Topic started by Dr. KRS Murthy (@ adsl-63-198-186-99.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net) on Tue Mar 20 19:41:01 .
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Experiments in Indian classical music
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Responses:
- From: Chandrasekaran (@ b190.masconit.com)
on: Wed Mar 21 11:16:01
Dr.KRS, yes I am interested in your experiments. Give more details pls....
- From: Dr ashutosh Javadekar (@ 61.11.23.153)
on: Fri Mar 23 23:37:20
Hallo ,
I am a young dentist frm poona who has extreme fond of Indian classical music : I would surely like to share the new spectrum of experimentation done by you in same field
- From: thirunavukkarsu (@ 202.42.255.254)
on: Fri Apr 6 14:42:35
i m interested.
- From: IR (@ 38.220.167.231)
on: Fri Apr 6 16:12:29
Hello Dr Murthy... I am sure most of us would be interested in anything to do with Classical Music... Please post some details...
- From: Dr.H.S.CHANDRASECKARIAH (@ ppp-190-52.bng.vsnl.net.in)
on: Fri Apr 20 04:37:13
dear Dr.Murthy,
iam interested
please respond
i am a veena student
- From: Jenny (@ adsl-151-204-74-145.delval.adsl.bellatlantic.net)
on: Sat Apr 21 22:28:10
I'm a graduate student studying contemporaries issues in Hindustani Music. Please post further details of your research, ideas etc.
- From: Vijay (@ aha426.ccs.itd.umich.edu)
on: Wed Apr 25 09:28:57
Dr. Murthy,
I am really interested in your experiements.
Thanks for offering to share your work with us.
- From: Sandip Bhattacharya (@ s340-modem581.dial.xs4all.nl)
on: Wed Apr 25 16:09:59
Dear Dr.Murthy,
I am a Indian classical musician. Please share with me your new ideas.
- From: Dr. KRS Murthy (@ adsl-63-198-186-99.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net)
on: Thu Apr 26 22:03:54
Creativity in Alaapana
The scope of the interest group is not limited to alaapana only, but expanding the role and place of alaapana and similar musical traditions in Indian music discipline. A very important advantage of alaapana is that it is not language specific, encourages individual creativity, group creativity, and has already the tradition of being impromptu in its core. I also hope and envision that this interest group will bring unity among music enthusiasts of all language affiliations, and musical traditions. I have no desire to manage or lead this group, except for the initial and ongoing ideas, so that the group will give equal opportunity for good organizers to run the meetings of the group.
Here are my initial thoughts in creative techniques for alaapana. Please feel free to add, supplement or come up with your derivatives of the ideas presented here.
This is not meant to be a distinct group from existing successful groups like Raaga, SIFA … I do not believe in committees, memberships and fees. It will be a group of friends with interest in Indian music. This is also an outlet for creativity for artists, and music enthusiasts.
The interest group is a group to be equally participated by all of you. It is most importantly a participatory group common interests and passion in music. I envision the group to be of value to music connoisseurs, musicians, beginners, and just listeners. Please send me your ideas and comments. I will be glad to explain by phone or e-mail, and later in a meeting. Let us also plan on meeting in about a week or two.
The creative ideas apply to routine alaapana, thillana, raagam - taaLam - pallavi, and any other mixed combinations. In the beginning it will be brainstorming sessions for the team, but we will develop, as a group, presentation pieces or compositions for specific performances on the stage. These compositions may be based on themes, and will try to judiciously combine creative ideas and presentations, as well as happy combinations of vocal, instrumental, Karnatak and Hindustani styles. As further derivatives and variations, we may try Rabindra Sangeet style and other ethnic styles. These styles give their special treatment to Indian music.
The raagas or raaga combinations chosen can be presented in:
· Karanataka style, exclusively
· Hindustani style, exclusively
· Different sub groups in a combination of both styles.
We can try a variety of sub groups on the stage. The sub-grouping may be done based on:
· Men, women and youngsters
· Combination of men, women and youngsters
· Vocal and instrumental
· All violin, all flute, all vocal …..
· Karnatak and Hindustani
Preliminary Ideas
· Group of musicians (vocalists and instrumentalists) performing group alaapana.
· Sub groups or individuals presenting different and distinct aspects of the raaga
· Sub groups or individuals presenting different and distinct aspects of the mood intonations (Navarasas) of the raaga. Even though the navarasas are very well known in the Indian literary and theatre traditions, it has not been effectively, extensively and exhaustively employed in Indian classical music, and especially in the alaapana. The nine categories of rasas in navarasa may need detailing, and further categorizing in alaapana, to get the privilege of the various / diverse possibilities in mood intonations. Examples of sub-rasas or uparasas are praising, worship, kindness, laughter, flirting, quarreling, convincing, requesting, anger, being scared, scaring, sorrow (of many types), cry, happiness (of many types), ridiculing, caution, doubtfulness, confusion, pleading, playfulness, admiration, thoughtfulness. All of you as musicians and enthusiasts can try / experiment on expounding the raaga alaapana to invoke all of these, and many more uparasas. We have many singers and instrumentalists in the Indian music world who have successfully done this in classical, light classical, devotional and film music, except that most of it has been in songs with lyrics. There is a lot of unexplored scope in alaapana and other presentations of music that do not depend on lyrics. Even in other musical traditions, this has been successfully done, even though the concept is not identical to alaapana, and may not conform to raaga concepts. For example, blues music extensively has songs that fall into the confines of Bheema Palas (Hindustani) or Abheri (Karnatak) ragas. Many of you may have heard the music of the legends of blues like Muddy Waters, B.B. King, Aretha Franklin and Ray Charles. However, blues vocal depends on the lyrics.
· Sub groups or individuals presenting different, but closely related raagas - The Example: Maalakauns and Chandrakauns; Simhendra Madhyama and Shanmukha Priya; Mohana (Bhoop) and Shuddha Saaveri (Durga); Kalyani and Yaman Kalyani; Lalitha and Vasantha
· Sub groups or individuals presenting at different paces (kaalas like Vilambit, Madhyam and Theevra)
· Sub groups or individuals presenting different and distinct impromptu techniques. I have some ideas that I can only demonstrate, as it is difficult to explain here.
· Individual singers / instrumentalists doing dialogue type interchange of the alaapana pieces. For example, one could be doing aarohana (ascending loci) of the raga, while other doing the avarohana (descending loci).
· Handoff pivoted on specific swara(s) from one musician (vocalist or instrumentalist) to another, or subgroup to subgroup. For example, the handoff swara pivot could be a Jeeva swara, or hraswa swara or even the aadhaara shruthi (the Shadja or Sa).
· Handoff pivoted on specific maatra of the taala from one musician (vocalist or instrumentalist) to another, or subgroup to subgroup. For example, the handoff maatra pivot could be the beginning of the taala, or at the beginning of a significant / major component of the taala or even signified by a distinct percussion sound. Examples of the distinct percussion sound are a bell, cymbal (the hand instrument used in bhajans and classical dance which is played like a hand clap), just a hand clap, two sticks played against each other (as in Bharata Natyam), along with a visible action by the singers. The music group on the stage can really get creative in the handoff techniques.
· Show to the audience how jeeva swara silencing can affect the raaga. I call it “ghosted jeeva swara”. Even though I have not yet tried this in front of a musician or enthusiast, I strongly feel that this ghosting technique may create interesting and novel effects.
· Shruthi experiments developed by me. Please feel free to contact me anytime to get a copy of my research paper on this topic.
KRS Murthy
Virtual Think Tank
geniuspoet@hotvoice.com
- From: Dr. KRS Murthy (@ adsl-63-198-186-99.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net)
on: Thu Apr 26 22:11:22
Experiments in Indian classical music
I am an inventor who has developed novel techniques and paradigm shifts in many areas to include Indian classical music, theater, literature, dance, brain storming and science / technology.
I have developed new ideas, techniques and some paradigm shifts in Indian classical music. This includes paradigm shifts and novel techniques in shruthi, taala and alaapana. It also includes the relationship between raaga and bhava. The true relationship would surprise many scholars. I would be delighted to share it with you and others if you are interested.
As an option, I can send you details of all the ideas and support you if you or any writer / director / producer is interested in developing and implementing them. THERE IS NO FEE.
Other areas in which I have developed new ideas, experimental techniques and even paradigm shifts in many areas to include:
1. Poetry and all genres of literature - short stories, novels
2. All aspects of theatre
3. Films / movies
4. Music
5. Brain storming
6. Gourmet and creative cooking
7. Internet
8. Science and technology - internet, telecommunications, computers, aerospace technology
9. Many aspects of sales
10. Advertising, public relations and event marketing
11. Art - decorative painting like tattoo, but different
12. Painting
13. Management
I can discuss details and support authors, music and theatre directors who want to develop the ideas to customize to their local needs.
THERE IS NO FEE. However, I request you to give me the details of:
1. Where and when the individual techniques will be or were implemented
2. A very brief report on the results
3. Any photographs taken
4. Contact details of anyone you have shared the ideas.
I am only interested in knowing the details of anyone who is benefiting from my ideas and work. THAT IS ALL!
Just keep in touch. Contact me for any additional ideas needed in ANY area. My company Virtual Think Tank will be glad to support you with NO FEE.
Regards, as always.
Dr. KRS Murthy
CEO
Virtual Think Tank
Silicon Valley, CA, USA
(408)-219-2236
geniuspoet@hotvoice.com
- From: Dr. KRS Murthy (@ adsl-63-198-186-99.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net)
on: Thu Apr 26 22:17:06
An alternative approach to the
Foundations of Indian Classical Music
K.R.S. Murthy
Indian classical music has been conceived and modeled with the help of an Adhaara Shruthi, and 32 intermediate shruthis in the octave. This includes 6 shruthi-lets of each of the swaras Ri, Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni (that is 6X5 = 30) plus the Sa and Pa. The 6 shruthi-lets are based on the Shat-Shruthi Sangeetha tradition. However, it should be noted that the present day Indian classical music utilizes only three of the 6 shruthi-lets. A raga is reduced to a suite of loci of musical curves based on swaras (chosen shruthis ) in specified ascending and descending orders. Even though the real raga is based on multitudes of musical curve combinations, the curves of the raga is thus reduced to piece-wise linear approximations of the real / ideal musical curves.
Students of classical music are taught the saptha swara scale, in which the swaras of the raga are used as anchors to illustrate the outline of the raga. The ragas are also modeled to have prime anchors, called the Jeeva swaras or Vaadi swaras, and sub-prime anchors, called the Hrasva swaras or Samvaadi swaras. This modeling of the ragas dictates that majority of the musical curves, during the expounding and rendition of the raga, be centered around three important anchors - the Aadhara shruthi or the Shadja shruthi, the Vaadi and the Samvaadi swaras. However, the transgression from a swara to the next one in the scale during rendition and expounding of the raga should not be simply with the help of linear movement. Instead, the transgression should be performed employing a variety of musical curves. The only requirement is that the transgression should ensure that the locus of the musical curve does not dwell on Varjya swara, the swara to be avoided as defined for the raga. The transgression curves employed should ensure that the raga is clearly distinguishable from other ragas with similar loci. In fact, all the ragas are defined with distinction of characteristic transgression loci between its swaras. These transgressions are called Gamakas.
A raga is defined by the following distinct qualities:
· Swaras (5, 6 or 7 taken at a time)
· Ascending and descending orders
· Vaadi, Samvaadi and Varjya swaras
· Characteristic musical curves, defined as various combinations, and further the combination groups, of the swaras
· Profile of the suite of loci of musical curves used to expound the raga
The theoretical foundations of Indian classical music is very scientific in nature, even though most of the musicians do not understand / practice, and are unable to reinforce the scientific basics to their students. So the integrity of the musical knowledge, and its transmission to succeeding generations, has suffered from poorly realized and observed foundations. In addition, the tradition of classical music has failed to utilize many useful techniques available in the modern world. For example, two dimensional graphs used in many facets of modern world has not been attempted for documenting, and as teaching aids, of Indian classical music. An X-Y plot with time on the X axis, and frequency on the Y axis would be very helpful for students to visualize the ascending / descending orders, musical curves and comparison of ragas. Talas can also be very well displayed on graphs. Computers, music synthesizers, and electronic key boards with MIDI interface will be very handy in such endeavors.
Teachers of Indian classical music have been following the tradition of teaching the musical scale, and ragas based on discrete swaras. In effect, the teaching tradition is based on piece-wise linear approximation of the musical curves. The ragas are also taught with the Aadhara Shruthi used as the paramount anchor for the raga.
An alternate approach would be to introduce the students to a “tool kit” of musical curves with out any apparent Aadhara Shruthi. The curves would be taught as Shruthi-independent repertoire, to be used in various combinations to sing or play music. The tool kit is used to make the student functional. The theoretical foundations are taught after the student is taught the skills to reproduce musical curves, and also after gaining the ability to creatively expound with the foundations of the “tool kit”.
To illustrate the approach, let us understand the way a child learns language. A child learns to speak by imitating sounds, words and expressions from other children and adults. We do not teach the child alphabets of a language first, and then words with meanings, and then sentences. It would be a strange world if we attempted such techniques at all. The child would be able to speak fluently, before it learns any alphabets. Script is used as a communication tool in school, work and throughout life. If we can imagine the words and phrases of a language to be similar to musical curves and their combinations in the world of music, my suggested approach becomes clear.
- From: Dr. KRS Murthy (@ adsl-63-198-186-99.dsl.snfc21.pacbell.net)
on: Thu Apr 26 22:18:33
EXPERIMENTS IN SHRUTHI
K.R.S. Murthy
The following are experiments in shruthi as well as swara manipulation in a raga. The effect of shruthi manipulation manifests as a change in the perceived raga. I call it raga illusion.
SWARA VYATHYASA or SWARA DIFFERENCE
Difference of one or more swaras in a raga. The raga changes by this action. Three types of swara vyathyasa are possible. They are:
Swara Lopa or Swara Omission
One of the swaras is omitted from the raga. If the raga is a Sampoorna Raga (a raga with 7 swaras), omission of a swara results in a Shadava Raga (a raga with 5 swaras). Similarly, a Shadava Raga becomes an Audava Raga (a raga with five swaras) when a swara is omitted. In Indian Classical Music tradition a raga should have at least five swaras. Similar swara omission technique can be used for ragas which have different number of swaras in their Aarohana (ascending order) and Avarohana (descending order).
Before Omission After Omission
Sampoorna Raga Shadava Raga
Shadava Raga Audava Raga
Shadava-Sampoorna Audava-Shadava Raga
Swara Agama or Swara Addition
A swara is added to a raga.
Before Addition After Addition
Shadava Raga Sampoorna Raga
Audava Raga Shadava Raga
Audava-Shadava Raga Shadava-Sampoorna Raga
Swara Adesha or Swara Substitution
A different swara is substituted for a swara in a raga. The raga changes, but the total number of swaras remains the same.
SHRUTHI PALLATA or SHRUTHI SHIFT
Shifting of the shruthi with the ascending order and descending order unaltered. In this experiment, the player hears the shruthi through an ear phone and plays the raga with that shruthi (shruthi-P) as the reference (adhara shruthi) for the raga. The listener hears the music played, but the listener hears the shruthi (shruthi-L) through an ear phone. The player and the listener can be fed two different shruthis by isolating the ear phone channel feeds.
First, a shruthi is fixed and a raga (raga-1) is played following the definition of the raga. The player and the listener hear the same shruthi (shruthi-P = shruthi-L). The player of the raga continues to receive the same shruthi (shruthi-P). The original shruthi is isolated from the listener and a new (shifted) shruthi (shruthi-L is not equal to shruthi-P) is delivered to the listener. The player continues to receive the original shruthi. With the new shruthi, which is different from the shruthi heard and used as a reference by the player, the listener hears a new raga (raga-2). So, the listener enjoys the illusion of the raga-2 isolated from the raga-1 played by the player. Thus, isolation can be achieved between the player and the listener.
Multiple listeners can be used in the experiment. By this technique, different players can enjoy the illusion of different ragas.
Following experiments can be conducted for raga illusion by a variety of shruthi pallata techniques.
· Single Step Pallata -
Shruthi pallata by one step only. For example, from Sa to Ri1 (up-step) or Sa to Ni2 (down-step). Here the Ni2 belongs to lower octave.
· Multiple Step Pallata -
Shruthi pallata by multiple steps. For example, from Sa to Ri2 (up-step) or Sa to Ni1 (down-step). Here the Ni1 belongs to lower octave. Similarly Sa to Ga (1 or 2) or Sa to Dha (1 or 2) (lower octave).
· Sliding Shruthi Pallata -
The shruthi slides from one shruthi to the other. By controlling the slide, the illusion can be manipulated. As an option the sliding can be continuous and need not stabilize.
· Silde-and-Stay Shruthi Pallata -
The shruthi slides from one to the other till it reaches the destined shruthi and stays at the new shruthi. This technique, when properly implemented, can produce the illusion of raga malika (chain of ragas).
DUAL AND MULTIPLE SHRUTHIS
Two or more shruthis can be used at the same time. In this technique, the listener hears two or more shruthis at the same time. The player, however, can receive (or concentrate on) only one shruthi (shruthi-P). More than two shruhis requires a careful shruthi administration technique.
· Master-Slave or Major-Minor Shruthis
In this technique, one of the shruthis is dominant with the other shruthi as subordinate. Major and minor shruthis can be distinguished by loudness, tonal quality, precedence and other techniques to be explained later. The two shruthis can switch their roles between major and minor by sliding or step movement. For example, the major shruthi which has more loudness (volume) can decrease in loudness, while the minor shruthi originally less loud gains volume. This switch in roles between the major and the minor shruthis has to be administered very carefully, especially during the crossover. Also, the rate of change of the loudness (slope of change) has to be experimented to get pleasant effects.
· Multiple Minor Shruthis (all the time)
One major and multiple minor shruthis are administered. All the minor shruthis (or selected numbers at a time) are present all the time.
· Multiple Minor Shruthis (one at a time)
Only major shruthi is present all the time, but only one minor shruthi is present at a time. The minor shruthis can be administered in sequence (increasing frequency order), in definite order (with a rhythm or tala) or in random.
· Major-Minor Distinction Techniques
The major and minor shruthis can be distinguished and distinctly administered by the following techniques:
Distinction in loudness: In practice, loudness can be controlled by absolute loudness as well as effective loudness. By a proper selection of the shruthi source the effective loudness can be controlled. Location is not only distance from the listeners ears, but also relative distance with respect to the two ears of the listeners. It should be kept in mind that the human ears are stereophonic receivers in nature. I plan to discuss the exploitation of the stereophonic nature of our ear in one of my future topics. Distinction by time duration of the shruthi presence. By using precedence or historical duration of the presence of the shruthi, major and minor distinctions can be achieved. Distinction can also be achieved by the tonal quality of the musical instrument producing the shruthi.
SHRUTHI BY PERCUSSION TECHNIQUES
Percussion instruments are used as shruthi. The percussion instrument can be as simple as a Cymbal or an instrument like Tabla or Mridanga. Two Tablas or Mridangas can also be used for dual Shruthi techniques explained before. The two drums of the Tabla or the two sides of the Mridanga can also be tuned for two shruthis in the dual shruthi technique.
Musical instruments like Sitar Veena or Guitar can also be used for single or multiple shruthis.
Musical Illusion CDs and Tapes (Even Karaoke Illusion)
Music CDs and tapes could be produced with stereophonic outputs, in which one input to the earphone could be used to administer the shruthi. Options could be given to the listener to select any given adhara shruthi out of some selections, or the listener could input a shruthi of choice externally. The slogan for such CDs and tapes could be
“Create your own musical illusion”.
Similar ideas could be used for Tala also.
EXPERIMENTS IN TALA (RHYTHM)
The following are experiments in tala or rhythm.
DUAL TALA (RHYTHM)
In this technique two talas are used. Two talas can be played or administered by the following methods:
Dual Stable Talas
Two simple tala instruments like Cymbal are used to provide basic tala beats. The two tala instruments will have two distinct tala beats. To distinctly administer the talas two separate tala instruments are used. Even same type of instruments (Cymbal) but of distinct shruthi (pitch) can also be used.
· Shifting Talas
· Sliding Talas
· Two Talas of Low, Medium and High LCM (Lowest Common Multiple)
· Two Talas - One as the Lowest Common Multiple (LCM) of the two.
· Multiple Shruthi Beats in Percussion Instruments
MULTIPLE TALAS
· Major and minor talas - Similar ideas as in the Shruthi technique.
· Non-Percussion instruments for Tala - Instruments like Veena, Sitar, Guitar for tala.
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