recital. It reveals the general form of the Raga. The Varnam is made up
of two parts: 1) The Purvanga or first half and 2) The Uttaranga or
second half. The two halves are almost equal in length.
Kriti: A composed song set to a certain Raga and fixed Tala (rhythmic)
cycle. It is a highly evolved musical form.
Ragam: A melodic improvisation in free rhythm played without mridangam
(drum) accompaniment.
Tanam: Another style of melodic improvisation in free rhythm.
Pallavi: This is a short pre-composed melodic theme with words and set
to one cycle of tala. Here the soloist improvises new melodies built
around the word pallavi.
Trikalam: Is the section where the Pallavi is played in three tempi
keeping the Tala constant.
Swara-Kalpana: Is the improvised section performed with the drummer in
medium and fast speeds.
Rangamalika: This is the final part of the Pallavi where the soloist
improvises freely and comes back to the original theme at the end.
---
Published by the Centre of Indian Arts, London during the Sanskritik 7th
Festival of Arts of India under the artistic direction of Birendra Shankar.
From the RMIM Article Archive maintained by Satish Subramanian