The Course on Indigenous Knowledge for Under Graduate Students with specific reference to INDIAN MUSIC April 2011, Christ University, Bangalore
Jan 16, 2016
The Course on Indigenous Knowledge for Under Graduate Students
with specific reference to INDIAN MUSIC
April 2011, Christ University, Bangalore
Project Holder: Vice Chancellor Fr. Thomas C. Mathew
Project Co-ordinator: Prof. Kennedy Andrew Thomas
Internal Experts :
Chitra.s (Guest lecturer )
Asst. Professor : Prabin Villareesh
Asst. Professor : Anupama Nayar
Asst. Professor : Padmakumar M.M.
Student Committee: Ankit Aggarwal, Ashwin Kumar,Shamoon, Akhil Scaria, Heidi Mamatha, Preeti Sondur, Bhavna Gowri.
Expert Committee
External Experts
Dr. Priyashri Rao
Vidwan Umashankar
• Click here to see the video
• Music, to put it very simply, is a series of sounds arranged in a pleasing sequence. But sound, and in particular musical sound is perceived in terms of combinations of pitches.
• There are many aspects and facets of music which make for interesting hearing, studying and appreciating.
• The main objective of this course is to orient the students on the various fundamental concepts based on the principles of music in a systematic and interesting manner. It is hoped that at the conclusion of this course, the student is in a position to develop a fascination and a taste for music by enjoying the spirit of music.
• Music like the art of dance, sculpture, painting to mention a few, is fine art. In other words, a musical composition or piece is performed purely with the intention to delight both the performer(s) and the listener(s). The varying enthralling tonal structures that music creates captures the listeners attention in such entirety, that all thought of self is temporarily shelved, whilst surrendering to the pleasing succession of pitches.
• The captivating tonal structures are woven to form a structure or form integrating melody, rhythm and syllable.
• Melody is progression or movement from one pitch to the other and to the other successively in a pleasing manner.
• Rhythm is the aspect of music which measures melody by way of beats or claps in particular rhythmic patterns.
• Syllable manifests melody as (a) mnemonic sounds representing fixed pitches called as ‘svara-s’ and (b) the words of a poem, referred to as meaningful words or ‘s¡hitya’.
• The musical interplay between the three aspects of melody, rhythm and syllable creates endless delightful strains of music.
Unit One – Indian Music
1.1 An introduction to ‘Indian Music’ with the following
sub-divisions1.1.1 Classical Music1.1.2 Devotional Music1.1.3 Folk Music1.1.4 Film Music
Unit One – Indian Music
Indian Music• The near equivalent terms for the three
aspects of music, that is melody, rhythm and syllable are r¡ga, t¡la and pada as referred to in Indian music. Along with the aspect of ‘bh¡va’ or emotion or expression, the four-some make up the rudiments in the practice and performance of Indian music.
• ‘S¡hitya’ conveys the emotions through the meaning of the words whereas r¡ga is the vehicle which brings forth the emotion of music as such.
Unit One – Indian Music
Classical Music• Music particularly in India, is practiced
and performed in different forms or genres. The classical form is popular in two modes namely, Carnatic and Hindust¡ni. Other well-liked genres are devotional music, film music and folk music. In all forms r¡ga, t¡la, s¡hitya and bh¡va form the fulcrum with the difference occurring in – (a) the emphasis on one aspect and,– (b) strict adherence or relaxation of
the rules
Unit One – Indian Music
• As stated by the famous Sitar exponent Pa¸·it Ravi Shankar, the Indian classical forms of music are principally based on r¡ga and t¡la and not on harmony, counterpoint, chords, modulation and other basics of Western classical music.
• Classical music usually is practiced strictly adhering to the grammar. Tradition or ‘samprad¡ya’ is also diligently followed. Improvisations and creativity are given wings well within the boundaries chalked out.
Unit One – Indian Music
• Famous Carnatic classical musicians are vocalists late Smt M S Subbulakshmi and Shri Maharajapuram Santhanam and famous violinist Shri Lalgudi G Jayaraman
• Well-known Hindust¡ni musicians are Smt Kishori Amonkar, the famous sarod exponent Shri Amjad Ali Khan, tabla player Zakir Hussein
Late Smt M S Subbulakshmi
Dr. M Balamuralikrishna
Lalgudi Shri G Jayaraman
Smt Kishori Amonkar
Pandit Amjad Ali Khan
Unit One – Indian Music
Devotional Music• Devotional music as the name suggests
has at its core the element of ‘bhakti’ more than any other aspect. The aspects of r¡ga and t¡la take the backseat. While the aspects of s¡hitya and bh¡va are accorded most importance.
Unit One – Indian Music
Folk Music• India has a very rich tradition of folk
music. The cultural diversity of the country creates endless varieties of folk styles. Each region has its own particular style. Folk music is usually a community-based group performance of music. The tune is very simple and the lyrics reflect the feelings of the singer or the situation. Folk music is sung during occasions such as harvest, marriage, festivals etc. Folk music is more often than not accompanied by folk dance. Some examples of folk music are Bihu of Assam and L¡va¸i of Mah¡r¡shtra.
Unit One – Indian Music
Film Music• Film music is music composed
specifically for the films. The lyrics, the musical score of the song and the arrangement of music of different instruments are specially created for a particular song. Usually a r¡ga is the base scale for a song but depending on the mood reflected in the lyrics musical phrases not occurring in the base r¡ga are also included. It is perhaps fair to say that film music generously borrows from other genres of music too.
Unit Two - Indian Classical Music
2.1 An introduction to Indian Classical Music
2.2 Introduction to Carnatic and Hindust¡ni systems of classical music with the following sub-headings
2.2.1 History2.2.2 R¡ga Classification
System2.2.3 T¡la System2.2.4 Compositions2.2.5 Composers
Unit Two – Indian Classical Music
History• The concepts of r¡ga, t¡la and pada
form the core of Indian classical music. Bh¡va or emotion and samprad¡ya or tradition are also important to classical music.
• Indian classical music has a hoary tradition dating back to the 2nd century BC. The N¡¶ya¿¡stra is the earliest available literature on music dated between the 2nd BC and 2nd AD. However music is constantly evolving and is quite differently practiced today as against what is described in the text.
Unit Two – Indian Classical Music
There is a plethora of evidence which points to the fact that music was a practicing art form albeit constantly evolving. The various sources include
- written works in Tami¾, Samsk¤ta and Telugu
- commentaries on the written works
- references in sacred and secular literature
- sculptures- coins- inscriptions
Unit Two – Indian Classical Music
- state documents- district gazetters- works written by foreign
travellers- copper plates- personal diaries- oral tradition- musical compositions
Unit Two – Indian Classical Music
R¡ga classification systemSimilar to the other elements in music, the r¡ga classification system has also evolved. Presently the M®lakart¡-Janya r¡ga system of classification is followed in Carnatic music while the T¡¶ system of r¡ga classification is followed in Hindust¡ni music.
Unit Two – Indian Classical Music
T¡la SystemThe Sapta T¡la-s with their variations and the C¡pu T¡la-s are most commonly used in Carnatic music.
Unit Two – Indian Classical Music
Compositions
The musical compositions performed in Carnatic music include the Var¸am, K¤ti, Padam, J¡va½i, Till¡na, D¡sarapada, áloka, Pallavi to mention a few.
In Hindust¡ni music the musical compositions include the Bhakan, Khay¡l, Dhrupad, Ùhumri to mention a few.
Unit Two – Indian Classical Music
ComposersMusicians who composed the compositions are called composers. They composed both the S¡hitya and the Svara part.
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
3.1 Explanation of fundamental concepts
3.1.1 Svara3.1.2 Svarsth¡na3.1.3 áruti3.1.4 Sth¡yi3.1.5 R¡ga – melodic aspect3.1.6 T¡la – rhythmical aspect
3.1.7 Pada – verbal or lyrical aspect
3.1.8 Dh¡tu and M¡tu3.1.9 Ëroha¸a and Avaroha¸a3.1.10 System of music notation3.1.11 Vilambita, Madhya and
Druta laya3.1.12 K¡lapram¡¸a
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
Svara
Click here to see the video
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
Svarasth¡naThe fixed position or place of each svara. In an octave there are twelve positions or svarasth¡na-s.
Click here to see the video
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
áruti(a) It is a small interval of sound which is taken as a unit for measuring bigger intervals between the svarasth¡na-s.(b) It is the pitch level on which the musician and his accompanying musicians settle their madhyasth¡yi sha·ja.
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
Sth¡yiIt is also referred to as a register or an octave. The seven svara-s from ‘s’ to ‘n’ make an octave. There are three sth¡yi-s
Mandra sth¡yi – lower registerMadhya sth¡yi – middle
registerT¡ra sth¡yi – upper register
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
R¡gaThe melodic aspect of music is categorized as R¡ga. The sapta svara-s form the basis of R¡ga-s. From the various permutations and combinations of these sapta svara-s, many simple and complex patterns assumes a vivid personality which bears a specific stamp of indivuduality.
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
T¡laThe rhythmic aspect of music is studied in terms of T¡la. T¡la is a device employed to calculate the duration of the music or in other words to measure the time taken to render a composition. T¡la involves certain actions of the hand(s) which act as signals to create a regular rhythmic pattern and to also keep the rhythm from unintended acceleration or deceleration.
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
PadaPada is a verbal or literary aspect of music. The meaningful words are in any language while sometimes syllables such as tana, nadiru taki¶a or meaningless syllables are also used.
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
Dh¡tuIn a musical composition, the svara part is referred to as dh¡tu.
M¡tuIn a musical composition, the s¡hitya part is referred to as m¡tu.
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
Ëroha & Avaroha
Click here to see the video
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
Musical notationMusical notation consists of the different symbols and signs used to write or record on paper a piece of music. For instance,
|| - denotes the end of the t¡la ¡vartana
, - denotes the extension of the svara by one count
· - a dot beneath the svara ‘d’ indicates the svara in the mandra sth¡yi
Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
Vilambita, Madhya and Durita laya
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Unit Three – Fundamental Concepts
K¡lapram¡¸aThe tempo or speed of music is referred to as k¡lapram¡¸a. Every composition has a particular k¡lapram¡¸a. It is also important to maintain the k¡lapram¡¸a of a song from its commencement to the conclusion.
Unit Four – Concept of R¡ga
4.1 R¡ga classification system 4.1.1 M®lakart¡ R¡ga-s
4.1.1.1 the scheme of 72 m®lakart¡-s
4.1.1.2 names of the cakra-s
4.1.1.3 72 m®lakart¡ chart along with the varieties of the svara-s
4.1.1.4 Ka¶apay¡di Sankhy¡
4.1.1.5 Bhuta Sankhy¡ 4.1.1.6 Viv¡di R¡ga-s
4.1.2 Janya R¡ga-s 4.1.2.1 Up¡nga R¡ga-s 4.1.2.2 Bh¡sh¡nga R¡ga-s 4.1.2.3 Varja R¡ga-s 4.1.2.4 Vakra R¡ga-s
Unit Four – Concept of R¡ga
R¡ga is the basis of all melody. It consists of a sequence of svara-s which have a relation
(a) to the basic ¿ruti or the ¡dh¡ra sha·ja
(b) to each other
For a particular r¡ga the svara-s occur in a particular sequence. A sequence of svara-s is called a saµc¡ra. The svara-s are sung in different permutations and combinations.
Unit Four – Concept of R¡ga
As Carnatic music evolved over centuries many systems of classifying the r¡ga-s too evolved. The method classification that is in vogue today is the M®lakart¡-janya r¡ga system.
M®lakart¡ r¡ga-s are seventy-two in number. These r¡ga-s are also called as Janaka r¡ga or Samp£r¸a r¡ga-s.
Unit Four – Concept of R¡ga
A M®lakart¡ r¡ga is that which(a) all the sapta svara-s occur in
both the ascent and the descent
(b) in both the ascent and the descent the variety of the svara occurs
The M®lakart¡ r¡ga-s are arranged in twelve cakra-s.
Unit Four – Concept of R¡ga
The arrangement of the M®lakart¡ r¡ga-s is so ingenious that the serial number and the svara-s taken by the M®lakart¡ r¡ga can be deduced from the name of the r¡ga. This method is called the Ka¶apay¡di sankhy¡.
Unit Four – Concept of R¡ga
There are r¡ga-s which are not M®lakart¡ r¡ga-s. These r¡ga-s are called Janya r¡ga-s. There are four categories of Janya r¡ga-s
- Up¡nga- Bh¡shanga- Vakra- Varja
Unit Five – Concept of T¡la
5.1 T¡la5.1.1 Anga or Sha·anga-s5.1.2 Sapta t¡la-s along with the
¿loka 5.1.3 J¡ti5.1.4 Scheme of 35 t¡la-s5.1.5 C¡pu t¡la-s5.1.6 T¡lada¿apr¡¸a-s5.1.7 Ëvartanam
Unit Five – Concept of T¡la
The rhythmic aspect of music is studied in terms of T¡la. T¡la is a device employed to calculate the duration of the music or in other words to measure the time taken to render a composition.
Anga and Sha·anga-sClick here to see the video
Unit Five – Concept of T¡la
There are seven t¡la-s which are collectively referred t as the S£l¡di Sapta t¡la-s.
Click the below links to see the video of the seven t¡la-s
• Link 1• Link 2
• Click the below links to see the continuty of Seven Talas
• Link 1• Link 2• Link 3
• Click the below links to see the continuty of Seven talas
• Link 1• Link 2
Unit Five – Concept of T¡la
J¡ti literally means ‘class’ and it is to do with the ‘Laghu’ anga of the t¡la. It can also be referred to as a ‘time section’. There are five j¡ti-s namely,
Ti¿ra – 3 countsCatu¿ra – 4 counts Kha¸·a – 5 countsMi¿ra – 7 countsSank¢rna – 9 counts
Unit Five – Concept of T¡la
The Sapta t¡la-s combine with the five J¡ti-s to make up the thirty-five t¡la-s. Ti¿ra j¡ti Tripu¶a t¡la is popularly referred to by the name Ëdi t¡la.
C¡pu t¡la-sClick here to see the Video
Unit Five – Concept of T¡la
The T¡lada¿apr¡¸a-s are ten important elements which govern the concept of t¡la. They are literally the life-force of t¡la. The names of the ten elements are
1. Kala 6. J¡ti2. M¡rga 7. Ka½a3. K¤iya 8. Laya4. Anga 9. Yati5. Graha 10. Prast¡ra
Unit Five – Concept of T¡la
ËvartanaOne cycle of a tala is called an Avarthana
Unit Six – Musical Instruments
6.1 Four-fold classification of the musical instruments with examples
6.1.1 Chordophones or String instruments
6.1.2 Aerophones or Wind instruments
6.1.3 Membranophones or Skin instruments
6.1.4 Idiophones or Solid instruments
6.2 Pictures of the different musical instruments
with a small note indicating their use in the
different forms of music6.3 Structure and playing technique of
the Tamb£ra
Unit Six – Musical Instruments
As described by the eminent musicologist, the late Prof Sambamurthy, a musical instrument is
“…contrivance, mechanism, thing or apparatus capable of producing a musical note or notes.”
Unit Six – Musical Instruments
The musical instruments can be classified into four groups, namely,
Chordophones - String instruments – Tata v¡dya
Aerophones - Wind instruments – Sushira v¡dya
Membranophones - Skin instruments - Avanaddha
v¡dyaIdiophones - Solid instruments –
Ghana v¡dya
Unit Six – Musical Instruments
In almost any form of music, there is a basic pitch which is also called as the Ëdh¡ra ¿ruti. In Carnatic music the pitch or the level which the musician establishes his madhya sth¡yi sha·ja is his or her ¿ruti.
The instrument which helps the musician maintain his or her ¿ruti is the ¿ruti box or the Tamb£ra. It is also referred to as the drone instrument. Present day musicians also use the electronic ¿ruti box or the electronic Tamb£ra.
Unit Six – Musical Instruments
The parts of the include- Ku·am or bowl- Belly or top plank- Da¸·i- neck- peg- string- Bridge- Beeds
Unit Six – Musical Instruments
- N¡gap¡sam or attachment- J¢v¡½i- Purfling- Ledge- Yedirm¢¶¶u- Soundhole- Connecting hole
Unit Six – Musical Instruments
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
7.1 Introduction to the different musical compositions - Abhy¡sa g¡nam and Sabh¡ g¡nam
7.1.1 G¢tam7.1.2 Svarajati7.1.3 Var¸am – Ëdi and A¶a t¡la-s7.1.4 K¤ti and K¢rtana7.1.5 brief note on other
compositions of Kalpita sang¢ta and the musical
forms in Manodharma sang¢ta
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
A musical composition is a piece of music set to a r¡ga or r¡ga-s and more often than not to a t¡la or t¡la-s. The structure of the composition should conform to the genre of compositions to which it belongs. It may or may not have lyrics.
Abhy¡sa G¡na is music intended for practice and is inclusive of the different svara exercises and musical compositions such as G¢tam, svarajati, jatisvara
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
Sabh¡ G¡na is music intended for performance in concerts. There a number of compositions for instance, K¤ti, Padam, J¡vali, Ash¶padi. The Var¸am however is perhaps the only composition which is a part of both the Abhy¡sa G¡na and the Sabh¡ G¡na.
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
G¢tam or g¢ta is the first regular musical composition learnt by a student of music. Every g¢tam is set to a specific r¡ga and t¡la specified more often than not by the composer.
The first g¢ta is ‘ár¢ga¸an¡th¡’ set to Malahari r¡ga and R£paka t¡la and is believed to have been composed by the father of Carnatic music Purandarad¡sa.
Click here to see the video
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
Svarajati-s are the next type of compositions to be learnt by the student of music. The structure of the composition and the r¡ga is more complex than that of the g¢ta.
A popular svarajati is ‘R¡ra v®¸ugop¡b¡la’ set to Bhilahari r¡ga and Ëdi t¡la.
Click here to see the video
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
The Var¸am is the next genre of musical composition that the student of music encounters. There are two types of Var¸am-s
- T¡na Var¸am-s - Pada Var¸am-s
T¡na Var¸am-s are set in a number of r¡ga-s and t¡la-s with the Ëdi t¡la and A¶a t¡la var¸am-s being the most popular ones.
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
The Ëdi t¡la var¸am presented in this demo is set to r¡ga S¡ranga.
Click here to see the Video
The A¶a t¡la var¸am presented in this demo is set to r¡ga Bhairavi and is the anupallavi and the ettga or the second section of the first half of the var¸am.
Click here to see the video
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
Of all the types of musical compositions, the bulk of compositions in Carnatic music are those that belong to the genre of K¤ti. The K¤ti is a flexible type of composition for it allows for the composer to compose in any r¡ga or t¡la.
The famous K¤ti of the v¡gg®yak¡ra Muddusv¡my D¢kshitar ‘V¡tapi’ set to Hamsadvani r¡ga and Ëdi t¡la is presented in the demo. Click here to see the video
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
Kalpita sang¢ta refers to music which is composed and includes compositions such as
- Padam- J¡vali- Ash¶padi- Tarangam- R¡gam¡lika- Till¡na- K¡va·i cindu
Unit Seven – Musical Compositions
Manodharma sang¢ta refers to music which sung or performed extempore. The musical forms in manodharma sang¢ta are
- kalpana svara-s- r¡ga ¡l¡pana- neraval- t¡nam- pallavi
Unit Eight – Composers
8.1 Introduction to composers or v¡gg®yak¡ra-s
8.2 Biographies of important v¡gg®yak¡ra-s
8.2.1 Purandarad¡sa8.2.2 Saint Ty¡gar¡ja8.2.3 Muddusv¡mi D¢kshitar8.2.4 áy¡ma á¡stri
Unit Eight – Musical Compositions
A v¡gg®yak¡ra is a person who composes both the ‘v¡k’ or the lyrics and the ‘g®y’ or the musical part of the composition. In other words one who composes musical portion or only writes the lyrics is only a music composer or a lyricist and not a v¡gg®yak¡ra. There are many famous v¡gg®yak¡ra-s such as
- Purandarad¡sa- Saint Ty¡gar¡ja- Muddusv¡mi D¢kshitar- áy¡ma á¡stri
Unit Eight – Musical Compositions
Purandarad¡sa (1484-1564) is called the Pit¡maha or the father of Carnatic music and belongs the D¡sa k£¶a-s of Karn¡¶aka. This immortal bard was a multi-millionaire and became overnight a saint and later a composer. He forfeited his entire wealth without a second thought whatsoever and set off in pursuit of the Lord. He is believed to have composed the basic svara exercises for the beginners of Carnatic music in M¡y¡m¡lavagau½a r¡ga.
Purandarad¡sa
Unit Eight – Musical Compositions
The three great composer Saint Ty¡gar¡ja (1767-1847), Muddusv¡mi D¢kshitar (1776-1835) and áy¡ma á¡stri (1762-1827) constitute the musical trinity. The musical form K¤ti which forms the bulk of the compositions of Carnatic music was perfected by these three great musicians. They were all born at Tiruv¡r£r and were men of rare scholarship proficient in Samsk¤ta and Telugu and were also well versed in V®da-s, á¡stra-s and sacred lore.
Saint Ty¡gar¡ja, Muddusv¡mi D¢kshitar and áy¡ma á¡stri
UNIT NINE - Practicals
9.1 áruti alignment9.2 Sara½i Varisai – 1-9 – with
explanatory notes9.3 Ja¸¶a Varisai – 1-5 – with
explanatory notes9.4 Dh¡tu Varisai – 1 – with
explanatory notes9.5 T¡ra sth¡yi Varisai – with
explanatory notes9.6 Alank¡ram – with explanatory
notes
9.7 G¢tam9.7.1 ár¢ga¸an¡th¡ 9.7.2 Varav¢¸¡ 9.7.3 Kamalaj¡tala
9.8 K¤ti9.8.1 ár¢ga¸an¡tam bhajar® -
Ì¿amanohari – R£paka t¡la - D¢kshitar
9.8.2 Sarasarasamar® - Kuntalavar¡½i - Ëdi - Ty¡gar¡ja
Unit Nine – Practicals
áruti alignment is a fundamental requirement for music. The basic exercises that a student of music first learns are the Sara½i Varisai-s.
video clipping of Sara½i Varisai-s 1 and 9 and he second set of svara exercises are the Ja¸¶a Varisai-s.
Click here to see the video
Unit Nine – Practicals
The melodic aspect of music is developed based on the permutation and combination of svara-s. Exercises like the Dh¡tu Varisai-s, the T¡ra sth¡yi Varisai and the Alank¡ram-s help in singing the svara-s in various combinations.
video clipping of the R£paka t¡la Alank¡ra
Click here to see the video
Unit Nine – Practicals
The first introduction to a musical composition is through the G¢ta.
video clipping of the G¢ta ‘Varav¢¸¡’ set in Mohana r¡ga and r£paka t¡la.
Click here to see the Video
Unit Nine – Practicals
As mentioned before too the K¤ti type of composition is the mainstay of the kalpita (composed) variety of music.video clipping of the k¤ti ‘ár¢ga¸an¡tam bhajar®’ set in Ì¿amanohari r¡ga and r£paka t¡la. This is a composition of D¢kshitar.
Click here to see the Video
UNIT TEN - Conclusion
This is in brief is an introduction to different concepts and elements of music. We hope that this initiation to the endless beauty of music will serve as a spring board to delve deeper into the intricacies and nuances of music.