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Indian Classical Music is one
of the oldest unbroken musical traditions. It is principally based on
melody and rhythm, not on harmony, counterpoint, chords, modulation and
the other basics of Western classical music. The system of Indian music
known as Raga Sangeet can be traced back nearly two thousand years to
its origin in the Vedic hymns of the Hindu temples, the fundamental source
of all Indian music. Thus, as in Western music, the roots of Indian classical
music are religious.It originated from the chanting of the Vedas, chanting
based on Sam Veda. These could be compared with the Psalms in the Bible.
The word raga literally means colour. Indian classical music is coloured
by the emotions and moods and are closely associated with the various
times of the day or the seasons of the year. There are male ragas and
female ragas, which are called raginis.
'Raga' is the melodic structure at the centre of Hindustani (North Indian)
and Carnatic (South Indian) classical music. It is the basis on which
the vocalist or instrumentalist improvises in slow, medium or fast phases.
A raga has five; six or seven notes in separate ascending and descending
structures, and its own recognisable feature or theme. Each raga is associated
with a particular time of day or night, and has its principal rasa or
mood. Some ragas are associated with the seasons of the year. Moods are
closely associated with human emotions of pathos or sadness, joy, romance,
love, devotion and the like, which are reflected in the ragas.
The ragas, which are usually sung in the morning, are Bhairavi, Lalit,
Todi, and its variations. Similarly there are afternoon ragas, such as
Sarang and Bhimpalsi; the evening ragas include Yaman, Pooriya, Marwa
and Shree, to name a few. There are also night ragas. In the same way
there are ragas associated with the seasons such as Basant for the Spring,
Hemant for the Autumn, Malhar for the Rainy season and so on.
Indian classical instruments
Flute
This wind instrument of ancient India was very common with Lord Krishna
and the religious music of the Buddhists. Being an instrument of great
antiquity, its construction has remained constant over the years.
Ghatam
The Ghatam, one of the ancient percussion instruments, often heard in
Carnatic Music concerts, is a mud pot carefully kneaded and uniformly
fired.
Jaltarang
Literally means 'water waves'. It consists of about eighteen porcelain
cups of different sizes, each possessing a distinctive tone. Usually water
is poured into the cups and the rims struck with two slender sticks held
in both hands. The more water there is, the lower is the pitch.
Mridangam
The Mridangam is perhaps the most highly developed and the most ancient
of all percussion instruments. It is commonly used in the south as an
accompaniment to the vocal and the instrumental performances.
Pakhwaj
The northern Pakhwaj is almost similar to the mridangam except for slight
differences in construction and playing techniques. The main difference
in the style of playing is that whereas the pakhwaj is played with an
open left hand, southern musicians use the left side like the tabla players.
Santoor
Santoor, which originated from the Vedic Vana Veena, is characteristic
of the Kashmir Valley and is neither seen nor played anywhere else. Today,
Santoor is played with all Indian ragas and is very popular with film
musicians.
Sarangi
Sarangi is another stringed instrument mainly popular as a folk instrument
and probably made it's first appearance in the late 17th Century. The
tone of the Sarangi is very near to the human vocal chord.
Sarod
Although the origin of the Sarod is not known, it is supposed to have
descended from the rabab of the Middle East. Sarod has secured an important
place in Hindustani Classical Music for it's deep and rich tone and a
distinctive sound.
Shehnai
Considered to be an auspicious instrument, shehnai belongs to the category
of Aerophonic Instruments. The notes are continuous and is generally used
in classical and light classical music.
Sitar
The sitar is one of the most popular instruments of North Indian classical
music. It has been in continual evolution over the past 200 years. Its
invention is often attributed to Amir Khusraw, a Persian musician, well
versed in both Persian and Indian music, who achieved high acclaim in
the Moghul court of Ala'al-Din Khilji, Sultan of Delhi (1296-1316). The
name "sitar" is muslim and means either three or seven string.
Tabla
Tabla, an evolution of the oldest percussion instrument. It is said to
be derived from a kind of Arabian drum called Table. In the hands of a
master, the Tabla is capable of producing all patterns of rhythms with
well-established time cycles (talas).
Veena
The Southern Veena was brought into use by Raghunatha Naik, a ruler of
Thanjavur, consisting twenty-four fixed frets. It is of comparatively
recent origin.
Violin
Though the Indian Classical music has a number of stringed instruments
of the bowed variety, the introduction of Violin to it, is quite recent.
In fact, it is the only western instrument to be absorbed completely into
Indian music.
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