Music and Us
Understanding the Sounds of Life
Sanskrit Verse:
"Nādena vyajyate varṇaḥ, padaṃ varṇāt padād vachaḥ |
Vachaso vyavahāro'yam, nādādhīnamato jagat ||"
Meaning: Sound (Nāda) gives birth to letters. Letters form words. Words form sentences. All communication and the entire world depend on sound. This verse from the Sangitaratnakara tells us that music is the foundation of language and life itself.
Why Music Matters
Imagine a world with no music. A mother does not sing a lullaby. A wedding has no songs. No one hums while working. Life would feel empty and dull. Music is a vital part of our daily lives. It tells us who we are, connects us to our deepest feelings, and links us to our traditions and our country.
Forms and Styles of Music
India is home to one of the richest and most diverse musical cultures on Earth. Music changes with geography, language, and local culture. To make sense of this variety, we group music into different forms and styles.
What is a Genre?
A genre (also called vidha or form) is a category of music that has its own special features. A genre is shaped by:
- The instruments used
- The style of singing
- The rhythm patterns
- The region it comes from
Within a genre, the shaili is the style of presentation. Learning about genres helps us classify music and understand it better.
The Power of Listening
The great musician Kumar Gandharva had an amazing gift. By the age of 12, he could imitate and perfectly copy recordings of legendary singers like Abdul Karim Khan and Fayyaz Khan. At 23, he became seriously ill with tuberculosis and lost his voice. He was confined to bed for many years. During this time, he listened carefully to folk songs from nearby villages, temple bells, birds, and the wind. When he finally sang again, his voice was different, but his music was deeper, bolder, and unforgettable. His story teaches us that active listening can open a whole new world of understanding.
Three Main Types of Indian Music
| Type | Characteristics |
|---|---|
| Classical / Semi-Classical | Ancient living traditions based on ragas (melodic scales) and talas (rhythm cycles). Great emphasis is placed on improvisation within set rules. |
| Folk / Indigenous / Regional | Community-based music rooted in local life, language, and customs. It is passed down orally from one generation to the next and is closely linked to daily work, rituals, and festivals. |
| Popular / Film Music | A mixed style that borrows from Indian classical, folk, and global pop sounds. It reflects modern themes, trends, and film stories. |
How Genres Overlap
Music genres are not closed compartments. They interact and blend, giving rise to many sub-categories. The diagram below shows how Classical, Folk, and Popular music meet and create new forms.
Music and Emotion
Different kinds of music appeal to different people. This happens because of several reasons:
- You may be familiar with the style.
- You may understand the language.
- The rhythm may energise your body.
- The melody may calm your mind.
Music and Patriotism
Songs can create a deep love for the country. During India's freedom struggle, Vande Mataram written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee ignited the spirit of patriotism in millions of hearts. Written in the 1870s, the song uses powerful imagery of India as a motherland. When you sing it, focus on the emotions and the pictures it creates in your mind.
Music, Mood, and Navarasa
Indian music theory describes Navarasa — nine emotions that music can bring alive inside us:
- Shringara — Love and beauty
- Veera — Courage and heroism
- Karuna — Compassion and sadness
- Hasya — Joy and laughter
- Raudra — Anger
- Bhayanaka — Fear
- Bibhatsa — Disgust
- Adbhuta — Wonder and amazement
- Shanta — Peace and calm
A soft, slow melody can lead you to Shanta rasa, while a powerful drum rhythm can inspire Veera rasa. By choosing what we listen to, we can gently guide our own emotions.
Music Therapy
Music therapy is the use of rhythms, melodies, and sounds to improve mental health and overall well-being. It plays an important role in reducing stress, anxiety, and physical tension. Doctors and therapists use it to help patients recover and feel better.
Folk Songs and Traditional Knowledge
Folk music is deeply tied to community life. It acts as a storehouse of traditional knowledge. Folk songs carry information about farming, festivals, rituals, and history from one generation to the next without the need for books.
Example: Seed Sowing Song from Nagaland
The Phom tribe of Nagaland sings Hashei Bu Bu-Ow during seed sowing. The song describes:
- Clearing forests in the month of Ketnyu (December)
- Building farm houses after the field is burnt
- Preparing seeds of paddy, yam, maize, cucumber, and pumpkin
- Erecting altars and praying to God for a good harvest
- Using bamboo shields to beat the heat of the sun
- Singing while fighting weeds in the field
This song is not just entertainment. It is a practical guide that teaches farming steps and preserves the tribe's way of life.
Regional Music Across India
Every region in India has its own unique musical identity. Here are a few examples:
| Region | Folk Form / Instrument |
|---|---|
| Assam | Bihu songs, flute, and bhortal (cymbals) |
| Goa | Mando and folk songs with guitar |
| Manipur | Pena (bowed lute) music |
| Kerala | Traditional percussion like chenda and edakka |
| Haryana | Been, tasha, and gapchu played by snake charmers |
| West Bengal | Devotional kirtan with dance in temples |
Family Traditions in Music
Many families have special traditions such as festival rituals or secret recipes. These traditions can be turned into songs. A family song usually has a sthayi (chorus) that repeats and an antara (verse) that tells the story. Writing and singing such songs helps preserve family history for future generations.
Exercises with Solutions
1Sing a festival song, write a few lyrics, and explain its theme and emotion.
Answer: Example — A Holi celebration song.
"Holi re holi, rangon ki toli,
Ghar ghar khushiyaan aayi hain!"
Theme: The arrival of spring and the festival of colours.
Emotion: Joy (Hasya rasa), togetherness, and playfulness.
2Name two songs along with their genres. What features helped you identify them?
Answer:
- "Vande Mataram" (Classical / Patriotic): Features include Sanskrit lyrics, a raga-based melody, and a slow, dignified rhythm.
- "Bihu Geet" (Folk): Features include the Assamese language, fast dhol rhythm, and simple harvest-related lyrics.
3Research and write about any two music personalities and their contributions.
Answer:
- Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande: He gave Hindustani classical music a scientific system. He created a notation system and classified ragas into ten thaats, making it easier for students to learn and organise thousands of ragas.
- Venkatamakhin: A 17th-century Carnatic musicologist who created the Melakarta system of 72 parent ragas. This framework brought order to Carnatic music and is still used today.
4Listen to a composition and identify the sthayi/pallavi and the antara/charana. How did you identify the parts?
Answer: The sthayi or pallavi is the chorus or main line that appears at the beginning and is repeated after every verse. It carries the central idea or hook of the song. The antara or charana is the verse that follows the chorus; it offers new lyrics and a slightly different melody. You can identify the sthayi because it is repeated multiple times, while the antara changes each time.
5Find a song related to an occupation in your region. Write its lyrics, identify the occupation, and describe the meaning.
Answer: Example — A boatman's song from North India.
"Nadiya kinare, hamara gaon,
Majhi chale hai, leke kashti apni."
Occupation: Boatman (Majhi).
Meaning: The song describes the life of a boatman rowing across the river, his hard work, and his deep connection with the flowing water.
6Justify the following statements with explanation and examples:
i. Film songs have the influence of many genres.
ii. Folk songs provide information about the region they are from.
Answer:
i. True. Film songs are usually a mixture of styles. They may use a classical raga for the melody, a folk dholak for the rhythm, and a Western guitar or electronic keyboard for accompaniment. For example, many Bollywood songs use raag Yaman for the tune but add a pop drum beat.
ii. True. Folk songs use the local language, mention local crops, rivers, festivals, and tools. The Nagaland seed sowing song tells us about jhum farming, the month of Ketnyu, and bamboo shields used in Nagaland. This makes folk songs a living record of regional life.
7Why do you think both Classical Music and Folk Music are considered traditional? How are they different from each other?
Answer: Both are called traditional because they are very old, have been passed down through many generations, and form the base of Indian cultural identity.
Differences:
- Classical music follows strict rules of raga and tala. It needs years of formal training and uses written notation. Improvisation happens within fixed rules.
- Folk music is simpler and community-based. It is learned orally without strict notation. It is directly linked to daily work, festivals, and rituals of ordinary people.
8Create the lyrics of a song about a family tradition which has a sthayi/pallavi and at least one antara.
Answer: Example — A song about making Diwali sweets with grandmother.
Sthayi (Chorus):
"Mithai ki khushboo ghar mein aayi,
Diwali ki raat hai aayi."
(The sweet smell fills our home, Diwali night has come.)
Antara (Verse):
"Nani ke haath se bana laddoo,
Dadi ki katha sunayein hum."
(Laddoos made by grandmother's hands, we listen to grandmother's stories.)
9Match the following:
Answer:
- i. Folk Music — b. Belongs to a particular region
- ii. Classical Music — c. Is a structured form with rules for composition and improvisation
- iii. Genre / Vidha — d. Style of music
- iv. Navarasa is connected to — a. Emotions
10Listen to the songs performed by popular bands in our country and identify the genres that have influenced them.
Answer: Popular Indian bands such as Indian Ocean, Parikrama, and The Local Train are influenced by several genres:
- Indian Classical: Use of ragas and tabla rhythms.
- Folk: Use of dholak, ektara, baul, and other regional instruments.
- Rock and Pop: Use of electric guitar, bass, and drum kits from the West.
- Sufi: Devotional poetry and qawwali-style singing.
This mix proves that modern Indian popular music is a true fusion of many traditions.