Christian Music Essay
Jonathan Neuman
Historic Traditions 3: World Music
Final Presentation / Paper
Northern Indian Hindustani Music
Thaats
The musical tradition of Northern Indian Hindustani music is built on different conceptions of musical components than our traditional Western music. Notation of this music is a relatively new endeavor, starting in the 1900’s. Previously the music culture was a tradition passed down orally from a guru or a shishya. The notation of the music today is known a relatively non-standardized process with more emphasis on interval relations than on actual pitches. For example there is no concept of a “440 A” within traditional Hindustani music, rather, they rely on thaats.
These thaats are similar to the notion of scales, …show more content…
Not addressed is the notion of rhythm or meter. The term tala is used to describe the pulse of the music. The term originates from the Indian word for “clap” so it’s rhythmic implications are apparent from the start. Just as ragas have no set tonic, rather, one is chosen at the beginning of the piece, the same is true for talas. No tala has a predetermined tempo and all can be used at any speeds. Three general tempos are recognized in Hindustani music of India; a slow speed called vilambit laya, madhya laya, and the fastest of the three, drut laya. Every tala is subdivided into smaller portions, much like a phrase in Western music is divided into measures. These divisions are known as vibhaags with the first beat of each being the most important and often is accompanied by clapping. We find in the conception of talas that the first beat is the most important of all and is also the last beat within a piece. This is similar to the cyclical form of rhythm found in Indonesian music. Both cultures stress the primary beat, or sam as it is known in India, by coinciding a resolve in the melody as well at the meter at this critical …show more content…
52.2 (2000): 10-23. Art Abstracts (H.W. Wilson). EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Bagchee, Sandeep. Nād: Understanding Rāga Music. India: Eeshwar, 1998.
Clayton, Martin (Author). "Two gat forms for the sitār: A case study in the rhythmic analysis of North Indian music." British journal of ethnomusicology 2.(1993): 75. RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Courtney, David. “Overview of Indian Classical Music.” chandrakantha.com. N.P., N.D. Internet Journal. 2-17-2011.
Daniélou, Alain (Author). The ragas of northern Indian music. London: Barrie & Rockliff London, 1968. RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Gajendragadkar, Nalini Ramchandra (Author). "The modes of expression in northern Indian vocal music with reference to aesthetics: The nature of musical expression." (1973). RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb.
Historic Traditions 3: World Music
Final Presentation / Paper
Northern Indian Hindustani Music
Thaats
The musical tradition of Northern Indian Hindustani music is built on different conceptions of musical components than our traditional Western music. Notation of this music is a relatively new endeavor, starting in the 1900’s. Previously the music culture was a tradition passed down orally from a guru or a shishya. The notation of the music today is known a relatively non-standardized process with more emphasis on interval relations than on actual pitches. For example there is no concept of a “440 A” within traditional Hindustani music, rather, they rely on thaats.
These thaats are similar to the notion of scales, …show more content…
Not addressed is the notion of rhythm or meter. The term tala is used to describe the pulse of the music. The term originates from the Indian word for “clap” so it’s rhythmic implications are apparent from the start. Just as ragas have no set tonic, rather, one is chosen at the beginning of the piece, the same is true for talas. No tala has a predetermined tempo and all can be used at any speeds. Three general tempos are recognized in Hindustani music of India; a slow speed called vilambit laya, madhya laya, and the fastest of the three, drut laya. Every tala is subdivided into smaller portions, much like a phrase in Western music is divided into measures. These divisions are known as vibhaags with the first beat of each being the most important and often is accompanied by clapping. We find in the conception of talas that the first beat is the most important of all and is also the last beat within a piece. This is similar to the cyclical form of rhythm found in Indonesian music. Both cultures stress the primary beat, or sam as it is known in India, by coinciding a resolve in the melody as well at the meter at this critical …show more content…
52.2 (2000): 10-23. Art Abstracts (H.W. Wilson). EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Bagchee, Sandeep. Nād: Understanding Rāga Music. India: Eeshwar, 1998.
Clayton, Martin (Author). "Two gat forms for the sitār: A case study in the rhythmic analysis of North Indian music." British journal of ethnomusicology 2.(1993): 75. RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Courtney, David. “Overview of Indian Classical Music.” chandrakantha.com. N.P., N.D. Internet Journal. 2-17-2011.
Daniélou, Alain (Author). The ragas of northern Indian music. London: Barrie & Rockliff London, 1968. RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb. 2011.
Gajendragadkar, Nalini Ramchandra (Author). "The modes of expression in northern Indian vocal music with reference to aesthetics: The nature of musical expression." (1973). RILM Abstracts of Music Literature. EBSCO. Web. 22 Feb.