FMP-A Brief Summary of Indian Music

Indian Classical Music:-

Indian classical music is based on the ragas ("colors"), which are scales and melodies that provide the foundation for a performance. Unlike western Classical music, that is deterministic,Indian classical music allows for a much greater degree of "personalisation" of the performance,almost to the level of jazz-like improvisation. Thus, each performance of a raga is different.The goal of the raga is to create a trancey state,to broadcast a mood of ecstasy. The main difference with western classical music is that the Indian Ragas are not composed" by a composer,but were created via a lengthy evolutionary process over the centuries. Thus they do not represent mind of the composer but a universal idea of the world.

Vocal Music:-

However,I nd in classical music is mainly a vocal (not only instrumental) art. "Khayal" emerged over the centuries as the vernacular (and romantic) version of "Drupad" (the oldest extant vocal religious and aristocratic style). Both the sitar and the tabla were probably introduced (in the 18th century) to complement Khayal singing.

Milan Tansen,who lived at the court of the Mughal emperor Akbar in the 16th century, is credited with codifying Hindustani (North Indian) vocal music, notably the dhrupad style that he learned from his teacher Swami Haridas,He composed the Darbari Knada,Miyan ki Todi,Miya ki Malhar and Miyan ki Saarang ragas.