India Flashcards
General stuff on India
7th largest country by geographical area, 2nd most populated (over 1 billion people) (1 in every 5 people live there)
History goes back thousands of years with countless infusions of conquerors and people from other areas
19 languages spoken (mostly Hindi, English, Sanskrit)
Hinduism is dominant religion, 10% Muslim
Music in India
Used for religious worship and celebrations
Country divided into 2 major styles by mountains (north and south)
Transmitted by memory and oral tradition
Based on raga melodic system and tala rhythmic system
Improv prominent in performance with drone providing sustained tonal centre (more north)
North Indian music
Called Hindusthani
Persian and Mongolian influence from invasions
Sitar and tabla most common instruments
Table must be tuned to same key as sitar
Very long improvs inherent to the style (1+ hour long pieces)
Uses raga and tala
South Indian music
Karnataka sangeeta (Carnatic music)
Veena and mridangam most common instruments
Right drumhead of mridangam tuned to tonal centre
Uses raga and tala
Piece based on specific ragas and Hindu devotional songs with some improv
Raga
Melody
That which “colours the mind”
Each has its own personality and is associated with specific feelings and emotions
Each one has its rules about the way a musician may move from one more to another and ways to ornament with slides/fast notes
One learns a raga through years of study and by learning from a guru
Associated with emotions, colours, animals, deities, seasons, etc
Swara
72 parent scales
Guru
Teacher
Swara
Seven notes of scale Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni
Tala
Time circle (rhythm)
Organization of time in music (beat, regular pulse)
Beats are grouped into regularly recurring metric styles called talas
Groupings are often 3, 5, 7, 8
Many tempos used
Timbre
Nasal sound preceded in instruments and voice
Ready and forward
Buzzing of strings
Metallic percussion sound
Harmony
Drone is built on tonic and dominant
Texture
3 layers in Carnatic piece - melody, drone, rhythm
1+ musicians on each layer
Melody features primary + secondary singers/instrumentalists
Scruti is played by tambura and buzzing sound on tonic and dominant to carry
Scruti box may also be used for drone
Apps are used as scruti boxes
Percussion is main drum + optional others
Form
All pieces are made of raga and tala
Optional forms of improv used
One exception of using these three elements of form is mostly improv pieced called Ragam, Tanam and Pallavi
Tabla
North
2 drums, 1 wood (tuned with sitar), 2nd metal
Membranophone
Mridangam
2 headed wood drum
Tuning on sides
Membranophone
South
Kanjira
Tambourine
1 jingle
Lizard skin
Membranophone
