The document provides an overview of Indian art music, including its main genres, elements, and characteristics. It discusses the two main systems of North Indian (Hindustani) and South Indian (Carnatic) music. Key points include that Hindustani music has religious/philosophic roots, is highly formalized with different genres and styles, allows for improvisation, and uses ornaments. Carnatic music is of more recent origin, is composition based and fixed, and has influences from Muslim traditions. The document also examines concepts like ragas, talas, rhythmic improvisation, and elements of a typical vocal or instrumental performance.

1. 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)
www.ragaculture.com

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

3. M u s i c
Org a n i s e d
&
emotionally expressive
s o u n d

4. .
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”

5. The Two Systems of Art Music in India
Hindustani (North Indian) Music
 Continuity back to Vedic times (6,000 BC)
 Codified in a large number of ancient and
medieval music treatises
 Developed independently of folk music,
albeit occasionally importing folk or
regional elements, metamorphosing them
suitably
 Raga based, mostly improvised
 Capable of intense expression in very slow
speeds
 Vast range of ornaments, particularly
during slow passages
 Subtle use of microtones in slow passages
 Steady, long-held notes, mostly
approached and/or quitted by little
ornamental phrases
 Gradual building up of tempo from very
slow to very fast
 Convention of time and season
 Clear enunciation of rhythmic cycle by
percussion accompanist (in dominant
present day forms like Khayal, Sadra,
Thumri, Bhajan etc.)
 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

6. 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. Elements of Music
•Melody – notes sounded
successively
•Harmony – notes sounded
simultaneously
•Rhythm – pulses in time
•Dynamics – intensity (volume)

10. Organising Notes
• Melodic Organisation:
According to the
principles codified by
the system of
- RAGAs
- 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

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

12. 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)

13. 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”

14. T a l a Matra T h e k a
Kaharva 4 Dhage Nati Naka Dhin | |
Dadra 6 Dha Tin Na | Ta Dhin Na | |
Roopak 7 Tin Tin Na | Dhin Na | Dhin Na | |
Jhaptal 10 Dhin Na | Dhin Dhin Na | Tin Na | Dhin Dhin Na | |
Ektal 12 Dhin Dhin | Dhage Tite | Thum Na | Kat Ta | Dhage Tite | Dhin Dha | |
Jhoomra 14 Dha –Dha Tirakita | Dhin Dhin Dhage Tirakita | Ta –Ta Tirakita | Dhin Dhin
Dhage Tirakita | |
Deepchandi 14 Dha Dhin - | Dha Dha Dhin - | Na Tin - | Dha Dha Dhin - | |
Adachoutal 14 Dhin Tite | Dhin Na | Thum Na | Kat Ta | Tite Dhin | Na Dhin | Dhin Na | |
Trital 16 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)

15. 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

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

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

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