Indian Classical Music Flashcards

Indian Classical Music: Carnatic Music

• Carnatic music, also known as Karnataka sangeeta, is the classical music of southern India.
• This musical tradition is primarily oral, emphasizing transmission through listening and practice rather than written notation.
• The caste system influences the determination of who may become a musician in this tradition.

Bharata Natyam

• Bharata Natyam is a revered classical dance style in Indian culture, often performed to Carnatic music.

Concert Dynamics

• Carnatic music concerts are predominantly sponsored by sabhas, which are cultural clubs that promote music and dance.
• Concerts tend to be relaxed and informal, lasting up to three hours without intermission. Each performance features a series of songs, each with a distinct raga (melodic framework) and tala (rhythmic cycle).

Musical Structure

• The ensemble consists of three primary layers:
  • Melodic Layer: The soloist usually takes center stage, often a vocalist but can also be an instrumentalist.
  • Sruti Layer: Provides a continuous drone, typically created by instruments like the tambura or a sruti box.
  • Rhythm Layer: Features percussion instruments, including the mridangam (main drum), ghatam (large clay pot), kanjira (small tambourine), and morsang (jew's harp).

Ragas and Their Role

• A raga is a melodic system designed to evoke specific emotions or "colors" in the listener's mind.
• Each raga is associated with one of the nine rasas, which represent different emotional states.

Melakarta System

• The melakarta system serves as the foundational scale for all ragas, consisting of seven notes.
• There are a total of 72 melakarta ragas utilized within the Carnatic music tradition.

Understanding Tala

• Tala is the concept of organizing time in music, acting as the meter that supports rhythmic structure.
• Currently, there are four main talas that are predominantly used in Carnatic music performances.