(continuation of "discovering Indian music")
A tanpura is almost always used (it can be omitted if you have drone strings on your instrument) to create a background for Ragas. Its buzzing sound is very important - this is created by a curve in the bridge. Making the sound "alive" is called "jawari". This word is normally used with the bridges of string instruments, however I have heard Hariprasad Chaurasia say it to describe the fine tuning of the blow hole of his bansuri (bamboo flute). It seems "jawari" is a wide concept concerning all sound producing parts of any instrument.
The tampura drone is not merely "sa" (ut), but also the 5th and the octave. Normally 4 strings are tuned fifth-upper poctave (2x)-lower octave, and struck in a pattern of 5: 1-2-3-4-pause, regardless of the actual rhythm. It is supposed to make a continuum, not discrete notes.
As I already mentioned, this does not necessarily mean the piece is in "C".The fascinating thing about the tanpura is that it creates *all* notes in its harmonic spectrum - the Raga seems almost like a "fallout" of some of the overtones.
It is said that Indian Music is or should always be in just temperament (though I heard this is not always followed strictly) There are 22 "shrutis", the "smallest discernable notes", in one octave. Depending on which Raga you play, you play different shrutis, though referring to the notes as "Sa-ri-ga-ma-pa-dha-ni". Apart from the Octave and the Fifth (Pa), there are actually four of each notes. (Indian sources tell us this system is very old)
As I understand, the shrutis should be adjusted to match the main notes of the Raga, so that a pure interval between them is created. The others follow in place.
I have not yet grasped the consequences of this concept, but one can say that discussion about tuning doesn't seem to be restricted to European music of the 16th century. The Indian system though is probably already perfect for playing melody over tanpura.
Though we're talking of "classical", that is "art music" of India, there's one particular folk tradition I really like, which is deeply rooted: the Baul singers. These are wandering musicians, the word Baul is first mentioned in the 15th century. The Baul singers roam the Bengal area, and their music sounds very similar to European folk music.
This album is very worthwhile: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9v1gFhxXEc Am 09.05.2018 um 00:37 schrieb Tristan von Neumann:
Here's some more recordings to ease understanding.Indian Music is not written down. It is passed down from guru to student. The tradition is pretty accurate it seems, as all evolution process is done consciously, involving continuous memory of earlier styles. There always has been a written tradition of musicology in India, and the urge to name every concept. (The earliest source is the Natyashastra, which is on the performing arts in general, dealing also, or mainly, with acting, staging a production etc.)So it's pretty safe to say that this album represents the style of the 16th century, and these compositions are indeed by Tansen or his school:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1Oe4u_0tPo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=435aayz5OH0It seems Indian musicians also have something like "historically informed" music making. For these oldschool Ragas, often the Rudra Vina is chosen, not the sitar or surbahar. Also, the percussion is often the Pakhawaj (a cylindrical drum with two heads and powerful bass), not Tabla. (These might have existed in ancient times, but they became popular and were refined only later). Instead of harmonium (which personally I don't like in Indian music because it has a rigid tone), often a Sarangi (similar to an alto viola da gamba) is used to accompany. It has a function of echoing and also supporting the soloist, often marking the important notes of the raga, while the soloist is embellishing. Embellishments include meends (glissando), murki (mordent) and basically every other ornament also known in Baroque music, or from the Capirola book. The main difference to European music is the importance of meend, which is why the Persian setar has been modified with bent steel frets and a wider fretboard to facilitate heavy string bending.Again, I don't claim anything (yet), just for understanding it a little better: this piece by Giovanni Valentini is quite similar to the Indian style (anyway very imaginative).https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rucCGaolgI4In Hindustani music there is more emphasis on the time when a Raga should be played. I highly recommend all of the Raga series by Music Today, all to be found on youtube. Just search for Morning, Afternoon, Evening and Night Ragas Vol. 1 - 4. (There are four of each).Those are very good near audiophile recordings.This brings us to a not so nice point: many recordings are poor quality, due to the fact that Indian Music is performed and recorded live. Though this is actually nice, few recordings capture a clear sound. You have to live with this, especially if you want to listen to the old masters.However, there are select old albums that deserve attention and can be considered audiophile.This is one of my favourites: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q5trNs7M3MUBeware though, this is true Dhrupad where the exposition takes most of the time of the 70 minutes. This is not for casual listening, but you will be rewarded with near-vocal Rudra Veena playing. If you have a Colascione, you can tune it to C-G-c-f and play in this style.A good site to start from is this Raga search wheel: http://oceanofragas.com/RagaSearch.aspxIf you are looking for interesting scales, just punch one in and see what comes up.This includes Carnatic (South Indian) Melakarta Ragas.Melakarta is a very strict South Indian system of 72 Ragas. Carnatic Music is much more like serial music, but also fascinating. Many of the Ragas are basically the same as those in the North, they just bear another names, as do the modes. Hindustani Ragas with southern origins have the name "Kanhada" or "Kanada" in it, like "Darbari Kanada", which is the slow passacaglia/lamento-like night Raga of the Mughal court.Ragas are often named for their origin, in combination with a group of ragas. For example there is "Shuddh Sarang", the "original" Sarang Raga, with "Gaud Sarang" being the "Gaud version" of Sarang, with alterations in the rendering, but similarities in structure.(to be continued) Am 08.05.2018 um 22:00 schrieb Mark Seifert:Thank you many times, Tristan. You have provided a starting point well worth savoring/studying.MarkOn Tuesday, May 8, 2018 10:51 AM, Tristan von Neumann <[email protected]> wrote:Thanks Mark, you're welcome. As for your question - there is probably a reason why you have to study for years to make Indian music. I have learned a lot during my research, but it is a vast topic... Making mashups - regardless of Indian influence on Europe - has helped me quite a lot in understanding how Ragas work. Here's some basic things: - a Raga is not merely a scale (that would be "thaat") - a Raga is not a composition (you can improvise on it) So what is it? There we have a connection to European music: What is a Ciacona? What is a Passacaglia? It is not merely a bass or harmonic pattern, nor is it a composition. A Raga is a melodic pattern that is embellished within the cycle of a beat pattern (Taal or Tala). As I understand so far, this really works like improvising on a hidden ostinato, bringing out the important notes while improvising in between. Each Raga also has a significant phrase which establishes its identity. Also, each Raga has a characteristic Up and Down scale - these can be different, and there sometimes are "vakra" movements, that is zig-zag (think of late 16th century diminutions in England). In certain cases more than 7 notes can be used. On C, it is mostly the 4th that can be pure in the downscale, but augmented in the upscale, also the Seventh can be made flat in descent in some ragas. A Raga has a main note and a consonant to the main note (4th or 5th), and also notes that are avoided. The drone is sometimes also the main note. Even if the scales of two Ragas are the same, they can be fundamentally different due to their main notes. For example, Raga Yaman is in the Kalyan thaat (Lydian), so if "sa" (ut) is on C, the main notes are B and E, bringing shades of e minor into the Raga though the drone is on C. The Yaman melodic structure is thus organised to enhance something like a C major/e minor mood. It seems that the structures are basically emerging from the mode and main notes from a part of a harmonic series. That is why they capture certain moods and colors to perfection (also a reason why many people exploited this for pop music). Here's one rendering of Tilak Kamod that really makes things clear, because its recurring theme resembles the familiar "Branle de Bourgogne" by Gervaise (I don't claim any connection other than deep rootedcultural heritage - Tilak Kamod is said to have originated from folk music)https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtoMZwMtpe4 Notice how the mood is established in a free improvisation without pulse, making clear which are the important relations of the main notes to the melodic structure, then in gradually increasing tempi the best ideas are sought, without leaving the exact framework. Notice how the Fourth is used like it were a suspension note to the Third. The main notes are first and fifth of the scale. The seventh is avoided. The "C" - "G" jump is often used. Trying to guess certain phrases and their would be "key" in relation to the Raga seems a good idea to grasp the main features. Now compare this to Alhaiya Bilawal: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=77vtFARtAso It uses the same mode, yet uses mostly the upper tetrachord. Main notes are "B" and "E", B is flat in downscale (like in late 16th century diminutions). This is a different mood. It is interesting how 16th century theoreticians in Europe start building databases of modes not only describing their scale, but also giving voice leading patterns associated with the specific mode. This is actually what is done to describe Ragas in literature today (and as I understand also in Indian historical music literature), this parallel might help to understand. I hope this is of some help - I must admit though, it puzzles me how these musicians come up with such great renderings. As I said, decades of study are necessary - again, also found in lutes: it takes a while until you can pull off original yet true style diminutions on anything you touch. Am 08.05.2018 um 17:48 schrieb Mark Seifert: > Dear Tristan, > This is great material, thanks. Would it be possible to> occasionally provide basic instruction on "Indian music for dummies?" > Though I have in the past spent time studying Indian literature, even > Mughal poetry, I never attempted to understand Indian music as I was > not even well versed in Western music. Are there some basics that can > be addressed that might aid opening minds to an undoubtedly vast and> ancient tradition? > I just got through watching lectures on the British Raj in India> describing the relentless wealth extraction, brutal suppression, and > market-based agricultural austerity that led to starvation of millions > especially in Bengal and the Ganges valley in 1872-79, WWI, between the > war, and during WWII. In this new age of oligarchy and corruption, we> have a lot to learn from India. > Best wishes, > Mark Seifert MD > On Monday, May 7, 2018 10:16 AM, Tristan von Neumann > <[email protected] <mailto:[email protected]>> wrote: > I found a documentation of an Indian Rudra Veena in the making. > Traditional woodworking without powertools:> [1]https://www.flickr.com/photos/carstenwicke/collections/7215764015396> 9553/ > To get on or off this list see list information at > [2]http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > > -- > > References >> 1. https://www.flickr.com/photos/carstenwicke/collections/72157640153969553/> 2. http://www.cs.dartmouth.edu/~wbc/lute-admin/index.html > >
