India Study Guide Below is a list of topics and items that are important for our study of Indian music Treat each topic as a short answer question and provide a small paragraph of information as a study tool for yourself Differences between North and South India in regards to music culture and religion Why do these differences exist Northern India o Hindustani Impacted by the Islamic cultures Ancient roots 99 raga based not improv Southern India o Karnatak More modern development Mostly improvised The religious texts of Hinduism o What are they what is contained in the texts Four Vedas Hindu Scriptures 1 Rig Veda 2 Sama Veda 3 Yajur Veda 4 Atharva Veda blessings Sacred hymns poetic descriptions of gods and nature rituals and o Nada Brahma The sound God the divine source of all sound o Caste System 1 The Brahmins Priests Teachers a Given opportunities and responsibilities that aren t available to members of any other caste they are the top tier 2 Kshatriyas Warriors and Rulers 3 Vaishyas Farmers Merchants Artisans etc 4 Shudras Laborers 5 Dalit Untouchable Polluted Laborers Divides society into social classes based on birth rights or specialized occupations Supported by the scripture o Says there are different types of people who should have different roles in society o This stratification is essential to keep a balanced social and spiritual order Be able to discuss raga 2 23 What is it o Highly complex and elaborate melodic systems that employ a rhythm and meter known as tala time o a complete and self contained system that serves as the basis for all the melodic materials in any composition or performance created in that raga o Precise melody forms o Not a scale and not a mode o Each raga has its own ascending and descending melodic movement o Microtones o Stress particular notes What are the different parts of a raga o Alap o Jor o Gat o Jhala Opening slow and abstract movement Introduces the raga and establishes the skill and technique of the instrumentalist Transition between the Alap and the Gat Characterized by the playing on the solo melodic instrument that is more rhythmically active than the alap The main section of a Hindustani raga performance Usually signaled by the instrument of the drums serves as the foundational metric cycle for the music to come The concluding section in a Hindustani raga Exciting and climatic finish o What are the characteristics of these different parts Know the concept of growth barhat as it applies to raga or other elements o The musician contains all of the knowledge of the music o A template for musical action o The music grows from his or her experiences with the music and the instrument o Philosophical and spiritual underpinnings o Limitless number of paths to be taken in a performance o The music follows a pre determined form Instruments to know both visually and aurally Listening examples will come from both the CDs that accompany the textbook as well as the clips shown in class during the lecture Information to know from Andre s guest lecture What is Dhrupad Oldest form of Hindustani classical musical practiced Know the characteristics and instruments associated with Dhrupad o Male musicians o Improvised vocal and composed devotional music o Raga melody and tal rhythm meter o Drone o Prominent musician Tansen o Oral tradition learned through Guru shishya parampara o 80 20 rule What is Qawwali Form of Sufi Islamic devotional music Know the characteristics and instruments associated with Qawwali o Makes use of Raga and Tal o Mix of text and improvisation What is Khayal Modern genre of classical music in northern India How do Dhrupad and Qawwali relate to Khayal o It is a mixed verison of both musical styles Created by Niyamat Khan a descendent of prominent Dhrupad musician Tansen Why did artistic development occur under the Mughal empire They accepted diversity Who are the devadasis before the 1930s term used for women who practiced music Why were they ultimately banned in India As the British gained more power the courts that supported the devadasis disappeared causing some of the women to turn to prostitution and some begin to practice outside of the tradition leading to the disbandment in 1947 What is Konnakol Vocal percussion of syllables in south India Be familiar with the history of Bollywood know some of the important dates that were discussed in the lecture know the most prominent singers in Bollywood how why skin color affects the selection of an actor for a role the importance and role of playback singers how why skin color affects the selection of an actor for a role o characters of beauty and wealth are portrayed with a lighter skin tone History 1930s most singing was done on camera in a light classical style o most actors singers were former stage actors with experience in voice projection Kundan Lal Saigal o Introduced a softer style of signing suitable for microphones 1940s playback singers became popular o Artists who record the songs for films 1947 Indian independence Prominent singers o Lata Mangeshkar o Sunidhi Chauhan o Rahat Fateh Ali Khan o Shreya Ghosal Mridangam o o o o o o o o o Sonu Nigam Sitar Morsing Sarangi Harmonium Tabla Tambura
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