MUS 206 Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Carnatic Music, Dravidian Languages, Mahabharata
India
Information on India:
● India is ⅓ size of U.S.
○ Countries in South Asia: Pakistan, India, Nepal, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka
● 2nd most populous: 1.2 billion
● 15 languages
● 2 major geographic regions of languages
○ Northern (Hindi languages)
○ Southern (Dravidian languages)
● Religion: (Hinduism and Islam)
● Caste system -- social status determined by birth
History:
● 500 B.C. -- 1400 C.E. kingdoms and empires
● Sanskrit language
● Ramayana, Mahabarata (epics)
● Islamic influence beginning in 12th. century
● Around 1400-1700 Muslim Moguls came into power: Northern India
● Synthesis of India + Islamic aesthetics
● British Colony in power from 1700-1947
○ Western culture and music adopted by natives
● India as sovereign state in 1947
Music:
● Synthesis of many things: Raga system, Sitar, Tabla
● Musical systems of other regions: Turkey, Iran, North Africa
Styles:
● Northern: Hindustani -- most are religious stories
● Southern: Carnatic -- most address stories
● Ramayana + Mahabharata referred to in Carnatic songs
Types of Music:
● Folk “street”
○ Musical calls or chanted sacred songs by vendors
○ Distinctive songs + instruments
○ Street musicians
○ Melody does not have straight line: “Ornaments”
○ Santar -- “guitar” instrument
● Popular
○ Originates in movies/distributed via mass media
■ India has largest film industry in world
○ Blend of East and West
○ Bhangra -- highly influenced by Western Music
● Classical
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○ Developed b/w 12th - 15th centuries
○ 2 Traditions: Hindustani and Carnatic
○ Systematized performance noma
○ Essentially “improvised”
○ Freedom of performance
■ Creativity developing a given mode (raga)
○ Elaboration
○ Indian classical music’s goal is to develop a clear state of mind
○ Enjoyment comes through the process
■ Kamasutra take you through the process
How are Hindustani and Carnatic similar?
● Improvisation and oral tradition
Common Layers of Sound to Hindustani and Carnatic:
● Drone and nasal timbre
○ Sustain tonal center -- never changes throughout piece of music
○ Perfect fifth interval
● Melody line
○ Against drone background
○ Complex + asymmetrical
○ Intense ornamentation (bends and slides)
○ Based on ragas
○ Use of microtones: intervals unfamiliar to West
● Percussion
○ Timbres and strokes
○ Some kind of drum, tambourine
○ Metrical units based on talas -- different from West
○ Different sounds from same instrument
Carnatic Layers of Sound:
● Srati (drone)
○ Tambura, srati-box (small reed organ) or by electronic means
■ Either instrument set to pitch you want
■ Stringed instrument (4 strings)
■ Found in both Hindustani and Carnatic classical music
● Melody
○ Principal melodic solo vocal/instrumental -- dominates ensemble
○ No specific instrument
○ Veenas most often used (7 strings): Ranganayaki Rajagopalan
■ 4 play melody, 3 tuned to play own drone
● Percussion
○ Mridangam -- double-headed
■ Each head is tuned
○ Ghatam -- clay pot
find more resources at oneclass.com
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Document Summary
Countries in south asia: pakistan, india, nepal, bangladesh, sri lanka. Caste system -- social status determined by birth. Around 1400-1700 muslim moguls came into power: northern india. Western culture and music adopted by natives. Synthesis of many things: raga system, sitar, tabla. Musical systems of other regions: turkey, iran, north africa. Northern: hindustani -- most are religious stories. Ramayana + mahabharata referred to in carnatic songs. Musical calls or chanted sacred songs by vendors. Melody does not have straight line: ornaments . Bhangra -- highly influenced by western music. Indian classical music"s goal is to develop a clear state of mind. Common layers of sound to hindustani and carnatic: Sustain tonal center -- never changes throughout piece of music. Use of microtones: intervals unfamiliar to west. Metrical units based on talas -- different from west. Tambura, srati-box (small reed organ) or by electronic means. Either instrument set to pitch you want. Found in both hindustani and carnatic classical music.
