101 on ‘Indian Classical Music’

Every country in the world has some form of classical music. The basis of all classical music, globally, is tied to the standard notes of ‘do re me fa so la ti do’ and their variations. This is mirrored by ‘sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa’ in the Indian system. Although “Classical” is now-a-days associated with the archaic and old, classical music in reality, has evolved phenomenally and continues to evolve across the globe. This article covers the mind boggling beauty, challenges, and creativity that are present aplenty in any form of Classical music and specifically in Indian Classical music. We have two extremely powerful styles of Classical Music – North Indian and South Indian Style. Although, I have worked very closely with Hindustani (North Indian) Music lovers for the past 3 decades, being a South Indian Classical music practitioner, I will cover what I know of the South Indian System.

The fundamental fact is that Indian Classical Music is a very vast discipline. We have touched just the beginning here but absolutely none can define what is the end. I do not mean vast by sheer volume, but that

• There are strict rules you must adhere to (e.g. raag, taal, pronounciation, etc)

• You have to understand certain fine technical details (e.g. frequency ratios, relative frequencies of various notes (ICM has lots of concepts that can be explained from basic principles of Physics and Mathematics!)

• You must demonstrate your own creativity. You must be able to show your extempore skills when you reach the stage of public performance (e.g. – Aalaap  and elaboration of compositions).

All this requires a huge effort to learn the art – like the IIT JEE that we all underwent.

While presenting a song (singing or playing), it has to be structured in terms of the notes that the item is based on. You have to start with the correct tempo, evolve the composition properly, show your own creativity while rendering, ensure that accompanying artists are with you all through (and maintain eye to eye contact with the audience). All of this has to happen within a certain time frame i.e. the cells in your mind should ‘recollect’ the ‘text’, ‘the notes’, ‘the tempo’ etc in nanoseconds – pass that to your vocal chords (while singing) or to your finger tips (for instrumentalist) and produce the sound when you are at the precise beat (called ‘taal’ in Hindustani and ‘Taalum’ in the South). Then you have to manage your breathing – if you are playing a wind instrument like flute or shehanai. Each song has it’s own unique beat (taal) and a combination of notes (referred to as ‘raag’). While delivering a public concert – all of the above has to happen like clock work for 2 or 3 hours, while the pundits and vidwans, seasoned listeners keep watching every step that you deliver. As a performer, it is scary but the sheer pleasure when you see the listeners enjoying is phenomenal – like getting that prestigious degree from IIT/IVY League.

You see, quality music has the power to ‘oscillate’ you – as in metronome – without ever physically touching you even a nano-inch.

The first and second longest compositions ever made across any system of classical music across the globe comes from two great composers of South Indian Classical Music – Sri Maha Vaidynatah Sivan and Sri Mutthu Swamy Dixitar. Both the songs are composed in pristine Sanskrit, highly structured from a grammar (vyaakaran) perspective and impossible to replicate. The Longest composition runs to 80 lines and takes about 60 minutes to sing and the 2^nd longest is around 58 lines and takes about 45 minutes to sing.

As a journey in South ICM, you need to learn several taals and several compositions in different raagas and remember each one of them to the finest possible detail! But, please do not get me wrong, not all compositions are difficult to learn or listen and enjoy. The structural beauty of even learning ICM is a lesson in itself and a topic for an article. It is mind boggling to realize how our ancestors developed ICM over so many decades that has aspects of religion, nature, basic physics, basic maths, vyaakaran of various languages, kundalini, brain cells, chaos theory – all within the confines of just 7 basic notes (well, 12 or 22 depending on how pedantic you want to be). Yet even to this day that very ‘tradition’, that framework and that structure of ICM is 100% intact. By now some of you must be wondering ‘Is the maths concept of permutations and combinations (P&C) applicable for ICM? or can you explain ICM based on P&C?’ The answer is definitely NO, that theory fails miserably – but chaos theory definitely applies.

Based on my own experience, you can treat classical songs as a combination of bhakti (devotional) + raag or just a raag. South Indian classical songs are mostly linked to Indian gods/goddesses and mythological events, while songs and compositions in the North Indian System are probably more towards nature.

I believe Bhajans, Indian classical music songs will go on forever. In fact, revered South Indian Classical compositions (see www.sangeethapriya.org and www.guruguha.org for examples) that are considered the very backbone of South Indian Classical Music, the ‘perform or perish’ litmus test that performers need to undergo everyday to stay above the waters in the field, were all composed some 300+ years ago. They are fresh even to this day. Thanks to the Internet era, there is huge surge of youngsters with M. Tech, M E, PhD MBAs, etc qualifications learning classical music. What is even more surprising is a very tiny percentage take the path of being professional musicians even though there is no quick money to be made unless you are say Bhimsen Joshi or Parveen Sultana or Dr Balamurali Krishna or Smt M S Subbalakshmi.

And as for the rest,

“In Indian Classical Music, there is sheer pleasure, bliss” – says Shyamal Chaturvedi an MBA from IIM Calcutta.

“This art is something that I can carry with me to my grave – a perfect occupation once I retire” – says Dr Sridhar Rangaswamy a practicing Cardiologist

“ICM is definitely NOT stagnated – as in under the ‘tradition’ banner but innovations are plenty. Embrace any kind of Classical Music (please include Indian Classical) as I have.” – says the Author!

About the Author

Dr Giridhar Tirumalai, IIT-Bombay, IISc-Bangalore

Email: givseries [at] hotmail.com.