SOUTH ASIA: India - Classical traditions

Two main styles of classical music

Hindusthani - Northern style influenced by Persia and Islam

Karnataka - Southern style built around repertoire of pre-composed songs

Both Northern and Southern styles share the following features:

Raga (melodic-modal system) and tala (rhythmic cycles)

Extended improvisation

Oral tradition of learning directly from a teacher

Music as a religious, devotional practice

Developed out of royal court music

Rag or Raga: the melodic-modal form of classical music

Raga includes the following:

basic scale: SA RE GA MA PA DA NI (SA)

scales include an ascent and a descent of 7, 6 or 5 notes

pitch hierarchy: some pitches more important than others;

some pitches more embellished than others;

mood or color (e.g., romantic/playful; tender/longing)

association with time: morning, afternoon, evening; season of the year.

Tal or Tala: the time structure of classical music

Repeating rhythmic cycles sub-divided in various ways

examples: 4 + 2 + 2 = 8 5 + 5 + 2 + 2 = 14 4 + 4 + 4 + 4 = 16

Texture of classical music (instruments and voices):

Melody - expresses the rag

strings (sitar, veena, sarod), flute, oboe, violin (South India) or voice

Percussion - expresses the tal

drums: mridangam (South India); tabla (paired drums of North India)

Drone - expresses the sruti (tonal center)

strings (tambura), sruti box

Performance style (basic 3-part structure):

1. Introduction (alap): free meter improvisation by main melody instrument

Rhythmic pulse is introduced

2. Song (gat): drums introduce the tala (time signature)

(a pre-composed melody typically begins here)

3. Improvisational development:

(notes typically increase in density towards the end)

CD Example 12. Demonstration of Indian classical music by Ravi Shankar.

CD Example 13. Bhimpalasi - rag by Ravi Shankar (North India)

CD Example 14. Karnatak vocal alapana (South Indian)

CD Example 15. Vedic chant – Rgvedic recitation by Nambudiri Brahmins