* Can you identify

the musical
instruments in
the next box?
http://static4.depositphotos.com/1011327/273/v/950/depositphotos_2731766-Indian-music-instruments.jpg
INDIA
India is the largest country in South
Asia. Its music is as vast as its
geographic location and as large as its
demographic population. The music
of India reflects different aspects of
Asian culture through its timbre,
rhythm, melody, texture, form, and
style.
Indian music remains
fundamental to the lives of
the people of India as a
source of spiritual
inspiration, cultural
expression, and
entertainment.
India's classical music tradition,
includes Carnatic and
Hindustani music which have
developed over many centuries.
Music of India also includes
several types of folk and
popular music.
One aspect of vocal music uses
melismatic singing with
nasal vocal quality, when
compared with the
Philippine music which uses
melismatic singing is only
used in chanting epics and
the pasyon.
Samagana style of singing
developed into a strong and
diverse tradition over several
centuries, becoming an
established part of
contemporary tradition in
India. The hymns in Sama
Veda, a sacred text, were sung
as Samagana and not chanted.
Sama Veda is the third
of the four Vedas of
Hinduism but ranks
next to Rig Veda
(Rigveda) in terms of
its sanctity and
liturgical importance.
Rigveda is counted as first among
the four canonical sacred texts of
Hinduism known as Vedas. Rig
Veda is an ancient Indian sacred
collection of Vedic Sanskrit
hymns. Some of its verses are still
recited as Hindu prayers at
religious functions and other
occasions
Characteristics of Traditional Music from
India:
1. Carnatic music
-refers to music from South India
- directed to a Hindu god, which is why it is
called temple music
- unlike Hindustani music, Carnatic music is
unified where schools are based on the
same ragas, the same solo instruments
(veena, flute, violin) and the same rhythm
instrument (mridangam and ghatam)
- music pieces are mainly set for the voice and
with lyrics
- compositions called krti are devotional
Hindustani music
-goes back to Vedic period times around 1000 BC
-further developed in the 13th and 14th centuries AD
with Persian influences and from existing religious and
folk music
-predominantly found in the northern and central
regions
-influenced by ancient Hindu musical traditions,
historical Vedic religion/Vedic philosophy, native
Indian sounds and enriched by the Persian
performance practices of the Mughal era
-nasal singing is observed in their vocal music
-in North India, the most common style of singing is
called khyal, a word which means imagination
INSTRUMENTAL MUSIC
There are many musical instruments
in India. Some instruments are used
primarily in North Indian music
(Hindustani Sangeet) while many
other instruments are used in South
Indian music (Carnatic Sangeet).
Instrumental music is often similar to
vocal music but sometimes they have
distinctive instrumental styles.
 LESSON I
MUSIC OF INDIA
Musical
Instruments
 Ancient Musical
Instruments of India

http://www.chandrakantha.com/articles/indian_music/instrument.jpg
Classification of Musical
Instruments from India

Ghan AVANADDH

SUSHIR

Tat Vitat
1.Ghan described as a
non-membranous
percussive instrument
but with solid resonators.
-It may also be a
melodic instrument or
instruments to keep tal.
 a.Ghatam is nothing
more than a large clay
pot. It is very commonly
played in South Indian
classical performances.
The primary one is the
ringing of the pot caused
by striking. This pitch is
raised or lowered by
opening or closing the hole
KARTAL
http://www.indianmirror.com/music/images/kartal.jpg
C. KARTAL -The word
"kartal" means "to
make a clap." The
purpose of kartal is to
produce a rhythm in
the singing.
 c. Nout is a
small pot used in
Kashmir as a
percussion
instrument. It may
be thought of as a
north
Indian ghatam.
 Manjira - It is
called jhanj, tala, mon
dira, (small
size) kafi (large size),
or a host of other
names. It is basically
a set of small
cymbals.
Kasht tarang is a type of xylophone or
marimba used in India. It is also
called "kashth tharang". It is characterized
by the use of wooden resonating
bars. Unlike a xylophone, it has no
resonating chambers.
2. Avanaddh - described
as a membranous
percussive instrument.
This class of instruments
typically comprise the
drums.
 a.Daf is a
tambourine. It is also
called dapphu, d
affali, or a
number of other
names.
 b. Tabla is a pair of
drums. It consists of of
a small right hand
drum called dayan and
a larger metal one
called bayan. Their
function is to create
the bell-like timbre
that is characteristic of
the instrument.
C. Mridangam is a percussion
instrument fromIndia of
ancient origin. It is the primary
rhythmic accompaniment in
a Carnatic music ensemble.
D. Dhol is a very popular folk drum of
Northern India. It has one side which
has a high pitch and another side
which has a lower pitch.
E. Pakhawaj It is believed that the Tabla
was derived from Pakhawaj. It
is a
barrel-shaped drum with two
heads which are made of layers
of skin.
F. goblet drum is
a hand drum with a
goblet shape used
mostly in the Middle
East,North Africa,
and Eastern Europe
beneath the frets in
the neck that are
tuned to the notes of
the Raga.
3. Sushir also known as
blown air. It is characterized
by the use of air to excite
the various resonators.
 a. Bansuri -a
transverse flute
of India made
from a single
hollow shaft of
bamboo with six
or seven finger
Transverse- oblique,
holes.
crosswise, slanting,
diagonal
b. Harmonium is also known
as peti or baja. is a free-
standing keyboard
instrument similar to a reed organ.
 C. Shankh is a
conch shell. This
instrument has a
strong association
with the Hindu
religion. It is said
that when it is
blown it announces
the victory of good
over evil.
C. Shehnai -
a double
reed conical oboe
, made out of
wood with a
metal flare bell at
the end.
The shehnai has
eight holes .
D. The
manual Surpeti is
similar to
the harmonium.It is a
small box whose only
function is to provide
the drone and
pumped by some small
bellows with the hand.
E. Nadaswaram is a South Indian version of
the shehnai. It is also called nagaswaram. It is
substantially larger than the shehnai and has a
simple double reed rather than the more
complex quadruple reed.
4. Tat referred to as vina
during the old civilization.
Instruments in this class are
plucked (stringed instruments).
A. Ektar is a one-string instrument
most often used in traditional music
from Bangladesh, India, Egypt, and
Pakistan and is plucked with one
finger.
B. The dramyen is a folk rabab found in
most of the Himalayan region. The number
of strings varies from place to place, but 4,
5, 6, or 7 seems to be common.
C. The Gottuvadhyam resembles
the saraswati vina in its general form.
It has six main playing strings which
pass over the very top of the
instrument.
D. Sarod is an instrument which is
derived from the rabab. It has a
metal fingerboard with no frets.
a.E. Sitar -a pear-shaped gourd
body, with a long, wide, hollow
wooden neck; both front and side
tuning pegs, 20 arched movable frets
and as many as 13 sympathetic
strings.
 F. The gopichand, also,
known as gopiyantra.
It consists of a length of
bamboo that is split
through most of the length.
The two ends are pried
apart and attached to a
resonator
 5. Vitat - described as
bowed stringed
instruments. Definitely
not old classifications of
instrument.
 A. Esraj is a combination
between saringda and sitar. The base
of the instrument is like saringda while
the neck and strings are like sitar.
B. Sarangi a bowed,
short-necked string
instrument of India
which is originated from
Rajasthani folk
instruments. It plays an
important role in
India's Hindustani
classical music tradition.
 C. Thebanam a class of folk fiddles
found among the Santal people of North
East India and Bangladesh
D. Chikara is a simple spike fiddle. It
is played with a bow in a fashion somewhat
like a sarangi orsaringda. There is also a
smaller version known as chikari.