Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

Study of Indian Classical Music (ICM) ‘Raga’, its perception & emotional response.

A literary approach to understand emotional response of Indian Classical Music (Raga) and
accompanying Indian Instrument

(Reference Style IEEE, Required for School of Physics, Engineering and Technology University of
york)

Module: Music Perception and critical listening

MA Music Production

2017-2018
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

Background

India is famous for its spirituality, perhaps the reason why “Indian Classical Music” (Raga)
is more for the soul than mere utility. Raga means coloring (dying), the coloring of the mind
with music. Raga is also used for music therapy. This paper investigates types, structure,
elements, and emotional responses of Raga, and the timbres of various instruments involved
in Raga. The primary concentration is “Why ICM is more spiritual, meditating, and
positive”, and why it is used to cure emotional imbalance with proven Meditation.

Unlike Western Music, Raga gives more freedom to the performer to improvise.
A Raga composition is typically presented in two modes, namely, Alaap and Gat. Alaap is
the note-by-note delineation of a Raga bound by a slow tempo, but not by a rhythmic
cycle. Gat on the other hand is rendered at a faster tempo and follows a rhythmic cycle [2].
These two elements of Raga form a sequence of tonic intervals evoking distinct feelings [2].
Emotional response studies show Raga are mainly perceived as “Meditative, Pure, Peaceful,
and Calm, satisfactory & grateful” depending on the type of Raga and its elements Alaap and
Gat [1] [2]. Another study shows that these Ragas are more likely to give calm feelings, and
evoking anger remains lowest.[2]. Various Raags have been chosen to find out the reason
behind these emotional responses with musical context, neuroscience, acoustic, and
psychoacoustic theories. Also to find out how the colouring of the mind is being applied via
traditional Instruments, spiritual connection, timber and composition.

Raga is inspired by the devotion and spirituality of ancient India and has been present for
more than 2000 years. Traditional instruments like “Veena, Sitar, Mridanga, Tablas, Basuri,
and Vocal” are mainly used in this music. There are no particular inventor of these
instruments and no evidence of when these came into existence. As mythology these are all
instruments of the “Deity” [3], even the music has direct links to the Indian gods.
Unlike Modern instruments, these instruments are handmade with organic materials,
perhaps traditional and cultural elements might be the reason, it can be also said that
artwork by craftsmen was recognized in ancient India hence handmade instruments had
great value and human touch, unlike modern machine made instrument which almost
sounds similar to each piece made.
A research with Adaboost classification and GMM-based Hidden Markov Models for four
types of feature sets, and observed that Indian Music performs better as compared to
Western Music. It has accomplished results for the best accuracy of 98.0% and 77.5% for
Indian and Western musical genres respectively [5]. This might be the reason to produce
particular sonic vibrations to excite brains and the body (through generating various
microtones and sound frequencies).
Every Raga has its specific time of performance and listening to render effective results [4].
In Indian culture, Chakra is a complex energy-conducting network located within the body
that receives and processes what has been called subtle energy or bio-energy. Raga impacts
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

the human personality and the physical procedures and organs through reverberating
sounds by particular frequencies associated with the specific human vitality circles – i.e.
chakras [6]. Evoking subconscious brain and emotion with various tonal changes, and
frequency with instruments have been seen in experiments [6]. The notes in the raga are
called Swars. The seven Swars are ‘Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni’ in Indian music
correspond to ‘Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La and Si’ respectively in a Western music scale.

Critical analysis of 3 chosen Raga forms:

In this section, a critical analysis of the universal and individual characteristics of Ragas has
been carried out. The structure of every Raga is divided into three parts: Alaap which is an
introduction with a slow tempo (30-70 BPM), Johar which is the mid part of
any Raga presented with a stronger sense of pulse with an increased tempo(70-180BPM),
and Jhala which is the final part of any Raga where all elements have come together( like
rhythm, melodies, ornaments and microtones) with fast tempo(180-350BPM).
In Raga, compositional rules are followed, improvisation in performance is left to the
creativity of the performer but within the rules of Raga. Within the rules and expectations of
the rag, the melody is largely improvised. Also take a closer look at intention, elements, and
emotional response.

1. Raga Bhairav : The first example takes look at Raga Bhairav, Raga Bhairav is one of
the most important Raga, and its playing time is recommended in the early
morning.“Bhairav” is one of the name of Lord Shiva, meditating all the time with
peace. This Raga intends to portray such moods as serenity, devotion and
peacefulness. Raag Bhairav of Indian music possesses the notes “Sa re Ga Ma Pa Dha
ni Sa”, which is similar to C double harmonic major scale, where the 2nd and 6th
have been made flat to bring more delicateness to the scale. Instruments used in Raga
Bhairva are Vocal, Sarangi , Tanpura (Drone), Tablas (See the appendix for details of
instruments). The Alaap is in a slow tempo, which introduces Raga(same as for
every Raga). Vocal is a lead instrument which plays free in time, highlighting
important notes with increasing tempo as Raga progresses
while Tanpura accompanies the vocal. Vibrato techniques are being used to hit
frequencies which are impossible in a particular musical scale. The concept
of Shruti (use of microtones) is understood by performers. This may sound like “out
of tune” notes to western ears but are a very finely honed technique used to enhance
notes of the Ragas. Ornamentation is also used, which details can be seen in the next
example. Use of Sonic Mantra (Sonic Theology) is majorly used in this
particular Raga to make it more spiritual and devotional. The
mantras “NARAYAN”& “HARI ” which are the names of Lord Vishnu can be heard
in the final part of this example. Recharging and vibrating the chakras using certain
syllables is the power of the mantra in our body, the mantra is stated as a powerful tool
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to modify the physical and mental state of the body, for instance, a chant of the lord
in Church or Allah in Masque [6]. Drone instrument produces continuous Vibration
which makes the brain perceive as if they are in a temple or Church because it makes
space in the mind. Perhaps the reason why Raga always starts with Tanpura and
plays throughout the entire Raga. Another theory states that unbroken vibration and
continuous pitch produce a wave which helps concentrate on the particular thing
which sounds natural. An example of ancient Chant ‘Om’ has a wavelength of 7.23
centimeters and a frequency 432 Hz, this is the approximate wavelength of the
continuous movement of atoms and stars of the universe. To set create peaceful mind
use of Tanpura, which delivers a continual transformation of the energy of vibration
of the fundamental vibration into the overtones[10], Tanpura is used with a slow
tempo, slow tempo and more energy in low-frequency sound more relaxing[8]. The
audio example portrays calmness and peacefulness with mentioned resources.
2. Raga Bhairavi: This Raga can be played and listened to at any time throughout the
day. As described in Raga Bhairav, 1st example, this follows the same universal rules,
but what separates this from others are the melodious qualities, use of microtone and
ornamentations. This example contains two audio examples from different
performances to exhibit tonal variation and vibration effects toward the
listener. Microtones are an essential part of Raga, giving it a trademark with
complexity in performance. Subtle changes with pitch are made to give more
character, like flattening of notes. Ornamentations on the Vocal or Sitar are highly
applied to bring life to the sound of the vocal or Sitar. The various types of
ornamentations are Meend, Kan, Ghamak, Andolan, which are used in Indian classical
music[9]. Meend can be interpreted as an application glide between two notes; can be
in the same or different octave. Kan is always applied with a grace note, Ghamak is a
rapid-paced oscillation between two notes delivered on intention, and Andolan is a
moderate swing or oscillation around a fixed note, touching the periphery of an
adjacent note as well as shruti [9]. Bhairavi portrays peace, devotion and
compassion.
It depicts a picture or mood like Saint who gets involved in the divine spirit immense
in a spiritual state. The acoustic cues & visual cues produced by the performer are
vital parts of this Raga for evoking emotion, the emphasis on the presence of nature
characteristics (timing of Raga, environment etc) plays a significant role in the
colouring of the mind. Multimodal perception theory, perhaps, is one of the most
important characteristics for evoking emotion in Raga, the importance of other
elements, for instance, venue, time, environment, and season are vital parts of
any Raga. However, the acoustic property of instrument like “Veena & Sitar ” are also
significant in portraying moods, the frequency range of these instruments are very
high, and contact of the string with the bridge generates high-frequency components
and generates characteristic such as buzzing sound[13]. As per Auditory perception,
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

high-frequency sounds are more energetic than low-frequency and charge the brain
more [14]. Perhaps, the reason why these instruments were introduced later
in Raga is to deliver the purpose of the Raga. Video example has been provided to
prove mentioned theories for evoking emotion and patterns of microtone and
ornament can be seen in the audio example

3. Raga Darbari Kanada : Raga Darbari Kanada is said to be created by “Miya Tansen”,
prominent for vocal performance in King Akbar’s reign. This Raga is also known as
Kings Raga, performed in the king’s court in the late evening. The use of heavy bass
voice separate it from other Ragas with distinct characteristics
of “Ghamak” ornamentation. Following the same universal rule, but the bending
rules of consonance and dissonance, this can usually be seen in most of
the Ragas. Ragas are based on the theory of Vaditya which is the fundamental basis of
the development of melodies. “In a holistic approach, consonance can be promoted by
spectral harmonicity (vertical), harmonic proximity or pitch commonality (horizontal), and
familiarity (both vertical and horizontal); dissonance by roughness (vertical) and linear pitch
distance (horizontal).”[12]
Indian Music & Raga does not depend on harmonic progression, as Tanpura (Drone
music) provide tonic root. Consonance and dissonance paradigm are carried out by
notes and tonic drone which forms melodic relationship horizontally [12]. This
phenomenon is making Raga more pleasant, for instance, harsh-sounding vocals are
very pleasant. In example, heavy bass vocal with ornamentation sounds pleasant.

4. Produced Example 4: It is practically impossible to imitate the performance

of Ragas with the virtual instrument since major creativity comes from actual
performers. Electronic instruments are not used in any of Ragas. The organic real-
world instruments sound more pleasing to human ears, acoustic sound sources tend
to have richer harmonics along with amalgams of harmonics that produce
significantly richer and more complex timbres due to dynamic micro shifts in pitches,
tonalities (and many other acoustic factors), & tonality, which synthesizer can barely
coordinate without incredible exertion and preparing assets. Raga’s characteristics
demand more flexibility in performance which electronics can’t deliver. The
percussion instrument used in this piece called “Mridangam” has distinct properties
which produce harmonic overtones and vibrate freely in a different way but with
similar frequencies which can overlap with each other [12]. I have tried to execute
the rhythmic patterns of Raga, which is called Taal, usually produced by a percussive
instrument. Fixed Raga arrangements (Bandish) are generally set to a specific Taal
(Taal is a rhythmic element of Raga), which implies that each line is melodically
organized to fit into the furrow of that Taal. The first beat of the percussive
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

instrument which enters dramatically into the ensemble is

called Sam, Sam introduces Taal (rhythm). In my piece, I have created three different
rhythms used in various parts of the Raga, like the introduction, mid, and final part.
This constitutes temporal changes from slow to fast as Raga progress.

5. The morning spirit, a 30-second sample I have created by using the theory of
consonance and dissonance in Raga, where Tanpura, a drone
instrument, constantly provides tonic root, and Sanatur (a string instrument) plays
melodies. This example demonstrates the use of microtones. The “Brainwave” study
shows that Raga and its melody result in the excitement of the electrical activity of
the brain[15], and various moments are seen in the brain with a machine called an
electroencephalograph (EEG). Perhaps, the charging of the brain with high-
frequency sonic elements through Ragas and its significant instruments may be
responsible for such activity. I have tried to imitate this phenomenon to excite the
brain when Santure comes into the composition. I have used a virtual instrument,
and programmed MIDI as the instrument is being played in the real world, however,
I could not fully experiment due to a lack of understanding of the instrument.

Conclusion:
Ragas are one of the best music therapies for curing emotion imbalance and activating
Chakra energy. Ancient mantras (Sonic Theology) can evoke certain emotions very
effortlessly. The effective use of nature, environment, venue, seasons & cosmic elements are
very deep in practice to achieve the desired results. Many Ragas evoke a distinct feeling,
despite evoking anger its motive is to turn negative energy into positive. Brain scientists
have now scientifically confirmed this saying Ragas indeed evoke a gamut of responses
ranging from ‘happy’ and ‘calm’ to ‘tensed’ and ‘sad’ among listeners[1].
The use of temporal change is noteworthy to control and colouring of the mind, for
instance, Raga starts with a slower tempo which lowers blood pressure and aids the mind to
concentrate, this also helps to shut down the “flight or fight” response of mind and to make
it more receptive, which results into a settling of mind for upcoming colouring (Message via
music). Later introduction of changes in tempo and instruments is to provide energy, and
with this energy, colouring to evoke distinct emotions are being achieved. The study
discovered that emotions changed as the tempo increased, and change in Alaap to Gat
happens in performance. For instance, emotional ratings for Ragas like 'Desh' and 'Tilak
Kamod' shifted from ‘calm/soothing’ in the slower arrhythmic Alaap to ‘happy’ in the faster
rhythmic Gat. Similarly, the emotional responses of 'Shree' and 'Miyan ki Todi' shifted from
‘sad’ to ‘tensed’.
The use of microtone and ornamentation are widely used to produce certain vibrations
which are evoking distinct emotions, something western music doesn’t have in its musical
system. Despite bearing the same notes, various element of Raag makes it different from
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

western music and giving freedom in performance makes it more alive, something which
can be seen in 'Jazz'. In this study, Critical listening explores entirely new composition rules
which can be applied to modern music. Instrumentation and theories can be learned
from Ragas.
Instruments are very impressive and finely tuned for every specific need for colouring the
mind. It can be asked 'why only use of organic instruments?', also question can be framed on
'why instruments are only being made out of organic material like skin for percussive, thread
for Tempura?'. In CV Raman's study, he claimed that these are ancient instruments and
their acoustic theory is still a mystery.
After analysis of Indian Raga, theories of Biology, neuroscience, auditory perception,
acoustic, and perceptual theories have been found to have an impact on Indian music, yet it
is difficult to draw a narrow line for specific responsible elements. Even after finding various
supporting phenomena for evoking distinct feelings, I think there is still a need for further
proper research on specific Indian Music. The approach of studying and learning Indian
music is metaphysical and ancient, which I think cannot be analyzed by taking an approach
such as mechanical, acoustical, mathematical, and physics. The broader question is “What
elements are making Raga evoke various feelings?”, “Why only used traditional
instruments?”, “What is the connection between Sonic Theology?” Some theories can be
applied to some extent to satisfy answers which are taken into consideration in this paper
through a literary approach, moreover, I think there are elements of this music which
difficult to analyse through scientific theories, it also needs to incorporate spiritual and
metaphysical.
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

References

[1] Makarand Velankar, Parag Kulkarni “Study of Emotion Perception for Indian Classical Raga
Music”

proceedings of the 10th International Conference of Students of Systematic Musicology

(SysMus17), London, UK, September 13-15, 2017. Peter M. C. Harrison (Ed.).

[2] Avantika Mathur, Suhas H. Vijayakumar, Bhismadev Chakrabarti and Nandini C. Singh
“Emotional responses to Hindustani raga music: the role of musical structure” [ frontier in
psychology (avaialabe freely online)]

[3]https://www.academia.edu/8071182/Indian_Mythology_and_Music_Mythological_ref
erences_of_musical_instruments_and_vocal_traditions_in_ancient_Sanskrit_texts [Last
accessed on 14 march 2018]

[4] http://www.itcsra.org/SamayRaga.aspx [Last accessed on 14 march 2018]

[5] Parul Agarwal1 , Harish Karnick2 Bhiksha Raj 3 “A comparative study of Indian and
western music forms” (available online freely)

[6] Thakkar M. G. *1 and Chhaya Kajal 2 “SCIENCE OF RAGAS : THE CONTROL ON

LIVING BEINGS TO THE COSMIC ELEMENTS” [Journal of Environmental Research And
Development , Vol. 9 No. 01, July-September 2014]

[7] Guy Beck “SonicTheology: Hinduism and Sacred Sound” [University of South Carolina
Press, 2009]

[8] Josh H. McDermott USA “Auditory Preferences and Aesthetics: Music, Voices, and Everyday
Sounds” [Center for Neural Science, New York University,]

[9] Pratyush “Analysis and Classification of Ornaments in North Indian (Hindustani) Classical
Music” [Pompeu Fabra University] “(Avaiabale online freely)

10]CV Raman “some Indian string” [Proc. Indian Assoc. Cultiv. Sci. 7 29-33 (1921]

[11]C V Raman “The Indian musical drum” [Proc. Indian Assoc. Cultiv. Sci. 7 29-33 (1921]

[12]Music and Emotion—A Case for North Indian Classical Music [ frontier in psychology
(avaialabe freely online)]

[13] Chandrika P. Vyasarayani,a Stephen Birkett, and John McPhee Modeling the dynamics
of a vibrating string with a finite distributed unilateral constraint: Application to the sitar”[
Acoustical Society of America]
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

[14] https://ilslearningcorner.com/2016-09-energy-ears-high-low-frequencies-affect-behavior-emotions-
speech-language/ [Last acceded on 14 marched]

[15] A.A.Bardekar, Ajay.A.Gurjar Empirical Study of Indian Classical Ragas Structure and its
Emotional Influence on Human Body For Music Therapy [Journal of Management Engineering
and Information Technology (JMEIT) Volume -3, Issue- 4, Aug. 2016, ISSN: 2394 - 8124]

Note: Soundtrack can be made available on demand due to copyright issue.

Appendix 2 Track List

Example 1 : Raag Bhairav

Example :2a Raag Bhairavi Ornamentation

2b Raag Bhairav Performance (Video)

Example :3 Raag Darbari

Example 4: Mridangam

Example 5:Morning Sprit

All mention samples are provided, please open the link below.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1PwAB9X974WeeO8fzKN0q98mG_ZrUXziH/view?usp
=share_link
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

Appendix 1: Personal Reflection

Indian Classical Music is one of the most difficult pieces of music to perform and compose.
It takes years of training to achieve mastery in performance and composition, interestingly;
it is entirely different from the western musical system and somewhat similar to Persian
music.
In India learning classical music is difficult, which is taught not in an academic but
traditional way. Honestly, I was always running further away from Indian music because of
the difficulty in studying and the availability of materials, also the years of practice it takes
to master this art. I have been listing to this music since childhood but analyzing this music
for music perception has changed my point of view toward Indian music and opened doors
of enormous creativity with my current skills. I gained ancient knowledge of Raga which is
mysterious and one of a kind.

I can understand perceptual theories that I will apply to my music to convey my idea with
help of Raga structures. While listening to Raga, I feel so calm and peaceful which I never
realize before, now that I know the effect of Raga I can apply music therapy to myself to
induce spirituality and a trance state. The major influence would be the sound itself, the
sound of traditional instruments and so much different and pleasing, and another is
KSHMR(DJ/Producer) who uses a lot of Indian composition techniques along with
western dance music, also use a lot of 'ICM and Persian' ancient instrument which is
something I try to imitate.

The study of three major Raga helped me to look beyond specific compositional and
perceptual rules of music, such as, bending of consonance and dissonance, use of
microtones ornaments and tonic drone music. Audio examples have been chosen because of
their proven result and to fit into the daily life cycle. As explained specific time is associated
with a specific Raga, I wanted to give the impression of how your day will feel if you are
listening to several Raga throughout the day at different times. The first example Bhairavi is
performed by 'Uday Bhawalkar', which is a morning Raga to portray calmness and give
peacefulness. Familiarity with the sonic mantra in this piece made me feel calm and
devotional, this might be a different experience for different people depending on their
understanding of language. Second, Bhairavi which can be played at any time of day to give
you peacefulness and happiness. An example video shows the application of multimodal
perception. Visual and acoustic cue which is performed by Famous Anoushka Shankar who
is well-known for her sitar performance. While listing to many Bhairavi, I felt a connection
to this piece, hence the reason to put this over other audio. In the third example of Raag
Darbari, the heavy bass voice in this Raga is calling rain and asking for it, giving the essence
which is portraying sadness with hope, which makes it more exciting for me to see the
 Nitin Kailash Bhongade Exam number Y3854756

colouring of mind working despite having a harsh sounding vocal. The final two examples I
made, 1st tries to portray rhythmic elements, and another one tries to convey the idea of
high frequency is energetic and pleasing with the theory of vidyta (consonance), where I
learn about how to construct music horizontally. It is practically impossible to
portray Raga with virtual elements.

I think I have never realized that physics, human biology and neuroscience are one of core
element of perception, after studying this module I have started to look at music not only in
musical context but technically as well. Now, while composing not only I follow the
composition rule but also try to analyze my production mathematically and perceptually. I
am certainly astonished by the elements of Rags which I think provided me with a lot to
think about my style of music and production. It helps me to think differently and to
concentrate which will portray my taste and identity. Before the module, I only had
knowledge of major sound happy and minor sound sad , but now I have concluded that
there are more elements to consider in portraying any feeling through music.I think I would
continue my academic study in composition, concentrating on composition in Indian and
ancient music & perception theory.