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INDIAN MUSIC - An Introduction With RAGA

Indian music has a long history and unique elements that distinguish it from Western music. It uses scales called ragas that are associated with moods and emotions. Performances feature a drone of sustained pitches and complex rhythmic patterns played on the tabla drums. Improvisation is a key element, as no two performances are the same. Pieces follow a typical structure that progresses from slow introductions to faster, more intricate sections. Musicians sit facing the audience and create their own ideas while responding to other performers.

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133 views17 pages

INDIAN MUSIC - An Introduction With RAGA

Indian music has a long history and unique elements that distinguish it from Western music. It uses scales called ragas that are associated with moods and emotions. Performances feature a drone of sustained pitches and complex rhythmic patterns played on the tabla drums. Improvisation is a key element, as no two performances are the same. Pieces follow a typical structure that progresses from slow introductions to faster, more intricate sections. Musicians sit facing the audience and create their own ideas while responding to other performers.

Uploaded by

R Williams
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Indian

Music
India is here – the 6th largest
country in the world.

It shares borders
with Pakistan,
China, Nepal,
Bhutan, (Tibet),
Bangladesh,
Myanmar (formally
Burma) and Sri
Lanka
I bet you didn’t know that…
India is the largest democracy in the whole world – just over 1
Billion people live there.
India has developed & tested its own Nuclear Weapons.
India was ruled by the British until 1947.
The Indian railway is the largest employer in the world – over 1 million
workers.
There are 17 official languages spoken, and 6 major religions.
India invented Chess, lots of Maths (e.g. the number Zero and the decimal
point) and the game “Snakes and Ladders!
The world’s oldest civilisations are found in India, with ruins dating
back to 10,000 years ago
Indian Music…
Is the oldest music in the world.
It is NEVER written down.
Uses instruments not found anywhere else in the world.
Is rather quiet – modern performers often use microphones to boost their
volume when playing in big spaces.
Sounds complicated but is actually quite straightforward – it’s the
skills of the performers than make it sound so complex.
Is based on different rules to Western Music, so it can take some getting
used to for some people
Is very expressive – every scale of pitches is linked to a different mood ot
emotion
Is closely linked to Dance, Story Telling and Religion
Pitch – the Indian RAGA
A Raga (pronounced “rah-ger”) is the Indian term for a Scale.
However, there is more to Raga than just an arrangement of notes.
Every Raga is linked to a mood, emotion, place or feeling.
Raga pitches can change according to the direction of the pitch
movement – going up the scale can sound different from going
down the scale.
Raga pitches have different levels of importance. The two most important
pitches are called the King (“Vadi”) and the Chief Minister (“Samvadi”) –
they are used to make the drone.
HOW TO PLAY THE RAGA SCALES

RAG VIBHAS
“Loveliness or the Sound of Early Dawn”

C Db E F# A C
RAG BILAVAL
“Pleasant and Joyful”
 GOING UP   GOING DOWN 

C D E F G A B C C D E F G A Bb B C
RAG MARWA
“Restless and Uncomfortable”
 GOING UP   GOING DOWN 

C Db E F# A C C Db E F# A BC
RAG MALAKOSH
“Peaceful and Meditative”
 GOING UP  and  GOING DOWN 

B D E G A B
Pitch – the DRONE
Most Indian music pieces feature a drone – sustained notes that
play underneath the melody line, working like harmony (chords) in
western Music.
A drone can be made of very long notes or a pitch & rhythm
pattern that repeats over and over (an Ostinato).
Some instruments like the Harmonium, Bagpipes and Sitar cannot
be played without making a drone.
The drone part can be played on a special instrument, such as the
Tampura.
Very long neck – 3 feet
Only four strings
Large bowl boosts sound
Pitch – the Sitar
Sitar body made of wood and metal
Sitar strings are made from spun metal wire

Movable, curved, raised frets


6 or 7 playable strings

Large bowl helps sound


11 to 13 “Sympathetic”
strings that vibrate freely
Rhythm – the TALA
Most Indian music pieces feature a tala – a pattern of
beats that cycles round and round.
A Tala can have any number of beats.
Some beats are emphasised or stressed with a louder
sound, whilst others are emphasised by a silence.
The drummer will improvise over the repeating
pattern, adding his or her patterns over the top.
The patterns get more and more decorated as the piece
goes on.
Rhythm patterns are played on the Tabla Drums
Rhythm – the TALA
Tin Tal:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16

Rupak Tal:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

Japtal:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
= Clap = Wave
Rhythm – the Tabla Drums
Always in pairs.
Played with the fingers – no sticks allowed!
Totally unique sound – nothing like them elsewhere.
A good tabla player could take years to develop their
skills.
Hard wooden patch in
the centre of the skin

Large / low drum = metal, small / high drum = wood


Improvising
All Indian Music uses improvising – making it up as
you are performing.
The melody improvisation is always based on the
notes of the Raga and the Tala Cycle.
The drone improvisation (if a pattern is used) is also
based on Raga pitches and the Tala Cycle.
The Rhythm improvisation is based on the Tala Cycle
only.
So, no two performances of the same piece are ever
exactly the same !!
Structure
Alap – starts the music.
Slow feeling with no pulse.
The Raga notes are “introduced” to the audience,
one by one.
The improvised patterns are slow, becoming more
complicated & faster toward the end
Jhor – starts the pulse and plays an improvisation on the whole
Raga scale being used.
Sitar & Tambura also add rhythm / pulse to their ideas
Jahla – improvisation based on the Raga.
Faster & more exciting
Ghat (instruments only) Bandish (singing) – Tabla joins in.
The Tala cycle pattern starts
The whole group plays a pre-composed melody / song
The performers might use question and answer patterns
The piece will end with everyone involved.
Performers sit on the floor, facing
the audience

Microphones and amplifiers help the


sound be heard in concert halls

Performers create their own ideas and


use the ideas of the other players. Good
communication is required – performers
look at each other and even talk
sometimes

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