hindustani theory 5th year

naadh

same as dhwani, has specific regular frequency (kampan), irregular frequency is known as noise (gongat)
has three main properties:
1) ucchai neechata (tarata)- determined by the frequency; if frequency is high then the naadh has a higher ucchai and if the frequency is lower is has a lower neechai

naadh's jati/gun

identity/differentiantion of sound (ex. two people do not have the same voice, different instruments sound different)

kampan

vibration of sound

andolan

gentle oscillation between notes (less frequency of oscillation and greater amplitude of vibration, extending as far as the next note)

depth of andolan and its relationship with short/long naadh

(on a tanpura)
more force = vibration of the string is longer (higher depth of andolan and louder sound)
less force = vibration of the string is shorter (lower depth of andolan and softer sound)

relationship of naadh's depth with length of string

larger strings produce lower notes due to fewer oscillations
shorter strings produce higher notes due to more oscillations

shruti

musical sound (naadh) which can be identified clearly, divided into 22 parts

dhwani-naadh-swar-shruti

all related; dhwani means naadh, swar is a musical naadh, and shruti is musical sound

swar sthan

there are 3 parts of the human body that generate sound; the heart, throat, and palate. the sounds generated from these parts are mandra, madhya, and tar respectively.
mandra- lower register
madhya- middle register (1 register above mandra)
tar- high register (2 registers above mandra)

swar/sur

the seven notes of the indian musical scale

sa (shadj) and pa (pancham) are referred to as...

shuddha swars; form the tonal foundation for all indian classical music

re, ga, ma, dha, ni are referred to as...

vikrut swars

saptak

the seven swaras; sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni

ashtak

the addition of the next register's 'sa' swar to the first register (saptak)

purwang (purva, purwangvadi) raag

- raags sung between noon and midnight
- swars sa to pa in saptak

uttarang (uttar, uttarvadi) raag

- raags sung between midnight and noon
- swars ma to sa in saptak

are ma and pa are uttarang or purwang swars?

they belong in both purwang and uttarang

every mel/thaat requires...

seven sequential swaras, but every thaat has different swaras.

how many unique thaats can there be in hindustani classical music?

32

varna

different style of saying swars. four types:
- sthayi
- aarohi
- avarohi
- sanchari

alankar

means ornaments or adornments, essentially exists to embellish or enhance the beauty of indian classical music

sthayi

repeating the swaras (ex. sa sa re re ga ga)

aarohi

swaras in ascending sequence (ex. sa re ga ma)

avarohi

swaras in descending sequence (ex. sa ni dha pa)

sanchari

mix of sthayi, aarohi, and avarohi (ex. sa ga re ma)

vaadi

the note that is the most strongly emphasized

sanvadi

note that is strong but less important than the vadi

anuvadi

note that is neither emphasized nor unemphasized

durbal

unemphasized notes

vivadi

excluded notes

sam-prakrutik raag

raags with same emotion/nature and similar swaras/jati, raags that originated from the same thaat

graha swar

starting swar of the song

ansh swar

same as vadi; main swar of the raag

nyas swar

swar on which the song ends

apnyas

ending swar of small parts of the aalaps

shadvatva/odvatva

related to the jaati of the raag

alpatva

indicates lesser use of swar in bandish, partially used

bhatva

indicates more importance of the swar in bandish, fully used

samay

describes the specific time of day during which the raag is presented

raag's ras

understanding the presentation of raag based on specific emotion which creates an atmosphere accordingly

qualities of a musician (what text are they described in and name at least 5)

described in the Sangeet Ratnakar Granth
1. pleasant and melodious voice
2. pure speech and mellowness (sweetness) in pronunciation
3. singing carefully according to vadi, sanvadi, and rules of the raag
4. variations in the raag while maintaining the rules of the raag
5. clear speech with all three saptak in equal form
6. able to control the form of the voice and sthan of the swaras
7. mastery in all the taals and rhythm
8. ability to get engrossed while singing and demonstrate the emotion related to the raag
9. keeping the facial expression as cheerful as possible
10. controlling the body language to the emotions

defects of a musician (name at least 5)

1. singing without opening the mouth properly
2. unnecessary banging of hands/legs
3. unnecessary movement of the neck
4. rough or loud voice
5. dull voice
6. inharmonious (incorrect swar sthan) singing
7. unclear and inharmonious taan
8. incorrect taal/rhythm
9. feeble/very low voice
10. bad facial expressions
11. not following the raag rules
12. unclear pronunciation
13. no eye contact with the audience
14. using drugs
15. inadequate practice (riyaz)

prabandha

composition; song style that was in existence prior to the dhrupad or dhamar. has become obsolete but was widely popular until the 13th century

anibaddha

type of singing without taal

nibaddha (also name its other names)

definition: type of singing that is bound with the taal
other names: prabandha, vastu, rupak

sanyas

ending swar of small parts (aalap) in the first part of the song

vinyas

ending swar of small parts (aalap or tukda) in the second part of the song

nayaki

the presentation which is learned from the guru, guru's tradition is followed exactly as is

gayki

presentation with following other singers by changing the tradition of the guru

long dot

a smooth transition while singing from one swar to another swar by showing the other swars (slur)

langhan

omission, swar that is varj in aaroh/avaroh but becomes alpatva (partially used)

anabhyas

partially used

alanghan

repeated usage

abhyas

fully used, some swaras are increased in importance as they are used repeatedly and are also used as nyas

avirbhav

the use of small tukdas (parts) from the Janak raag to create the impression of another raga

ardhvadarshak swar

swars that provide direction to division of the gaan samay

pratakalin sandhiprakash

usually the shuddha ma is most common during the morning, but if shuddha ma is prominent in dusk raags which use komal re dha, then these ragas are pratakalin sandhiprakash

sandhyakalin sandhiprakash

if tivra madhyam is used prominently during evening ragas

tivra ma indicates the ______, while shuddha ma indicates the _______.

sayankal (evening), pratakal (morning)

in north indian classical style, _______ has an important place.

madhyam

indian classical music is categorized under which two genres?

hindustani and carnatic;
carnatic developed in the south while hindustani developed in the north.

hindustani music is based on the _______ system.

raga

raga

a melodic scale consisting of notes from the basic seven known as sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, and ni.
sa and pa are constant, but the other notes may be in major or minor tone, giving rise to innumerable combinations

how many basic scales/thaats are recognized?

ten, and other ragas are considered to have evolved from these ten

a raga must contain a minimum of ______ notes.

five

how is melody built up?

by improvising and elaborating within the given scale. improvisation is at times rhythm bound and at other times free from any overt rhythm

what are the two major types of compositions in the hindustani genre and what is the different between them?

khyal and dhrupad
dhrupad is older and requires rigorous training in rhythm control and voice culture
khyal is a more popular alternative as it contains both slow and lively compositions but retains its totally classical character

loksangeet

folk music

folk music vs. classical music

classical music usually requires a student devoting their entire life perfecting the forms of this music
folk music is more like a daily ritual without affecting the daily lives of people. people learn it from childhood and grow up with these songs and are usually sung in small village functions like weddings, births, etc. also generally more dance oriented

instruments used in folk music vs instruments used in classical music

classical: tabla, sitar, sarod
folk: daf, dholak, nal, ektara, dotar, saringda, rabab, santur. usually made of easily available material like bamboo, clay pots, coconut shells, etc.

what is music a reminder of, and why is it important in life?

music is a reminder of how things once were, an indication of how things are, and a view of where society is headed. it is a direct reflection of the picture of society.
music is the language of the soul and helps mental and physical well-being, plays an important role in religious rituals, and binds society. it is considered one of the pranayam because of the exercise of the lungs, and it can also provide the cultural background of a country

in what ways can music can be used?

it can be used as a way to deliver messages, a poetic medium, a fine art, or just a source of entertainment

instruments used in hindustani vs carnatic music

hindustani: sitar, sarod, sur-bahaar, bansuri, shahnai, violin
carnatic: veena, venu, nagasvaram, gottuvadyam, violin

there are various semi-classical styles such as ______ and ______. there's also a rich vein of _______ ________ typified in songs from indian films which are generally musicals.

ghazals, qawwalis, popular music

literary styles like (name four) have a substantial corpus in each of india's major languages.

poetry, drama, fiction, and non-fiction

what has classical theater in india, which has ancient historical roots, been overtaken by?

a vibrant tradition of folk theater (including puppet and shadow theater) and modern professional theater, which draws on both indian and non-indian dramas

what is the most traditional way to hear music?

live, in the presence or as one of the musicians

what are ways that live music can be broadcast?

over the radio, television, or the internet

how has technology made indian classical music more accessible?

recordings and live performance have become more accessible through computers, devices, and the internet in the form of music-on-demand

true/false: live recordings are always unedited.

false; recordings, even of styles that are essentially live, often use the ability to edit and splice to produce recordings that are considered better than the actual performance

what are some ways that prerecorded sounds are incorporated into live performances?

a disc jockey using disc records performed along with music and prerecorded onto a tape, musical instrument digital interface (MIDI) music, karaoke

how has the internet transformed the experience of music?

increased ease of access to music and increased choice, low digital storage costs (allowing a company to make its whole inventory available online), overall increasingly economically viable to offer products that very few people are interested in. consumers' growing awareness of increased choice results in a closer association between listening tastes and social identity.
online communities like youtube and myspace have made social networking with other musicians and the distribution of one's music much easier

when and where was bismillah khan born?

march 21, 1916 in dumraon, bihar (his ancestors were court musicians there)

when did bismillah khan die?

august 21, 2006

what were bismillah khan's achievements?

- was one of india's most celebrated classical musicians
- brought shehnai to the center stage of indian classical music with his concert in the Calcutta All India Music Conference in 1937
- performed at delhi's red fort for india's independence and again on january 26, 1950 when he performed raag kafi on the eve of india's first republic day ceremony
- was credited with taking the shehnai from the marriage mandap to the concert hall

who taught bismillah khan?

his uncle Ali Bux 'Vilayatu', a shehnai player attached to varanasi's vishwanath temple

describe bismillah khan's connection with his culture.

he was an icon of the composite culture of india
- was a worshipper of both allah and saraswati
- was greatly attached to the city of varanasi and the river ganga

where did bismillah khan perform? (name three places)

afghanistan, europe, iran, iraq, canada, west africa, usa, ussr, japan, hong kong, and almost every capital city around the world

what was the main award that bismillah khan received? also name some of the other ones he earned.

he became the third classical musician to be awarded the bharat ratna, india's highest civilian honor

other awards: padma vibhushan, padma bhushan, padma shri, sangeet natak akademi award, tansen award by govt. or madhya pradesh

what are the two main themes of prabandha? (also name the subcategories)

dhatu and matu
subcaegories of these themes are udagraha, melapak, dhruva, and abhog

what are the 6 main parts of prabandha?

swara, binuda, ten, pad, pat, taal

where was pandit narayanrao vyas born?

kolhapur

describe the life of pandit narayanrao vyas (during gandharva mahavidyalaya)

-joined the gandharva mahavidyalaya in lahore at 9 years old where his elder brother shree shankar rao vyas was in the gurukul system established by pandit paluskar.
-came to ahmadabad in 1922 where he and his brother taught at the local gandharva mahavidyalaya branch

describe the life of pandit narayanrao vyas (after gandharva mahavidyalaya)

-came to mumbai and opened the music school Vyas Sangeet Vidyalaya in dadar
-unlike his brother, he didn't enter the increasingly popular film industry but instead remained a teacher and concert performer
-he sang on radio and at many prestigious music conferences/concerts across north india

true/false: pandit narayanrao vyas never recorded and sold his music.

false: in 1929, he was invited by the gramophone company in mumbai (HMV) to record, and he cut over 150 records, which were re-issued subsequently on 'The Twin' labels. the recorded songs are in hindustani, marathi, or gujarati

who was pandit narayanrao vyas and why was he significant?

he was one of the most popular and dought-after vocalists of his generation, and his records were among the biggest best sellers of his day, bringing both him and the HMV wide publicity

when were pandit narayanrao vyas's records most popular, and what was his most popular record?

when records were popular: during the late 1940s, especially among middle-class maharastrian families
most popular record: mishra kafi bhajan - radhe krishna bol mukhase

what were some of the names given to pandit narayanrao vyas?

-sangeet praveen
-taanke kaptan
-adhunik tansen

who was raja mansingh tomar?

-he was the king of Gwalior in 1500-1600
-was responsible for the founding of the famous Gwalior Gharana
-was also credited with starting the dhrupad style of singing

who were some of the well-known appointed artists in mansingh tomar's kingdom?

bhikshu, charshu, bhagvan, ramdae