An Overview of Indian Classical Music - Go4Guru Hindustani Music

The path tread by Hindustani music:

Hindustani music or north Indian music meandered its way to its present form over a long period in india music. During the late Vedic period, a form of music called Samagana, which involved the chanting of the verses and hymns set to musical patterns, was prevalent. Jatigan was evolved to narrate the epics. Between 2-7 AD a form of music called Prabandh Sangeet, which was written in Sanskrit, became very popular. This gave way to a simpler form known as dhruvapad, which used Hindi as the medium for the first time in india music.

Persian music Musiqi-e-Assil has had a great influence on hindustani classical music. The advent of Islamic rule under the Delhi Sultanate and later the Mughal Empire led to the fusion of Hindu and Muslim thoughts to produce new forms of musical expression in india music.

The most significant musician of the Delhi Sultanate was Amir Khusrau (1253-1325), regarded as the father of modern Hindustani classical music. He was a prolific composer in Persian, Turkish, Arabic and Brajbhasha. He is credited with systematizing many aspects of Hindustani music and introducing several ragas such as Yaman Kalyan, Zeelaf and Sarparda. He also created the qawwali and khayal (meaning thought or imagination) genre. However, Niyamat Khan (Sadarang) from the court of Muhammad Shah 'Rangiley' is regarded as the father of modern day khayal. Amir Khusrau created the sitar and the tabla.

Legendary musician Tansen, who adorned Akbar’s court, is recognized as having introduced a number of innovations, ragas and compositions. At the royal house of Gwalior, Raja Mansingh Tomar (1486-1516) encouraged the shift from Sanskrit to the local idiom Hindi as the language for classical songs. Dhrupad as rendered today too developed in his court. Dhrupad singing was the strong point of Gwalior gharana, the oldest of the five major schools of music, including Agra, Delhi, Jaipur and Kirana. The Dhrupad became almost extinct in the first half of the 20th century till it was revived by the Dagar Brothers.

Simultaneously, the bhakti and Sufi movemenst led by Meerabai, Kabir, Tulsidas and Surdas also had an impact on Hindustani music, so did folk songs of different regions of north india music.

After the dissolution of the Mughal Empire, the patronage of music continued in smaller princely kingdoms like Lucknow, Patiala and Banaras, giving rise to the diversity of styles that is known as gharanas. In the early 20th century, Vishnu Digambar Paluskar emerged as a torchbearer of Hindustani music. His books on india music as well as the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya that he opened in Lahore in 1901 helped foster a movement away from the closed gharana system. Paluskar's contemporary 'Chaturpandit' Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande recognized the many rifts that had appeared in the structure of hindustani classical music. He undertook extensive research visits to a large number of gharanas, collecting and comparing compositions. Between 1909 and 1932, he brought out the monumental Hindustani classical music Padhathi (4 volumes), which provided a transcription and notation for Hindustani music for the first time.The Indian classical vocal as we know them today were classified and consolidated into 10 thaats in this landmark work.

Alauddin Khan’s Gurukul at Maihar in no small measure contributed to the making of some topnotch instrumentalists of our times like Ravi Shankar and Ali Akbar Khan.

In the 20th century, Hindustani classical music was put on the world map, particularly the U.S., by renowned sitar player Ravi Shankar, sarod maestro Ali Akbar Khan and tabla wizard Alla Rakha.

The ‘how’ of Hindustani music recital:

Historical roots of both Hindustani and Carnatic classical music stem from Bharata's 3rd century treaties Natyashastra. Of the two streams indian classical music emphasizes musical structure and improvisation while Carnatic music is kriti (composition) based and gives great importance to sahitya (lyrics).

A typical vocal rendition of indian classical vocal consists of Alap in akaar-a rhythmically free improvisation of the raga-followed by vilambit (slow) and drut (fast) or madhyalaya (medium tempo) khayals set to the rhythmic cycle of Teentaal,Ektaal,Jhaptaal,Rupak etc. with tabla accompaniment. The alap is followed by jod and jhala and vilambit,drut and atidrut (super-fast) gats or compositions in instrumental music.

The bandish or composition is generally in two parts-sthaye and antara-in both Indian classical vocal and Indian classical instrumental music. The compositions are embellished with rhythmic alaps, sargams, bol-alaps, tans and bol-tans in vocal and with rhythmic alaps, tans and jhala in instrumental music.

Dhrupad singers render a longish and elaborate nom-tom alap followed by jod and jhala and a Dhrupad composition with mathematical permutation combination of the bandish set to Chautaal, etc. with pakhawaj support. Dhrupad instrumentalists use the rudra veena or the surbahar.

The major forms of Hindustani classical music are Dhrupad, Khayal and Tarana (Tillana in Carnatic music). Other forms include Dhamar, Trivat, Chaiti, Kajari, Tappa, Tap-Khayal, Ashtapadis, Thumri, Dadra, Ghazal and Bhajan. Of these, some forms fall within the ambit of folk, semi-classical or light classical and light music. A typical South Indian Hindustani classical music concert begins with a couple of khayals followed by the light classical thumri, dadra and bhajan.

The living vocal and instrumental legends of Hindustani Classical music are Bhimsen Joshi (Kirana gharana), Kishori Amonkar (Jaipur-Atrauli gharana), Jasraj (Mewati gharana) Amjad Ali Khan (sarod), Zakir Hussain (tabla), Hari Prasad Chaurasia (flute), Ram Narayan (sarangi) and Shiv Kumar Sharma (hundred-stringed santoor) and the dead but remembered are Bade Ghulam Ali Khan (Patiala gharana), Bismillah Khan (shehnai), Amir Khan (Indore gharana) and Begum Akhtar (thumri and dadra).

And now enter the world wide web of Hindustani classical music.

Hindustani Vocal:

Six Month Beginner’s Online Hindustani Music Course:

*Learning online singing classes sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni; indian classical vocal exercise through the practice of 30 alankars or paltas and swaramalika delineating the basic structure or rupa of three ragas.

* Level 1: Further practice of online hindustani lessons alankars to lend flexibility to the voice; swaramalika and simple compositions in five ragas in the next six months covers the portion for the first year.

* Level 2: In the second year you learn indian classical singing of 10 medium-paced chota khayals or raga compositions with short alapss, tans and bol-taans in different taals. A couple of bhajans will also be taught. Voice culture and kharaj (lower octave) singing practice to lend depth and richness to the voice is part of the course.

* Level 3: The third-year portion consists of Indian classical vocal ornamentation exercises-meend, khatka and murki; learn 10 more raga compositions with alap, tans and bol-taans and some bhajans. Certificate will be awarded at the end of the year.

* Level 4: Learn indian classical singing Bada or vilambit khayals with elaborate alaps, bol-alaps, intricate tans, bol-taans and rhythmic sargams in 20 ragas; gamak practice; will be taught a couple of taranas, dhrupad-dhamar and thumris; will be awarded a diploma at the end of the five-year course.

* Level 5: Will be taught some rare, combo and mixed online hindustani music lessons; will be trained to give a full-fledged concert.

Level 1 :
• About the instrument and how to strum it.
• Playing of da and ra sound.
• Playing of Alankars along with vigorous practice sessions for obtaining speed and precision of notes.
Playing simple gats.

Level 2:
• Tuning the instrument
• Playing alap and a brief and simple jod and madhyalaya and drut gats.

Level 3:
• Playing jhala
• Playing meend and gamaks
* Learn more gats in many more ragas.

Level 4:
• Playing vilambit and drut gats with elaborate alaps, jod, jhala and super-fast jhala.
* Will be taught thumris, too.
* Will be trained to give a concert.

Level 1:
• Introduction to the instrument
• Bowing techniques
* Fingering the fret-less instrument to get the correct notes.
* Alankars
• Training for the co-ordination of both hands while playing
• Tuning the instrument
* simple gats

Level 2 :
• Alap and jod
• Madhyalaya and drut gats in some ragas
* Learning to play meend and gamaks.

Level 3 :
• Playing alap, jod, jhala, vilambit, madhyalaya and drut gats in various ragas.
* Playing staccato and vibrato notes
* Advanced bowing techniques.

Level 1: 
• Basic concepts 
• Blowing, fingering and breath control techniques
• Alankars
* Gats

Level 2:
• Playing of some more madhyalaya and drut gats in different ragas, alap and jod

Level 3:
• Alap, jod, jhala, vilambit, madhyalaya and drut gats in various ragas and taals and some light dhuns or tunes in preparation for a concert.

Level 1:
• Introduction to the tabla, how and from which part of the tabla (right hand drum) and dagga (left hand drum) and the pakhawaj are different sounds or bols (syllables) produced. 
• Posture and fingering 
• Basic sollus (dha, din tha, tin) 
* playing of Teen Taal 

Level 2: 
• Playing different taals 
• Playing parans and tukdas 
* Playing relas 
* Playing dugun, tigun and chaugun 

Level 3: 
• Accompanying vocal and instrumental recitals as well as dance concerts * Training for solo recital