Indian Classical Music and Musical Instruments Notes for UPSC

Indian classical music is one of the oldest living musical traditions in the world, with a history of more than two thousand years. It is built on raga (the melodic framework) and tala (the rhythmic cycle), and it has two major streams: Hindustani in the north and Carnatic in the south. In the UPSC Civil Services Examination, this topic comes in Prelims as questions on styles, gharanas, instruments and musicians, and in the Mains as part of the Art and Culture section of GS Paper I. This note explains the basics of Indian classical music, the two traditions, the main forms, gharanas and instruments in simple language, with tables for revision.

Basic Concepts

The seven notes of the Indian scale are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni (called swaras), and the group of seven notes is a saptak. The notes are of two types: shuddha (natural) and vikrit (flat or sharp), and Sa and Pa are fixed (achal swaras). A shruti is the smallest audible interval of pitch, and the system uses 22 shrutis. A raga is a set of notes arranged in an ascending (aaroh) and descending (avaroh) order, with rules about the important notes, the characteristic phrases and the mood. A raga is traditionally linked to a time of the day or a season; for example, Raga Bhairav is for the early morning, Yaman for the evening, Malkauns for the night and Malhar for the monsoon. Tala is the cycle of beats; for example, Teental in Hindustani music has 16 beats, and Adi Tala in Carnatic music has 8 beats. The first beat of a cycle is called sam in Hindustani music. A drone, played on the tanpura, gives the base pitch.

Ancient Roots

The earliest origin of Indian music is traced to the chanting of the Vedas, especially the Samaveda, which has hymns set to melody. The Natyashastra of Bharata Muni (about 200 BCE to 200 CE) is the oldest treatise on drama, dance and music, and it classified instruments into four groups. The Brihaddeshi by Matanga (about 5th to 8th century CE) discussed the concept of raga. The Sangita Ratnakara by Sarangadeva (13th century) is a key text that is respected by both the Hindustani and Carnatic schools. After the arrival of the Turks and Persians, the northern tradition absorbed Persian influences, and the two styles took different paths.

Hindustani and Carnatic Music Compared

Forms of Hindustani Music

Dhrupad is the oldest and most austere form, sung in a slow and meditative style, with long alap and without much ornament, usually accompanied by the pakhawaj. It flourished under Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior (15th century), and Tansen was its great master at Akbar's court. The Dagar family keeps the tradition alive. Khayal (meaning "imagination") is the most popular form today, with more freedom for elaboration through taans and layakari; its origin is attributed to Amir Khusrau and its development to Sultan Hussain Sharqi of Jaunpur and later Sadarang and Adarang in the court of Muhammad Shah. Thumri is a light classical form with romantic or devotional lyrics, associated with Wajid Ali Shah of Awadh; it is sung in the styles of Lucknow, Banaras and Punjab. Tappa developed from the songs of camel drivers of Punjab and was refined by Shori Mian. Tarana uses syllables like "tom, nom, tana" and is credited to Amir Khusrau. Ghazal and Qawwali are related forms rooted in Persian and Sufi traditions.

Gharanas of Hindustani Music

A gharana is a tradition of musical style passed from teacher to student in a family or lineage. Famous gharanas include Gwalior (the oldest khayal gharana, with a simple and clear style), Agra, Kirana (founded by Abdul Karim Khan and Abdul Wahid Khan, with emphasis on melody and sur; Bhimsen Joshi and Kishori Amonkar are linked with it), Patiala (known for fast taans; Bade Ghulam Ali Khan), Jaipur-Atrauli (Kesarbai Kerkar and Mallikarjun Mansur), Mewati (Pandit Jasraj) and Rampur-Sahaswan. Gharanas for instruments also exist, such as the Senia gharana for sitar and sarod.

Carnatic Music: Features and Composers

The father of Carnatic music is regarded as Purandara Dasa (16th century), who set the system of teaching with lessons such as sarali varisai. The three great composers, known as the Trinity of Carnatic music, were Tyagaraja (composed in Telugu, mainly on Rama), Muthuswami Dikshitar (in Sanskrit, with rich raga descriptions) and Syama Sastri (in Telugu, known for his rhythmic complexity), all from Thanjavur in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The main item of a concert is the kriti, a devotional composition. The concert begins with a varnam and may include alapana (free elaboration of the raga), niraval and kalpana swaras (improvisation) and a tani avartanam (percussion solo). Annamacharya and the Tamil composers also have special places. The Madras Music Season (December) is a major annual festival. Other forms such as bhajans, javalis and tillanas complete the repertoire.

Classification of Musical Instruments

Famous instrumentalists include Ravi Shankar and Vilayat Khan (sitar), Ali Akbar Khan and Amjad Ali Khan (sarod), Shivkumar Sharma (santoor), Hariprasad Chaurasia (bansuri), Bismillah Khan (shehnai), Alla Rakha and Zakir Hussain (tabla) and Lalgudi Jayaraman (violin). The Saraswati veena and the Rudra veena are major string instruments of the south and the north respectively.

Institutions, Awards and Recognition

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, the national academy for music, dance and drama, was established in 1952. Its awards and fellowships recognise artists. Musicians who have received the Bharat Ratna include M. S. Subbulakshmi (1998), Ravi Shankar (1999), Lata Mangeshkar (2001), Bismillah Khan (2001) and Bhimsen Joshi (2008). UNESCO has recognised Indian traditions such as the Vedic chanting and Ramlila as Intangible Cultural Heritage. Several music festivals like the Tansen Samaroh in Gwalior, the Sawai Gandharva festival in Pune and the Thyagaraja Aradhana at Thiruvaiyaru keep the traditions alive.

Folk, Semi-Classical and Devotional Music

Alongside the classical traditions, India has a rich variety of folk and devotional music. Baul songs of Bengal, sung by wandering mystics, were recognised by UNESCO as Intangible Cultural Heritage; Bhatiyali is the boatmen's song of Bengal and Assam; Lavani is a lively form of Maharashtra; Pandavani of Chhattisgarh narrates the Mahabharata; Rabindra Sangeet consists of the songs composed by Rabindranath Tagore; Qawwali is the devotional music of the Sufis, associated with the dargahs of Ajmer and Delhi; and Haveli Sangeet of the Vallabha sect is sung in the temples of Krishna. The Bhakti saints such as Kabir, Meera, Surdas and Tulsidas spread devotional singing in the common language, which fed into the semi-classical forms. Film music and fusion music are modern branches that draw from both classical and folk music. For the examination, remember that many of these are state-linked, and so a state-wise table of folk music helps in the Prelims.

How to Prepare Music for UPSC

You do not need to become a musician. Focus on facts that can be asked: the names of forms and their origin, the major gharanas with the main artists, the instruments with their players, important texts and composers, the Bharat Ratna and Padma awardees, and the UNESCO-listed traditions. Make a two-column chart of Hindustani and Carnatic music and a separate table of instruments with the artists. Listen to short clips of dhrupad, khayal and a kriti on any music app to build a feel for the differences. In the Mains, use music as an example of India's cultural unity and diversity: two traditions, one grammar of raga and tala, and a deep link with devotion and philosophy.

Quick Revision

• Saptak: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni; Sa and Pa are fixed; Teental has 16 beats; Adi Tala has 8 beats.
• Hindustani: Dhrupad, Khayal, Thumri, Tappa, Tarana; Carnatic: Kriti, Varnam, Tillana.
• Purandara Dasa: father of Carnatic music; Trinity: Tyagaraja, Dikshitar, Syama Sastri.
• Natyashastra (Bharata) and Sangita Ratnakara (Sarangadeva) are the key texts.

Indian classical music is a deep subject, but for the examination, a clear understanding of terms, forms, composers and instruments is enough. Revise the tables, and link musicians with their instruments and awards to score fully in this area.

Related Notes to Read Next

Continue your preparation with these related notes from the same subject:

• Folk Art, Theatre and Festivals of India Notes for UPSC
• Indian Literature and Classical Languages Notes for UPSC
• Indian Sculpture, Pottery and Coins Notes for UPSC
• All Indian Art and Culture notes

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What are the two main traditions of Indian classical music?

The two main traditions are Hindustani music of North India and Carnatic music of South India.

What is a raga?

A raga is a set of musical notes arranged in a specific ascending and descending pattern with characteristic phrases and a mood, which forms the basis of melody in Indian music.

What is tala?

Tala is the rhythmic cycle of beats in Indian music, such as Teental of 16 beats in Hindustani music and Adi Tala of 8 beats in Carnatic music.

What is the oldest form of Hindustani vocal music?

Dhrupad is considered the oldest and most austere form of Hindustani classical vocal music.

Who is credited with the Khayal form?

The origin of the Khayal is attributed to Amir Khusrau, and it was developed further by Sultan Hussain Sharqi and Sadarang.

What is a gharana?

A gharana is a school or lineage of musical style passed on from teacher to disciple in a family or a group, such as the Gwalior and Kirana gharanas.

Who is known as the father of Carnatic music?

Purandara Dasa is regarded as the father of Carnatic music.

Who are the Trinity of Carnatic music?

Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri are known as the Trinity of Carnatic music.

Who wrote the Natyashastra?

Bharata Muni is traditionally credited with writing the Natyashastra, the oldest treatise on drama, dance and music.

Which instrument is associated with Bismillah Khan?

Bismillah Khan was a famous shehnai player and a Bharat Ratna awardee.

What are the four types of instruments in Indian music?

They are Tata (string), Sushir (wind), Avanaddha (skin percussion) and Ghana (solid percussion).

When was the Sangeet Natak Akademi established?

The Sangeet Natak Akademi, India’s national academy of music, dance and drama, was established in 1952.