MUSIC

of
INDIA
SUBMITTED BY: GROUP
1
VOCAL MUSIC

India’s
classical music tradition
includes Carnatic and
Hindustani music which have
developed over many centuries.
Music of India also includes
several types of folk and
popular music. One aspect of
vocal music melismatic singing
compared with the Philippine
music which uses melismatic
singing is only used in chanting
epics and the pasyon.
Singing based on a set of
pitches was popular even
during the Vedic times. The
samagna style of singing
developed into a strong and
diverse tradition over several
centuries, becoming an
established part of contem-
porary tradition in India. The
hyms in Sama Veda, a sacred
text were sung as samagna
and not chanted. Sama Veda is
the third of the four Vedas of
Hinduism but ranks next to Rig
Veda (Rigveda) in terms of it’s
sanctity and liturgical
importance.
 Rig Veda is also sung in the
samagna traditional singing
style. Because of it’s liturgical
importance, Rig Veda is
counted as first among the four
canonical sacred texts of
Hinduism known as Vedas. Rig
Veda is an ancient Indian
sacred collection of Vedic
Sanskrit hymns.
 CHARACTERISTICS OF
TRADITIONAL MUSIC FROM INDIA

1. Carnatic Music
• refers to music from South
India
• directed to a Hindu god,
which is why called “temple
music”
• unlike Hindustani mucic,
Carnatic music is unified
 where schools are based on
the same ragas, the same
solo instruments and the
same rhythm instrument.
• music pieces are mainly set

for the voice and with lyrics

• compositions called krti are
devotional songs
2. Hindustani Music
• goes back to Vedic period
times around 1000 BC
• further developed in the 13th
and 14th centuries AD with
Persian influences and from
existing religious and folk
music
• in North India, most
common style of singing is
called khyal.
 DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
CARNATIC AND HINDUSTANI
MUSIC
CARNATIC HINDUSTANI
- it is kriti-based - it is raga-based
- Carnatic - Hindustani has
instrumentalist a separate
still recently repertoire for
played the same instrumental
kriti-based and vocal.
compositions as
the vocalists did.
CARNATIC HINDUSTANI
- it’s major - it’s major
accompaniment accompaniment
is violin reigns. is sarangi.
- it is evolved - it is evolved for
with the purpose the purpose of
of devotion of entertainment
gods.
- built on the - built on the
core concept of core concept of
Laya (Rhythm in Swara (Pitch in
Western Music). Western Music).
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
There are many musical
instruments in India. Some
instruments are used primarily in
North Indian music (Hindustani
Sangeet) while many other
instruments are used in South
Indian music (Carnatic Sangget).
There are five known traditional
systems of classification for
instruments.
CLASSIFICATION OF MUSICAL
INSTRUMENTS FROM INDIA

1. Ghan- a non-membranous
percussive instrument but with
solid resonators.

Ghatam Karta Manjira Nout

2. Avanaddh- described as
membranous percussive
instrument. This class of
instruments typically comprise
the drums.

Daf(Duf,Daphu) Dhol Tabla

3. Sushir- also known as “blown
air”. It is characterized by the
use of air to excite the various
resonators.

Shankh Bansuri Surpeti Shehnai

4. Tat- reffered to as vina during
the old civilization. Instruments
in this class are plucked
(stringed instruments).

Ektar Gotuvadyam

Sitar

Gopichand Rabab
5. Vitat- describedd as bowed
stringed instruments. One of
the oldest classifications of
instruments and yet did not
occupy a piece in classical
Indian music until the fast few
centuries.

Banam Chikara Esraj Sarangi

 Rhythm plays an important
role in Indian music. It is
fundamental to the creation of
any musical system. Certainly,
from a historical standpoint,
rhythm existed many centuries
ago before the word “rag” was
ever used. Given this historical
pre- eminence, it is not
surprising that rhythm occupies
an important position in the
Indian system of music.
Tala –literally means ‘clap’;

variously transliterated

as “tal”, “taal” or

“taala”
–is the common Indian
system of rhythm
Theka –a sequence of drum-
 rhythm in
Hindustani music

Mridangam –most common

instrument for
keeping rhythm in
Carnatic music
–also transliterated
as “mridang”
 QUIZ
Name the following Indian
musical instruments.

1. 2. 3.

4. 5.
Write the letter of the correct
answer.
a. Hindustani Sangeet f. Tat
b. Carnatic Sangeet g. Vitat
c. Ghan h. Tala
d. Avanaddh i. Tabla
e. Sushir j. Mridangam

6. It is an instrument used in
North Indian Music.
7. It is known as a non-
membranous percussive
instruments.
 8. It is characterized by use
of air to excite the various
resonator.
9. It is an instrument used in
South Indian Music.
10. It is known as plucked
instruments/stringed instru-
ments.
11. Most common instrument

for keeping rhythm in Carnatic

music.
percussive instruments.
13. Most common instrument

for keeping rhythm in

Hindustani music.
14. It is the oldest classifica-
tion of instruments in India.
15. It is common Indian system

of rhythm.