Download Similarities between Hindustani music and the Western music

Similarities between
Hindustani music and the
Western music brought to Goa
Although they may appear very different at first, it is
remarkable how much common ground exists
between the music which the Portuguese
missionaries brought to Goa and the Indian music
that they encountered there. The table below
Concept
Assigning names
to the notes of a
scale
The predominance
of melody over
harmony and the
use of a drone
Melodic modes
The approach to
rhythm
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provides a summary of the similarities. A more
detailed explanation of each concept, which may
provide some helpful background information,
follows the table.
Hindustani music
In Hindustani music, the seven
notes of each mode have the
names Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha,
Ni, Sa.
Harmony in Hindustani music is
‘static’: it is created by a single
melody line moving over a
constant drone. Some
Hindustani instruments can play
a drone and a melody at the
same time.
Each Hindustani rag is based on a
‘mode’, or scale. There are seven
different pitches in each octave
of a mode, but the intervals
between the individual pitches
and the ‘home pitch’ (Sa) differ
from mode to mode.
In Hindustani music, rhythm is
cyclic and governed by the
selected ‘tal’ (rhythmic pattern).
Composing or
improvising
around a given
melodic pattern
Performers of Hindustani music
base their improvisation upon
the pitches and ascending and
descending structure of ‘rag’.
Moving the
emotions
The traditional aim of Hindustani
vocal music, instrumental music
and dance was to move the
emotions of its audience. The
‘Nava Rasa’ or ‘Nine Sentiments’
describe nine fundamental
emotions which can be expressed
through music.
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Medieval/Renaissance Western
music
In medieval music, a system known
as ‘solmization’ existed. This system
gave names to pitches in order to
help singers learn chant aurally.
It is quite likely that medieval dance
music was often accompanied by a
drone. Some medieval instruments
can play a drone and a melody at
the same time.
Plainchant can be classified
according to one of eight different
medieval modes.
In early medieval polyphony, rhythm
was formed by a ‘rhythmic mode’. A
composer could choose from 6
different modes and could combine
more than one of these in a single
piece.
Medieval and early Renaissance
polyphony was often woven around
a ‘cantus firmus’; a section of
plainchant sung very slowly, which
formed an ‘anchor’ for the
polyphony.
Medieval and, particularly,
Renaissance musical theory held
that music was able to move the
‘passions’ of its audience. Many
theorists and philosophers
attempted different descriptions of
the passions and the way in which
music could move them.
Similarities between
Hindustani music and the
Western music brought to Goa
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Assigning names to the notes of a scale
As sheet G1 explains, the seven pitches of any
Hindustani mode are given names (Sa, Re, Ga, Ma,
Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa). Singers and instrumental musicians
learn the notes of a rag by using these names.
term for six consecutive pitches), beginning on G, C
and F (in the F-hexachord Fa is B-flat). In each case,
the lowest note of the hexachord is always given the
name ‘Ut’. This means that there is always a
semitone between Mi and Fa and tones between all
Medieval music had a similar system, known as
other intervals within the hexachord. It was this fact
‘solmization’. It had just six pitch names: Ut, Re, Mi,
that helped medieval singers learn and memorise
Fa, Sol, La, which come from the first syllables of the chant aurally. In this respect, solmization is
first six lines of a plainchant hymn to St John, each of significantly different from the Hindustani system,
which began on one of six consecutive notes (G, A, B, whose note names refer to the degree of the scale
C, D, E). This system was used in the Middle Ages to rather than the pitch-relationship between the
teach chant to singers. The note names could be
different notes which made up the scale.
applied to different hexachords (‘hexachord’ is a
The predominance of melody over harmony and the use of drones
Hindustani music does not employ the kind of
chordal or ‘vertical’ harmony associated with much
Western music. Instead, a different kind of harmony
is created as the melody moves over a constant drone
of one, two or more notes.
sitar, which are sounded alongside the melody
strings.
It is interesting that, beyond the Middle Ages,
Western music and Hindustani music developed in
quite different directions. While Hindustani music
We can immediately draw a parallel with plainchant, maintained its focus on melody over static harmony,
which, in its original form, was not supported by
medieval and Renaissance composers in the West
harmony at all. In the same way, much medieval
experimented more and more with both ‘chordal’
music for dancing consists of just one melodic line. It harmony (‘homophony’), and the vertical harmony
created by the moving parts of polyphony. From the
is often possible, however, to accompany many
medieval dance tunes with a drone. Some medieval Renaissance onwards, vertical harmony has played a
instruments, such as the hurdy-gurdy or symphonie,
hugely significant role in the development of
have drone strings, not unlike the drone strings of a Western music.
Modes
Sheet G1 explains the way in which the rags of
Hindustani music are based on a number of different
modes. A similar concept can be found within
plainchant.
Plainchant existed, and was used in worship, for a
long time before a way of notating it was invented.
Monks and priests were expected to remember the
chant melodies that went with particular texts. It
was particularly important to remember the right
melodies when it came to chanting the Psalms.
Psalms were chanted according to a ‘formula’ or
Psalm-tone. The majority of the Psalm was chanted
on just one note: the ‘tenor’. A musical pattern
(often ascending) at the beginning of the Psalm led
to the ‘tenor’ and a pattern at the middle and end of
each line formed a cadence. When Psalms were sung
during services, they were preceded and followed by
a type of chant called an ‘antiphon’. It was important
that the Psalm moved smoothly from and to the
antiphon. By categorising antiphons (and other
types of chant) according to their mode, it was easier
to remember which Psalm-tone should be sung with
each antiphon.
As far as we know, composers of plainchant did not
set out to write a chant in a particular mode. There
are several systems of medieval modes and not all
pieces of plainchant are easily classified according to
any one system (some defy classification entirely).
Some medieval musical theorists related the church
modes to ancient Greek musical theory and gave
them Greek names. Some systems identified eight
modes, others twelve. One, perhaps the simplest,
system gave each mode a number, and identified the
mode of a chant by its ‘final’ (the last note of the
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Similarities between
Hindustani music and the
Western music brought to Goa
chant) and by its range. In this system, there are four
pairs of modes. Each pair had the same final, and
covered the range of approximately an octave. The
final of the first mode of each pair (the ‘authentic’
Mode
Final
1
D
2
D
3
E
4
E
5
F
6
F
7
G
8
G
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mode) was the lowest note of each mode, but the
final of the second (the ‘plagal’ mode) occurred in
the middle of the chant’s range. The table below
shows this classification:
Range
A piece of chant whose range fell, for example,
roughly between the octave from D above middle C
to the D above that, and whose last note was also D,
would be classed as being in mode 1. If the chant
had approximately the same range, but its last note
was G, it would be considered in mode 8. (In
practice, pieces of chant in authentic modes often
move to and from one note below the final).
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Similarities between
Hindustani music and the
Western music brought to Goa
From the table on page 3, it can be seen that the
semitones (marked with a bracket – between E and F
and between B and C) fall at different points in the
‘scale’. It is the varying positions of the semitones
which give each mode its characteristic ‘flavour’, just
as the different intervals between ‘Sa’ and the other
six notes of each Hindustani mode give it distinctive
qualities. For this reason, in practice, plainchant did
not have to begin on a specific pitch. Providing the
semitones of the chant remained in the right places,
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the chant could begin on any pitch that was
comfortable for the voices singing it. The modern
notated version of Veni Creator Spiritus, on sheet J2,
for example, begins on an F. The semitones,
however, fall between A and B-flat and between D
and E-flat. This is the same distribution of semitones
as in mode 7, so Veni Creator Spiritus can be said to
be in mode 7. The version in plainchant notation
does, indeed, begin on a G.
The approach to rhythm
Sheet G1 shows how Hindustani music uses cyclic
rhythm, in which the rhythmic foundation for a
performance is created by repeating a cycle or tal.
At certain points in the music, while other
instruments are marking the tal, the Tabla player can
break away from the set pattern of the tal and, for a
number of cycles, improvise his/her own pattern of
sounds, providing that s/he ends on sam (the first
beat of the tal).
There are similarities between this system and the
system of medieval rhythmic modes explored on
sheet J2. Composers of early polyphony chose one
(or more) of six different rhythmic patterns for each
line of a melody. These patterns were based on the
metrical ‘feet’ of classical poetry: trochee, iamb,
dactyl, anapaest, spondee and tribrach.
Composing or improvising around a given melodic pattern
The concept of improvising a rag is explored in more
detail in sheet G1, and suggested activities that
explore this concept can be found on sheet G2.
Sheet J1 explains the concept of the medieval/
Renaissance cantus firmus.
Moving the emotions
Ancient writings on Sangeet (Hindustani vocal,
instrumental and dance music) identify nine
sentiments or moods, from which other, more
complex emotions are formed. Music was believed
capable of arousing these sentiments in its listeners.
These nine sentiments (the nava rasa) are:
Sentiment
Explanation
Shringar
Love, both romantic love, and the ‘all-encompassing’ love of a universal creative force
Hasya
A comic sentiment, provoking laughter
Karuna
A tearful sentiment which expresses loneliness and sorrow
Raudra
Fury or anger
Veera
Bravery or heroism
Bhayanak
A frightening sentiment expressing terror and fear
Vibhats
Repulsion or disgust
Adbhuta
Wonder, amazement, awe and exhilaration
Shanta
Peace and tranquillity
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Similarities between
Hindustani music and the
Western music brought to Goa
In a similar way, many medieval and Renaissance
philosophers developed and explored theories of the
‘passions’ (what, today, we might call ‘emotions’).
They believed that music, particularly vocal music,
could ‘imitate’ or ‘invoke’ a range of different
passions. Some theorists believed that this was a
physiological phenomenon; the agitation of the air
created by the voice or a musical instrument brought
about a similar agitation in the ‘spirits’ or ‘humours’
of an individual, thereby moving them to experience
There are several medieval and Renaissance theories
concerning the number and nature of the passions.
One that was relatively well known was developed
by the 13th-century theologian and philosopher
Thomas Aquinas. Aquinas’ ideas were inspired by
the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Aquinas identified
eleven passions: love, hate, desire, repugnance, joy,
sorrow, hope, despair, fear, boldness and anger.
Musical theorists believed that various aspects of
music – including its mode, its melodic intervals and
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the passion expressed by the music. Other
philosophers believed that music moved the passions
because audiences recognised intervals, modes and
musical patterns as representative of particular
passions. For example, the descending four-note
pattern that opened John Dowland’s early
seventeenth-century lute song ‘flow my tears’
became an international symbol of weeping or
profound sorrow.
its tempo and rhythmic structure – had the capacity
to depict different passions. In his book Istitutioni
harmoniche (1555), the theorist Zarlino attributes
different passions to music’s modes. (As was
common in the sixteenth century, he adds a further
four modes to the eight medieval church modes.)
Zarlino’s theories are summarised in the table below.
Mode
Final
Type
Passions
1
D
Authentic
Religious, devout and somewhat sad.
2
D
Plagal
A lamenting and humble mode, representing
weeping, sadness, loneliness.
3
E
Authentic
Moves one to weeping, suited to words which
are tearful and full of laments.
4
E
Plagal
Suitable for subjects that contain sadness or
lamentation, such as matters of love.
5
F
Authentic
Suitable for modesty, happiness, and relief. A
joyous, pleasing mode.
6
F
Plagal
Not very cheerful or elegant. A devout and
tearful mode.
7
G
Authentic
Appropriate for subjects that are lascivious,
cheerful, and spoken with modesty. Also for
threat and anger.
8
G
Plagal
Contains a certain natural softness and sweetness which fills listeners with joy.
9
A
Authentic
Open and terse, suitable for lyric poetry. Used
for cheerful, sweet, soft and sonorous subjects.
10
A
Plagal
Not very different from second and fourth
modes.
11
C
Authentic
Suitable for dances. A lascivious mode.
12
C
Plagal
Suitable for expressing thoughts of love that
have something sad about them.
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There are so many
different theories as to
what the ‘passions’ are
and how they are
represented in
Renaissance music that it
is not possible to say that
particular modes,
rhythmic devices or
intervals would have
been universally
recognised as
representing any
particular one. The
prevalence of such
theories does show,
however, that Western
musicians and theorists,
like ancient Hindustani
writers, recognised music
as a powerful emotive
force.