Immature Attempt to Simplify India - II (Written for SAKAI - University of Rhode Island)

I am no scholar in music and therefore this would be purely an attempt to put forward to you a canvas that you could further explore. Indian music is surely diverse but this comment would need explanation.

Broadly, I personally would divide Indian Music into three categories:

1. Classical Music
2. Pop Music
3. Folk Music

Classical Music

The Free Online Dictionary describes Classical Music as “traditional genre of music conforming to an established form and appealing to critical interest and developed musical taste”. I somehow like this definition since it is sort of limitless and can apply to any distinctive society. The Indian Classical Music scenario could be divided into two parts. We have the Hindustani Classical Form while the other is the Carnatic Form. The former has evolved from the North while the latter is has typically evolved from the South of India. Before explaining the differences we need to explain some associated concepts.

The Indian Classical Form is based on Ragaas. Ragaas are unique, single combinations of notes and are typically monophonic. Western Classical Music on the other hand could be a multiple combination of notes played in harmony. The composition in the latter form could be polyphonic or monophonic or a combination. Am I making any sense? If you listen to the two, I am pretty sure you would discern the difference.

The difference between Hindustani and Carnatic essentially are in rendering styles. They also have different Ragaas. Again after listening to a Hindustani piece and then a Carnatic piece, you would sort of immediately recognize the difference in terms of the instruments, the style of music, etc.
Classical Music is said to be practiced in India for more than 3000 years and there are famous musicians from both the forms in the vocal and Instrumental categories. In the West I think my namesake, “RAVISHANKAR” had a major influence with his Sitar (originally a three wire instrument but later modified with more wires).

These days you have Ustad Amjad Ali Khan with his Sarod and there are many more. I just gave a sample and depending upon choice and perceptions there could and would be more famous musicians whom I have not named, since that was not the purpose. If you however would want some suggestion, I could produce a ‘suggested’ list of artists and their works!!

Typically Indian Classical Music, vocal or instrumental goes through a few stages when an artist is rendering a composition. To begin with the artist would warm up in the form of an ALAAP where the tempo is slow. Later the percussion players join in, the tempo increases and the artist starts rendering variation in the same form of the Raaga. In the end we sort of reach a crescendo in terms of tempo and variation. There could be situations where the artist and the percussionist have this musical tete-a-tete in terms of back and forth responses. In Jugalbandis (two artists with same or different instruments playing together) they would have similar back and forth responses.

There are instances where Indian Classical Musicians have also played along with Western counterparts e.g., Ravishankar playing with Yehudi Menuhin. There are also instances of Western Philharmonic Orchestras playing Indian Ragaas.

The most popular instruments used by Hindustani Classical musicians are the sitar, sarod, tanpura, bansuri, shehnai, sarangi and tabla. Instruments typically used in Carnatic music include venu, gottuvadyam, veena, mridangam, kanjira, ghatam and violin.

In my next post I will deal with the other two genres of Indian music.

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