Indian classical music
The Samaveda, a sacred Hindu text from around 1000 BCE, organizes hymns into musical meters and ritual aims. Embedded codes of swaras appear above or within the verses to indicate pitch direction. These notations form the skeleton of songs that combine melody with religious purpose. The Rigveda also embeds musical meter without such elaboration. A Gayatri mantra contains three metric lines of exactly eight syllables with an embedded ternary rhythm. Frits Staal notes in his 2009 book Discovering the Vedas that these texts show music existed before Yaska's time. The Natya Shastra by Bharata Muni later classified instruments into four groups based on acoustic principles rather than material. Stringed instruments, hollow instruments, solid instruments, and covered instruments each received their own chapter. Levis Rowell states idiophones like small bronze cymbals were used for tala in early Indian thought.
Socio-political turmoil during the Delhi Sultanate era isolated North India from the South after the 14th century. Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy suggests the North Indian tradition acquired its modern form after the 15th century. Purandara Dasa lived between 1484 and 1564 in Hampi of the Vijayanagara Empire. He systematized classical Indian music theory and developed exercises called Suladi Sapta Tala. His teachings remain in use today despite being over five centuries old. Carnatic music became distinct after Hindustani music was established as a separate entity. Muslim courts discouraged Sanskrit and encouraged technical music which led to different evolution paths. Tyagaraja lived from 1759 to 1847 and is known as one of the greatest composers in the Carnatic tradition. Eleanor Zelliot notes he reverentially acknowledged the influence of Purandara Dasa. Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar put today's typical concert structure in place with opening pieces called varnam.
A raga includes note intonation relative duration and order similar to how words flexibly form phrases. Bruno Nettl states it is best conceptualized as unique array of melodic features mapped to aesthetic sentiment. The goal of a raga is to create rasa or mood atmosphere essence inner feeling through music. Walter Kaufmann says though remarkable and prominent feature of Indian music definition cannot be offered in one sentence. A musician playing a raga may traditionally use just these notes but free to emphasize certain degrees of scale. For most artists their basic perfected repertoire has some forty to fifty ragas. Theoretically thousands of ragas are possible given five or more notes but practical use relies on several hundred. A raga allows flexibility where artist may rely on simple expression or add ornamentations yet express same essential message. Each unit of time division is called matra which connects raga to tala guidance about beat duration between beats.
David Nelson an Ethnomusicology scholar specializing in Carnatic music defines tala as covering whole subject of musical meter. A framework based on 29 beats takes about 45 seconds to complete when performed. Some talas are much longer than any classical Western meter without strong weak beat composition typical of European tradition. Adi tala is the most widely used tala in South Indian system while teental dominates North Indian system. First count of any tala is called sam in both major systems of classical Indian music. Hierarchical arrangement depends on how piece is supposed to be performed rather than regular repeating accent pattern. Flexibility permits accent of beat decided by shape of musical phrase instead of fixed permutations. Talas form metrical structure that repeats from start to end of song or dance segment making it conceptually analogous to meters in Western music. Lack of strong weak beat composition allows dynamic shaping through performance choices alone.
Players of tabla drum usually keep rhythm indicator of time in Hindustani music. Tanpura stringed instrument played at steady tone throughout performance provides point of reference for musician and background against which music stands out. Tuning of tanpura depends on raga being performed. Task of playing tanpura traditionally falls to student of soloist. Sarangi and harmonium serve as other instruments for accompaniment. Veena venu gottuvadyam mridangam kanjira ghatam nadaswaram appear typically in Carnatic music. Sitar sarod surbahar esraj bansuri shehnai santoor pakhavaj feature prominently in Hindustani performances. Ancient traditions classified instruments into four groups based on acoustic principle rather than material they made from. Flute works with gracious flow of air while small bronze cymbals used for tala kept separate function from percussion membranophones. Modern ensembles combine these ancient classifications with new developments across centuries of musical history.
Ravi Shankar came to US in 1958 and started making albums that began 1960s penchant for Indian classical music there. He performed at Woodstock for audience over 500,000 in 1969 alongside Western rock blues soul acts. This lasted until mid-1970s when interest shifted but global spread continued. Yukteshwar Kumar notes elements arrived in China during third century such as works by Chinese lyricist Li Yannian. In 2020 Canadian singer Abby V demonstrated 73 different Indian Classical ragas live rendering went viral internet further establishing growing prominence globally. Since 2023 UK-based arts organization KalaSudha presented Kala Festival touring celebration across major British cities featuring leading Hindustani Carnatic musicians. Ramakrishnan Murthy Sandeep Narayan Pandit Vikash Maharaj Mahesh Kale took professionally to Indian Classical Music with great success. SPIC MACAY established 1977 holds around 5000 events every year related to Indian classical music dance worldwide. Sangeet Natak Akademi awards highest Indian recognition given people field performance arts annually.
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Common questions
When was the Samaveda composed and how did it use music?
The Samaveda is a sacred Hindu text from around 1000 BCE that organizes hymns into musical meters and ritual aims. Embedded codes of swaras appear above or within the verses to indicate pitch direction.
Who lived between 1484 and 1564 in Hampi of the Vijayanagara Empire?
Purandara Dasa lived between 1484 and 1564 in Hampi of the Vijayanagara Empire. He systematized classical Indian music theory and developed exercises called Suladi Sapta Tala.
What defines a raga in Indian classical music according to Bruno Nettl?
Bruno Nettl states it is best conceptualized as unique array of melodic features mapped to aesthetic sentiment. The goal of a raga is to create rasa or mood atmosphere essence inner feeling through music.
Which tala is the most widely used in South Indian system and which dominates North Indian system?
Adi tala is the most widely used tala in South Indian system while teental dominates North Indian system. First count of any tala is called sam in both major systems of classical Indian music.
When did Ravi Shankar come to US and what was his performance at Woodstock?
Ravi Shankar came to US in 1958 and started making albums that began 1960s penchant for Indian classical music there. He performed at Woodstock for audience over 500,000 in 1969 alongside Western rock blues soul acts.