Spiritual Aspects of Hindustani Indian Classical Music

By Dan Blanchard

The music of India is one of the oldest unbroken musical traditions in the world. The origin of Indian classical music goes back to the Vedic times, when the Rishis (Hindu saints), deep in meditation, would contemplate different sound vibrations and tonal patterns and the effects it has on consciousness. In later times, temple priests would chant Vedic shlokas (verses) to certain ragas (melodic modes) in the temples.

It was and still is usually and preferably taught orally from guru to disciple, so the student can learn all the details and nuances of the art form.  Like other spiritual traditions and paths, it is started at a young age and it requires a lot of dedication and practice to properly learn the art form.  A musician belongs to a particular gharana (house) or lineage, each having its own traditions and manner of rendition and style.

Indian classical music is a living thing. There is a loose structure for the musicians to follow and the rest is improvised in the moment. Thus the performance is a more of a creation that creates an experience of presence and meditation for the listener. Thus Indian classical music is more of a spiritual experience rather than just mere entertainment for the enjoyment of the senses.

Although Indian classical music can be quite complicated with all the different ragas and complex rhythmic cycles (talas), it is not necessary to know about the science behind it to enjoy and appreciate the beauty and aesthetics of this art form. Knowledge or no knowledge of the intricacies of any art form, what is most important is the feeling and lasting effects that the listeners receive from the experience.

The Natya Shastra (“Textbook on Drama”) is the first available Sanskrit text that was entirely written on stagecraft, including music, dance and theater.  Written between 200 B.C. and 200 A.D by the sage Bharata Muni, it was claimed to be directly inspired by the God Brahma.  Because of its importance, it has been called the Fifth Veda.  It has 6,000 sutras (verses) incorporated in 36 chapters.

Differences Between Western Music

All music has melody and rhythm.  Indian classical music differs from western music in the following ways:

1. Indian classical music is monophonic (single melody format), all swaras (notes) are in relation to a tonic note. In contrast, in addition to monophony, western music is also polyphonic (multiple notes at once, that is, chords and harmonies).
2. Indian classical music has elaborate rhythmic cycles (called Tala, see Tala section below).
3. Indian classical music is taught orally thus there is no written notation, as opposed to most styles of western music, which has an advanced notation (staff) system.
4. Most of the western music styles are just reciting what has already been written, perhaps up to hundreds of years ago. Indian classical music has a loose structure and it is a live creation of the moment.  For western music, and western classical music in particular, there can be much beauty but the original inspiration of the creator is long gone.

Styles of Indian Classical Music

Two styles of indian classical music:

• Hindustani: All over India except for South India (typically described as north Indian classical music)
• Carnatic: South India (states of Tamil Nadu, Karnakata, and Kerala)

Main differences between the two styles is that Hindustani is more focused on melody and improvisation, while Carnatic is more focused on rhythm and is more structured. Also, in Carnatic music ragas are not associated with any part of the day and can be played at any time.

This series of articles will focus on Hindustani Indian classical music.

Raga

The Raga is the most important concept that a student or enthusiast should understand.  The Sanskrit meaning of raga is to color, so in terms of music this means that which colors or leaves a certain impression on the listener.  So each raga has a certain mood. There are hundreds of ragas, but in modern times the number that is actually played is around 30 to 50. Several ragas are named after gods, goddesses, and sages. 

Tala

The second most important concept to understand is what is called Tala.  Tala is a cycle of beats. The first beat is a stress point called the Sam.  There is also a release point called the Khali. The Sam and Khali bring life to a Tala; this is what allows the performers to improvise yet at the same time be able to be in synch with each other.

Instrumental Music

Indian classical music can either be sung or played on an instrument. For an instrumental recital, the following instruments are always played by a performer:

• Tambora: Four- or five-string instrument that provides the background drone and canvas for the featured instrument performer to create on. Tambora Photo. Tambora Sound Clip.
• Tabla: Two-piece percussion instrument that provides the rhythm. Tabla Photo. Tabla Sound Clip.

In addition, the featured instrument is usually one of the following:

• Sitar: Most popular instrument, plucked string instrument with frets. Sitar Photo. Sitar with Tambora Sound Clip.
• Santoor: Traditionally a hundred stringed instrument played with wooden hammers. Santoor Photo. Santoor Sound Clip.
• Sarod: String instrument without frets, played with plectrum (pick), smaller than a sitar. Sarod Photo.  
• Bansuri flute. Bansuri Flute Photo.

Lesser known/used instruments are the mohan veena (slide guitar), violin, mandolin, esraj, and sarangi.  They each bring their own distinct characteristics and beauty and have an important place in Indian classicalm.

Vocal Music

In a vocal performance, there are the following performers:

• Vocal artist: May play a swarmandal, a harp-like instrument
• Tabla player for rhythm
• Harmonium player, who follows the lead of the vocalist.  The harmonium is a small pipe organ which is very popular in Kirtan chanting music
• One or two Tambora players to provide the drone and a canvas for the vocalist to create on
• In addition, sometimes a Sarangi or Violin player will accompany the vocalist

How to Experience Indian Classical Music

The best way to experience Indian classical music is to attend a concert.  There are Indian classical music concerts in most metropolitan cities.  It is also recommended to get recordings from the maestros of each instrument:

• Sitar: Ravi Shankar*, Nikhil Banerjee, Viliyat Khan
• Sarod: Ali Akbar Khan*, Amjad Ali Khan*
• Santoor: Shivkumar Sharma*, Satish Vyas*
• Bansuri flute: Hariprasad Chaurasia*
• Mohan veena: Vishwa Mohan Bhatt*
• Vocal: Kishori Amonkar* (female), Bhimsen Joshi* (male), Pandit Jasraj* (male)

(* denotes still alive and performing)

The most authentic Indian classical music experience is to see one of the maestros in concert. There are also many fine younger generation artists who are carrying the Indian classical music torch to future generations.

Here are a few websites where you can listen to some Indian classical music:

• Music India Online. In the left navigation bar, there are links to both instrumental and vocal Hindustani classical music that you can listen to online.

• EMusic. Online music subscription service; there is a big Indian section (under world).  There are albums from many of the main artists mentioned above.

Dan Blanchard is learning Santoor from Satish Vyas, Shivkumar Sharma’s most senior disciple.  Residing in Encinitas, California, Dan’s profession is a computer programming consultant.  He visits India every year for learning and diligently practices in the meantime.  He has been playing western instruments such as guitar and piano since his teen years, and considers Indian classical music the perfect blend of beauty, spirituality, art, and science. Dan can currently be reached at dan@DLB-ENT.com.