The Indian community has one of the unique cultures around the world. One of the components that characterize the Indian culture is the music. Indians have unique forms of music that influence how people live and interact. In addition, the music influences the values that people develop in the Indian society. The Indian classical music has evolved significantly over the years. This is a form of Indian music that is characterized by two unique elements. The first element is the Hindustani tradition in the North communities. The second element is the Carnatic element that is usually associated with the people living in Southern parts of India. Initially, it was not possible to see the distinctions in the Indian classical music. The trend is attributed to the fact that the Indians in both parts of the country were having the same cultures. Changes started becoming apparent during the Mughal rule where attempts to separate the Indian communities and ensure that each had a unique culture. Those who lived in the Northern n parts of the country embraced the Hindustani that focused more on exploration of diverse forms of raga. In the South, the Carnatic element revolved around having short compositions. While the two elements are unique, they have been used to form the basis of classical Indian music. The aim of this paper is to explore the classical Indian music.
Root of Classical Indian Music
The history and root of Indian music has been explored over the years. The root of this form of music has been traced to the Vedic literature in Hindu. In some cases, it has been argued that the Indian classical music originated from the Natyasharta era as attempts were being made to create unique musical traditions. During those times, the Indians focused on combining three different forms of art when creating music (Robinson, 2009). They included melos, syllabic recitals, and dance. As time progressed, the Indians started to make sangeeta a distinct genre that led to the development of contemporary music. Another critical development that occurred at that time was the combining of two formats to form music. The first one as the use of the musical meter when creating music. The second element was the rituals that that developed for use by musicians. The rituals were formed through the use of coding, octave notes, and knot. The specific notes that were used in the songs were unique and could show the nature of the classical music. The lyrical elements in the music were also unique and contained melodic content that was sung in both high and low notes. It is also imperative to state that the structure of the initial classical Indian music was not limited to a given form. There were those that embedded musical meters while others were characterized by eight syllables.
Delegate your assignment to our experts and they will do the rest.
A review of existing literature show that the ancient form of classical Indian music had various forms such as ceremonial music, informal music, and celestial music. As time progressed, attempts were made to expand the genre of traditional classical music. The process entails subdividing the compositions into various forms based on talas, ragas, and rhythmic ratios. In addition, the mediaeval music addressed various elements such as Jainis, Budhism, and Hinduism. The fabric of the ancient classical music are talas and raga (Moorthy, 2001). The tala element was included to improve the creativity in the musical forms and allow the artist to explore a wide range of possibilities. Furthermore, tala was used in ensuring that the Indian classical music was kept in a time cycle. The raga, in contrasts, influenced the melodic structure of the compositions. In both cases, there were attempts that were made to improve the quality of the music through beats, duration, notes, and the division of time. It implies that analysis of the classical Indian music cannot be complete without the consideration of both raga and tala.
There is a consensus among experts and analysts that raga was one of the fundamental elements that characterized classical individual music. It was a concept that was used to influence the way artists expressed themselves through music. However, the actual definition of what raga is all about remains a problem in the society. Furthermore, scholars have not be able to conclusively analyze and describe the concept. The trend is attributed to the fact that different artists use raga in various forms to enhance the quality of their compositions. In most instances, raga has been described as the musical entity that relates to intonation, order of musical notes, and note intonation (Staal, 2009). In some cases, the focus is on arranging the words and musical elements in a way that will create a conducive atmosphere for expression. It is worth statin that classical Indian music was firmed based on certain rules that the artists must follow. For instance, there was a need to use raga in a way that gives flexibility. In addition, the artists were require to add ornamentations and use simple expressions to create mood intensity.
Raga is considered to be a musical element that gives unique sets of note and a scale. The element helps create ordered melodies that are characterized by musical motifs. Through the use of traditional motifs and notes, the classical Indian musicians were able to improve the quality of their compositions. The Indian tradition allowed for the use of sequential notes to improve the inner feelings, atmosphere, and essence. It implies that raga may be created or written on a scale. From a theoretical perspective, there is a need to use five or more unique musical notes to achieve the raga standards. It is for this reason that some artists were using up to forty ragas in their compositions (Dhavalikar, 2003). In such cases, it is possible to divide the musical time in a way that will improve the beats. Another critical issue that should be taken into consideration when creating raga is the fact that it can help yield numerous tunes. This is due to the fact that raga is not limited to a unique scale. Instead, it is based on different scales that the artist may find suitable for their compositions. In addition, it can be organize and mapped different for the artist to achieve the desired level of musical sentiment. In such an instance, the main goal is to improve the feeling and performance of music. In addition, it helps the artists to create musical compositions that fits the traditional Indian dances.
As noted earlier, tala is the other element that characterized classical Indian music. In this case, the focus was on influencing and shaping the musical meter in the compositions. It is imperative to state that most Indian musical works were created and performed on a metrical model. In addition, the structure of the compositions and the beats were created in a unique manner that allow for the regular repetition of rhyme. In some cases, the use of tala entailed having hierarchical garments that changed based on the musical pieces. While using tala, the artists were focusing on creating metrical structures that would be repeated cyclically. The pattern was witnessed both at the start and the end of the musical to make it unique. In India, the talas had diverse and unique qualitative elements that differentiated them from the meters that were used by the European composers. For instance, the Indian talas tend to be longer in comparison to these that exist in the western classical compositions. Another vital element was the use of both strong and weak beats in the compositions. The approach entail restricting the permutation of both weak and strong beats. In this regard, talas was a common element that helped create flexibility in classical Indian music. Artists have used different types of talas in their classical Indian compositions. The choice of talas to use will depend on what the artist wants to address and the kind of composition that he or she is creating. One of the most widely used forms is the adi tala. In India, adi tala was used to influence the musical connotations in the composition. Furthermore, it was to determine the kind of instrumentation that could be developed and used. The most common types of instruments included violin, sitar, esraj, and sarod. In other instances, the artists could use kanjira, venu, and veena. Throughout the process, the focus is on keeping the rhythm and ensuring that the tone remained steady. In addition, the instruments gave the artists a reference point that could help them in their performances.
The notation system that was used in the classical Indian music was also unique. In most cases, the notation tended to show expressiveness and elaborate nature of the compositions. This is a trend that was also evident in the classical music created in the western world. The process entailed diving the octaves in a way that allowed the artists to form twelve semitones. The basis notes in the compositions ascended in a systematic order (Staal, 2009). It is worth stating that classical Indian musicians could use just-intonation model that differed from the equal temperament framework used in the western world to create classical tones. Furthermore, the artists placed great emphasis on improvisation which was a critical element of the classical Indian music. The practice was shared by artists who were living in the Northern parts and Southern parts of Indian. The unique notations still exist in some of the musical compositions created in India today.
The performance of the classical Indian music has also been different compared to other cultures around the world. In most instances, the performances usually take place in a chamber setting. The focus of the performance is usually on the solo performer who sings in a way that is line with the rhythm of the song. Many performers consider relationship between notes and melody to be central to their performances (Dhavalikar, 2003). The trend contrasts significantly with other cultures in which harmony is regarded to be a fundamental element of any performance. It is also important to state that an extensive system of ornamentations like oscillations and vibrato usually characterize the settings. The ornamentations are often use to improve the melodic lines in Indian music. There are performers who start with alaap as an introduction before they move to the main sections of the songs. Others focus on improvisations and diverse tempos to improve the quality of their performances.
The reception of the classical Indian music has also been great. Locally, the classical Indian music is widely accepted. Many Indians play and listen to them in different functions. In addition, they have been adopted and used in Bollywood creations. The popularity of the songs make them acceptable across the society. The impact of classical Indian music has also been witnessed outside the country. For instance, the musical compositions have been accepted and embrace in China. Many Chinese people listen to the Indian music and appreciate the uniqueness of the competition. In the 1980s, there was also a global increase in the acceptance of Indian classical music (Owens, 2012). The growth was more prevalent in North America. In this particular region, many immigrants strived to embrace the music and preserve it. In addition, they have been passing it down from one generation to the other. The impact of classical Indian music is expected to increase in the coming years. The growth can be attributed to the effort by artists and organization to promote this genre of music. The formation of organizations that promote Indian classical dance and music is a positive move that will support the sector. The organization will also help perverse the unique Indian classical music and pass its elements to different generations.
Conclusion
Music is one of the aspects of culture that makes a society unique. It is a concept that helps in the preservation of the culture of a community. In some cases, music is used as the basis for communicating the critical practices and values that define a society. It is for this reason that attempts have been made to preserve different kinds of music around the world. In Indian, different communities have come up with unique musical forms that define them. The Indian classical music is one of the musical genres that is widely accepted in India. It sis a unique form of music that is very different from others around the world. In addition, it has unique musical elements and forms that make them acceptable among many Indians. While the compositions may be different, they all have musical features that have been passed down from generation to generation. Furthermore, the classical Indian musical composition have been embrace both local and in some parts of the world.
References
Dhavalikar, M. (2003). Ellora . Oxford University Press.
Moorthy, V. (2001). Romance of the Raga . Abhinav Publications.
Owen, S. (2012). Carving Devotion in the Jain Caves at Ellora . Brill Academic.
Robinson, J. (2009). Hinduism . Infobase Publishing. pp. 104–106.
Staal, F. (2009), Discovering the Vedas: Origins, Mantras, Rituals, Insights . Penguin
