Music of India

I. Background and Culture of India

-India officially the Republic of India, is a state located in South Asia. Home to the ancient Indus
Valley Civilization and a region of historic trade routes and vast empires, the Indian
subcontinent was identified with its commercial and cultural wealth for much of its long
history.[13] Four of the world's major religions—Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and Sikhism—
originated here, while Zoroastrianism, Christianity and Islam arrived in the first millennium CE and
shaped the region's diverse culture.
II. Music of India
a. Basis
i. The origin of Indian music goes back to the time of Vedas and is one of the world's oldest
unbroken musical traditions. It goes to define the culture and tradition of India. The basis
of Indian music is 'sangeet' which is a combination of vocal music, instrumental music and
dance. It is believed to have developed due to the interaction between people of diverse
race and culture. India is proud to have such a rich musical culture. The backbone of
Indian music is Rag (melody) and Taal (beats).
b. System

-The system of Indian music can be classified into two , Hindustani and Carnatic.

c. Religious music

-The oral tradition of the Vedas (Śrauta) consists of several pathas, "recitations" or ways of
chanting the Vedic mantras. Such traditions of Vedic chant are often considered the oldest
unbroken oral tradition in existence, the fixation of the samhita texts as preserved dating to roughly
the time of Homer (early Iron Age).[1]

d. Characteristics of instrumental and vocal Music

e. Classical music
-The two main traditions of classical music are Carnatic music, found predominantly in the
peninsular regions, and Hindustani music, found in the northern and central regions. Both
traditions claim Vedic origin, and history indicates that they diverged from a common
musical root since about the 13th century.

i. Hindustani music
-Hindustani music is an Indian classical music tradition that goes back to Vedic
times around 1000 BC, and further developed circa the 13th and 14th centuries AD with
Persian influences and from existing religious and folk music. The practice of singing
based on notes was popular even from the Vedic times where the hymns in Sama Veda, a
sacred text, was sung as Samagana and not chanted.

ii. Carnatic music

-The present form of Carnatic music is based on historical developments that can
be traced to the 15th - 16th centuries AD and thereafter. From the ancient Sanskrit works
available, and the epigraphical evidence, the history of classical musical traditions can be
traced back about 2500 years.
f. Traditional Musical instruments

i. A bulbul tarang (or Indian banjo) is a string instrument from India and Pakistan. Its name
literally means "waves of nightingales".The instrument employs two sets of strings, one
set for drone, and one for melody. The melody strings run under a key plate with keys
similar to those of a piano or, more often, typewriter. Depressing the keys as the strings
are plucked or strummed activates stops on the key plate which shorten the strings and
changes their pitch.
ii. The Chikara is a stringed musical instrument from Bengal, India.It has 3 strings in 3
courses and is tuned C, F, G. It also has sympathetic strings.