Indian Music: Hindustani, Carnatic, Instruments, Gharanas and Composers

What to remember

• Two great traditions: Hindustani (North India) and Carnatic (South India). Both use raga (melody) and tala (rhythm), and both trace their roots to the Samaveda and the Natya Shastra.
• Carnatic Trinity: Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri. Purandara Dasa is called the "father of Carnatic music". Annamacharya, the Telugu saint-composer of Tirumala, is the key Andhra name.
• Match the instrument with the player: sitar (Ravi Shankar), sarod (Ali Akbar Khan, Amjad Ali Khan), shehnai (Bismillah Khan), santoor (Shivkumar Sharma), flute (Hariprasad Chaurasia), tabla (Zakir Hussain).

Basic terms

• Swara: a musical note. The seven notes are Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni. Sa and Pa are fixed. The other five can be natural or altered (flat or sharp).
• Raga: a set of notes with rules for rising and falling, giving a particular mood. Ragas are tied to times of day or seasons in the Hindustani tradition.
• Tala: the cycle of beats. Sam is the first beat in Hindustani music. Avartana is one cycle.
• Shruti: a small musical interval; Alap or Alapana: slow improvisation on a raga without rhythm.
• Gamaka: ornamenting a note in Carnatic music.
• Sangita Ratnakara by Sarngadeva (13th century) is a major text that describes both streams. The treatise Natya Shastra is older.

Hindustani music

• The northern tradition grew through the courts of the Delhi Sultanate and Mughals and absorbed Persian influence.
• Vocal forms:
• Dhrupad: the oldest, serious and devotional, sung with pakhawaj. Raja Man Singh Tomar of Gwalior supported it. Tansen sang dhrupad.
• Khayal: the main concert form today; free and imaginative. Tradition credits Amir Khusrau and Sultan Husain Sharqi with early shaping, and the court musicians Sadarang and Adarang with development.
• Thumri, Dadra, Tappa, Ghazal and Tarana are lighter forms.
• Tansen was one of the Navaratnas of Emperor Akbar, a student of Swami Haridas, and born near Gwalior. He is linked with ragas such as Miyan ki Malhar and Deepak (legend).
• Reformers: V. N. Bhatkhande classified ragas into ten thaats and wrote a systematic notation. V. D. Paluskar founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in 1901 and spread music teaching.
• Time and mood of some ragas:

• Tala examples: Teentaal (16 beats), Jhaptal (10), Ektal (12), Rupak (7), Dadra (6) and Kaharwa (8).

Hindustani gharanas

A gharana is a family or school of music with its own style, passed from guru to disciple.

Hindustani instruments and artists

• Bharat Ratna was given to musicians M. S. Subbulakshmi (1998), Ravi Shankar (1999), Bismillah Khan (2001), Lata Mangeshkar (2001) and Bhimsen Joshi (2008). M. S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician to receive it.

Carnatic music

• The southern tradition. Compositions (kritis) are more important than free singing. The raga system is organised into 72 Melakarta (parent) ragas, a scheme associated with Venkatamakhin in the 17th century. The ragas derived from them are called Janya ragas.
• The Katapayadi formula is a system of Sanskrit letters used to learn the number of each melakarta raga.
• Purandara Dasa (15th-16th century) is called the Pitamaha of Carnatic music. He devised graded lessons such as Sarali varisai and Janta varisai, still used by beginners.
• Trinity (18th-19th century, all from Tiruvarur):

• Annamacharya (also Tallapaka Annamacharya, 15th century) composed thousands of sankirtanas in Telugu in praise of Lord Venkateswara at Tirumala. He is known as the Pada Kavita Pitamaha. His songs were engraved on copper plates.
• Kshetrayya composed Telugu padams (love songs with devotion) addressed to Lord Muvva Gopala.
• Bhadrachala Ramadasu (Kancherla Gopanna) composed devotional kritis to Rama.
• Swathi Thirunal, the ruler of Travancore, was a composer and patron.
• Mangalampalli Balamuralikrishna, a Telugu musician, created new ragas and was a leading Carnatic vocalist.
• Dwaram Venkataswamy Naidu was a renowned violinist of Andhra.
• Compositional forms: Varnam (a training and concert item), Kriti (the main form), Kirtana, Javali (light love song), Padam and Tillana (rhythmic closing item).
• Concert (kutcheri) parts: varnam, kritis with alapana, niraval and kalpanaswara, a ragam-tanam-pallavi, and a tillana to close.
• Carnatic talas: Adi (8 beats), Rupaka (3), Misra Chapu (7), Khanda Chapu (5), and Jhampa (10).

Carnatic instruments

Hindustani and Carnatic compared

How a recital is built

• A Hindustani vocal recital usually opens with a slow alap, moves to a composition (bandish) set in a tala, and then speeds up with taans (fast note runs) and a rhythmic finish. A Carnatic concert follows a planned list of items, and the singer, violinist and mridangam player respond to each other.
• The tanpura gives the constant drone in both traditions, so that every note is judged against Sa.
• In both traditions the guru-shishya method is central: the student learns by listening, singing back and practising for many years.
• Women have shaped both streams: M. S. Subbulakshmi and D. K. Pattammal in Carnatic music; Gangubai Hangal, Kishori Amonkar and Girija Devi in Hindustani music.
• Devotional streams also matter. The Bhakti and Haridasa movements gave simple songs in local languages, and Annamacharya's songs and Purandara Dasa's songs belong to this stream.

Institutions

• Sangeet Natak Akademi (1952) is the national academy of music, dance and drama.
• Bhatkhande Music Institute in Lucknow and the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya teach Hindustani music.
• The Madras Music Academy in Chennai holds the annual December music season of Carnatic music.
• In Andhra Pradesh, music departments of universities and the Tyagaraja Aradhana festivals keep the tradition alive.

Exam traps

• 1. Trinity are Tyagaraja, Dikshitar and Syama Sastri; Purandara Dasa is not one of them.
• 2. Purandara Dasa is called "Carnatic Pitamaha"; Annamacharya is "Pada Kavita Pitamaha".
• 3. Tyagaraja mostly wrote in Telugu; Dikshitar mostly in Sanskrit.
• 4. Sitar is Ravi Shankar; sarod is Ali Akbar Khan and Amjad Ali Khan.
• 5. Dhrupad is the oldest form; khayal is the common concert form.
• 6. Kirana gharana is linked to Abdul Karim Khan; Gwalior is the oldest khayal gharana.
• 7. Carnatic has 72 melakartas; Hindustani has ten thaats.
• 8. Tanpura gives the drone; it is not a melody instrument.

One-liners

• 1. Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni are the seven swaras.
• 2. Sarngadeva wrote the Sangita Ratnakara.
• 3. Tansen was a court musician of Akbar.
• 4. V. N. Bhatkhande classified Hindustani ragas into ten thaats.
• 5. Teentaal has 16 beats.
• 6. Adi tala has 8 beats.
• 7. The Carnatic Trinity were born in Tiruvarur.
• 8. Annamacharya composed sankirtanas on Lord Venkateswara.
• 9. Bismillah Khan is the great name of the shehnai.
• 10. Shivkumar Sharma popularised the santoor.
• 11. M. S. Subbulakshmi was the first musician awarded the Bharat Ratna.
• 12. The Sangeet Natak Akademi was set up in 1952.

Practice questions

1. Which note is the third of the seven swaras Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni?

   1. Ma
   2. Ri
   3. Pa
   4. Ga
   Answer

   D. Ga

   The order is Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni.

2. The sitar is most famously associated with

   1. Ravi Shankar
   2. Hariprasad Chaurasia
   3. Bismillah Khan
   4. Zakir Hussain
   Answer

   A. Ravi Shankar

   Pandit Ravi Shankar made the sitar known worldwide.

3. The shehnai is associated with

   1. Ali Akbar Khan
   2. Shivkumar Sharma
   3. Bismillah Khan
   4. Alla Rakha
   Answer

   C. Bismillah Khan

   Ustad Bismillah Khan is the great name of the shehnai.

4. The santoor was popularised in classical music by

   1. Shivkumar Sharma
   2. Ram Narayan
   3. Amjad Ali Khan
   4. Ravi Shankar
   Answer

   A. Shivkumar Sharma

   Pandit Shivkumar Sharma brought the santoor to concert platforms.

5. The bansuri (flute) is associated with

   1. Vilayat Khan
   2. Hariprasad Chaurasia
   3. Zakir Hussain
   4. Bismillah Khan
   Answer

   B. Hariprasad Chaurasia

   Hariprasad Chaurasia is a renowned bansuri player.

6. Which one is a member of the Carnatic Trinity?

   1. Purandara Dasa
   2. Annamacharya
   3. Kshetrayya
   4. Muthuswami Dikshitar
   Answer

   D. Muthuswami Dikshitar

   The Trinity are Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.

7. Who is called the Pitamaha (father) of Carnatic music?

   1. Swathi Thirunal
   2. Tyagaraja
   3. Purandara Dasa
   4. Syama Sastri
   Answer

   C. Purandara Dasa

   Purandara Dasa framed the graded lessons for learners.

8. Annamacharya composed thousands of sankirtanas in praise of

   1. Goddess Kamakshi
   2. Lord Rama of Bhadrachalam
   3. Lord Muvva Gopala
   4. Lord Venkateswara
   Answer

   D. Lord Venkateswara

   He was a Telugu composer at Tirumala.

9. The Sangita Ratnakara was written by

   1. Venkatamakhin
   2. Sarngadeva
   3. Tansen
   4. Bharata Muni
   Answer

   B. Sarngadeva

   It is a 13th-century treatise covering both musical traditions.

10. Tansen was a court musician of which ruler?

    1. Shah Jahan
    2. Alauddin Khalji
    3. Akbar
    4. Krishnadevaraya
    Answer

    C. Akbar

    Tansen was one of Akbar's Navaratnas.

11. V. N. Bhatkhande classified Hindustani ragas into how many thaats?

    1. Ten
    2. Five
    3. Seventy-two
    4. Twelve
    Answer

    A. Ten

    His system uses ten parent scales called thaats.

12. How many melakarta ragas are in the Carnatic system?

    1. 36
    2. 108
    3. 10
    4. 72
    Answer

    D. 72

    The melakarta scheme has 72 parent ragas.

13. Teentaal in Hindustani music has how many beats?

    1. 16
    2. 12
    3. 10
    4. 8
    Answer

    A. 16

    Teentaal is a 16-beat tala.

14. Adi tala in Carnatic music has how many beats?

    1. 16
    2. 8
    3. 6
    4. 10
    Answer

    B. 8

    The usual Adi tala has eight beats.

15. The mridangam is the main percussion instrument of

    1. Hindustani music
    2. Folk music of Punjab
    3. Dhrupad singing only
    4. Carnatic music
    Answer

    D. Carnatic music

    Mridangam is a two-faced drum of South India.

16. The tabla belongs mainly to

    1. Temple orchestras of Kerala
    2. Carnatic music
    3. Hindustani music
    4. Folk music of Tamil Nadu
    Answer

    C. Hindustani music

    Tabla is the standard Hindustani percussion pair.

17. Who was the first musician to receive the Bharat Ratna?

    1. Ravi Shankar
    2. M. S. Subbulakshmi
    3. Bhimsen Joshi
    4. Lata Mangeshkar
    Answer

    B. M. S. Subbulakshmi

    She received it in 1998.

18. The Kirana gharana was founded by

    1. Alladiya Khan
    2. Bade Ghulam Ali Khan
    3. Abdul Karim Khan
    4. Tansen
    Answer

    C. Abdul Karim Khan

    Bhimsen Joshi and Gangubai Hangal come from this gharana.

19. The tanpura is used to

    1. Keep the beat
    2. Play fast melodies
    3. Accompany only dance
    4. Give a constant drone note
    Answer

    D. Give a constant drone note

    The tanpura gives the Sa drone for the singer.

20. The oldest Hindustani vocal form still sung is

    1. Dhrupad
    2. Thumri
    3. Khayal
    4. Ghazal
    Answer

    A. Dhrupad

    Dhrupad is serious and is sung with the pakhawaj.

21. A major difference between the two traditions is that Hindustani ragas are

    1. Limited to temples
    2. Linked with times of day or seasons
    3. Never improvised
    4. Always composed by Tyagaraja
    Answer

    B. Linked with times of day or seasons

    Hindustani ragas have time and season associations.

22. The main form in a Carnatic concert is the

    1. Kriti
    2. Dhrupad
    3. Tarana
    4. Thumri
    Answer

    A. Kriti

    Kriti is the central composition form.

23. The ghatam is

    1. A bamboo flute
    2. A brass trumpet
    3. A clay pot used as a percussion instrument
    4. A bowed string instrument
    Answer

    C. A clay pot used as a percussion instrument

    Ghatam is a clay pot played by hand.

24. Varnam in Carnatic music is

    1. A training and concert item with swara and sahitya
    2. A drone instrument
    3. A closing prayer
    4. A lullaby only
    Answer

    A. A training and concert item with swara and sahitya

    Varnam is a basic and important concert piece.

25. Muthuswami Dikshitar signed his songs with the mudra

    1. Tyagaraja
    2. Guruguha
    3. Syama Krishna
    4. Muvva Gopala
    Answer

    B. Guruguha

    Guruguha refers to Lord Muruga.

26. Tyagaraja composed mostly in which language?

    1. Kannada
    2. Tamil
    3. Telugu
    4. Sanskrit
    Answer

    C. Telugu

    His Pancharatna kritis are in Telugu.

27. Syama Sastri is known for his devotion to

    1. Lord Venkateswara
    2. Lord Rama only
    3. Lord Krishna of Udupi
    4. Goddess Kamakshi
    Answer

    D. Goddess Kamakshi

    His mudra is Syama Krishna.

28. Ali Akbar Khan and Amjad Ali Khan are masters of the

    1. Sarod
    2. Santoor
    3. Sarangi
    4. Sitar
    Answer

    A. Sarod

    Both are famous sarod players.

29. Kshetrayya is known for composing

    1. Tarana
    2. Telugu padams
    3. Pancharatna kritis
    4. Dhrupad songs
    Answer

    B. Telugu padams

    His padams are addressed to Lord Muvva Gopala.

30. V. D. Paluskar founded the

    1. Madras Music Academy
    2. Bhatkhande University
    3. Kalakshetra
    4. Gandharva Mahavidyalaya
    Answer

    D. Gandharva Mahavidyalaya

    He founded it in 1901 to spread music teaching.

31. The pakhawaj is mainly used with

    1. Folk songs of Kerala
    2. Thumri
    3. Dhrupad
    4. Tillana
    Answer

    C. Dhrupad

    Pakhawaj accompanies dhrupad singing.

32. Consider the following statements: 1. Hindustani music is the tradition of North India. 2. Carnatic music is the tradition of South India. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

33. Consider the following statements: 1. Tyagaraja belongs to the Carnatic Trinity. 2. Purandara Dasa belongs to the Carnatic Trinity. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Purandara Dasa is called the Pitamaha, not a Trinity member.

34. Consider the following statements: 1. The sarod is associated with Bismillah Khan. 2. The sitar is associated with Ravi Shankar. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Bismillah Khan is the shehnai master.

35. Consider the following statements: 1. Dhrupad is an old Hindustani vocal form. 2. Khayal is the oldest Hindustani vocal form. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    Dhrupad is older than khayal.

36. Consider the following statements: 1. Carnatic music has 72 melakartas. 2. Hindustani music classifies ragas into ten thaats. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

37. Consider the following statements: 1. The mridangam is the main drum of Hindustani music. 2. The tabla is used in Hindustani music. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    The mridangam is a Carnatic drum.

38. Consider the following statements: 1. Annamacharya composed sankirtanas on Lord Venkateswara. 2. Annamacharya is a member of the Carnatic Trinity. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    A. 1 only

    The Trinity are Tyagaraja, Dikshitar and Syama Sastri.

39. Consider the following statements: 1. The tanpura is the main melody instrument. 2. The shehnai is a string instrument. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    D. Neither 1 nor 2

    The tanpura gives a drone; the shehnai is a wind instrument.

40. Consider the following statements: 1. Bhimsen Joshi belonged to the Kirana gharana. 2. Gangubai Hangal belonged to the Kirana gharana. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    C. Both 1 and 2

    Both are correct.

41. Consider the following statements: 1. Adi tala has 16 beats. 2. Teentaal has 16 beats. Which of the statements is/are correct?

    1. 1 only
    2. 2 only
    3. Both 1 and 2
    4. Neither 1 nor 2
    Answer

    B. 2 only

    Adi tala usually has 8 beats.

42. Which pair is correctly matched?

    1. Tabla - Ali Akbar Khan
    2. Sarod - Bismillah Khan
    3. Flute - Ravi Shankar
    4. Santoor - Shivkumar Sharma
    Answer

    D. Santoor - Shivkumar Sharma

    Shivkumar Sharma is the santoor master.

43. Which of the following is NOT a string instrument?

    1. Sitar
    2. Veena
    3. Sarod
    4. Shehnai
    Answer

    D. Shehnai

    The shehnai is a wind instrument.

44. Which of the following is a percussion instrument of Carnatic music?

    1. Santoor
    2. Ghatam
    3. Sarangi
    4. Veena
    Answer

    B. Ghatam

    Ghatam is a clay pot percussion instrument.

45. Annamacharya is known by the title

    1. Sangeeta Samrat
    2. Swara Brahma
    3. Pada Kavita Pitamaha
    4. Carnatic Pitamaha
    Answer

    C. Pada Kavita Pitamaha

    He is called the grandfather of Telugu song-poetry.