Music of India
Indian musicians learn to play raga (patterns of notes) by imitating and memorising. The music is passed on from teacher to student by oral tradition. Students belong to an extended family of musicians learning from a particular master. This is known as the master-student tradition. Most Indian classical music is based on a combination of rag (melodic form), tal (rhythmic form) and drone (sustained note).
Indian Raga
Ragas are patterns of notes but are different to a Western scale or melody. They are really a combination of both. Each rag:
Rag Desh Rag Desh is a late evening rag associated with the monsoon season. In Indian music a system known as sargam is used for naming the notes: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa. The tonic, or ground note, is Sa (this is heard in the drone). Two other important notes in Rag Desh are Pa and Re.
Indian Raga
Ragas are patterns of notes but are different to a Western scale or melody. They are really a combination of both. Each rag:
- has a particular ascending and descending pattern
- is associated with a different time of the day, season, mood or special occasion
Rag Desh Rag Desh is a late evening rag associated with the monsoon season. In Indian music a system known as sargam is used for naming the notes: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa. The tonic, or ground note, is Sa (this is heard in the drone). Two other important notes in Rag Desh are Pa and Re.
Tala
The tal is a repeating rhythm pattern usually played by the tabla (small drums). It usually has between six and sixteen beats. The beats are grouped into small sections within the pattern. The first beat of the cycle is known as sam. It marks the beginnings and ends of improvisations so it is often accented.
Tintal is the most common tal. It has the following characteristics:
Drone
A drone is a note held (or repeated) throughout a passage of music. It is the sound usually heard first, stating the tonic note, Sa. The drone is now often played by an electronic box, but is more traditionally played on a tanpura. It is provided by a tanpura playing the notes Sa and Pa which in this case correspond to the notes D and A.
It is common to mark tala by hand claps and waves. In tintal the beginning of the first, second and fourth sections is marked by a clap, but the beginning of the third section is weaker and this is shown by a wave of the hand.
The tal is a repeating rhythm pattern usually played by the tabla (small drums). It usually has between six and sixteen beats. The beats are grouped into small sections within the pattern. The first beat of the cycle is known as sam. It marks the beginnings and ends of improvisations so it is often accented.
Tintal is the most common tal. It has the following characteristics:
- sixteen beats (4 + 4 + 4 + 4)
- four sections beginning on the 1st, 5th, 9th and 13th beats
Drone
A drone is a note held (or repeated) throughout a passage of music. It is the sound usually heard first, stating the tonic note, Sa. The drone is now often played by an electronic box, but is more traditionally played on a tanpura. It is provided by a tanpura playing the notes Sa and Pa which in this case correspond to the notes D and A.
It is common to mark tala by hand claps and waves. In tintal the beginning of the first, second and fourth sections is marked by a clap, but the beginning of the third section is weaker and this is shown by a wave of the hand.
North Indian Instruments
North Indian classical music ensembles have only a handful of players. Most instruments are played while seated on the floor. There are usually the same three elements:
North Indian classical music ensembles have only a handful of players. Most instruments are played while seated on the floor. There are usually the same three elements:
- soloist - either a singer or an instrumentalist playing the melody
- percussion - usually tabla
- drone - usually a tanpura, harmonium or electronic box
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The Sitar
The Sarod
The Sarangi
The Esraj
The Bansuri The bansuri is a bamboo flute with no keys. |
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Percussion instruments
Drone instruments
The tanpura is a stringed instrument similar to the sitar but it has fewer strings (usually four) and no frets. Unlike the sitar it plays very simple and repetitive music.
The harmonium is a reed organ operated by bellows which open at the back. The keyboard is on top and has a range of two to three octaves.
Tabla
Tabla are a pair of small drums placed side by side on the floor in front of the player. Their main role is to keep the time, but they sometimes interact with the soloist and have short solos. The heads are made out of goatskin with a central area which has a coating made from iron filings and rice flour.
The smaller drum is known as the dayan (meaning right). It is:
Improvisation
North Indian classical music is built on melodies which are varied by improvisation.
The end of an improvisation is shown by playing a tihai. A tihai is a short phrase played three times, often across the beat, before it lands on sam, the first beat of the cycle. The length of a piece is not worked out beforehand. Some concerts are very long and all night concerts are popular in India.
A typical raga performance starts out in a calm mood, gradually getting more exciting as the tempo and rhythmic complexity increase. The opening section is known as the alap.
The alap:
Drone instruments
The tanpura is a stringed instrument similar to the sitar but it has fewer strings (usually four) and no frets. Unlike the sitar it plays very simple and repetitive music.
The harmonium is a reed organ operated by bellows which open at the back. The keyboard is on top and has a range of two to three octaves.
Tabla
Tabla are a pair of small drums placed side by side on the floor in front of the player. Their main role is to keep the time, but they sometimes interact with the soloist and have short solos. The heads are made out of goatskin with a central area which has a coating made from iron filings and rice flour.
The smaller drum is known as the dayan (meaning right). It is:
- tuned to Sa
- played with the fingertips of the right hand
- quite high in pitch
- played with the left hand
- played with the heel of the hand, which is pressed into the drum to change the pitch, providing a distinctive sound
- deeper in pitch, providing a bass sound
Improvisation
North Indian classical music is built on melodies which are varied by improvisation.
The end of an improvisation is shown by playing a tihai. A tihai is a short phrase played three times, often across the beat, before it lands on sam, the first beat of the cycle. The length of a piece is not worked out beforehand. Some concerts are very long and all night concerts are popular in India.
A typical raga performance starts out in a calm mood, gradually getting more exciting as the tempo and rhythmic complexity increase. The opening section is known as the alap.
The alap:
- is a slow introductory section which helps to set the mood
- has a free rhythm with no regular pulse
- is unaccompanied apart from the drone
- usually moves from the lower notes to the higher notes
- gradually gets faster
Ragas in Indian MusicSitar player Shalil Shankar performs an improvisation on a raga. He explains a raga is a melody based on scales which follow certain rules. He also demonstrates the basic scale and performs an improvisation based on the Basant Mukhari raga, or morning raga. This clip is useful work on Indian music or improvisation.
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Scales in Indian MusicThe musician Alam Khan demonstrates a major scale on the sarode with the Indian note names. The sarode is a stringed musical instrument used mainly in Indian classical music. Alam Khan explains how the ragas are derived from the ten basic scales. Ragas are used to express different moods through music such as sadness and joy. A short excerpt from a concert performance is followed by an explanation of the use of scales, known as 'thats', in performance.
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