Indian classical music

Indian classical music is a profound art form from the Indian subcontinent. It is often referred to as Shastriya Sangeet or Marg Sangeet. This tradition is built upon two major systems. The North Indian tradition is known as Hindustani music. The South Indian tradition is called Carnatic music.

Hindustani music focuses on improvisation and the exploration of a raga. In contrast, Carnatic music emphasizes short, composition-based performances. Despite these differences, both systems share many common features. There is also a unique tradition called Odissi music from eastern India.

The music relies on two foundational elements: raga and tala. A raga is a deeply intricate melodic structure. It uses a repertoire of swara, which are notes including microtones. You can think of a raga as a palette of sounds for an artist. The tala is the rhythmic element that measures the time cycle. It provides a creative framework for rhythmic improvisation.

Unlike Western classical music, this tradition eschews harmony, counterpoint, chords, or modulation. Instead, the space between the notes is often more important than the notes themselves.

To understand the mechanism of these sounds, one can look at the Samaveda. This ancient Vedic text is organized by musical meter and ritual aim. It uses an embedded coding system of swaras, or octave notes. These swaras act like a skeleton for the song. There are about 12 different forms of these swaras. Different combinations of these notes form the basis of various ragas. The lyrical part of the song is called sahityam. This is essentially singing the lyrics using the same melodic structure as the swaras.

The history of this music is rooted in ancient Vedic literature. Early Indian thought combined three arts: vadya (syllabic recital), gita (melos), and nrtta (dance). This combined form is known as sangeeta. This likely occurred before the time of Yaska, an ancient scholar. The Samaveda contains hymns with specific melodic content and rhythm. The Rigveda also embeds musical meters, such as the Gayatri mantra. This mantra contains three metric lines of exactly eight syllables.

Ancient traditions also identified two distinct musical genres. The first is Gandharva, which is formal, composed, and ceremonial music. It often carries divine or celestial associations. The second is Gana, which is informal, improvised, and used for entertainment. The Natyashastra is a foundational text that classifies musical instruments into four acoustic groups. These are chordophones, which are stringed instruments. Aerophones are hollow instruments played with air, like a flute. Idiophones are solid instruments, such as small bronze cymbals used for tala. Finally, membranophones are instruments with a covering.

Many important texts have shaped these traditions over centuries. The Natyashastra, written by Bharata Muni, is the oldest surviving complete Hindu text on music theory. Another vital text is the Sangeeta-Ratnakara, written by Sarangadeva in the 13th century. This work was patronized by King Sighana of the Yadava dynasty. It is considered the definitive text for both Hindustani and Carnatic traditions. Sarangadeva identified seven tala families and used rhythmic ratios to help musicians. This text remains a complete historic guide to the structure of ragas and talas.

The development of these traditions was influenced by socio-political changes. Until the 14th century, the music systems were generally integrated. However, the era of the Delhi Sultanate isolated the North from the South. This led to the distinct forms we see today. Hindustani music assimilated Arabian and Persian influences during this time. Yet, it remained built upon ancient foundations like raga and tala. This openness allowed the music to evolve while keeping its core identity. The tradition continues to be a vital part of the subcontinent's cultural identity.