I think it would be a good idea to copy the list of books that the school has ordered, so that everyone on this list knows the kind of catalogue that will be available at the school. They can check with the school if they will be allowed to use the material for reference work at the school premises, so that the children and adults have equal and quick access to all the material. In some cases, others may be interested in acquiring their personal copies and we would be happy to facilitate that through our website whenever possible.

I think you have the latest list of books, so it would be best if you copy it here.

Best wishes to all,

Aneesh

When you were here you mentioned about a recommended list of reading books. Could you send that list across? I’d like to get my hands on them and start some reading.

Thanks a lot

Kiran

Thank you for a wonderful week. Again, I am left with a tremendous amount of knowledge (and i don’t mean just the songs/compositions we learnt from you) to digest and assimilate and to enhance my enjoyment of music in various forms.

I particularly appreciated your advice on listening to all types of music and not be close-minded or judgemental about non-Indian or non-classical music. It is difficult for me to do so, but I certainly intend to try.

Today I attended the “taal express” concert by the Temple of Fine Arts and enjoyed the music from the different states of India. After a long time I heard a lovely Bhangra and realised how much I had been hearing only the bhangra-pop numbers that are blaring out at most parties these days. Could you recommend some good CD albums or artistes to look out for in Bhangra music?

I hope you had a good trip back home and have recovered from the hectic week here.

Warm Regards

Kiran

We feel it would be better if you avoid definitions of raag and thaat. It would perhaps be better if you could make the presentation more personal, and therefore mention that you all decided to learn more about khayal and that we also suggested that you focus on raagang. Also, please mention that we looked at seasonal song-forms last year. And then move straight on to explaining what raagang is and to Kalyan. You have missed out on Bhairav, so please add that you studied that too, though you may not present that tomorrow.

I also think Sahejobai’s poem doesn’t seem to fit into the scope of this presentation. You can mention that she was Dharamdas’ disciple and move to the piece that you will present, explaining its basic content.

The use of tarana by dhrupadiyas wasn’t part of the interpretations of its origin. That was to do with the various spaces that you would find tarana in – qawwali, as part of a khayaliya’s repertoire. Scatting is used to improvise, but also uses mnemonic syllables to simulate the sound/music of the trumpet or other wind instruments from the jazz ensemble.

More at this evening’s session.

Regards,

Aneesh

Before we begin, lets take a quick look at two basic concepts in Hindustani classical music –the Thaat and the Raga.

As we are aware,the saptak or octave consists of 12 notes which includes the shuddh,komal and teevra notes.
The thaat is a musical scale or a Parent scale. It comprises of different sets of a complete scale of seven notes .
For a performer, Thaats have little significance but for a student of music, the system comes as a great help to understand the classification of ragas.

What, then, is a Raga? It is most simply described as a set of notes, usually from five to seven notes, together with a set of rules to combine them effectively and create a particular mood.
or
A Raga has a specific melodic structure with arrangement of notes. Certain essential features are extremely necessary to establish a Raga . Possibly the most prominent feature of the Raga is that it should ‘colour’ or please the minds of the listeners.

Raaganga -

The thaat is one way to classify ragas – another way is raganga – here rather than the parental scale or the notes in the raga, melodic characteristics or features define whether a raga belongs in a particular raganga. Of course many of our ragas are ancient and the raganga classification was created much later – but it helps music lovers tremendously by providing a powerful framework of the thought processes that have guided the musician’s mind through the ages.

Let us look at the Raganga Raga Kalyan. In Hindustani music, it is called by different names – Yaman, Iman, Eman and Aiman. It is a sampoorna raga which means that it includes all the swaras– Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni. Let us look at the melodic characteristics of Raganga Raga Kalyan or Yaman

Ni Re Ga Re Sa

Ga Ma’ Pa Re Sa

Ma’ Dha Ni Dha Pa

Sa^ Ni Dha Ni Dha Pa

Ma’ Pa Dha Pa

These are the melodic characteristics that mark the Raganga Kalyan of which Raga Yaman is the flagship raga . Two other ragas that derive from this raganga are Raga Bhoop and Raga Shudh Kalyan.

Khayal -

Khayal literally comes from the Persian for thought or imagination. The essential component of a khayal is a composition (Bandish or cheez ) and the expansion of the text of the composition within the framework of the raga which is called ‘badhat ‘ or ‘vistaar’. A Khayal typically begins with the alap which is that section of music that plays with the notes of the Ragaang which show the typical characteristics of the raag being presented

We will be presenting a chota khayal in Raag Yaman in drut teental to be followed by a Tarana.

A Taraana is a fast paced composition which doesn’t have lyrics but uses pnemonic syllables like ‘nom’ tom’ ‘tanana’ . Taraana is a musical device that can be observed in sitar, sarod presentations as also in Dance . One of the theories of its origin we learnt during this workshop was that Dhrupadias who taught their art to the beenkars( instrumentalists/veena players) didn’t want to fully disclose all their musical secrets so instead of teaching lyrics taught in the form of pnemonics .
Interestingly, Taranas can be observed in other forms of music as well. In jazz there is a technique called ‘ scatting’ where the singer tries to improvise with what the saxophone/trumphet is playing .

We shall then move on to a Nirguni Bhajan in Adhha Teental . This a bhajan written by Swami Dharamdas , a prominent disciple of Sant Kabir who wrote in the 13th century A.D.

(An interesting poem that we found by Sahajo Bai , disciple of Dharamdas ).
“I can abandon God, but I would not forsake my guru.
God is not the equal of my guru.

God has given me birth into this world.
My guru has freed me from the cycle of birth and death.

God gave me five thieves.
My guru freed me from them when I was helpless.

God threw me into the net of family.
My guru cut away the chains of attachments.

God ensnared me in desire and disease.
My guru has freed me from all this by initiating me.

God made me to wander in the illusion of doing.
My guru showed me my being.

God hid himself from me.
My guru gave me a lamp to illuminate him.

Above all, God created this duality of bondage and freedom.
My guru destroyed all these illusions.

I offer myself, body, mind and soul
At the feet of my Guru Charandas.

I can abandon God, but I can never abandon my guru.”

Sahajo Bai is singing in praise of her guru who liberated her from all the bondage and worldly illusions.

We would like to present a beautiful composition that we learnt last year – this is a lilting Kajri in Maajh Khamaaj . Deepachandi Taal .

Welcome to the blog!

Please feel free to make a video recording for the presentation. We are both looking forward to seeing it!

Shubha and Aneesh

i’ve prepared the presentation on the tabla. I was wondering if i could take a video recording of aneeshji playing the tabla, to give people an idea of what a avartan etc. is

see you tommorow,
shloka

The big day is here! We are all looking forward to learning with you this evening.

Apologies from me too for the late response. Have also had some problems accessing the blog – and have also been denied access to the computer due to my boys hogging it completely.

What I understand about Khayal – Khayal as a form of Hindustani music was a result of Persian influence. It was also a result of the rigid conformation to set techniques of Dhrupad wherein there was less scope for spontaneity. While Khayal also operates within basic rules governing raga and taal, it is allowed more creativity, spontaneity and ornamentation making it more romantic/sensual. The ‘Vilambit’ or ‘bada Khayal’ is slower paced and explores the raga in leisure while the ‘Chhota Khayal’ is set to medium or fast tempo/madhya or drut laya.

Some of the artists I listen to are Kumar Gandharva, Malini Rajurkar, Bhimsen Joshi, Sanjeev Abhyankar, Rashid Khan,Shruti Sadolikar, Ashwini Bhide Deshpande, Kishori Amonkar, Prabha Atre… And as Gauri wrote Shubha Mudgal!

The compositions I have learnt

Yaman

Eri Aali Piya Bin
Jayati Jayati Jagata Janani

Bhairav

Shankara Girijapati
Anahatanaada Taako Prakashe
Om namah Shivaya Gaurishvaraya

Looking forward to this evening.

Warm regards

Anu

About Khayals, I don’t know much indepth, but I do know that there are 2 basic genres of compositions in Hindustani classical music – Dhrupad and Khayals. Dhrupad is the older but Khayals are more popular today. Khayal – meaning imagination – allows the singer more freedom to improvise (ofcourse staying within the taal). I have learnt some Chota Khayals as part of my hindustani music education. I’m not sure i’m a mature enough singer as yet to be able to improvise by myself, but I believe I can understand and learn this kind of composition.

In Raag Yaman I have learnt
1. Shyam Sundar Man Mohan Giridhar (as part of my music class syllabus)
2. Nigahen Milane Ko Jee Chahata Hai (Qawwali)
3. Chupa lo yoon dil mein pyar mera (one of my favorite filmi numbers)
4. Jare Badara Bairi Ja (a classical film song)
5. Ranjish Hi Sahi (Gazal)
6. Paanv Padoon Tore Shyam (Bhajan)

As part of my “taleem” i have not learnt Raag Bhairav so the only song I know in this raag is Jaago Mohan Pyare. Actually to be honest I didn’t know it was in Bhairav until you asked, so I looked up Raag Bhairav and saw that I did indeed know 1 song in this raag.

I’m writing this to say sorry for suddenly disappearing from the scene and not sending a post with my understanding of khayal, the raags etc. I’ve had an intermittent problem with the internet in my house and hopefully this mail will get typed before the problem rears its head again. I hope to send the mail by this evening anyway and also hope it will not be too late for you to read it.

Regards

Kiran