Indian Art Music

An Illustrated Talk
by Dr. Chintamani Rath Ph.D. (Indian Music)
www.ragaculture.com

MUSIC
Where there is humanity, there is music

(but : what is music?)

Music
Organised & emotionally expressive sound

MUSICAL GENRES IN PRESENT DAY INDIA

.

ART (CLASSICAL)

NON - ART (LIGHT/POPULAR)

NORTH INDIAN (HINDUSTANI)

SOUTH INDIAN (CARNATIC)

TRIBAL FOLK THEATRE MUSIC

Has religious/philosophic roots Has a highly formalised grammar, dictated by textual as well as oral tradition Has different genres (Vocal Alap, Dhrupad/Dhamar, Khayal, Sadra, Thumri, Bhajan, Geet etc Instrumental Alap, Masidkhani, Rajakhani, Firozkhani, Amirkhani Gat etc) Has different styles (called Geeti, Bani or Baaj) Has regional schools of presentation (currently called Gharanas) Has regional variations in choice of Ragas, Talas, etc.

PROVINCIAL

CINEMA MUSIC

RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSOPHIC

INDUSTRIAL NON-INDIAN IMPORTS

The Two Systems of Art Music in India

Hindustani (North Indian) Music
Continuity back to Vedic times (6,000 BC) Codified in a large number of ancient and medieval music treatises Developed independently of folk music, albeit occasionally importing folk or regional elements, metamorphosing them suitably Raga based, mostly improvised Capable of intense expression in very slow speeds Vast range of ornaments, particularly during slow passages Subtle use of microtones in slow passages Steady, long-held notes, mostly approached and/or quitted by little ornamental phrases Gradual building up of tempo from very slow to very fast Convention of time and season Clear enunciation of rhythmic cycle by percussion accompanist (in dominant present day forms like Khayal, Sadra, Thumri, Bhajan etc.) True to Hindu traditions: so-called Persian influences fully integrated within its essential and ancient grammatical format

Carnatic (South Indian) Music

Of more recent origin Codified in medieval texts written by musicologists, the influential ones among whom studied in North India and thereafter returned to South India to fashion Carnatic music out of the prevalent regional musical forms to be found in South India Composition based, mostly fixed A fairly quick tempo from the start, so lacks the intensity, introspection, microtones and several ornaments found in Hindustani music Notes are not held for long and are mostly quitted by a characteristic oscillation using indeterminate pitch Constant and fairly fast tempo throughout No convention of time or season Percussion accompanist does not enunciate rhythmic cycle clearly, so a second percussionist and/or a timekeeper showing and/or clapping out beats (in which the audience joins) is necessary Contrary to advocated argument, has Muslim influences

The Gamut of Notes

8. 7. 7. 6. 6. 5. # 4. Sa Shadja Do Tonic Ni Nishada Si/Ti Leading Note Ni Komala Nishada Dha Dhaivata Lah Submediant Dha Komala Dhaivata Pa Panchama Soh Dominant Ma Tivra/Kari Madhyama

4. Ma Madhyama Fah Subdominant 3. Ga Gandhara Mi Mediant 3. Ga Komala Gandhara 2. Re Rshabha Re Supertonic 2. Re Komala Rshabha 1. Sa Shadja Do Tonic

Sound in Indian Art Music

Static Note Unembellished tones: Used for teaching or analysing musical phenomena but not (except but rarely) in performance Ornamented Note Tones embellished by different types of ornaments, such as Meend, Soot, Andolan, Gamak, Krintan, etc. : Used in performance

Ornaments (Alankar) used in Hindustani Music Andolan oscillation on a note Gamak fast Andolan. Gamak may range from the heavy and guttural to the light and almost superficial. Again, Gamak may be of varying speeds Sparsha Svara, Kan or Krintan grace note (acciaccatura) Meend glissando Soot or Aansh fast Meend from one note to another distant note Mrki akin to mordent Khatka akin to turn Kampan vibrato

Elements of Music
Melody notes sounded successively Harmony notes sounded simultaneously Rhythm pulses in time Dynamics intensity (volume) Timbre tone colour

Organising Notes
Melodic Organisation: According to the principles codified by the system of Harmonic organisation: Against a fixed system of static notes sounded continuously but softly in the background and in unintended counterpoint, from an imitating accompanist

- RAGAs - TALAs and - performance practice

R A G A
a melodic concept capable of intense emotional communication and comprising: - a given set of notes, ascending and descending - characteristic microtones - characteristic phrases - relative importance of the notes - characteristic ornaments or lack thereof - the general speed to be adopted - the register to be used (low or high pitch) - an accepted time of performance

Organising Time Tempo (Laya, Gati)

Tempo (Laya)

Slow (Vilambita) Medium Slow (Maddhya Vilambita) Slow (Vilambita)

Medium (Maddhya)

Fast (Druta)

Medium Fast (Maddhya Druta)

Fast (Druta)

Very Slow (Ati Vilambita)

Linear (Tala-Heena)

Cyclic (Tala-Yukta)

Very Fast (Ati Druta)

T A L A
Tala the cyclic organisation of periodic beats (Matra) = an endlessly repeated series of ordered rhythmic syllables in time
Rhythmic syllables Names of sounds on percussion instruments (Dha, Na, Dhin, Tin, Thum, Kat, Tita, Tirakita, Ghe, Dhita, etc.) A Tala has: Cycles each cycle is called an Avartana Divisions into bars, which may be equal or unequal Accent points, which may be beaten (Tali) or unbeaten (Khali) A primary accent point (Sama) the point of rhythmic resolution A vocal enunciation of the ordered rhythmic syllables in an Avartana, called Theka

T a l a
Kaharva Dadra Roopak Jhaptal Ektal Jhoomra Deepchandi Adachoutal Trital

Matra

T h e k a
Dhage Nati Naka Dhin | | Dha Tin Na | Ta Dhin Na | | Tin Tin Na | Dhin Na | Dhin Na | | Dhin Na | Dhin Dhin Na | Tin Na | Dhin Dhin Na | | Dhin Dhin | Dhage Tite | Thum Na | Kat Ta | Dhage Tite | Dhin Dha | | Dha Dha Tirakita | Dhin Dhin Dhage Tirakita | Ta Ta Tirakita | Dhin Dhin Dhage Tirakita | | Dha Dhin - | Dha Dha Dhin - | Na Tin - | Dha Dha Dhin - | | Dhin Tite | Dhin Na | Thum Na | Kat Ta | Tite Dhin | Na Dhin | Dhin Na | | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Tin Tin Ta | Tita Dhin Dhin Dha | |

4 6 7 10 12 14 14 14 16

and many more, including fractional Matras (e.g. Jhampak Tala of 8 Matras)

Rhythmic Improvisation (Layakari)

Dgn double speed Tign triple speed Chogn quadruple speed Panch, Chhey, Sat, Ath, Na, etc gn respectively 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 etc times the original speed Aad 3/2 times the original speed Aad ka lta 2/3 times the original speed Kad two viewpoints: 5/4 or 9/4 times the original speed Kad ka lta 4/5 or 4/9 times the original speed Biyad there are several varieties of this: 7/4 or 27/8 (Kad of Aad = 9/4 of 3/2) times the original speed, etc. Biyad ka lta 4/7 or 8/27 times the original speed Paun 3/4 times the original speed Paun ka lta 4/3 times the original speed

Performance Practice
Hindustani Recital
Vocal
Percussion Classical LightClassical Thumri Classical Gayaki Ang Instrumental Melodic Instrument LightClassical Dhun

Dhrupad & Dhamar Khayal Tarana

Bhajan Khayal Ang Ghazal Tantrakari Ang

Dhrupad Ang

Khayal Recital
Auchr-lp Vilambit (Bada) Khayl - Vistr (Badhat) Sthyi, Antar - Behlv - Tn Drut (Chhot) Khayl developed similarly as above

Instrumental Recital
lp, Jod, Jhl Masidkhni Gat * Gat, with Uthn on Tabl * Soloist Accompanist Dialogue

Razkhni Gat developed similarly as above Jhl