1.

8 Primary Rasas
1. Fear – Bahyanak
2. Joy/happiness – Hasya
3. Anger – Raudra
4. Sadness – Karuna
5. Disgust – Bibhitsa
6. Surprise – shringar
7. Contempt – Veera
8. Interest (anticipation) – Adbhuta

2. Discuss the characteristics of Qawwali

Since the performance of Qawwali is a religious ritual, the ideological framework of Sufism is of
primary importance in defining the norms for the way a Qawwali occasion is structured and
indeed the very meaning of the ritual. Sufi poetry, the source of Qawwali texts, constitutes a
principal vehicle for expressing and communicating mystical thought and experience. Qawwali
is the musical performance of texts. All facets of the poetry, including its language and structure,
contribute to the articulation of Sufi meaning in the texts of Qawwali.
The prototype form in Sufi poetry is the ghazal which is found in the overwhelming majority of
Qawwali songs. The poetic form of all Qawwali poetry is strophic. Its structural units are verses
organized on the basis of the contrast between rhyming and non-rhyming verse lines.
In addition to strophic poems, Qawwali poetry also includes short poetic forms of a single
strophe, for these are used in performance as Introductory Verses and Inserts into the principal
poem
Qafia: Consistent rhyme syllable;
Radif: repeated monorhyme
Matla: first line, establishes the theme of the poem and its rhyme scheme;
Maqta: last line, often introduces the signature of the poet (takhallus)

3. Define the term, Ghajiya Matha (any idea what this is? Might be spelled incorrectly - its
most likely that its spelled incorrectly. Because nothing in notes and on internet)
I dont remember him mentioning this question waisay :p

4. What is the importance of Natya Shastra

Natya means to act or represent, Shastra means rules, manuscript, precept or treatise in
general. Author of it is Bharta Muni. It’s a Hindu religious text written in Sanskrit language on
performance arts i.e. music, dance, theatre, literature. Sometimes referred to as the 5 th Veda. Its
one of the oldest surviving encyclopedic works on performance arts and has generally
influenced Indian classic art. It has info about instruments, and music of that time. Various
commentaries have also been done on it by renowned personalities. Gives us formal names of
the 7 notes
5. Define the term Tetra chord
While modern music theory uses the octave as the basic unit for determining tuning, the ancient
Greeks used the tetrachord. Tetrachord—a series of four notes separated by three smaller
intervals. The name comes from “tetra” (four of something) and “chordon” (string or note).
Ancient Greek music theory distinguishes three genera (singular: genus) of tetrachords. These
genera are characterized by the largest of the three intervals of the tetrachord: diatonic,
chromatic and enharmonic. Tetrachords separated by a halfstep are said to also appear
particularly in Indian music.

6. Who was Tan Sen/ MeeraBai / Guru Nanak / Ameer Khusro, why was s/he
important?
Tan Sen:
Considered as the greatest musician in India, Tansen is credited with the creation of the
classical music that dominates the north of India (Hindustani classical music). Tansen was a
composer, vocalist and instrumentalist who created many ragas. He was initially the court singer
of King Ram Chand of Rewa State. It is said that Emperor Akbar made him into his own
musician after learning about his extraordinary musical skills. He went on to become one of the
Navaratnas (Nine Gems) in the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Tansen composed several
ragas including Bhairav, DarbariTodi, DarbariKanada, Malhar, Sarang and Rageshwari. These
are all considered as the foundation of classical music.The Dhrupad style of music is likely to
have been started by him and his guru. He is even believed to have classified ragas, making
them simpler and easier to understand. His contribution to the world of music is priceless and
hence he is still worshipped by leading singers and composers across the world. All of Tansen’s
five children went on to become great classical singers.

Guru Nanak:
Guru Nanak was the founder of Sikhism, one of the youngest religions. Guru Nanak became the
first Sikh Guru and his spiritual teachings laid the foundation on which Sikhism was formed.
Considered a religious innovator, Guru Nanak travelled across South Asia and Middle East to
spread his teachings.Guru Nanak is one of the most important religious figures to have
contributed to women empowerment in India. Guru Nanak appealed to his followers to respect
women and to treat them as their equal. His teachings were immortalized in the form of 974
hymns, which came to be known as ‘Guru Granth Sahib,’ the holy text of Sikhism. During his
guruship collections of his holy hymns were compiled and sent to distant Sikh communities for
use in morning and evening prayers. Guru Granth Sahib is divided by musical settings or
ragas[27] into 1,430 pages known as Angs (limbs) in Sikh tradition and the Introductory section
consists the Mool Mantar, Japji and Sohila, composed by Guru Nanak Dev.

Meera Bai
Meerabai (also called Meera Bai, Meera, or Mira) was a Hindu mystical singer and a princess.
About 1,300 prayerful songs or “bhajans” and Hindi poems attributed to her are popular
throughout India and have been published in several translations worldwide. Interestingly
enough, as there are no authentic written records directly proving her existence, she is probably
mythical with almost all the knowledge we have of her today comes from secondary literature
that mentions her. Although there are currently thousands of devotional poems attributed to
Mirabai, just a few hundred are believed to be authentic by scholars. The majority of the poems
attributed to Mirabai were most likely written and composed by her admirers. Mirabai’s poems,
commonly known as bhajans, are lyrical padas (metric verses) and are popular all over India.
These bhajans are in the bhakti tradition, and most passionately praised Lord Krishna. Her
bhajans of high literary value are sung all over the country, even today, and her life has been
depicted in many poems, songs, dances, films and paintings. She is, undoubtedly, one of the
most important women in the history of India.

Ameer Khusro:
Amir Khusrow (1253-1325) was a Sufi musician, poet and scholar from the Indian
subcontinent. He was a mystic and a spiritual disciple of Nizamuddin Auliya of Delhi
(1238-1325). Through his literary output, Khusrow represents one of the first recorded Indian
personages with a true multicultural or pluralistic identity. He evolved a new style in music by
mixing the Perso-Arab and Turkish styles with those that the subcontinent had inherited from
the past. Tradition credits Amir Khusrow with introducing nearly a dozen Perso-Arabic and
Turkish ragas such as “Yaman”.In the treatise Rag Darpan (1666), Faqirullah Saif Khan, an emir
of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb, credits Khusrow with inventing khayal, naqsh, nigar, baseet,
tillana and sohela. He lists ten ragas as Khusrow’s creations. He is supposed to have
introduced many talas such as “Ada-Choutal”, “Qawali”. Tradition credits him with the invention
of the sitar (then known as sehtar). One legend also states he created the ‘Tarana’ by copying
Gopal Nayaks music.

7. What are the basic characteristics of Music? (Pitch, Timbre, loudness, texture,
Duration)
Pitch: Pitch is a perceptual property of sounds that allows their ordering on a frequency-related
scale, or more commonly, pitch is the quality that makes it possible to judge sounds as "higher"
and "lower" in the sense associated with musical melodies

Timbre: timbre, also known as tone color or tone quality, is the perceived sound quality of a
musical note, sound or tone

Loudness: loudness is the subjective perception of sound pressure. More formally, it is defined
as, "That attribute of auditory sensation in terms of which sounds can be ordered on a scale
extending from quiet to loud.

Texture: texture is how the tempo, melodic, and harmonic materials are combined in a
composition, thus determining the overall quality of the sound in a piece. Texture is often
described in regard to the density, or thickness, and range, or width, between lowest and
highest pitches, in relative terms as well as more specifically distinguished according to the
number of voices, or parts, and the relationship between these voices

Duration: Duration is the length of time a rhythm is played before its repeated again.
 8. Define Raaga.
Raga: A musical entity in which the intonation of notes as well as their relative duration and
order is defined. The notes form a scale, which may be different in ascending (aroha) and
descending (avroha) phrases, while every note has a limited possibility of duration depending
on the phrase in which it occurs. Further the order in which the notes are used is rather fixed.

Hindustani classical tradition considers ragas as depicting specific moods Each raga is required
to be performed with this aspect in mind, so that the appropriate mood can be evoked in the
listener’s mind. For instance, Darbari-Kanada is a regal raga with a dignified air

All these effects are sought to be explained by the ancient theory of rasa and bhava.
Rasa is the generalized aesthetic experience of the audience and is also one of the mental
states or moods.
Bhava= expression. Rasa and Bhava are closely related. Rasa is the experience, Bhava is the
expression.
Some of the ragas are associated with particular seasons. Ex: Hindol (spring), Malhar (rainy
season

9. Define the term Thaat. (http://www.itcsra.org/Thaat.aspx)

Ragas can be classified into Thaats based on their scale type. Each Thaat is named after the
most famous raga using that scale. For example, Yaman is in Kalyan Thaat. All ragas in Kalyan
Thaat have sharp (tivr) “Ma”. Each one of the several traditional ragas is based on, or is a
variation of, ten basic thaats, or musical scales or frameworks. The ten thaats are Bilawal,
Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Marwa, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi and Todi; if one were to pick a
raga at random, it should be possible to find that it is based on one or the other of these thaats.

(Thaat vs Raag) A thaat is a musical scale, conceived of as a Western musical scale might be,
with the seven notes presented in their order of ascent (arohan). The raga, then, is not a
musical scale in the Western sense; it is a characteristic arrangement or progression of notes
whose full potential and complexity can be realised only in exposition, and not upon the printed
page. Two ragas may have identical notes and yet be very different ragas.

10. Define Khayal, how does it differ from Dhumpad? (bara khayal, chota khayal)
Nyamat Khan, popularly known as Sadarang, invented the modern genre of classical singing
called Khayal. Name comes from the Arabic word “Imagination”. A khayal song is called a
BANDISH divided in two parts: Asthayi and Antara
2 Types: Bada Khayal à slow tempo, comprises of most of the performance
Chota Khayaà fast tempo, used in finale, usually in diff taal
Dhrupad is the oldest form of classical music. Sanskrit word derived from
Dhruva=immovable/permanent and Pad=verse, overall meaning “PILLAR”
It is discussed in Natyashastra
It is spiritual, heroic, thoughtful, virtuous, embedding moral wisdom or sincere form of song-music
combination.

11. What is the relationship between evolution of music and language?.

Music has ambivalent relationship w/ animal song; equally ambivalent relationship w/ human
language. Many parallels exist between music and language at the structural level. There is an
Evolutionary basis of the connection.
3 possible interactive theories for the evolution of music and speech:
● that music evolved from speech;
● that speech evolved from music,
● that both evolved from a common ancestor
Changes to the human vocal tract thought to underlie the evolution of speech are just as
relevant to the evolution of human singing. The distinction between speaking and singing is best
thought of as a difference in degree rather than a difference in kind.
Both language and music have a hierarchical structureà combinatorial systems

(extra stuff) _____________________________

Tone languages bring together music’s use of level tones and pitch contours w/ language’s role
in generating semantic meaning. Example: Mandarin Chinese has four different tones for the
word “ma”, meaning four different things. The Hmong language, spoken in China, Vietnam,
Laos, and Thailand can have seven or even eight tones.
Mandarin speaking musicians were better at identifying musical pitches than English-speaking
ones. (McWhorter, Linguistic Mystery of Tonal Languages)

12. What evidence do we have for the presence of music in the indus valley
civilisation?
Music was present in the Indus Valley Civilization. It is evident from the presence of some
musical instruments, such as the arched or bow-shaped harp and few varieties of drums on
terracotta figures and pictographs on the seals. The dancing girl figurine is a testimony to the
presence of music and dance in the Indus Valley Civilization. However, we are totally ignorant
about what kind of music or dance was prevalent that time.

13. What instruments were used in the Indus Valley civilisation/ ancient Greece?
Lyre: a strummed and occasionally plucked string instrument generally with 7 or more strings
tuned to the notes of one of the modes; used to accompany others or even oneself for
recitation and song. Associated with aristocratic upbringing.
Kithara: Strummed string instrument, more complicated than the lyre
Aulous: usually double pipes
Pan Pipes: a series of pipes of gradually increasing length, tuned (by cutting) to a desired
scale
Hydraulis: keyboard instrument, forerunner of the modern organ

Essay Questions
14. What is the place of music in society? Discuss with reference to Sardari Begum

The movie “Sardari Begum” portrays the love one segment of our society has for music as well
as how people have overtime negatively associated certain music as shameful for the society.
The movie revolves around an independent Muslim women Sardari who went after what she
wanted in life, to sing. But she is faced with challenges of society starting right from her own
house as her father is shown opposed to what she wants to pursue.

The setting and environment of the performances show why the terms ‘tawaif’ and ‘khota’ in our
society are seen with negative connotations today. It was not the same case in the past. In the
nineteenth and early twentieth century, tawaifs were not sexworkers who sold their bodies out of
need for money or a standard lifestyle. The kothas were cultural hubs of that period. Tawaifs
were powerful women, who established kothas and run them efficiently without the help of any
man in a male-dominated society.

https://www.indianetzone.com/47/influences_on_indian_music.htm
 15. What was the impact of the Bhagti movement on music? (Discuss with regards to
Hadd,Unhadd and assignment of Guru Nanak etc) (Havent added Hadd, Unhadd
documentry part)*******
The Bhakti movement is a Hindu religious movement. It originated in ancient Tamil Nadu and
began to spread to the north during the late medieval ages when north India was under Islamic
rule. The Islamic rulers were pressing public to convert religion from Hindu to Islam. The Bhakti
movement was counter to the prevalent caste ideology which was dividing Hinduism. So, the
Bhakti movement has its own importance to save Hinduism.The movement was spontaneous
and the mystics had their own versions of devotional expression. The popular verses and songs
of the Bhakti saints served as forerunners of a musical renaissance. New musical compositions
were written for the purpose of group singing at kirtans. Even today Mira’s bhajans and
Tulsidas’s chaupais are recited at prayer meetings.
The bhakti saints associated with the bhakti movement are:
Kabir
Kabir was a "truthseeker" who proclaimed the love of God and the brotherhood (andsisterhood)
of all human beings. He came from an Islamic heritage and lived in aMuslim-dominated area of
north India in the early 15th century. Although Muslim inbackground, his writings reflects an
understanding of God's love and grace consistentwith Scripture.A weaver by trade, Kabir wrote
poems, songs and proverbs reflecting a keen insight intothe relationship between God and
humanity. Many of his poems are focused on equalityand justice, and often take up themes
suchas the protection of the oppressed, feedingof the hungry and the rights of women.
For the last 500 years, Kabir's writings havebeen recited by millions of Indians aswell as
Pakistanis
Tulsidas
Tulsidas was a Hindu poet-saint, reformer and philosopher renowned for his devotion for the
god Rama.A composer of several popular works, he is best known for being the author of the
epic Ramcharitmanas,a retelling of the Sanskrit Ramayanain the vernacular Awadhi.Tulsidas
was acclaimed in his lifetime to be a reincarnation of Valmiki,the composer of the original
Ramayana in Sanskrit.He is also considered to be the composer of the Hanuman Chalisa,a
popular devotional hymn dedicated to Hanuman,the divine devotee of Rama.The impact of
Tulsidas and his works on the art, culture and society in India is widespread and is seen to date
in vernacular language, Ramlila plays,Hindustani classical music,popular music, and television
series
Surdas
Surdas, the 15th-century sightless saint, poet, and musician, is known for his devotional songs
dedicated to Krishna and his vital contributions in the Bhakti movement. He is said to have
written and composed a hundred thousand songs in his best work, the 'Sur Sagar' (Ocean of
Melody), out of which only about 8,000 are extant. His immense contributions are still
remembered today. He is considered a saint and also known as Sant Surdas, a name which
literally means the "slave of melody".
Work of Surdas that belong to the Bhakti tradition, include the ‘Sur Sagar’, the ‘Sur-Saravali’ and
the ‘Sahitya-Lahiri’. Surdas has been described ‘the sun in the sky of Hindi literature’. Surdas,
an ardent devottee of Krishna, achieved great heights as a poet and was revered as a singer-
saint even in his life-time. The mighty King Akbar, renowned for his religious tolerance and
broadmindedness, came to Surdas to listen to him sing when Surdas politely declined his
invitation to sing at his court.

16. Raag yaman Question.

Yaman emerged from the parent musical style of Kalyan. Considered to be one of the most
fundamental ragas in Hindustani tradition, it is thus often one of the first ragas taught to
students. In the context of traditional standards of performance, Yaman ragas are considered
suitable to play at any time of the day, but they are traditionally performed in the evening. The
common bandish of yaman taught to beginners is Eri Ali Piya Bina. Complex bandish includes
Aoo Aoo re balma
Yaman's Jati is a Sampurna raga and in some cases Shadav; the ascending Aaroha scale and
the descending style of the avroha includes all seven notes in the octave ( When it is Shadav,
the Aroha goes like N,RGmDNS' , but the Avaroha is the same complete octave). All the scale
notes (called swaras) in the raga are Shuddha, the exception being Teevra Madhyam or prati
madhyamam. The notes of the raga are considered analogous to the western Lydian mode,
which was the predominant scale used in classical antiquity, before being usurped by those of
the pre-Modern era.
Not to be mistaken, Raag Yaman is slightly different from Raag Yaman Kalyan. Both have
almost the same base, but they are sung differently.
Sanjay Leela Bhansali is rumoured to be a big fan of the raag Yaman Kalyan. Raag Yaman, and
its close relative Yaman Kalyan, pop up with frequency on the soundtracks of Bhansali’s
movies. The song best summarises one of the themes that Bhansali has been pursuing
throughout his career – eternal love, one that outlasts death.
In Padmaavat, Bhansali, who is also the film’s music composer, uses raag Yaman in Ek Dil Ek
Jaan. The song is the last to appear in the tragic romance, and is a tribute to the undying love
between Ratansen and Padmavati. Dressed to the nines, Ratansen and Padmavati walk
towards their death believing that they will meet again on the other side of fate.

https://chandrakantha.com/articles/yaman/yaman.html

17. What is the Punjabi Kafi

The word Kafi is derived from the Arabic word kafa meaning group. Classical form of Sufi
poetry, mostly in Punjabi and Sindhi languages, originating from Punjab & Sindh. This poetry
style has also lent itself to the Kafi genre of singing, popular throughout South Asia,
especially Pakistan, Bangladesh and India.
Over the years, both Kafi poetry and its interpretation have experienced rapid growth phases
as various poets and vocalists added their own influences to the form, creating a rich and
varied poetic form, however it remained centered on the dialogue between the Soul and the
Creator, symbolized by the MURID (disciple) and his MURSHID (Master), and often by lover
and his Beloved. Kafi poetry is usually themed around heroic and great romantic tales from
the folkfore, often used as a metaphor for mystical truths, and spiritual longing.

In musical terms, kafi refers to the genre of Punjabi and Sindhi classical music which utilizes
the verses of kafi poets such as Bulleh Shah and Shah Hussain. Kafi music is religious
music, normally associated with the Sufi orders or Tariqah of Islam in South Asia, and was
sung by dervishes or fakirs (Islamic beggars), solo or in groups, as an offering to their
murshid, spiritual guide. It is characterized by a devotional intensity in its delivery, and as
such overlaps considerably with the Qawwali genre. Its performances often take place at
dargahs (mausoleums) of various Sufi saints in the region. However, unlike Qawwali, the
musical arrangement is much simpler and may only include one harmonium, one tabla, one
dholak and a single vocalist. The emphasis remains on the words rather than the music itself,
since the central aim of Kafi music is to convey the essence of the spiritual lyrics. The central
verse is often repeated. There are no fixed styles of singing of Kafi. Traditionally dervishes in
Sindh used instruments like Yaktaro, a one-stringed plucked instrument, and wooden
clappers, chappars.

Ustad Ashiq Ali, Abida Parveen and Sanam Marvi helped further promote Kafi songs
nationally and internationally.
Shah Hussain: Punjabi Sufi poet who is regarded as a pioneer of the Kafi form of Punjabi
poetry. Often called Shah Hussain Faqir - Faqir meaning Dervish ( mendicant ) and Shah
means King. Due to his extremely humble Sufi personality, people called him The Dervish
King, a person who was a King and a Dervish at the same time. Hussain's poetry consists
entirely of short poems known as Kafis.

Popular kaafi: Maaye ni mein kinnu aakhaan

Bulleh shah: Syed Abdullah Shah Qadri popularly known as Bulleh Shah (‫)بلھے شاہ‬, was a
Mughal-era Punjabi Islamic philosopher and Sufi poet, Bulleh Shah practised the Sufi
tradition of Punjabi poetry established by poets like Shah Hussain His spiritual
teacher(Murshid) was the eminent Sufi saint, Shah Inayat Qadiri. The verse form Bulleh

Shah primarily employed is the Kafi. Many people have put his kafis to music, from humble
street-singers to renowned Sufi singers
Bulleh Shah’s writings represent him as a humanist, someone providing solutions to the
sociological problems of the world around him as he lives through it, describing the
turbulence his motherland of Punjab is passing through, while concurrently searching
for God. His poetry highlights his mystical spiritual voyage through the four stages of
Sufism: Shariat (Path), Tariqat (Observance), Haqiqat (Truth) and Marfat (Union). He
criticizes Islamic religious orthodoxy of his day. The simplicity with which Bulleh Shah
has been able to address the complex fundamental issues of life and humanity is a large
part of his appeal.