SARGAM : A Magical combination of Melody , Rhythm and Harmony

  Classical Music : What is it ?

Music can be a social activity, but it can also be a very spiritual experience. Ancient Indians were deeply impressed by the spiritual power of music, and it is out of this that Indian classical music was born. So, for those who take it seriously, classical music involves single-minded devotion and lifelong commitment. But the thing about music is that you can take it as seriously or as casually as you like. It is a rewarding experience, no matter how deep or shallow your involvement.

Hindustani Classical Music is a North Indian classical music tradition that has been evolving since the twelfth century C.E., in what is now northern India and Pakistan and also Bangladesh, Nepal and Afghanistan.  The tradition was born from a cultural synthesis of several musical streams: the vedic chant tradition dating back to approximately one millennium B.C.E., the equally ancient Persian  tradition of “Musiqi-e assil” and also folk traditions prevalent in the region. The terms North Indian Classical Music or Shāstriya Sangeet are also occasionally used. Most music has at least three main elements - melody, rhythm and harmony. Because of its contemplative, spiritual nature, Indian classical music is a solitary pursuit that focuses mainly on melodic development. In performance, rhythm also plays an important role, giving texture, sensuality, and a sense of purpose to melody. Harmony in Indian classical music is mainly the result of the tanpura playing a combination of the tonic (sa) and the fifth (pa) or fourth (ma) in a fixed pattern in the background, somewhat like an arpeggiated chord. Harmony in the Western sense, however, is not a part of traditional Indian music, and it is important not to look for it.  

The Language of Music

One of my favourite things about Indian classical music is that you learn it very much the way you would learn a language. With language, once you've learned certain basic things like grammar and vocabulary, you start making your own sentences. In Indian classical music, once you have learned the basic notes, you are introduced to ragas (which are like musical themes), and then you are encouraged to start improvising and making your own melodies. It's really not that difficult to improvise melodies in a raga you're familiar with. I have nowhere near the level of talent it takes to become a performing artist, but I can make spontaneous music, and that's an inexhaustible source of delight.

So, it doesn't take much to improvise little bits of melody here and there, but it gets more difficult when you try to improvise in coordination with the rhythm, and becoming an artist capable of hour-long extemporaneous performances is a different story altogether. A performance must have a clear structure, it must feature certain elements, it must progress coherently, attain climax, and be brought to a conclusion, and it must measure up to certain standards. Achieving all that takes many decades of study and training, and only rarely will you find an artist who can be taken seriously before the age of 40. 

What is a Raga?

Ragas are derived from scales, so let's begin by trying to understand what a scale is.

An octave has 12 notes. A scale is a musical theme created by choosing a specific set of notes from within these 12 notes. Think of the 12 notes in an octave as 12 different colours. Now, what if you chose only a few of those twelve colours for a painting? Say you choose violet, blue, green, yellow and orange. You could create an endless number of beautiful paintings with this colour scheme. Every time you paint with it, the result could be something different. And yet, all of those paintings would share a certain recognizable quality, and they would stand apart from paintings based on other colour schemes. And that is how it is with a scale.

The Defining Elements of a Raga

Let's take a slightly more detailed look at the concepts . 

Aroh & avroh

The first things you learn about a raga are its ascending (aaroh) and descending (avroh) scales. The aaroh and avroh greatly influence how musical phrases in a raga are structured. If a note is skipped in the ascending scale of a raga, musical phrases in that raga will reflect this by always skipping that note in ascending sequences.

For instance, the note Re (2) is skipped in the ascending scale in both Raag Bhimpalasi and Raag Dhani illustrated above. So, you would never find the ascending sequence "Sa Re ga" (1 2 ♭3) in either of these ragas. However, you could find "Sa Re 'ni" (1 2 ♭7̣) because Re is part of the descending sequence here – Sa, Re 'ni (1, 2 ♭7̣).

Ornamentation

In addition to the notes used, the ornamentation of those notes also sets one raga apart from another. Grace notes, glides, and other ornamentation used are all quite different in Bhimpalasi and Dhani, with the result that even very similar musical phrases can sound different in the two ragas.

Focal points – vadi & samvadi

All ragas have what is called a "vadi" note, which stands out above the others as the most prominent note in that raga. This is the note that seems to wrap the raga around itself. Artists will come back to this note time and again and use it in many ways.

Bhimpalasi and Dhani both come from an older raga called Dhanashree. Dhanashree had Pa (5) as its vadi, so Pa continues to be a very strong note in Bhimpalasi and Dhani too. But artists have begun to shift the focus in Bhimpalasi to ma (4) because that gives it a more poignant quality. As for Dhani, it may have absorbed the influence of the rustic Raag Pilu in becoming more ga(♭3)-centric.

The vadi has a counterpart called samvadi. The two are usually set about half an octave apart – they have a Sa-Pa (1-5) or Sa-ma (1-4) relationship. The samvadi is not as important as the vadi, but it is the focal point in its region of the octave. So between the vadi and samvadi, there are two focal points for balance. Additionally, the samvadi can mirror some of the note patterns of the vadi, lending a pleasing sense of symmetry.

Deergha (elongated) and alpa (weak) notes

Notes that tend to be elongated are called deergha. Such notes have a strong presence in the raga. For example, Re (2) and Dha (6) are deergha in Raag Bhimpalasi, which gives them a strong presence despite being only used in descending sequences. By contrast, Dha is absent in Dhani, and Re is used infrequently and without emphasis. This gives Re a weak presence in Dhani, making it an alpa note in this raga.

Nyasa (landing notes)

Depending on the raga, musical phrases can end or land pleasingly on certain notes (called nyasa) more than on others. For instance, phrases in Bhimpalasi end satisfyingly on Sa, ga, ma, and Pa (1, ♭3, 4, 5), but not on Re, Dha, or ni (2, 6, ♭7). Meanwhile, phrases in Dhani end nicely on Sa, ga, and Pa (1, ♭3, 5), but not on Re, ma, or ni (2, 4, ♭7).  

Raga Compositions (bandish)

In Hindustani (North Indian) classical music, students begin their study of ragas by learning to sing fixed raga compositions called bandish. There are many well-known bandish in each raga, and learning to sing a few is a great way to internalise knowledge of that raga. A good bandish paints a brief yet effective outline of a raga's melody. So, it can be used not just as a learning exercise by students, but also as part of a raga performance. Artists improvise on and flesh out these compositions to create something unique and original.   

Types of Raga Compositions

Bandish ("a composition bound by the rules of raga, rhythm, and verse") is a generic name for raga compositions, but different kinds of raga compositions also go by more specific names. Compositions in different genres within Hindustani classical music are quite different in terms of style of presentation, subject matter, and treatment of raga and rhythm (taal), but even within the same genre, there are several types of compositions. Below are a few types of compositions used in some of the main genres of Hindustani classical and semi-classical music.

Khayal

The most prevalent genre of Hindustani classical music today is Khayal. The genre derives its name from the type of composition it uses, which is called khayal ("imagination"). Khayal compositions can have two or more stanzas, although they typically have two. The first stanza is called sthayi (refrain) and the subsequent stanzas are called antara (variation). Compositions are classified by tempo into vilambit (slow), madhyalaya (medium-paced), and drut (fast).

Dhrupad

Dhrupad was the predominant genre of Hindustani classical music until the mid-18th century or so. After this time, it increasingly morphed into Khayal, but the original Dhrupad style has been enjoying somewhat of a revival in recent years.

Dhrupad takes its name from the main type of composition it uses – dhrupad ("fixed verse" or "pillar"). Classical music in India originated with the Vedas, and Dhrupad is very much an extension of this tradition. Dhrupad compositions, therefore, are often religious in nature.

The style of presentation of a Dhrupad performance is solemn and serious. There is a great deal of emphasis on maintaining purity of raga, rhythm, and literature (lyrics). The ornaments used are very heavy and rendered with precision and deliberation. The instruments that accompany Dhrupad performances (like the pakhavaj and rudra veena) are deeply resonant and bass-heavy. Singers trained in the Dhrupad tradition develop sonorous voices that can match up to these instruments.

Tappa

Tappa is a semi-classical genre inspired by the folk music of Punjab, especially songs sung by camel riders in that region. It was first introduced to classical music in the 18th century and has since enjoyed varying degrees of popularity in different regions and at different times.

Tappa  compositions are generally based on themes of love and separation and are popularly composed in light ragas that express these moods

 (Kafi, Khamaj, Jhinjhoti, Des, Bhairavi, and so on). 

Many of you might think that classical music is boring stuff . For them I would like to suggest that they come and explore the magical world of Raag . This will directly connect to your soul . The day when I started my Rewaz touching my Harmonium first ,I was not even serious about my practice . But now I am connected to it with my heart and soul . Whenever you are in a hard situation in your life these things will keep you alive . These variations will keep diverting you from stress and anxiety as well . I am not saying that you have to become a good singer or you have to make your career in music even though I am not doing so . But yes ,  as music is my passion and a part of my hobby I am saying a lot and I can assure that my hand will not stop when I start saying this . You know when you have a huge interest in a topic you can even give a day long speech on that , this one is totally like that . That is why I  said a lot and hopefully you all will get a concept about my hobby and about the magic and wonders of Indian classical music .

References :

1 . https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Hindustani_classical_music

2. https://www.saregama.com/blog/the-ultimate-guide-to-indian-classical-music/   

About Me : 

Labiba Tahia , an extrovert girl who loves to smile and make friends . Currently studying at Brac University -Department of Electrical and Electronics Engineering . She was born and brought up in Dhaka . She has passed her SSC from Motijheel Govt. Girls' High School and HSC from Siddheswari Girls' College . Labiba loves to read books and also she is passionate about recitation and singing . As she is a talkative and cheerful girl ,anchoring is also her favourite . Though she is a culturally minded girl she also has an interest in technology and communication . She wants to do her major in artificial intelligence and in the near future she wants to work on this .