Current General Studies Magazine: "Indian Classical Music" March + April 2015

Current General Studies Magazine (March + April 2015)

General Studies - I: Art and Culture Based Article (Indian Classical Music)

The Classical Music of India has its origins in the chanting of the Vedas dating back to several thousands of years ago. Since then, by oral tradition, it has been bequeathed through the generations to its present form. In the course of time, it evolved into two distinct systems, namely the Carnatic (in the South) and the Hindustani (in the North).

Indian classical music is based on melody. It can be described as contemplative and introspective. There is no intentional harmonic structure beneath the melodic lines. Such freedom permits almost unlimited melodic possibilities. Another attribute of Indian music is improvisation. Most of the classical music performed is extemporaneous. Even while playing the compositions, the performer attempts variations and embellishments which bring out a unique interpretation of the composition and the artist’s individuality. This makes the ensuing music spontaneous, never ceasing to amaze the listener.

It is interesting to note that the seven notes in Indian music, Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, correspond to Do, Re, Mi, Fa, So, La, Si, in the West. What makes Indian classical music unique is its two important characteristics: the raga and the tola. Every piece played (adheres to the confines of raga and tala. A raga defines the melodic aspects of the music. The raga is a melodic pattern defined by an ascending and a descending scale and key notes and phrases that bring out the entire character of the raga. There are numerous ragas that span an entire spectrum of emotions, colours and characters. In fact a raga has been personified as a divine being with character and moods just hke a mortal. The performer, while elaborating a raga, builds up the mood(s) portrayed by the raga.

Traditionally, most performances of Hindustani music begin with alap: an extensive solo exploration of the raga by the instrumentalist. Alap is divided into three basic parts. The first section of alap begins slowly, with an invocational and meditative approach. Within this stream like, arhythmic style the artist gradually unfolds the shape, textures and moods of the raga. Eventually, a pulse is introduced by the soloist and the second section known as jor has begun. In jor, there “is still no specific rhythmic framework to speak of.

Moving through many variations within the jor, the musician will finally arrive at the jhalla, the culminating section of the alap. Jhalla, characterised by a faster paced and rhythmically dense exposition of the raga, is carried through to the end of the alap. After the alap, the instrumentalist is joined by the accompanying drummer and together they enter the section of the raga known as the gat. Here we are introduced to the rhythmic basis of Indian music: the tala. A tala is a cycle of a fixed number of beats repeated over and over again and played as distinct patterns of strokes on the accompanying drums. There are many different talas (6 beats, 7,10, 12,14, etc.) and each one has a different rhythmic mood. Except for alap, every piece of Indian classical music is played within a particular tala.