{"id":26786,"date":"2015-11-18T15:23:33","date_gmt":"2015-11-18T14:23:33","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/no-problem-mam.com\/?page_id=26786"},"modified":"2023-09-10T09:37:35","modified_gmt":"2023-09-10T07:37:35","slug":"classical-music-of-india","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/magikindia.com\/en\/classical-music-of-india\/","title":{"rendered":"Classical music of India"},"content":{"rendered":"

When people speak of classical music they usually mean Western classical. But India has its own classical music, a heritage of unsuspected richness. Indian classical music has its origin in sacred texts thousands of years old. It is probably one of the world’s most elaborate musical systems, so explanations can soon become very complex. This article just sets out some basics.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Origines<\/h3>\n
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It is generally acknowledged that the Vedas<\/em>, sacred texts believed to date back to the 15th century BCE, are a probable source of India’s classical music. <\/strong>The music would have been gradually enriched over the centuries until it morphed into the sophisticated system we know today. There are four Vedas<\/em> \u2013 the Rig, Yajur, Sama and Atharva Vedas<\/em>. It is the Sama Veda<\/em> that is said to lay the basis for Indian classical music. The Sama Veda<\/em> consists mainly of hymns, mantras and poetic texts, which were chanted during Vedic rituals using three to seven notes, sometimes with an instrumental accompaniment.<\/p>\n

\"sama<\/a>

Sama Veda<\/p><\/div>\n

The basic concepts in Indian music include swara<\/em> (the notes), raga<\/em> (improvised melodies based on a particular set of notes), shruti<\/em> (microtones), alankar<\/em> (ornamentations) and tala<\/em> (rhythm patterns provided by percussion instruments).<\/p>\n

Indian music is almost never written down. It is transmitted orally from teacher (guru<\/em>) to student.<\/strong> The “colour” of a raga varies according to the teacher or the gharana <\/em>he belongs to. <\/em>In North Indian (or Hindustani) music a gharana<\/em> is a system of social organization linking musicians or dancers by lineage or apprenticeship and by adherence to a particular musical style or musicological ideology. The ideology can sometimes vary quite significantly from one gharana<\/em> to another. It has a direct impact on musicians’ thinking and on the teaching and appreciation of the music.<\/p>\n

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Hindustani & Carnatic Music<\/h3>\n
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There are two distinct styles of Indian classical music, Hindustani in the North and Carnatic in the South (Tamil Nadu<\/a>, Kerala<\/a>, Andhra Pradesh<\/a> and Karnataka<\/a>).<\/p>\n

\"Nisha<\/a>

Nisha Rajagopal – carnatique music – Chennai December festival<\/p><\/div>\n

The two styles began to separate in the 12th and 13th centuries with the Mughal invasions of North India<\/a>.<\/strong> Northern music absorbed Persian and Arab influences. Khyal and dhrupad are the two main genres of Hindustani music but there are also other classical and semi-classical genres. In the 16th and 17th centuries the division between the Hindustani and Carnatic styles became quite marked.<\/p>\n

In South India<\/a>, music remained relatively little influenced by the Persian and Arab styles. But some say the split from Hindustani music had more to do with musicological innovations in the South during this period. One of these innovations was a new system for classifying ragas, the Asampurna Melakarta<\/em>, developed by the eminent 17th-century musicologist Venkatamakhi.<\/p>\n

Although the two systems are made up of the same basic elements and can sound similar to the uninitiated ear, they actually differ considerably in style, approach and colour.<\/p>\n

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Swar: the notes<\/h3>\n
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Indian music uses a gamut (saptak<\/em>) of seven basic notes, <\/strong>SA RE GA MA PA DHA NI, like the Western DO RE MI FA SO LA TI.<\/p>\n

To these are added five semi-tones<\/strong>, giving the equivalent of sharps or flats and a 12 note scale. Written down, flats are indicated by underlining the note name and (e.g. DHA<\/u>) and MA’ indicates FA sharp.<\/p>\n

SA RE<\/span> RE GA<\/span> GA MA MA’ PA DHA<\/span> DHA NI<\/span> NI SA<\/p>\n