Hindustani and Carnatic Music

1. Hindustani and Carnatic Music By Andrea Lucchitti

2. Where are they played? Hindustani and Carnatic music is played in India. Hindustani music is commonly played in the North, whilst Carnatic music is commonly played in the South.

3. Influences of Hindustani music • Hindustani music is influenced by the Persian and Arabic cultures. • A lot of Hindustani music originated from Vedic ritual chants dating back from the 12th Century. Ever since this time, it has continued to evolve.

4. Instruments involved in Hindustani Music • There were a wide range of instruments used pacifically for this type of music: • Veena • Sitar • Sarod • Surbahar • Sursringar • Santoor • Bansuri • Shehnai • Harmonium • Tabla

5. Characteristics of Hindustani Music • Dhrupad • Khyal • Tarana • Tappa • Thumri • Ghazal

6. Influences of Carnatic Music • Unlike Hindustani music, Carnatic music is not influenced by the Persian and Arabic influences. • Carnatic music was very similar to Hindustani music. It wasn’t properly distinguished till the 16th Century.

7. Instruments involved in Carnatic Music • Veena • RudraVeena • Violin • Ghatam • Flute • Mridangam • Nagaswara • Swarahat

8. Musical Concepts in Carnatic Music • Śruti – Refers to musical pitch • Swara – Refers to the sound of a note • Raga System – A set of rules for building a melody. The rules range from movements of the melody to the uses and avoidances of specific phrases • Tala System – Refers to a fixed cycle/meter. • Improvisation – Used a lot in Carnatic Music. Some examples of it include: • Alapana • Niraval • Swarakalpana • Ragam • Tanam • Pallavi • TaniAvartanam

9. Bibliography: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carnatic_music http://www.sydneymusiccircle.info/ http://www.indiandownunder.com.au/2012/06/sydney-music-festival-to-be-held-this-coming-weekend-june-9-11/