The Music of India

Genres of Music Folk music and Classical music

Folk Music

Folk music - recordings

Characteristics Every region in India has its own form of folk music. This rich tradition of folk music is very much alive in not just rural India, but also in some metros. Thought of as a countryside representation of the urban Indian society.

Characteristics Very different from Classical music Classical music usually requires a student devoting their entire life perfecting the forms of this music. Folk music is a daily ritual; people learn folk songs in their childhood and grow up knowing the songs Most of the songs are sung in small village functions like weddings, births, etc.

Function Folk songs throughout India have certain, preordained functions. What does this mean? How does this compare with what you know about Western Arts Music? What occasions will folksongs throughout most of India be incorporated into? (What is the context of this music?)

Instruments Folk music from the different regions of India is generally played on “crude” versions of their more refined Classical counterpoints. What are some of these instruments? What are they made of?

Classical Music

Styles of Classical Music Two main branches of classical music Carnatic or South Indian Hindustani or Northern The two styles diverged around the 14th Century AD, but have common roots dating back to the 4th Century BC. WAM vs Classical Indian Music – Improvisation vs performance of a particular work

Instruments of Classical music Shenhai Tabla Tanpura Violin

Sitar

Just for fun – Djembe vs Tabla

The Raga Go the the following link: http://raag-hindustani.com/Scales1.html 1. Read and annotate 2. Respond What is a Raga? In what ways is a Raga different from Western harmony and scales? How would you describe a Raga to a person with no musical background?

Ornamentation Go the the following link: http://raag-hindustani.com/Scales1.html