Hindustani Classical Music
Also read about Hindustani Classical Music in Melbourne
Hindustani (or North Indian) Classical music refers to the living tradition of classical music from the northern Indian subcontinent, including India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. It includes the components of percussion, vocal and instrumental music and classical dance. Within this geography, this form of music is referred variously as “Shastriya Sangeet or Klassiki Mausiki” (Classical Music), “Marg Sangeet” (Musical Path) , “Uchhanga Sangeet” (Superior/Sophisticated Music) or “Raag Sangeet” (Music of the Ragas).
Deeply spiritual and emotional in nature, the pursuit of pure classical music has been cited as a route to infinite bliss in ancient texts (“Param-ananda”) which is why some of the foundational music of this genre came from sacred traditions of worship, with great saints as its earliest creators.
With purported divine origins, the music is seen as a manifestation of Naad or the primordial sound of the universe. Shiva (Nataraj- the Lord of the Cosmic Dance) and Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) are two Hindu Deities primarily referred to in texts as the progenitors and custodians of Classical Music.
While the taxonomy of this form of music spans several sub-genres such as Dhrupad, Khayal and semi-classical forms, the core concept of this music revolves around unique constructs called the Raga and Tala found in the classical music of both North and South India. Together, the Raga and Tala lead to Rasa (a state of emotion) which leads to both enjoyment as well as spiritual progress.
The Raga is often thought as an experiential concept (ie. cannot be described, only experienced) which loosely translates to “that which colours one’s mind”. Within a given raga, there are infinite possible compositions. Technically, a raga is defined by a melodic scale, however, many different ragas share the same scale.The Tala (Rhythm) is based on philosophical concepts of the cyclical nature of all creation, including human life, and often mimics natural rhythms such as the human heartbeat- hence the rhythm cycles in this music always have ebbs and flows in their construction.
Technically, Hindustani Classical Music can be described as Monophonic (one note at a time in a melodic progression, no chords or harmonies) and largely a solo art form with one primary musician performing a raga and a percussionist providing accompaniment (called Sangat- or companionship), reflecting the goal of the practitioners to achieve bliss through musical meditation. While this form was more a means of meditation or worship, over the centuries, it has grown into a highly sophisticated performing art where audiences are invited to experience the raga as interpreted by the musicians. The music is also highly improvised within a overall formal structure. There are no notes, sheet music or other predetermined passages in the performance and it is left to the musicians to be as spontaneous or rehearsed as they wish, with great premium being placed on spontaneity
Raga Music
While students of this art form often start by learning the scale of the raga, it is through experience and meditation (“chintan-manan”) that the true nature of a raga can be realised, which can take decades. While there is no agreed consensus on the total number of ragas in existence, mastery of a few ragas is seen as the goal. Various maestros (often referred reverentially through honorific titles such as Pandits, Vidwans, Ustads and the lesser known titles of Vidushi or Pandita) have spent lifetimes exploring the raga and developing compositions to translate their concept of this ephemeral construct to their listeners and students. Due to their ability to bring forth the essence of the raga to their listeners, some of these maestros are cited as having mastered their raga, and their renditions remain benchmarks. In the era of recorded music, such all time greats include Ustad Amir Khan (noted for Ragas Marwa, Darbari), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (Malkauns, Darbari, Bhairavi), Ustad Faiyaz Khan (Raga Chhayanat) etc. The goal of a musician is to take their audience through the musical bliss of a raga, a process called Raga Darshan (“Experiencing the raga first hand”).
While Raga music uses the octave form of musical notes, due to the highly nuanced use of microtones, the notes of a raga can sometimes be composed of a smaller unit of microtone called Shruti, 22 of which make up an octave.
Raga music is different to other improvised forms such as Jazz music in that the key tonic remains unchanged, and a typical raga performance can span many hours of methodical development and exploration in many rhythmic cycles of the same raga. Overall, while similarities exist in terms of scales, melody and rhythmic cycles and improvised performances between Raga Music and Jazz, the goal of Raga Music is essentially to experience one “state of mind” at one time to the exclusion of everything else.
Instrumental music (Vadya Sangeet) is seen as a secondary form to the vocal idiom (Gayan or Kantha Sangeet), as instruments are considered man-made in contrast to the natural (or God made) human voice. Almost all forms of instrumental repertoire derive their origins from vocal works and some have evolved their styles differently (Tantrakari, or Tantu vadya).
Popular instruments in the North Indian tradition are Sitar, Sarod, Sarangi. Other instruments include various types of Veena (precursor to sitar) , Esraj, Diruba, Tar Shehnai (bowed instruments) , Surbahar (bass sitar), Sursingar (bass sarod) and other recently included instruments such as Shehnai, (similar to Oboe), Santoor (100 string Dulcimer), Bamboo Flute, Slide Guitar, Saxophone and Violin. Rare instruments include Jal Tarang
Both vocal and instrumental music was developed in India over the generations through musical schools called Gharanas (or Houses of Music), which built up a very large body of works in their own styles. These were often referred to by their location or by the name of a prominent founding maestro. For example, prominent Gharanas in the vocal style includes Kirana, Gwalior, Banaras, Rampur etc.
Tala (The Art and Science of Rhythm)
Indian classical music (both North and South Indian) music has a very extensive and sophisticated culture of formal percussion. These differ from other percussion traditions (e..g African or Carribbean rhythm traditions) in two fundamental ways - the use of tuned drums with a centrally weighted membrane and a complete language of percussion, which can not only be played but spoken (the Bol - or syllable). In the North Indian form, the two popular classical instruments are the Tabla (pair of tuned drums) and the Pakhawaj (precursor to the Tabla).
The body of percussive repertoire in India is vast - between the main Gharanas of Tabla (Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Ajrada, Punjab, Delhi and Banaras), tens of thousands of compositions can be found, as composed by generations of percussionists.
Dance
While classical dance is now seen as a separate art form to Hindustani Classical Music, it is included in all ancient texts on musical art forms, being a core medium of worship and human emotion along with singing and playing instruments. Kathak is the North Indian classical dance form and is accompanied by percussion (Tabla, Pakhawaj) and Raga music (vocal and instrumental). Core concepts of raga, tala and rasa are directly used in this dance form as well. A solid background in raga, tala and dance was considered as an essential foundation to all musical studies in past generations. Percussion students in particular paid special attention to performing with Dancers.
Deeply spiritual and emotional in nature, the pursuit of pure classical music has been cited as a route to infinite bliss in ancient texts (“Param-ananda”) which is why some of the foundational music of this genre came from sacred traditions of worship, with great saints as its earliest creators.
With purported divine origins, the music is seen as a manifestation of Naad or the primordial sound of the universe. Shiva (Nataraj- the Lord of the Cosmic Dance) and Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) are two Hindu Deities primarily referred to in texts as the progenitors and custodians of Classical Music.
While the taxonomy of this form of music spans several sub-genres such as Dhrupad, Khayal and semi-classical forms, the core concept of this music revolves around unique constructs called the Raga and Tala found in the classical music of both North and South India. Together, the Raga and Tala lead to Rasa (a state of emotion) which leads to both enjoyment as well as spiritual progress.
The Raga is often thought as an experiential concept (ie. cannot be described, only experienced) which loosely translates to “that which colours one’s mind”. Within a given raga, there are infinite possible compositions. Technically, a raga is defined by a melodic scale, however, many different ragas share the same scale.The Tala (Rhythm) is based on philosophical concepts of the cyclical nature of all creation, including human life, and often mimics natural rhythms such as the human heartbeat- hence the rhythm cycles in this music always have ebbs and flows in their construction.
Technically, Hindustani Classical Music can be described as Monophonic (one note at a time in a melodic progression, no chords or harmonies) and largely a solo art form with one primary musician performing a raga and a percussionist providing accompaniment (called Sangat- or companionship), reflecting the goal of the practitioners to achieve bliss through musical meditation. While this form was more a means of meditation or worship, over the centuries, it has grown into a highly sophisticated performing art where audiences are invited to experience the raga as interpreted by the musicians. The music is also highly improvised within a overall formal structure. There are no notes, sheet music or other predetermined passages in the performance and it is left to the musicians to be as spontaneous or rehearsed as they wish, with great premium being placed on spontaneity
Raga Music
While students of this art form often start by learning the scale of the raga, it is through experience and meditation (“chintan-manan”) that the true nature of a raga can be realised, which can take decades. While there is no agreed consensus on the total number of ragas in existence, mastery of a few ragas is seen as the goal. Various maestros (often referred reverentially through honorific titles such as Pandits, Vidwans, Ustads and the lesser known titles of Vidushi or Pandita) have spent lifetimes exploring the raga and developing compositions to translate their concept of this ephemeral construct to their listeners and students. Due to their ability to bring forth the essence of the raga to their listeners, some of these maestros are cited as having mastered their raga, and their renditions remain benchmarks. In the era of recorded music, such all time greats include Ustad Amir Khan (noted for Ragas Marwa, Darbari), Ustad Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (Malkauns, Darbari, Bhairavi), Ustad Faiyaz Khan (Raga Chhayanat) etc. The goal of a musician is to take their audience through the musical bliss of a raga, a process called Raga Darshan (“Experiencing the raga first hand”).
While Raga music uses the octave form of musical notes, due to the highly nuanced use of microtones, the notes of a raga can sometimes be composed of a smaller unit of microtone called Shruti, 22 of which make up an octave.
Raga music is different to other improvised forms such as Jazz music in that the key tonic remains unchanged, and a typical raga performance can span many hours of methodical development and exploration in many rhythmic cycles of the same raga. Overall, while similarities exist in terms of scales, melody and rhythmic cycles and improvised performances between Raga Music and Jazz, the goal of Raga Music is essentially to experience one “state of mind” at one time to the exclusion of everything else.
Instrumental music (Vadya Sangeet) is seen as a secondary form to the vocal idiom (Gayan or Kantha Sangeet), as instruments are considered man-made in contrast to the natural (or God made) human voice. Almost all forms of instrumental repertoire derive their origins from vocal works and some have evolved their styles differently (Tantrakari, or Tantu vadya).
Popular instruments in the North Indian tradition are Sitar, Sarod, Sarangi. Other instruments include various types of Veena (precursor to sitar) , Esraj, Diruba, Tar Shehnai (bowed instruments) , Surbahar (bass sitar), Sursingar (bass sarod) and other recently included instruments such as Shehnai, (similar to Oboe), Santoor (100 string Dulcimer), Bamboo Flute, Slide Guitar, Saxophone and Violin. Rare instruments include Jal Tarang
Both vocal and instrumental music was developed in India over the generations through musical schools called Gharanas (or Houses of Music), which built up a very large body of works in their own styles. These were often referred to by their location or by the name of a prominent founding maestro. For example, prominent Gharanas in the vocal style includes Kirana, Gwalior, Banaras, Rampur etc.
Tala (The Art and Science of Rhythm)
Indian classical music (both North and South Indian) music has a very extensive and sophisticated culture of formal percussion. These differ from other percussion traditions (e..g African or Carribbean rhythm traditions) in two fundamental ways - the use of tuned drums with a centrally weighted membrane and a complete language of percussion, which can not only be played but spoken (the Bol - or syllable). In the North Indian form, the two popular classical instruments are the Tabla (pair of tuned drums) and the Pakhawaj (precursor to the Tabla).
The body of percussive repertoire in India is vast - between the main Gharanas of Tabla (Lucknow, Farrukhabad, Ajrada, Punjab, Delhi and Banaras), tens of thousands of compositions can be found, as composed by generations of percussionists.
Dance
While classical dance is now seen as a separate art form to Hindustani Classical Music, it is included in all ancient texts on musical art forms, being a core medium of worship and human emotion along with singing and playing instruments. Kathak is the North Indian classical dance form and is accompanied by percussion (Tabla, Pakhawaj) and Raga music (vocal and instrumental). Core concepts of raga, tala and rasa are directly used in this dance form as well. A solid background in raga, tala and dance was considered as an essential foundation to all musical studies in past generations. Percussion students in particular paid special attention to performing with Dancers.