Indian Art Music A n I l l u s t r a t e d T a l k by Dr. Chintamani Rath Ph.D. (Indian Music)

M U S I C … Where there is humanity, there is music… (but : what is music?)

M u s i c O r g a n i s e d & emotionally expressive s o u n d

. MUSICAL GENRES IN PRESENT DAY INDIA ART (“CLASSICAL”) SOUTH INDIAN (“CARNATIC”) NON - ART (“LIGHT/POPULAR”) TRIBAL FOLK N O R T H I N D I A N (“HINDUSTANI”) PROVINCIAL CINEMA MUSIC THEATRE MUSIC NON-INDIAN IMPORTS RELIGIOUS OR PHILOSOPHIC ♣ Has religious/philosophic roots ♣ Has a highly formalised grammar, dictated by textual as well as oral tradition ♣ Has different genres (Vocal – Alap, Dhrupad/Dhamar, Khayal, Sadra, Thumri, Bhajan, Geet etc Instrumental – Alap, Masidkhani, Rajakhani, Firozkhani, Amirkhani Gat etc) ♣ Has different styles (called Geeti, Bani or Baaj) ♣ Has regional schools of presentation (currently called Gharanas) ♣ Has regional variations in choice of Ragas, Talas, etc. “INDUSTRIAL”

The Two Systems of Art Music in India Hindustani (North Indian) Music CContinuity back to Vedic times (6,000 BC) CCodified in a large number of ancient and medieval music treatises DDeveloped independently of folk music, albeit occasionally importing folk or regional elements, metamorphosing them suitably RRaga based, mostly improvised CCapable of intense expression in very slow speeds VVast range of ornaments, particularly during slow passages SSubtle use of microtones in slow passages SSteady, long-held notes, mostly approached and/or quitted by little ornamental phrases GGradual building up of tempo from very slow to very fast CConvention of time and season CClear enunciation of rhythmic cycle by percussion accompanist (in dominant present day forms like Khayal, Sadra, Thumri, Bhajan etc.) TTrue to Hindu traditions: so-called “Persian influences” fully integrated within its essential and ancient grammatical format Carnatic (South Indian) Music  Of more recent origin  Codified in medieval texts written by musicologists, the influential ones among whom studied in North India and thereafter returned to South India to fashion Carnatic music out of the prevalent regional musical forms to be found in South India  Composition based, mostly fixed  A fairly quick tempo from the start, so lacks the intensity, introspection, microtones and several ornaments found in Hindustani music  Notes are not held for long and are mostly quitted by a characteristic oscillation using indeterminate pitch  Constant and fairly fast tempo throughout  No convention of time or season  Percussion accompanist does not enunciate rhythmic cycle clearly, so a second percussionist and/or a timekeeper showing and/or clapping out beats (in which the audience joins) is necessary  Contrary to advocated argument, has Muslim influences

The Gamut of Notes 8. Sa – Shadja – Do – Tonic 7. Ni – Nishada – Si/Ti – Leading Note ♭ 7. Ni – Komala Nishada 6. Dha – Dhaivata – Lah – Submediant ♭ 6. Dha – Komala Dhaivata 5. Pa – Panchama – Soh – Dominant # 4. Ma’ – Tivra/Kari Madhyama 4. Ma – Madhyama – Fah – Subdominant 3. Ga – Gandhara – Mi – Mediant ♭ 3. Ga – Komala Gandhara 2. Re – R’shabha – Re – Supertonic ♭ 2. Re – Komala R’shabha 1. Sa – Shadja – Do – Tonic

Sound in Indian Art Music Static Note – Unembellished tones: Used for teaching or analysing musical phenomena but not (except but rarely) in performance Ornamented Note – Tones embellished by different types of ornaments, such as Meend, Soot, Andolan, Gamak, Krintan, etc. : Used in performance

Ornaments (“Alankar”) used in Hindustani Music ⋆ Andolan – “oscillation” on a note ⋆ Gamak – fast Andolan. Gamak may range from the heavy and guttural to the light and almost superficial. Again, Gamak may be of varying speeds ⋆ Sparsha Svara, Kan or Krintan – grace note (acciaccatura) ⋆ Meend – glissando ⋆ Soot or Aansh – fast Meend from one note to another distant note ⋆ Mürki – akin to mordent ⋆ Khatka – akin to turn ⋆ Kampan – vibrato

Elements of Music Melody – notes sounded successively Harmony – notes sounded simultaneously Rhythm – pulses in time Dynamics – intensity (volume) Timbre – tone colour

Organising Notes Melodic Organisation: According to the principles codified by the system of - RAGA s - TALAs and - performance practice Harmonic organisation: Against a fixed system of static notes sounded continuously but softly in the background and in unintended counterpoint, from an imitating accompanist

R A G A  a a melodic concept capable of intense emotional communication and comprising: -a-a given set of notes, ascending and descending - characteristic microtones - characteristic phrases -r-relative importance of the notes - characteristic ornaments or lack thereof -t-the general speed to be adopted -t-the register to be used (low or high pitch) - an accepted time of performance

Organising Time – Tempo (Laya, Gati) Tempo (Laya) Slow (Vilambita) Very Slow (Ati Vilambita) Slow (Vilambita) Medium Slow (Maddhya Vilambita) Very Fast (Ati Druta) Fast (Druta) Medium Fast (Maddhya Druta) Medium (Maddhya) Fast (Druta) “Cyclic” (Tala-Yukta) “Linear” (Tala-Heena)

T A L A Tala → the cyclic organisation of periodic beats (Matra) = an endlessly repeated series of ordered rhythmic syllables in time Rhythmic syllables → Names of sounds on percussion instruments (Dha, Na, Dhin, Tin, Thum, Kat, Tita, Tirakita, Ghe, Dhita, etc.) A Tala has: Cycles – each cycle is called an “Avartana” Divisions into bars, which may be equal or unequal Accent points, which may be “beaten” (“Tali”) or “unbeaten” (“Khali”) A primary accent point (“Sama”) – the point of rhythmic resolution A vocal enunciation of the ordered rhythmic syllables in an Avartana, called “Theka”

T a l a Matra T h e k a Kaharva4 Dhage Nati Naka Dhin | | Dadra6 Dha Tin Na | Ta Dhin Na | | Roopak7 Tin Tin Na | Dhin Na | Dhin Na | | Jhaptal10 Dhin Na | Dhin Dhin Na | Tin Na | Dhin Dhin Na | | Ektal12 Dhin Dhin | Dhage Tite | Thum Na | Kat Ta | Dhage Tite | Dhin Dha | | Jhoomra14 Dha –Dha Tirakita | Dhin Dhin Dhage Tirakita | Ta –Ta Tirakita | Dhin Dhin Dhage Tirakita | | Deepchandi14 Dha Dhin - | Dha Dha Dhin - | Na Tin - | Dha Dha Dhin - | | Adachoutal14 Dhin Tite | Dhin Na | Thum Na | Kat Ta | Tite Dhin | Na Dhin | Dhin Na | | Trital16 Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Tin Tin Ta | Tita Dhin Dhin Dha | | … and many more, including fractional Matras (e.g. Jhampak Tala of 8½ Matras)

Rhythmic Improvisation (“Layakari”) ↠ Dügün – double speed ↠ Tigün – triple speed ↠ Choügün – quadruple speed ↠ Panch, Chhey, Sat, Ath, Naü, etc gün – respectively 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 etc times the original speed ↠ Aad – 3/2 times the original speed ↠ Aad ka Ülta – 2/3 times the original speed ↠ Küad – two viewpoints: 5/4 or 9/4 times the original speed ↠ Küad ka Ülta – 4/5 or 4/9 times the original speed ↠ Biyad – there are several varieties of this: 7/4 or 27/8 (“Küad of Aad” = 9/4 of 3/2) times the original speed, etc. ↠ Biyad ka Ülta – 4/7 or 8/27 times the original speed ↠ Paun – 3/4 times the original speed ↠ Paun ka Ülta – 4/3 times the original speed

Performance Practice Hindustani Recital Vocal “Classical” Dhrupad & Dhamar Khayal Tarana “Light- Classical” Thumri Bhajan Ghazal Instrumental Percussion Melodic Instrument “Classical” Gayaki Ang Dhrupad Ang Khayal Ang Tantrakari Ang “Light- Classical” Dhun

Khayal Recital ※ Auchār-Ālāp ※ Vilambit (Bada) Khayāl - Vistār (Badhat) ⇨ Sthāyi, Antarā - Behlāvā - Tān ※ Drut (Chhotā) Khayāl ⇨ developed similarly as above

Instrumental Recital ♠Ālāp, Jod, Jhālā ♠Masidkhāni Gat * Gat, with Uthān on Tablā * Soloist Accompanist Dialogue ♠Razākhāni Gat ⇨ developed similarly as above ⇨ Jhālā