Lesson 1: INDIA: Characteristics of Traditional Music From India

Lesson 1: INDIA
 India is the largest country in South Asia. Its music is as vast as its geographic location and as large as its
demographic population. The music of India reflects different aspects of Asian culture through its timbre,
rhythm, melody, texture, form, and style. In general, Indian music remains fundamental to the lives of the
people of India as a source of spiritual inspiration, cultural expression, and entertainment.
 India's classical music tradition, includes Carnatic and Hindustani music which have developed over many
centuries. Music of India also includes several types of folk and popular music. One aspect of vocal music uses
melismatic singing with nasal vocal quality, when compared with the Philippine music which uses melismatic
singing is only used in chanting epics and the pasyon.
 Samagana style of singing developed into a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, becoming an
established part of contemporary tradition in India. The hymns in Sama Veda, a sacred text, were sung as
Samagana and not chanted. Sama Veda is the third of the four Vedas of Hinduism but ranks next to Rig Veda
(Rigveda) in terms of its sanctity and liturgical importance.
Characteristics of Traditional Music from India:
 Carnatic music o refers to music from South India
 directed to a Hindu god, which is why it is called “temple music”
 unlike Hindustani music, Carnatic music is unified where schools are based on the same ragas, the same solo
instruments (veena, flute, violin) and the same rhythm instrument (mridangam and ghatam)
 music pieces are mainly set for the voice and with lyrics
 compositions called krti are devotional songs
Hindustani music
 oes back to Vedic period times around 1000 BC
 further developed in the 13th and 14th centuries AD with Persian influences and from existing religious and folk
music o predominantly found in the northern and central regions
 influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historical Vedic religion/Vedic philosophy, native Indian sounds
and enriched by the Persian performance practices of the Mughal era
 nasal singing is observed in their vocal music
 in North India, the most common style of singing is called khyal, a word which means imagination
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
There are many musical instruments in India. Some instruments are used primarily in North Indian music (Hindustani
Sangeet) while many other instruments are used in South Indian music (Carnatic Sangeet). Instrumental music is
often similar to vocal music but sometimes they have distinctive instrumental styles. There are five known
traditional systems for classification of instruments.
Classification of Musical Instruments from India:
1. Ghan – described as a non-membranous percussive instrument but with solid resonators. It is one of the oldest
classes of instrument in India. It may also be a melodic instrument or instruments to keep tal.
a. Ghatam
b. Karta
c. Manjira
d. Nuot
2. Avanaddh - described as a membranous percussive instrument. This class of instruments typically comprise the
drums.
a. Daf
b. Tabla
c. Dhol
3. Sushir – also known as blown air. It is characterized by the use of air to excite the various resonators
a. Bansuri
b. Shehnai
c. Shankh
d. Surpeti
4. Tat – referred to as vina during the old civilization. Instruments in this class are plucked (stringed instruments).
a. Sitar
b. Ektar
c. Gotuvadyam
d. Gopichand
e. Rabab
5. Vitat – described as bowed stringed instruments. This is of the oldest classifications of instruments and yet did
not occupy a place in classical Indian music until the last few centuries.
a. Banam
b. Esraj
c. Sarangi
d. Chikara
 Rhythm plays an important role in Indian music. It is fundamental to the creation of any musical system.
Certainly, from a historical stand point, rhythm existed many centuries ago before the word “rag” was ever
used. Given this historical pre-eminence, it is not surprising that rhythm occupies an important position in the
Indian system of music.
o Tala - literally meaning ‘clap;’ variously transliterated as “tal”, “taal” or “taala” - is a regular, repeating
rhythmic phrase, particularly as rendered on a percussive instrument with an ebb and flow of various
intonations represented as a ''theka'' - is the common Indian system of rhythm
o Theka - a sequence of drum-syllables or ''bol'' - in Indian classical music, both Hindustani classical music
and Carnatic music use complex rules to create elaborate patterns of rhythm
o Tabla - most common instrument for keeping rhythm in Hindustani music
o Mridangam - most common instrument for keeping rhythm in Carnatic music also transliterated as
“mridang”
Lesson 2: Pakistan
 Central Asian music encompasses numerous different musical styles originating from a large number of sources.
Though Pakistan is part of South Asia, its western part is considered as an extension of Central Asia.
 Pakistan is known for its unique vocals. The distinctive Pakistani sound was formed with multiple influences not
only from various parts of South Asia but it also includes diverse elements from Central Asia, Persia, Turkey, and
the Arab world.
VOCAL MUSIC OF PAKISTAN
Pakistan is known for its two vocal styles in singing:

1. Ghazal - traditional expressions of love, separation, and loneliness; It tells about both the pain of loss of the lover
and the beauty of love in spite of that pain. its structural requirements are more strict than those of most poetic
forms traditionally written in English , is considered by many to be one of the principal poetic forms in the Persian
civilization, can be sung by both men and women
2. Qawwali - the devotional music of the Chishti Order, a vibrant musical tradition that stretches back more than 700
years, originally performed mainly at Sufi shrines throughout the subcontinent and gained mainstream popularity
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
 Punjabi music strengthens the importance of musical instruments in Pakistan.

 Punjabi is a region in South Asia which is divided into West Punjab, Pakistan and East Punjab, India. Bhangra, one
of the most recognized forms of Punjab, is based on the drum rhythm of dhol.

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Lesson 1: INDIA

Pakistan is known for its two vocal styles in singing:

 Punjabi music strengthens the importance of musical instruments in Pakistan.

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