Music / Nada Yoga - 1.1 - Hindustani Classical Music - Notes staircase

1. Intro to Indian Classical Music (Hindustani) - grammar and ragas -  the flexibility of scales and notation, differences between Western and Indian music grammar

        The standard keyboard scale in Western notation :

        This is a picture with labels for the Indian music notations

 

The notes are 

Sa , Re , Ga , Ma , Pa , Dha , Ni , Sa ( upper )

         in western music it corresponds to

Do , Re , Mi , Fa , So , La , Ti , Do ( upper )

         if you play these notes on a keyboard and start from the Middle 'C' they would correspond to

C , D , E , F , G , A , B , C ( upper )

 

 Note that the notation that I personally use -

(1)
I use the SUBSCRIPT "_"  underline for the Mandra Saptak ( lower octave )   and the
SUPERSCRIPT  "￣"   line on top for the "Tar  Saptak" ( higher octave )

 [ it is easier for writing on paper and way easier for understanding but might be difficult to type as I am facing....I still prefer it ]

(2)  I use "m" for Tivra (sharp) Ma   and "M" for the shuddh ( regular pure) Ma

so the notes would be noted as below

                                                  -   -   -   -  -    -   -   =

S R G M P D N  SRGMPDN  S R G M P  D  N  S

-  -   -   -  -   -   -


One critical idea that is very scientific and is core to Indian music is the fact that the system is a relative scale or a sliding scale.

In other words the Sa, Re,Ga,Ma etc are names of the notes on the relative scale and not fixed frequencies as C3 is in Western notation a fixed frequency. In Indian music Sa,Re,Ga,Ma are  actually equivalent to the 1st(root) , 2nd, 3rd ,4th etc notes of the scale.

So if you are playing or singing in the Key of C then
Sa, Re,Ga... etc are same as C,D,F...etc, but you can switch to Key of D then Sa,Re,Ga... will become representative for D,E,F#... and so on applicable to any key.


Raga:

Now the concept of Raga comes in which is a very very complex pattern or loose structures defined within which you can improvise. The ragas can be loosely thought of as major, minor, pentatonic, etc scales but there are a few hundred of them.

Indian Notation vs Western Music::  Flexibility vs Rigidity

Western and Indian music have different approaches to musical scales, notations, and tuning systems. One significant difference is in how they notate and use scales, and another is the concept of relative versus fixed scale frequencies. Let's explore these differences:

Notation Differences:

• Western Music:

  • Western music predominantly uses the Western staff notation system, which is based on a five-line staff and uses letters (A, B, C, D, E, F, G) to represent notes.
  • Accidentals (sharps and flats) are used to indicate deviations from the natural notes (e.g., C# for C sharp).
  • Western music often uses the equal temperament tuning system, which divides the octave into 12 equal parts.
  • 
    

• Indian Music:

• Indian classical music primarily uses a system of syllables called Sargam, which includes Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni (equivalent to Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Ti in Western music).
• Indian classical music employs a different notation system where the focus is on the relative pitch relationships between notes rather than specific frequencies.
• • 
    The notation system in Indian music also includes ornamentation symbols and rhythm notations, which are not common in Western music notation.


Relative vs. Fixed Scale Frequencies:

Western Music: In Western music, the 12-tone equal temperament system is widely used. This system divides the octave into 12 equal semitones. Each semitone is exactly 100 cents apart. This results in a fixed relationship between frequencies, making transposition and modulation between keys relatively easy.
Indian classical music: Indian classical music traditionally doesn't rely on fixed frequencies. Instead, it emphasizes relative pitch relationships between notes. The concept of microtonal variations and just intonation is more prevalent in Indian music. Musicians adjust the pitch of notes based on the raga (melodic framework) and the context of the performance. This means that the exact frequencies of notes can vary depending on the musical context and the musician's interpretation.

Additional Notes

Western music often employs harmony and chords more prominently, while Indian music focuses on melody and intricate ornamentation.

• In Western music, scales are often thought of as a fixed set of notes with specific intervals between them (e.g., major scale, minor scale). In Indian music, scales are not rigidly defined; they are a set of relative pitch relationships that can vary within a raga.
• Indian classical music also uses a system of tala (rhythm cycles), which is integral to its performance but not found in Western classical music.
• 
  
• In summary, Western and Indian music differ not only in their notation systems but also in their fundamental approaches to scales and tuning. Western music relies on a fixed, equal-tempered scale with specific note frequencies, while Indian music emphasizes relative pitch relationships and allows for microtonal variations within its scales.

Namaste !!!

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