Elaboration and Growth of Raga : Indian Classical Music

Elaboration and Growth of Raga: Raga, literally interpreted as “that which colors the mind,” is the fundamental structure within Indian Classical Music. The easiest way for westerners to conceive of a raga is as a distinct melodic form containing certain key movements, each embodying a particular personality of their own. Today we will discuss the elaboration and growth of a raga.

Please note that we did not upload the music tracks due to copyright issues. The linking was also avoided. Rather we have mentioned the names of the track including the name of the artist and raga. You may find youtube or Soundcloud to listen to the appropriate tracks.

Elaboration and Growth of Raga: Indian Classical Music:

Raga:

The Indian musician plays a Raga which is, as an ancient definition declares, “a kind of sound composition, melodic movement, which can colour the hearts of men.” In other words, it is a combination of notes, ascending and descending according to certain rules, and with a characteristic mood.

Traditionally some of these are supposed to have either masculine characteristics and are known as Ragas, or feminine qualities and are known as Raginis.

We shall now listen to two Ragas that have two very different moods. Here is Amir Khan singing Raga Bageshree full of Karuna Rasa, the mood of pathos.

Listen to : Amir Khan – Vocal – Raga Bageshree

Now we listen to Omkarnath Thakur singing Raga Malkauns, which is believed to contain the Veera Rasa, the mood of heroism.

Omkarnath Thakur – Vocal – Raga Malkauns

Kala-kala:

We have said that traditionally it is believed that each Raga has a distinct mood. And just as some time of the day or some season of the year, spontaneously tends to induce in a person a particular mood, so too each Raga has been ascribed a time or a season – a Kala, in consonance with the feeling it is supposed to depict. Therefore it is very common for a musician to respect the time or the Kala associated with the Raga that he is rendering.

Times of Ragas:

Some of the morning Ragas are Bhairav, Lalit, Bhatiar, Todi. Sarang is played in the afternoon. Poorvi, Puriya, Marwa, Bihag are the Ragas of the evening and Darbari Kanada is played late at night.

We shall now listen to the Raga Ahir Bhairav, which is a morning Raga, in the voice of Parveen Sultana.

Parween Sultana – Vocal – Raga Ahir Bhairav

Now feel the difference in mood as we listen to Bhimsen Joshi rendering the Raga Puriya, an evening Raga.

Bhimsen Joshi – Vocal – Raga Puriya

Seasonal Ragas:

Seasonal Ragas like Vasant or Miya Ki Malhar can be sung at any time of the day, during the relevant season – spring or the rains. The choice of the Raga and the way of presentation contribute to a harmony with the time or the season.

For the seasonal Ragas here is Bismillah Khan playing the Raga Vasant on the Shehnai. This is the Raga of springtime.

Bismillah Khan – Shehnai – Raga Vasant

And now listen to Amir Khan singing Raga Miyan Ki Malhar, which is the Raga of the rainy season.

Amir Khan – Vocal – Miyan Ki Malhar

Movements of a Raga

In the presentation of a Raga, there are sometimes different terms which are used by vocalists and instrumentalists. Among the vocalists also there are two groups – those who sing in the Dhrupad style, the Dhrupadias, and those who sing in the Khayal style, the Khayalias.

Let us first study the movements without the percussion instruments.

Alap – Anibaddha:

The musician begins with an Alap. It is an invocation to the Raga calling forth its mood. During its initial stages the Alap consists of slow movements without a definite rhythm. This is also called Anibaddha or Vilambit Alap. The movement is leisurely and meditative giving scope to the musician to explore the various aspects of the Raga and to lay the foundation of the message he wants to convey.

Dagar Brothers – Vocal – Raga Darbari Kanada

Vilayat Khan – Sitar – Raga Darbari Kanada

Alap – Nibaddha

In the vocal music, the second part of the Alap is Nibaddha or rhythm-bound. Here the first hint of rhythm is introduced without a percussion instrument and the movement gains speed up to the medium tempo.

Dagar brothers – Vocal – Raga Darbari Kanada [ mentioned above]

Jod:

In instrumental music the rhythm-bound part of the Alap is called Jod, the name having originated from the sense of “joining” the slow Alap with the final percussion-accompanied part. In vocal music, the Nibaddha Alap is considered parallel or equivalent to Jod of instrumental music.

The Jod starts at medium speed and can go up to faster tempos. But the movement is as yet comparatively simple without the complexity or variations that come in the later part of the composition.

Vilayat Khan – Sitar- Raga Darbari Kanada [ mentioned above]

Jhala:

This is the fastest rhythmic section and the finale in Alap. The term Jhala is however applicable mainly to instruments wherein, against a background of fast pluckings of some special strings (called Jhala or more correctly Chikari strings), the principal phrases of the Raga and their elaborations are presented.

Vilayat Khan – Sitar – Raga Darbari Kanada [ mentioned above]

Tarana:

In vocal music, the pluckings of Chikari strings are substituted by fast uttering of suitable syllables or mnemonics such as “Toon Tanananana…” etc.

Dagar Brothers – Vocal – Raga Darbari Kanada [ mentioned above]

Ladant:

This is a special passage for instruments belonging to the Rabab family, like Rabab, Sursingar, Sarod etc. Here the presentation is akin to the Jhala but the pluckings of the Chikari strings are replaced with quick pluckings of the Sa string.

Protyush Banerjee – Sarod – Raga Jaunpuri

Laya:

On completion of the Alap, (including Jod and Jhala for the instrumentalist) the musician now takes up the Nibaddha or rhythm-bound movement in accompaniment with a percussion instrument. Here the question of tempo or Laya naturally arises.

The simple meaning of this word is ‘pace’ or ‘tempo’, this being the speed at which the beats or Matras of the percussion instrument proceed. In a more general sense Laya can also refer to the pace of the musical rendering, even without the percus sion accompaniment.

Vilambit :

When, with the percussion accompaniment, the structured rhythm or Tala is first introduced, the composition has generally a very slow gait or tempo. This is known as Vilambit which means ‘slow’.

Bhimsen Joshi – Vocal – Raga Puriya [ mentioned above, search youtube for verity ]

Nikhil Banerjee – Sitar- Raga Malkauns [ mentioned above, search youtube for verity ]

Madhyalaya :

The musician then passes on to a somewhat faster tempo.

This is known as Madhyalaya or the ‘intermediate pace’. Some compositions in our music are so fashioned that they are played only in Madhyalaya and their beauty does not reveal itself in other speeds or Layas.

Bhimsen Joshi – Vocal – Raga Puriya [ mentioned above, search youtube for verity ]

Amjad Ali Khan – Sarod – Raga Malkauns [ mentioned above, search youtube for verity ]

Drut:

The musician gradually builds up the tempo and comes to very quick rhythmic patterns. This is known as Drut which means ‘fast’. Here the musician expresses his joy in the Raga through its rhythmic play.

Bade Ghulam Ali Khan – Vocal – Raga Adana [ Search youtube for verity ]

Amjad Ali Khan – Sarod – Raga Malkauns. [ Search youtube for verity ]

We must also remember that all compositions cannot be

played in all three tempos and each Laya Vilambit, Madhyalaya and Drut – is associated with different types of compositions.

Bandish:

After the Alap, the vocalists may take up either the Dhrupad or the Khayal forms of elaboration.

Sthayee – Mukh – Mukharha :

In all these progressions there are some fixed and pre-mediated patterns to which the artist returns again and again in order to delineate the Raga. This is known as the Sthayee which means ‘stable’. Colloquially it is also known as Mukh.

The Sthayee is generally confined to the middle octave.

It can reach down to the upper half of the lower octave and up to the top tonic or Sa but never settle there. The Sthayee is an essential part of the Raga elaboration in Dhrupad, Khayal and also on instruments.

Phalguni Mitra – Vocal – Raga Bhairav [ Search youtube for verity ]

Vilayat Khan – Sitar- Raga Darbari Kanada [ Search youtube for verity ]

Sanchari:

The term means ‘circulatory’ and is again a precomposed part travelling around the middle octave and a good part of the lower octave, also touching the top Sa but coming back. This part pertains only to Dhrupad.

Phalguni Mitra – Vocal – Raga Bhairav

Antara :

After establishing the Sthayee, the musician passes on to the next precomposed part which settles down on the higher tonic and uses notes beyond it. This part is known as the Antara. It is an essential part of Dhrupad, Khayal forms and also of instrumental music.

Phalguni Mitra – Vocal – Raga Bhairav [ Search youtube for verity ]

Vilayat Khan – Sitar – Raga Yaman [ Search youtube for verity ]

Abhog:

This too is a precomposed section, very similar to the Antara. sometimes appearing to be almost a replica of it. It starts generally from the 4th or the 5th note (Ma or Pa) of the middle octave and goes up to the corresponding notes of the upper octave. The term Abhog is said to have originated from the word Bhog which means ‘enjoyment. Hence this is a part which has relatively more sprightly movements.

Abhog like Sanchari forms part of the Dhrupad form only.

Phalguni Mitra Vocal Raga Bhairav

Vistar:

In the Khayal form also we have Sthayee and Antara. This followed by Vistar which means ‘spreading out’. this section, the vocalist elaborates the outline of the Raga with various phrases ranging from short to long and slow and medium of progression.

In Khayal singing the elaborate slow vilambit has been almost totally Vistar. Most of the Gharanas, except the Agra and the Agra-Atrauli Gharanas, do not sing Alap but replace with it with Vistar

Bhimsen Joshi – Vocal – Raga Puriya

Manjha :

İş In instrumental music, between the Sthayee and Antara, part is often played called Manjha, meaning the middle portion”, which is virtually an extension of the Sthayee. Its area of movement or range is the same as that of the Sthayee.

Bandish Cheez:

Bandish ‘bound’ refers the part composition. precomposed portion, Sthayee-Antara-Sanchari-Abhog Dhrupad, Sthayee-Antara in Khayal Sthayee-Antara-Manjha instrumental music can termed as a Bandish. But Bandish has some special significance in that just any and every composition may not be accepted as a Bandish.

The compositions which project the Raga in a comprehensive and beautiful manner or have some outstanding structural speciality are called Bandish. With the help of the Bandish the musician ties down and defines the broad outline of the Raga, which he then fills in with his own creativity and message. The Bandishes can also consist of very brief phrases and sections of music.

Amir Khan – Vocal – Raga Lalit

Buddhadev Dasgupta – Sarod – Raga Desh

Improvisations :

Now we come to the section of “improvisations”.

The Dhrupad singer, after traversing the sections of Sthayee, Antara, Sanchari and Abhog, now enters the domain of improvisations.

Layakari :

This comprises the uttering of the lines of the lyric at twice the basic speed of the beats (Do-goon), thrice (Teen-goon), four times (Char-goon), five times (Panch-goon) and so on. The lines may be repeated in part or whole, building up an impromptu passage and coming back in an interesting and spectacular manner to the Sthayee. Layakari may also be more complicated such as one-and-a-half times the basic speed or one-and-a-quarter times and so on. There can be a certain ele ment of playfulness in Layakari.

Shubha Mudgal- Vocal Raga Bihag

Taan:

These are improvisations through which the musician weaves extempore patterns while obeying the rules of the Raga and preserving the Raga picture. They are sung or played at moderate and quick speeds, expanding the basic melody. Taans constitute an area where the artiste’s creativity and acumen for impromptu composing get a free play. In vocal music the Taans are often sung with vowels only, generally using “aa”. There are various types of Taans discussed in chapter three.

Amir Khan Vocal – Raga Marwa

Buddhadev Dasgupta – Sarod – Raga Desh

Sargam:

When in singing Taans, the musician pronounces the name of each note that he sings, it is called a Sargam. The term is derived from the names of the first four notes of the octave. Sa, Re, Ga, Ma in succession.

Amir Khan – Vocal – Raga Marwa

Jhala :

The string instrumentalist ends his concert with a breathtaking and fast Jhala, which is the final section and climax of his piece. Here the melodic patterns are woven with fast rhythmical pluckings of the secondary strings. According to some, this is the closest that Indian Classical music gets to the harmonic structures.

Vilayat Khan – Sitar – Raga Yaman

Tarana :

Just as the instrumentalist ends his concert with a Jhala, so also the vocalist often ends with a Tarana or fast and complex vocalised rhythmical bols set to the Raga being sung. Here the lyrics or words are not used, but are replaced by syllables simu lating the pluckings of string instruments such as “ta na dir dir tom”, fragments of words like “odani, tadani, dinna”, and also actual percussion syllables and patterns like “dha kit tak, dhum kit tak taknam” etc.

Amir Khan – Vocal – Raga Hansdhwani

Gat:

Gat comes from the word Gati meaning ‘movement’. In instrumental music, the section with percussion accompaniment is sometimes termed as Gat, which comprises Sthayee, Antara, Vistar, Taans as in Khayal singing, and finally Jhala.

Gat is very often also the name given to the theme or main composition.

Vilayat Khan – Sitar – Raga Yaman

Read More on Indian Classical Music :

• The Techniques and Graces of a Raga : Indian Classical Music