dipavali - indian classical music (raga music) and dance from India

Classical Indian Music (Raga Music)

Raga means timbre, emotion and mood, also joy and enjoyment. That is why it is said: That which colours (the mind with joy) is a Raga - "Ranjati iti Ragah". In Indian Classical Music Ragas are called the various melodies over which the musicians improvise. Ragas correspond to specific laws of nature that predominate during the time of performance and are lively in the audience. Therefore, a Raga is not just invented but rather cognized in the state of crystal clear awareness as the structure of sound and melody of creation, in the same way as a conqueror discovers a new continent or a biologist a new species. Thus, the time of day and year and the elements condense in the Ragas.

In the classical instrumental music of Northern India, which dates back to the Dhrupad, a Raga consists of Alaap, Jod, Jhala and Gat. The Alaap (lit. getting to know) is the introduction or the prelude, in which the musician presents the tones of the Raga in a slow, meditative play. In the Jod, a rhythm is added, first slowly, then faster. The climax is formed by Jhala, a very fast and melodious part. After this, the drums begin (mostly Tabla) and compose different rhythms (Talas) in the Gat. Here too, the tempo is first slow (Vilambit) and then gradually grows faster (Drut). There are ten main Talas and several hundred less common Talas. The most well known Tala is Teental ("king of Talas") consisting of 16 (4 x 4) beats.

Maharishi Gandharva Veda

Since the origin of the Northern Indian Raga music dates back to the Vedic Civilization (around 3000 B.C.) and is much older than today's India, the Indian Saint Maharishi Mahesh Yogi has proposed the name Gandharva Veda for this music. According to mythology, it were the Gandharvans ("divine musicians") who brought the Ragas from the gods to the humans. Later, the musicians at the royal court were also called Gandharvans. In his Vedic Science, Maharishi emphasizes time and again the special healing effect both for individuals and for society as a whole emanating from Raga music. It is derived from Sama Veda (one of the four fundamental Vedas) and according to him forms part of the therapeutic approaches of Ayurveda - similarly as meditation, Diet suitable to one's Doshas, pulse diagnosis, Pancha Karma etc. Today, "Maharishi Gandharva Veda" also designates a label, under which classical Northern Indian music is marketed and concerts are performed all over the world.

Talas (Cycles of Rhythm)

In the top row of each table, the absolute number of each beat (matra) of the respective cycle of rhythm (avartan) is given.

The row below that indicates the sam (+), i.e. the ONE of the cycle, and the positions of the second, third, etc. beat (here it is possible to clap along). (0) designates khali, i.e. an unaccented beat, which is not clapped.

In the following row we find the divisions of the Tala, which are introduced by accentuated and unaccented periods (clapping/non-clapping).

The last row denotes the syllables (bols) chanted by the tabla player, which are performed on the drum pair by different finger and hand beats on the discant drum (dayan) and the bass drum (bayan).

Rupak Taal = 7 beats of 3 + 2 + 2

1	2	3
0	-	-
1	2	3
Tin	Tin	Na

4	5
2	-
1	2
Dhin	Na

6	7
3	-
1	2
Dhin	Na

In Rupak Taal the sam is unaccented (0) und is therefore not clapped.

Matta Taal = 9 beats of 4 + 2 + 3

1	2	3	4
+	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dhin	Terekete	Dhin	Na

5	6
0	-
1	2
Thun	Na

7	8	9
2	-	-
1	2	3
Dhin	Dhin	Na

Jhap Taal = 10 beats of 2 + 3 + 2 + 3

1	2
+	-
1	2
Dhin	Na

3	4	5
2	-	-
1	2	3
Dhin	Dhin	Na

6	7
0	-
1	2
Tin	Na

8	9	10
3	-	-
1	2	3
Dhin	Dhin	Na

Chartaal-ki-Sawari = 11 beats of 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 3

1	2
+	-
1	2
Dhin	Terekete

3	4
2	-
1	2
Dhin	Na

5	6
0	-
1	2
Thun	Na

7	8
3	-
1	2
Kat	Ta

9	10	11
4	-	-
1	2	3
DhiDhi	Na,Dhin	DhiNa

Ektaal = 12 beats of 6 + 6

1	2	3	4	5	6
+	-	-	-	-	-
1	2	3	4	5	6
Dhin	Dhin	Dhage	Terekete	Thun	Na

7	8	9	10	11	12
0	-	-	-	-	-
1	2	3	4	5	6
Kat	Ta	Dhage	Terekete	Dhin	Dha

Ada Chowtaal = 14 beats of 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2

1	2
+	-
1	2
Dhin	Terekete

3	4
2	-
1	2
Dhin	Na

5	6
0	-
1	2
Thun	Na

7	8
3	-
1	2
Kat	Ta

9	10
0	-
1	2
Terekete	Dhin

11	12
4	-
1	2
Na	Dhin

13	14
0	-
1	2
Dhin	Na

Jhomra Taal = 14 beats of 3 + 4 + 3 + 4

1	2	3
+	-	-
1	2	3
Dhin	-Dha	Terekete

4	5	6	7
2	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dhin	Dhin	Dhage	Terekete

8	9	10
0	-	-
1	2	3
Tin	-Ta	Terekete

11	12	13	14
3	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dhin	Dhin	Dhage	Terekete

Deepchandi Taal = 14 beats of 3 + 4 + 3 + 4

1	2	3
+	-	-
1	2	3
Dha	Dhin	-

4	5	6	7
2	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	Ge	Tin	-

8	9	10
0	-	-
1	2	3
Ta	Tin	-

11	12	13	14
3	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	Ge	Dhin	-

Dhamar Taal = 14 beats of 3 + 2 + 2 + 3 + 4

1	2	3
+	-	-
1	2	3
Kat	Dhe	Te

4	5
0	-
1	2
Dhe	Te

6	7
2	-
1	2
Dha	-

8	9	10
0	-	-
1	2	3
Ga	Di	Ne

11	12	13	14
3	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Di	Ne	Ta	-

Pancham Sawari Taal = 15 beats of 4 + 3 + 4 + 4

1	2	3	4
+	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dhi	Na	DhiDhi	Kat

5	6	7
2	-	-
1	2	3
DhiDhi	NaDhi	DhiNa

8	9	10	11
0	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Ti-Kra	Tina	Terekete	Tuna

12	13	14	15
3	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Katta	DhiDhi	Na,Dhi	DhiNa

Tin Taal = 16 beats of 4 + 4 + 4 + 4

1	2	3	4
+	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	Dhin	Dhin	Dha

5	6	7	8
2	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	Dhin	Dhin	Dha

9	10	11	12
0	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	Tin	Tin	Ta

13	14	15	16
3	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Ta	Dhin	Dhin	Dha

Sitarkhani = 16 beats of 4 + 4 + 4 + 4

1	2	3	4
+	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	-Dhi	-Ka	Dha

5	6	7	8
2	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	-Dhi	-Ka	Dha

9	10	11	12
0	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Dha	-Ti	-Ka	Tha

13	14	15	16
3	-	-	-
1	2	3	4
Ta	-Dhi	-Ka	Dha

Light Classical Music

Thumri: Compositions based on Ragas (Lucknow, Benaras, Punjab)
Tappa: Skill-oriented form of semi-classical indian music (Punjab, partly Banaras)
Ghazal: Songs in Urdu (Pakistan, Punjab, northern India)
Geet/Bhajan: Simple songs, mostly dedicated to a deity