Study Guide · Chapter 2
Foundations of Indian Classical Music
Free study material · concepts, shortcuts & solved questions
- Indian classical music traces its theoretical roots to the Samaveda (the Vedic hymnal source of chant/melody) and is systematically theorised in texts such as the Natya Shastra (Bharata Muni) and, more specifically for music, the Sangita Ratnakara by Sharangadeva (13th century), a foundational treatise still referenced by both major traditions.
- Indian classical music broadly diverged into two major traditions from around the 13th–14th century onward, primarily due to the influence of Persian and Central Asian musical elements introduced through the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal courts in the north:
- Hindustani Classical Music: North Indian tradition, incorporating Persian/Islamic courtly influences.
- Carnatic Classical Music: South Indian tradition, which retained a more continuous connection to older Sanskritic/temple musical traditions.
- Both traditions share foundational concepts: Raga (a melodic framework/mode built on a specific set of notes, ascending/descending patterns, and characteristic phrases, each associated with particular moods, times of day, or seasons) and Tala (rhythmic cycle/time signature).
- The seven basic notes (Saptak/Swara): Sa, Re/Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni (analogous to Do-Re-Mi-Fa-Sol-La-Ti).
Page 1 of 1