India

Music Of India Indian music includes multiple varieties of folk music, pop and Indian Classical Music. India's traditional music includes Carnatic and Hindustani Music.Music in India began as an integral part of socio-religious life.

Classical Music  The 2 main traditions of classical music are Carnatic music, found predominantly in the peninsular regions, and Hindustani music, found in the nothern, eastern and central regions. The basic concepts of this music includes shruti (microtones), swara (notes), alankar ( ornamentation ), raga (melodies improvised from basic grammars), and tala (rhythmic patterns used in percussion). Its tonal system divides the octave into 22 segments called shrutis, not all equal but each roughly equal to one quarter of a whole tone of western music.

Hindustani Music

The Hindustani Music tradition diverged from Carnatic music around the 13th-14th centuries AD. The practice of singing based on notes was popular even from the Vedic times where the hymns in Sama Veda, an ancient religious text, were sung as Samagana and not chanted. Developing a strong and diverse tradition over several centuries, it has contemporary traditions established primarily in India but also in Pakistan and Bangladesh. In contrast to Carnatic music, the other main Indian Classical music tradition originating from the South, Hindustani music was not only influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions, historical, historical Vedic Philosophy and native sounds but also enriched by the Persian performance practices of the Mughals. Carnatic Music  The present form of Carnatic Music is based on historical developments that can be raced to the 15th-16th centuries AD and thereafter. It is said to have originated in the South Indian state of Karnataka. Like Hindustani music, Carnatic music is melodic, with improvised variations, but tends to have more fixed compositions. It consists of a composition with improvised embellishments added to the piece in the forms of Raga Alapana, Kalpanaswaram, Neraval and in the case of more advanced students, Ragam Tanam Pallavi (Raga, Thala, Pallavi). The main emphasis is on the vocals as most compositions are written to be sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in a singing style. There are about 7.2 million ragas (or scales) in Carnatic music, with around 300 still in use today.

Musical Instruments Used in India
=Dotara =

=
 There are basically two types of Dotaras as Dotara and Dotara Folk. The Dotara consists of wooden body covered with leather. The strings run across a bridge and and a metal fingerboard. The Dotara accompanies bajans usually. This instrument is very common in all parts of India and is offered to very low prices too. ======

**Ektara**

=
 Ektara means 'one string'. This instrument has a spherical resonator made out of dried pumpkin, wood or coconut to which a split bamboo cane is attached as a neck. Into an opening at the bottom of the resonator a piece of leather is set and to this a string is attached. This string runs through the inside of the spherical resonator and between the forks of the bamboo cane up to the top end of the neck and is wrapped around around a peg there. The string of the Ektara is plucked with one finger, the pitch can be changed continually downwards by more and more pressing the two halves of the neck together. Thus the keynote here is the highest note of the open string. The Ekatara is commonly used in Kirtara chanting, which is a Hindu devotional practice of singing the divine names and mantras in an ecstatic call and response format. ======

**Dholak**  The Dholak is very popular drum with double skins from the northern folk music. The difference in diameter of the high skin and the bass skin is relatively small. In order to still get a powerful bass tone, the bass skin is made heavier by a special paste. Contrary to many other Indian drums, the Dholak has simply smooth skins on both sides. This makes it playable not only by using the differentiating finger techniques common in India, but also by using the whole hand like many African and South American drums. Both skins are tautenedd by a cotton cord that runs through movable metal strings.

=Sitar = <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">The Sitar is the most popular melody instrument in classical northern Indian music today and is, together with the Surbaher and the Tanpura, part of the family of long neck lutes. The large resonance box is made of dried pumpkin;-neck, cover and a possible second smaller resonance box are mostly made of Tun wood, an Indian variety of teak wood. Metal strings made of steel run across two bridges made of bone. The frets are movable by cords that are tied to the neck and are also made out of steel.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 1.5;">The Harmonium is an instrument that is indispensable in India and that is used in the religious field, in classical music, in folklore and for playing within the family. It owes its popularity mainly to its easy handling. The Harmonium can be compared in its functioning to the accordion. Air is pumped into an enclosed space by means of bellows. With a keyboard it is possible to open specially defined holes through which the pumped air is then pressed. The reeds attached to the openings are set vibrating and so produce the desired note.
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 25px; line-height: 1.5;">Harmonium **

<span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 25px; line-height: 1.5;">**Tabla** <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 1.5;">The Tabla is regarded as the queen of drums and percussion instruments and is the most popular Indian rhythm instrument. It consists of two drums, the Bayan (big bass drum) and the Dayan. The two of them are almost always played together. Both the two drums as a pair and also the Dayan on its own- as opposed to the Bayan are call Tabla. Both drums have a body that is closed at the bottom. The open top is mostly covered with a goat leather skin, a second skin (Kani) is attached. In the center of the skin is the so-called GAB: a black area which gives the instrument a special sound and makes the variety of sounds and modulations possible.

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">The Bansuri is a transverse flute of India made out of a single hollow shaft of bamboo with 6-7 finger holes in it. An ancient musical instrument associated with cowherds and the pastoral tradition, it is intimately linked to the love story of Krishna and Radha and is also depicted in Buddhist paintings from around 100CE. The North Indian Bansuri, typically about 14 inches in length, was traditionally used as a soprano instrument primarily for accompaniment in lighter compositions including film music. The Bass variety (approximately 30'', tonic E3 at A440Hz )
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 25px;">Bansuri **


 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 25px;">Elathalam/Ilathalam **

[[image:http://t1.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcR4y_8baXrBQ_jQM7u7j0MyPLPnROe4STji3p1N1a04RWXiQcEU:upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Ilathalam.jpg width="140" height="195" align="left"]]
====<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">This ia a metalic musical instrument which resembles a miniature pair of cymbals. This instrument from Kerala in Southern India is completely made out of bronze and has two pieces in it. Elathalam is played by keeping one part of the cymbal in left hand, hand banging the other cymbal to the one in left hand. Even though this instrument is small by size, it does have more thickeness then the common cymbal, and thus gives a distinct chime. ====

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<span style="color: #322255; font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 26px;">General Characteristics of Indian Music
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 1.5;">Indian music is often based around pentatonic scale, a musical scale with five notes per octave.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 1.5;">The raga scale, series of five or more notes upon which a melody is constructed, is commonly used in classical music.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 1.5;">Indian rhythms are typically poly rhythmic- the simultaneous use of two or more conflicting rhythms- and use complex time signatures and syncopation.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 1.5;">Indian music often has a meditative or spiritual meaning.

__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Melodic __<span style="font-family: Comic Sans MS,cursive;"> __Characteristics__
 * <span style="font-family: 'Palatino Linotype','Book Antiqua',Palatino,serif; font-size: 25px;">Pitch **
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Raga is the name of the pitch system and also for specific formations of pitches and tendencies. The raga/ raag/ ragam is the essential melodic element in Indian Classical music.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">A raga is a series of pitches similar to a European an idea of a scale.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">A raga often has distinctive melodic shapes, apitch hierarchy and characteristic ornamentation on specific pitches.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">A raga is usually associatted with the hour of the day and/ or year or a particular emotional state.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">A raga has a specific ascending and descending form.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Most Indian art music uses a drone, a constantly sounding pitch or set of pitches which gives reference point to the ear in hearing the intricacies of the raga being performed. The drone is usually the interval of a perfect fifth.

__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Rhythm and meter __
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Tala/talam (H/K) is the name of the metrical system and also specific rhythmic meters.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> A tala is a cycle of beats (16 counts, 14, 12, etc.) with sub-divisions (ex: 3 + 2 + 3 + 2 = 10 beats).
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Each tala has a specific name and distinctive characteristics.

__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Timbre __
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> vocal: usually nasal.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Melodic instruments such as the sitar have sympathetic strings the vibrations of which create a distinctive shimmering texture.
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Other melodic instruments such as the sarangi imitate the favored vocal quality.

__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Dynamics __


 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%; line-height: 1.5;">Indian music is usually performed with small groups of instruments. Because of this, it often has a chamber music feeling, encouraging more delicate dynamics.

__<span style="font-family: 'Comic Sans MS',cursive; font-size: 130%;">Form in the performance of a raga __
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Three basic parts:

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Alap** – Introduction of raga; Drone and melodic instrument <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> An introduction that is improvised and in free/flexible rhythm <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Optional rhythmic section: jor/tanam (H/K)

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Drum entrance marks the <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">**Precomposed Piece** – Strict rhythm with tala

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> Strict rhythm with tala continues; various types of improvisation create sections <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;"> (Many other specific short forms, often song forms, exist. These “fixed” forms often have many component parts and options.)
 * <span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">Improvisation **

<span style="font-family: Georgia,serif; font-size: 130%;">H = Hindustani, Northern; K = Karnatak, Southern

Bibliography

Smccd.net, (2014). THE ART MUSIC OF INDIA -- Elements of Raga. [online] Available at: http://www.smccd.net/accounts/mecklerd/mus250/indiasupplement.htm [Accessed 24 Aug. 2014].

Wikipedia, (2014). Indian musical instruments. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Indian_musical_instruments [Accessed 24 Aug. 2014].

Wikipedia, (2014). Music of India. [online] Available at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Music_of_India [Accessed 24 Aug. 2014].