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Indian
classical music is principally based on melody and rhythm,
not on harmony, counterpoint, chords, modulation and the
other basics of Western classical music.
The system of Indian music known as Raga Sangeet can be
traced back nearly two thousand years to its origin in the
Vedic hymns of the Hindu temples, the fundamental source of
all Indian music. Thus, as in Western music, the roots of
Indian classical music are religious. To us, music can be a
spiritual discipline on the path to self-realisation, for we
follow the traditional teaching that sound is God - Nada
Brahma: By this process individual consciousness can be
elevated to a realm of awareness where the revelation of the
true meaning of the universe - its eternal and unchanging
essence - can be joyfully experienced. Our ragas are the
vehicles by which this essence can be perceived.
The ancient Vedic scriptures teach that there are two types
of sound. One is a vibration of ether, the upper or purer
air near the celestral realm. This sound is called Anahata
Nad or unstruck sound. Sought after by great enlightened
yogis, it can only be heard by them. The sound of the
universe is the vibration thought by some to be like the
music of the spheres that the Greek Pythagoras described in
the 6th century B.C. The other sound Ahata Nad or struck
sound, is the vibration of air in the lower atmosphere
closer to the earth. It is any sound that we hear in nature
or man-made sounds, musical and non-musical.
The tradition of Indian classical music is an oral one. It
is taught directly by the guru to the disciple, rather than
by the notation method used in the West. The very heart of
Indian music is the raga: the melodic form upon which the
musician improvises. This framework is established by
tradition and inspired by the creative spirits of master
musicians.
Ragas are extremely difficult to explain in a few words.
Though Indian music is modal in character, ragas should not
be mistaken as modes that one hears in the music of the
Middle and Far Eastern countries, nor be understood to be a
scale, melody per se, a composition, or a key. A raga is a
scientific, precise, subtle and aesthetic melodic form with
its own peculiar ascending and descending movement
consisting of either a full seven note octave, or a series
of six or five notes (or a combination of any of these) in a
rising or falling structure called the Arohana and
Avarohana. It is the subtle difference in the order of
notes, an omission of a dissonant note, an emphasis on a
particular note, the slide from one note to another, and the
use of microtones together with other subtleties, that
demarcate one raga from the other.
There is a saying in Sanskrit - "Ranjayathi iti Ragah" -
which means, "that which colours the mind is a raga." For a
raga to truly colour the mind of the listener, its effect
must be created not only through the notes and the
embellishments, but also by the presentation of the specific
emotion or mood characteristic of each raga. Thus through
rich melodies in our music, every human emotion, every
subtle feeling in man and nature can be musically expressed
and experienced.
The performing arts in India - music, dance,drama, and
poetry - are based on the concept of Nava Rasa , or the
"nine sentiments." Literally, rasa means "juice" or
"extract" but here in this context, we take it to mean
"emotion" or "sentiment." The acknowledged order of these
sentiments is as follows: Shringara (romantic and erotic):
Hasya (humorous): Karuna (pathetic): Raudra (anger): Veera
(heroic): Bhayanaka (fearful): Vibhatsa (disgustful):
Adbhuta (amazement): Shanta (peaceful).
Each raga is principally dominated by one of these nine
rasas, although the performer can also bring out other
emotions in a less prominent way. The more closely the notes
of a raga conform to the expression of one single idea or
emotion, the more overwhelming the effect of the raga.
In addition to being associated with a particular mood, each
raga is also closely connected to a particular time of day
or a season of the year. The cycle of day and night, as well
as the cycle of the seasons, is analogous to the cycle of
life itself. Each part of the day - such as the time before
dawn, noon, late afternoon, early evening, late night - is
associated with a definite sentiment. The explanation of the
time associated with each raga may be found in the nature of
the notes that comprise it, or in historical anecdotes
concerning the raga.
Although there are 72 "melas" or parent scales upon which
ragas are based, Indian music scholars have estimated that,
with all their permutations and combinations, there exist
over 6,000 ragas ! But a raga is not merely a matter of the
ascending - descending structure. It must have its "chalan
"- or certain note patterns characteristic of the raga; its
principle important note (vadi); the second important note
(samavadi); and its main feature known as "jan" (life) or
"mukhda" (face), the cluster of a few notes by which a raga
is immediately recognised.
In terms of aesthetics, a raga is the projection of the
artist's inner spirit, a manifestation of his most profound
sentiments and sensibilities brought forth through tones and
melodies. The musician must breath life into each raga as he
unfolds and expands it. As much as 90 percent of Indian
music may be improvised and because so very much depends on
understanding the spirit and nuances of the art, the
relationship between the artist and his guru is the keystone
of this ancient tradition. From the beginning, the aspiring
musician requires special and individual attention to bring
him to the moment of artistic mastery. The unique aura of a
raga (one might say its "soul") is its spiritual quality and
manner of expression, and this cannot be learned from any
book.
It is only after many long and extensive years of "sadhana"
(dedicated practice and discipline) under the guidance of
one's guru and his blessings, that the artist is empowered
to put "prana" (the breath of life) into a raga. This is
accomplished by employing the secrets imparted by one's
teacher such as the use of "shrutis" (microtones other than
the 12 semitones in an octave, Indian music using smaller
intervals than Western music: 22 within an octave):
"gamakas" (special varieties of glissando which connect one
note to the other), and "andolan" (a sway - but not a
vibrato). The result is that each note pulsates with life
and the raga becomes vibrant and incandescent.
Next to be considered are the "talas" or "rhythmic cycles"
of a raga. There is unique intricacy and rhythmic
sophistication in Indian music. There are talas ranging from
a 3 beat cycle to 108 beats within a cycle! The most popular
talas are those which have 5,6,7,8,10,12,14, and 16 beats to
a cycle. There are also other cycles such as 9,11,13,15,17,
and 19 beats, etc., which are only played by outstanding
musicians on rare occasions.
The division in a tala, and the stress on the first beat
(called sum), are the most important rhythmic factors. While
there are talas having the same number of beats,they differ
because the division and accents are not the same. For
example, there is a tala known as "Dhamar" which has 14
beats in the cycle divided 5+5+4: another tala, "Ada
Chautal" has the same number of beats, but is divided
2+4+4+4: still another tala, "Chanchar: is divided
3+4+3+4.
In vocal music, a drummer will accompany a singer either in
slow, medium, or fast tempo at the start of a song in
whatever tala the singer chooses. He will do the same when
he accompanies an instrumentalist in the gat section of a
composition. Like ragas, talas also have their own
characteristics. Some of the older traditional talas , such
as "Chautal" (12 beats) and "Dhamar" (14 beats) are played
on a two-faced drum known as pakhawaj. This accompaniment is
used in the old traditional "Dhrupad-Dhamar" form of singing
and in instrumental performances on the veena, rabab,
surbahar, etc. Today, most vocal and instrumental music is
based on the contemporary form called"khyal" and is
accompanied by the tabla, a two-piece drum.
The improvisatory nature of Indian classical music requires
the artist to take into consideration the setting, time
allowed for his recital, his mood and the feeling he
discerns in the audience before playing. Since Indian music
is religious in origin, one finds the spiritual quality in
most of the musician's performances.
The traditional recital begins with the alap section - the
stately and serene exploration of the chosen raga. After
this slow, introspective, heartfelt, sometimes sad
beginning, the musician moves on to the jor. In this part,
rhythm enters and is developed. Innumerable variations on
the raga's basic theme are elaborated. There is no drum
accompaniment in either the alap or the jor.
The alap and the jor evolve into the gat, the fixed
composition of the raga. Here the drums enter with the
wonderful rhythmic structure of the gat and its time cycle,
the tala. This section in based on the "Khyal: form. From
this moment on, the gat (which can be anything between 4 and
16 bars of fixed composition) becomes the vehicle for the
musician to return to after his improvisation. While the
artist has complete freedom to improvise, he may do so only
as long as he does not leave the format of the raga and
tala. This freedom within the bounds of artistic discipline
comes only after many years of training and sadhana. This is
why one cannot rightfully compare the improvisation in
Indian music with the improvisation of jazz.
The step-by-step acceleration of the rhythm in the gat
finally culminates in the jhala portion as it becomes more
and more playful and exciting.Sawal jabab ,the dazzling and
rapid dialogue between sitar and tabla, has the power to
enthrall even the most uninitiated listener with its
thrilling interplay.
Often at the conclusion of a recital, the musician may
choose to play a "thumri' or "dhun." This semi-classical
style is much freer and completely romantic, sensual and
erotic.
Indian music is much more appreciated and respected today in
the west. Many composers and musicians have been influenced
by our music. The openness, willingness to learn, and
sincere enthusiasm of western audiences are a continuing
source of inspiration and delight.
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