INDIAN MUSIC

   Music in India through the ages

Music is a gift of god offered to him for entertainment and to gain peace and solace. They are indigenous and depict the Indian culture. “Indian music is essentially impersonal. It reflects an emotion or wisdom of any single individual” Brahma is treated as the first musician. Vishnu is accepted as the originator of sovereign songs. Nerada was also responsible for creating the Vina, the oldest string instrument of India.

Indian music as old as the history of India and has come down through the age by responding to the challenges of distinctive nature. The native music of the Harappans and Dravidians has left with us indelible impressions. The Aryans widened the scope in providing the wonderful melodic system. Their emotional trends have added to the unique qualities of music. The Natyasastra of bharath muni also refer to music. The Vedic Aryans recited the Vedic hymns in musical form and God is invoked by music. The Hindus treat nadam or sound as the power of creation. Samaveda contains details about the rhythm and system of notation.

Indian music system is based on the ragas and that is a significant aspect of Indian music. Raga means coloring in a psychological sense or emotion. It indicates mood. Music induces and awakens the deep feelings in the human beings. They are capable of introducing changes in nature. Every raga symbolizes some emotions. It creates an awakening when it is sung in an appropriate form. So it is revealed that every raga is having a particular quality.

During the rainy season, the megha raga is sung. It is believed that it will relieve the distresses of tuberculosis. The Indians also agree that the ragas. Deepak and Bhairava can create fire and a fresh felling during early morning hours respectively. The Indians give special importance to the singing of a particular raga at a particular time. The singing of song in Sri Raga brining peace and solace by avoiding tension. For curing heart and liver disease the singing of Raga Bhairavi is recommended.  For achieving meditative mood after mid night the ascertained in the following way.

   

Ragas                                                                                                 Timing

Jaunpuri, Todi, Dhavavi Sudha sarangi            -                   Morning

Multhani, Pilu, Dhinpalas, Mand, Patdeep       -                   Afternoon

Shyan, Kalyan, hamsadvani, Sankar                 -                  Evening

Durgha, Kanhara, Darbari, Kamod                   -                   Night

The Ragas comprises of tones of svaras. They are adopted in succession in singing and they create a musical effect or Varna. Each and every raga has its own individual melodic pattern. Every raga possesses an inner emotional character bhava. They have their own meaning. “The swaras or tones are the substance of the raga. The composition of swara in an order of succession in its structure, and the Varna of beauty of musical effect is its explicit form”. There are seven main swaras or tones or notes.

Shadjamam                                        -                                   SA

Rishabam                                           -                                   Ri 

Gandahara                                          -                                   Ga

Madhyahara                                       -                                   Ma

Panchama                                           -                                   Pa

Dhaivata                                             -                                   Dha

Nishadha                                            -                                    Ni 

Indian music makes use of tones in between the svaras. Such degree of pitch is known as sruti. They are used to add richness and delicate traceries of sound and embellishment. They assist the Indian singers and musicians. The utilization of special scale or time in singing by use of pure vowels without affecting the hold or meanings is known as Alapanam. At time such measures are achieved by using a specific kind of hold that will be known as Nerval. Importance also will be assigned to perfect tuning (tala) and rhythm (laya)

Indian music is deeply influenced by nature. They are associated with cries of animals and birds. They are the following forms. 

Shadjamam           -   The cry of peacock
Rishabam              -   The sound made by the cow while calling her calf    
Gandahara             -   The bleat of a goat
Madhyahara          -   The cry of the horn  
Panchama              -   The cry of the Indian Nightingale
Dhaivata                -   The neighing of the horse
Nishadha               -    The trumpeting of the elephant

Every raga is distinguished by several of sentiments called raga. Sringara (Love) harya (Mirth), Karuna (tenderness) Raudhra (anger), Vira (heroism),Bhayankara (terror), Vighasta (digust) and Asudha (surprise) are the important ragas. The Raginia is the feminine form of raga.

The Gharana is an important aspect both in instrument and vocal music in India. In carnatic music it is known as Bani. There are scrupulously adopted by the master and taught them to their disciples. It is the traditional approach in Indian music. The Mughal empires were great patron of music. Tansen, Haridas, Baija Baura were the renouned and musicians of that age. Khayal is the supreme stage of musical art. Khayal means an idea or imagination. Khayal has both foreign and native impacts Amir Khushro was a patron of the kind of music. 

In carnatic music Varnam is treated as the basic type of composition it exposes the melodious movements of the raga Pallavi, Anupallavi, Kirit, Kirtana are associated with Carnatic Music. Pallavi, Anuballavi and Charanam are the three things of the part of a song. Shyama Sasthri, Thiyagaraja and Muthusamy Dikshitra were the three experts in Carnatic music. Muthusamy Dikshitar was responsible for introducing the raga Hamsadvani. 

Classical music:

The devotional Indian sub-continent is known for its classical music. Bhajan and Kirtan occupy a unique place in promoting Bhakthi, kabir, Gurunanak, surdas and Mira produced Bhajans. The Keertana emerged from Bengal. Eknath, Jananeswar Tugharam was eminent exponents of Adangas. The Nalayira Divya Prabandam, Pasurams of Vaishanva liwars the Devaram hymns and Thiruvasagam of the four Saiva Nayanmars are the popular Tamil works and they are all amenable to music. The Thiruppukal of Arunagirinathar could also be sung with musical notes.

Now a day’s various efforts are undertaken for promoting music. Various institutions are concentrating on the promotion of music. The Gandharva Mahavidhyalaya founded in 1908 in Bombay is doing its best promoting music. In 1919 due to the efforts of Maharaja of Baroda the all India music Academy was constructed. In 1921 at Luck now, the music Academy of madras was established. The Madras University too has a faculty of music. “Music is firmly interwoven with India’s royal fabric and no social or religious assembly is complete without it. In India importance also assigned to instrumental music. Varieties of instruments are used. They too exhibit the superior nature of the Indian culture. So one has to know about the musical instruments of India also.