Music of North India

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Music of North India
Abstract
Music of North India is referred as Hindustani classical music. It branched from the Carnatic classical music. In the past twenty centuries, Indian music has been deemed as one that played a ritualistic role among the upper caste Hindu communities in their day to day cultural activities (Ruckert, n.p). The Indian classical musical is presumed to have developed out of the blend of folk music that occurred afore the Aryans came to the region (Garfias, 221). Therefore, this shows that the songs were founded on sacred music in conjunction with folk songs and from bordering realms.
The origin of the Indian music is considered to be entrenched in the Vedas and claimed by many that the sound of God that infiltrates the entire cosmos is depicted in the songs. Hindustani classical music emerged during the Mogul period when music moved from Hindu temples to the royal courts and refined by the Rajput and Mughal kings. Therefore, this paper shall carry out a detailed analysis of the Hindustani classical music in North India and evaluate the Uday Bhawalkar’s Piece on “Dhrupad in Raag Bhairav.”
Origin of Hindustani Classical Music
North India is composed of many musical traditions that portray different styles, genres, and practices. The roots of Hindustani classical music stretch back to the Vedas as it is assumed to be thousands of years old. The art keeps changing and evolving from one generation to another while maintaining some distinct components of the original alignment.

Indian music is composed of Hindustani and Carnatic classical traditions that are relevant in today’s contemporary world. The Carnatic tradition is usually sung and played during devotional occasions with the intent of showing virtuosity. The Hindustani classical music is alleged to be an assortment of traditional Hindu musical models and Persian enactment rehearsal. It emerged due to the initiation of Islamic decree over northern India that made artists pursue benefaction in the courts of the new potentates. Thus, this made the music of North India to absorb musical influences that depict cultural and religious influences of the Islamic world, primarily from greater Persia.
The Hindustani music rose from a unification of musical elements from India and the great Islamic realm. The people began to be impressed by the sway of the foreign intruders through the spell of Mahmud Ghazni and finally climaxed in a continued existence with the creation of the Khilji Empire in the 14th century (Garfias, 236). Therefore, the religious origins of the new potentates made the Indians get interested in the undertakings of the vast Islamic world as compared to that of the indigenous Hindu inhabitants. Consequently, this generated a milieu that blended the native Indian music with other instruments from Persia, and other regions of the Islamic realm.
Principal People who Thought, Played and Developed Hindustani Music
One of the recognized earlier actors was Khusru who was raised in India, but his father came from Turkey. He was famous in North India as a rhymester, musician, writer and a consul, and this made him be ascribed with the development of most aspects that typify North Indian classical music. Similarly, the period of Akbar the Great is viewed by many as the pinnacle point for the Hindustani music (Coomaraswamy, 169). The period was marked by one of the most recognized musician and composer referred to as Tansen who was thought to create miracles through singing.
Aurangzeb retro is taken to be the base for North Indian music. He was a fundamentalist who deliberated songs to be differing to the doctrines of Islam. Consequently, this made the populace to hold a protest through the presentation of a mock funeral on the “death” of music when he was reported to have declared “bury it deep.” Therefore, despite the period being challenging and arduous, it was critical for the enlargement of musical composition. The downfall of the Mughal regime that was accompanied by the disruption of communal and pecuniary arrangements may have been adverse for the instrumentalists, but it never unfurnished the field on the development of new genres (Nanda, 125). Different music styles under this period are viewed to be the keystone of the current musical practice.
The Kheyal form of singing and the ghazal musical interpretation emerged between the 17th-19th centuries that was marked by many new genres. One the same note, the kathak forms of dancing assumed their modern form from the traditional Indian forms. In the 20th epoch, North Indian music underwent social bifurcation, and it was applied as an instrument for crafting a sagacity of national distinctiveness (Garfias, 151). Consequently, the artists played a momentous part in the realization of Indian independence through the unification nature of their songs. Therefore, North India started to depict philosophical alterations in the affiliation of music and artists towards the community. Music began to shape its dishonor and assumed a medium and upper-class connotation. Different music genres became dignified in their slant, and the experts’ edifying level rose sharply.
Inspiration behind Hindustani Classical Music
The pioneers of Hindustani classical music were inspired by the Islamic regime that supported their works and gave them the opportunity to perform in the ancient courts. Similarly, some of the musicians were inspired by the Indian traditions that applied the usage of their songs in ceremonies like childbirth, initiation, and many other Indian rituals (Garfias, 74). In the contemporary North Hindu, the Hindustani musicians are inspired by the social class and societal appreciation that the music gives them. On the same note, the fame that one gains in the modern world through the musical works has played a critical role in motivating most North Indian musicians who are categorized under Hindustani classical music.
Structural Characteristics of Hindustani Music
Hindustani depicts musical characteristics that are viewed in the models of scale edifice and the metrical arrays. The scale structure is theoretically analogous to the western notion and is composed of twelve semitones. They include Shadaj, Komal Rishabh, Shuddha Rishabh, Komal Gandhar, Shuddha Madhyam, Tivra Madhyam, Pancham, Komal Dhaivat, Shuddha Dhaivat, Komal Nishad, and Shuddha Nishad (Ruckert, n.p). The first and fifth semitones lack an alternate form, and they are referred to as “Achala” implying that they cannot be relocated. The rest of the other semitones portray alternative ways that are slightly modified. It is noteworthy that the “natural scale” in North India is similar to the western natural scale though one should not deduce that the scale encompasses any distinct reputation. Therefore, the designation as “natural” appears to be simply an expediency of harmonious system and theory.
The Indian Rags in the northern parts contain an ascending and descending structure, and they have a particular time of the day devoted to them. Therefore, the notes when mounting the scale have to be similar to the mode when coming down. On the same note, the “Swarup” is a characteristic phrase that is used to make the rag easier for recognition. Equally, there is an important note that is demarcated to as Vadi and a note of secondary importance denoted as Samvadi. Hence, the system is conceptually simple, but its execution has been done poorly that makes the model to be safely discounted.
The North Indian methodology to tempo portrays some inimitable structures in its edifice. The beat and cycle consists of the Tal and an additional distinct model referred to as the theca. The theca is a predictably accepted pattern of syllables that are applied in the definition of the Tal. The Hindustani musicians can apply multiple Tals with an equal number of beats, measures, clapping and waving arrangement. On the same note, they can consider separating Tals if the thecal applied differently as they perform their music.
Hindustani Music’s Vocal Styles
The music depicts many vocal forms that include the Kheyal, Tarana, dhrupad, Dhamma, and semi-classical music (Vatsyayan, 37). Kheyal is a highly improvised style of music and is made up of Bada and Vilambit Kheyal, and a fast section referred to as Chotta. Tarana materialized in the era of Khusru, and its inventive stanzas were in Persian form, but the lyrics have decentralized to meaningless syllables. In the modern North India, it is coarsely analogous to the Western scat humming. On the other hand, Dhamma is deliberated to be a daintier arrangement of dhrupad, and it is also referred to as Holi owing to its connotation with the springtide commemoration that depicts a similar name (Vatsyayan, 36). Lastly, there are some semi-classical forms of music like Tappa, Thumri, and ghazal. Equally, many musical instruments are depicted in Hindustani classical music that includes Tambura, sarod, pakhawaj, sarangi, santur, and Tabla.
Musical Instruments Used by Hindustani Musicians
Hindustani musicians in the northern parts of India apply the usage of different types of musical instruments as they develop and perform their works. The devices include bansuri, ektara, electronic Tanpura, Mohan Veena, Pakhawaj, Rudra Veena, Udaka Vaidya, Misr Veena, tambura, santoor, among many other instruments (Coomaraswamy, 166). Therefore, this implies that the Hindustani musicians employ different types of instruments so as to make their songs appealing and catchy to their fans and the society.
Societal View of Hindustani Musicians
The society considered the pioneers of Hindustani music as ordinary people who were meant to perform in charitable institutions, courts and unadventurous public domains in the different cities of the empire. The community perspective towards the musicians started to rise as various social circles on particular teachers and followers were created making the music gain an integral channel in the society. Thus, the reduced power and stature of the Hindustani musicians started to grow gradually to the middle-class level. Therefore, the community began to be inspired by the songs of these musicians and parents encouraged their children to assume the responsibilities of teaching and transmitting the Hindustani songs. Consequently, this led to a rise in the number of musicians whose songs employed the Hindustani style and musical instruments.
Problems and Solutions Hindustani Musicians get from the Society
Hindustani musicians gave been faced with the problem of decline and loss of musical heritage. Consequently, the society has intervened through the application of an ethnomusicological program that aims to find solutions to the decrease of Hindustani classical music (Neuman, 426). On the same note, grassroots projects have been established by the societal members so as to support Hindustani musicians and songs that have been seen to be diminishing. Similarly, another problem that Hindustani musicians faced was the separation of the soloist and accompanist. The social issue that was depicted was on who was supposed to lead and who to follow. Therefore, the society intervened through the application of Indian civilization’s classical strategy and occupational caste specialization so as to solve the issue that was depicted by many musicians.
Influence that Hindustani Music has suffered since its Formation
In the ancient times, Hindustani music suffered the influence of the Persian music that was responsible for the Hindustani style and the instrumentals that the musicians use in performing their songs. The Persians introduced many genres into the style of Hindustani music and eventually this altered the way in which the musicians composed their songs. Similarly, the Islamic regime influenced the structural composition of the original Hindustani music as they tried to incorporate their religious beliefs and customs into the songs that were produced by the Hindustani musicians.
Caste and Gender in Hindustani Music
The aspect of caste and gender among Hindustani musicians affected women negatively while it favored men artists. Limitations were imposed on women on the choices that were available for them and their negotiation through their self, body, and emotions (Vatsyayan, 37). Therefore, this impacted them negatively since most of the limitations like emotions were essential elements for composition and performance of music. Thus, women became the primary victims of caste among the Hindustani musicians as they were never given the opportunity to construct, and invent their creativity in the musical industry. Therefore, the caste system was a burden to the female gender in North Indian classical artists.
Analysis of Uday Bhawalkar’s Piece on “Dhrupad in Raag Bhairav”
The song was composed by Uday Bhawalkar in a raga form that depicts Hindustani classical tradition. The musician applied heptatonic scale in composing and delivering the music to the populaces in India. The ideal mood that it produces to its listeners makes it be classified as a morning raga since it brings solemn peacefulness. Uday’s piece is very easy to envision as the artists in the song have watched on the scale for it not to weaken from splendidly serene to pitifully melodramatic. Therefore, this song fulfills the descriptions of Pundit Vilayat on Raag as the melody in the cognizance of Shiva as he interceded.
Uday used the system of solfeggio that is commonly referred to as “Sargam” to develop his musical piece. He applied the seven octaves “do re mi fa, so la ti Do” system starting from “Sa,” as the chief hum note. The musician deployed the twelve primary tones that are attributed to octave and some microtonal ornaments that were analogous to the quarter tones that are depicted in blues. Similarly, the raga used a non-tempered tuning system under which the Sa and Pa were perfectly tuned just a fifth apart. It produced an impressive picture that makes its listeners mediate while alone in a room. The song brings serenity to the state of mind as dawn halts, and the glimmers of sunbeams infiltrate into the house. Therefore, Uday achieved his purpose of bringing passion and comfort to the spirit of men and women who listen to the song in the contemporary world.
Conclusion
Hindustani classical music has been presumed to be employed in North India due to the Muslim influence in the region. Therefore, this made the musicians in the area to incorporate some Islamic religions into their traditional songs that were majorly Carnatic in nature. The above discussion has explored the historical origin and the evolution of music in the northern parts of India. The research was able to uncover the development of the art of music in North India and indicated some of the principal founders of some distinct styles and instruments that are applied by different musicians in the modern world. On the same note, the paper carried out an analysis of Uday Bhawalkar’s Piece on “Dhrupad in Raag Bhairav” that was composed and performed in North India.
The above research depicted that North Indian music follows certain structures and formats that are unique in nature. On the same note, the musical pieces that were played by musicians have depicted a significant role in influencing the Indian life. Therefore, big and small events such as childbirth, death, religious rites, and seasonal festivals have been marked by particular songs that were produced by the musicians. Similarly, the paper showed how artists used the scale of the seven original notes in the north parts of India.
Work Cited
Coomaraswamy, Ananda. “Indian Music”. The Musical Quarterly 3.2 (1917): 163-172. Print.
Garfias, Robert. “Music: The Cultural Context”. National Museum of Ethnology, Osaka (2004): 1-256. Print.
Nanda, Serena. “Life On The Margins: A Hijra’s Story.” (2016): 124-131. Print.
Neuman,. “Pedagogy, Practice, And Embodied Creativity In Hindustani Music”. Ethnomusicology 56.3 (2012): 426. Web.
Ruckert, George. Music In North India: Experiencing Music, Expressing Culture. 1st ed. New York: Oxford University Press, 2004. Print.
Vatsyayan, Kapila. “Notes On The Relationship Of Music And Dance In India.”. Ethnomusicology 7.1 (1963): 33-38. Print.