Introduction to Indian Classical Music

The Classical Music of India , has evolved over 1000 of years and has become one of the most beautiful, attractive and deepest music in the world. Indian Classical Music has deep relationship with Cosmology and Nature.Indian Classical Music is one of the deepest and oldest forms of music in the world.

Its literature derived from diverse areas like the Sacred Religious Vedic Mantras, Devotional stanzas and Regional literature.Indian classical music is melodic in nature, as reciprocal to Western music which is harmonic. Arab and Persian music influenced Indian Classical Music the most.This progression of sound patterns along time is the most significant contributor to the tunes(Raga) and rhythm of the presentation called as Taal , and hence to the melody.

After 16th century, Indian music is divided into the two major groups — Hindustani (Northern Indian) and Karnatak or Carnatic (Southern Indian), the origins and fundamental of both these types of music are almost the same. The way of presenting Raag may however vary between the two groups, also from one Ghrana (family) to another in the former system. The fundamental

concepts that have to be understood is the way of flowing of Swar (musical note), Raga (a melodic concept, or can be called as modes or scales) and tala (rhythm). This is the introduction to these concepts. Raga and Bandish (Musical Composition)in the Hindustani style, used to illustrate the most important and attractive features of Indian music.There are different types of singing styles in Indian Classical Music but there are four major forms :1-Dhrupad2-Khayal3-Thumri4-TappaThere are different-different gharanas for each form of singing such as Lucknow Gharana of Thumri, Indore gharana of Khayal Gayaki .Every Gharana has its own style of singing such as  taan (combination of Notes) ,Alap, Jor, Jhalla, Gamakas.

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