MUSIC IN INDIA






                The music of  India includes multiple varieties of folk, popular, pop, classical music and Rhythm and bules. India's classical music tradition, including Carnatic and Hindustani music. It remains fundamental to the lives of Indians today as sources of spiritual inspiration, culture expression and pure entertainment. India is made up of several dozen ethnic groups, speaking their own languages and dialects, having distinct cultural traditions.  



CLASSICAL MUSIC

            The two main tradition of classical music are Carnatic and Hindustani music. Carnatic music were found in peninsular region and Hindustani in northern and central regions of India.



1. CARNATIC MUSIC

               One of the sub-genre of Indian classical music its main emphasis was on vocal music. most compositions are written to be Sung, and even when played on instruments, they are meant to be performed in singing style. the basic elements of sruti, swara, raga and tala form the foundation of Improvisions and composition in both Carnatic and Hindustani music. 

             Carnatic music is mainly sung through composition especially through Kriti. it is usually learnt and taught through composition. The most common and significant forms in Carnatic music are Varnam and Kriti.



          Varnam is relatively long piece and can actually range from thirty minutes. Two popular forms of varnam are Taana varnam and pada varnam. varnam highlights everything important about Raagas. Varnam includes every aspects of ragas like which notes to stress and how to aspects a certain note, characyeristic phase of raga and the scale of the raga. Kriti consist of three units namely Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charana.

         Apart from Varnam and Kriti, Raagamaalika is also counted as composition in Carnatic music. Raagamalika are sung during transition form one raga to the next.




2.HINDUSTANI MUSIC

            Hindustani classical music, one of the two popular Indian classical music systems, belongs to the northern part of India. Similar to Carnatic classical music, which is the classical music of south India, raga and taal are the two fundamental elements of Hindustani classical music.


Hindustani Music-Swaras

             In Hindustani music, there are seven main Swaras including:

  • Shadj (Sa)
  • Rishabh (Re)
  • Gandhar (Ga)
  • Madhyam (Ma)                                                     

  • Pancham (Pa)
  • Dhaivat (Dha)
  • Nishad (Ni)


These seven swaras are knows as saptak (sapta is seven). These seven basic swaras are further divided into twelve notes.