Transcript MUL 2010 “Enjoyment of Music

Roles of the Performers
• Veena (south) or Sitar (north) –
leader/soloist
• Tambura – drone (primary pitches)
• Tabla (north) or Mridangam (south) –
rhythm and secondary soloist
• Other secondary soloists (Sarod, etc.)
may be added
Indian Classical Performance
• Improvisation (not pre-composed)
• Pitch – based on Raga (scales, but more)
• Rhythm – based on Tala (meters, but
more)
• Process of “unfolding” the Raga
- movement from low to high
- rhythmic movement from slow to fast
Organization of the
Improvisation
• Alap – opening section, free rhythm (no
drums), establishes the Raga
• Jor (Jod) – drums enter, regular rhythm
(Tala) established
• Jahla – fast, virtuosic concluding section
• Gat – fixed (pre-composed) tune featured
in last section
Some Concert Performances
• YouTube - Ravi Shankar on the Dick Cavett
Show (4:46)
• YouTube - Ustad Shahid Parvez (6:03)
• Recital de Sitar, India. Rara Avis 2011, parte 1
– YouTube (10:01)
• YouTube - Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Vol 2- Live
At Pune (47:02) – Sarod
Pitch
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Emphasis on the melodic (single notes in time)
Asthagi – emphasis on “home”
Antara – moving upward
Abhog – “home” again
Octave divides into 22 steps (West uses 12)
RAGA
• Like a (western) scale, but….MORE
• Not just pitch, but HOW one moves through
them
• May include specific melodic patterns
• May ascend and descend in different ways
• Usually 5-7 notes, ordered hierarchically
Raga (cont’d)
• SA = home (Vadi = “King”) [drone]
• MA (4th) or PA (5th) = second level
(Samvadi = “Minister”)[drone]
• Anuvadi Svaras = third level
(“Servants” – define the raga)
• Vivadi svaras = foreign notes
(“Enemies” – not to be used)
Classification of Ragas
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Over 120,000 ragas (claimed)
Better described as a few hundred families
Most performers know only a few dozen
Associated and controlled by externals
- season of year
- time of day
- mood evoked
• Examples and information on one Raga:
Bhimpalasi Inc » Rajan Parrikar Music
Archive
RHYTHM
• Based on Rhythmic cycles (similar to
Meter…but much MORE)
• Division of time by regular beats (MATRA)
• 1st beat of cycle [most important] (SAM)
• One group of beats [measure] (VIBHAG),
[not all cycles of equal weight]
• Complete cycle (AVARTAN)
• Each cycle a unique pattern (TAL or TALA)
SOME DIFFERENT TALA
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Teental = 16 (4 + 4 + 4 + 4) [most common]
Adachautal = 14 (2+4+4+4)
Adi Tal = 8 (4+2+2)
Dadra tal = 6 (3 + 3)
Ektal = 12 (2+2+2+2+2+2)
Jhaptal = 10 (2+3+2+3)
Rupak Tal = 7 (3+2+2)
Sultal = 10 (2+3+2+3)
Assignments & an Alert
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Study Chapter 1 and slides
Know Indian instruments
Understand pitch organization
(Begin to) understand basics of tal
Listen to textbook CD examples
NO CLASS MEETING ON FRIDAY
(7 February 2014)
• We resume on Monday (10 February 2014)