by Elliot Cole for [Michael Harrison's Raga Class](https://www.artslettersandnumbers.com/indian-ragas-with-michael-harrison) last updated 2025-01-13 # Background ## History The core idea in Indian music – a raga, sung in a tala (rhythmic cycle) – is described in treatises as far back as the 3rd century CE, and is probably older. Hindustani (North Indian) music diverges from Carnatic (South Indian) music around the 12th century, when North Indian music was influenced by Turkish and Persian music, Sufism and Islam. Musician and poet **Amir Khusro** (1253-1325) is credited with bringing much of this influence. He established many elements of this early syncretic style: *Qawwali*, a devotional style still very popular today, the *Tarana*, a genre of song we often sing, and the invention of the sitar and other instruments. The Hindustani Classical style flourished in the 16th century. The Mughal empire ruled most of the Indian subcontinent, furthering the influence of Islam and Persian culture and funding a flowering of the arts. Various regional courts supported different *gharanas* or family-schools of musicians. Of these, **Mian Tansen** (c. 1493-1589) stands out. He became court singer for Mughal Emperor Akbar, and many ragas and compositions that we will learn were created by him. *References:* [Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hindustani_classical_music) [[Legendary Figures Amir Khusrau and Gopal Nayak, Hindustani pioneers]] ## Kirana Gharana Michael's raga comes to us through the Kirana Gharana. A *gharana* is a style or school, a lineage of apprenticeship, often centered around a family. The **Kirana Gharana** trace their line back to **Gopal Nayak**, companion and competitor of Amir Khusro back in the early 14th century. They coalesced in the 19th century around *rudra veena* player **Bande Ali Khan**, and then singers **Abdul Karim Khan** and **Abdul Wahid Khan** in the early 20th century. Most of the music we are learning was passed down to us through **Abdul Wahid Khan** (1871–1949), known as the 'Crown of All Musicians'. He taught **Pandit Pran Nath**, who came to America in 1970 and influenced a generation of musicians. Pran Nath, and Pran Nath's disciples **La Monte Young** and **Terry Riley**, were Michael Harrison's gurus beginning in 1978. After Pran Nath's passing in 1996, Michael became a disciple of **Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan**, who, like Pran Nath, received the music of Abdul Wahid Khan, only through his father, sarangi player **Ustad Shakoor Khan**. Abdul Wahid Khan, then, is the central source of our lineage coming from two direct paths: Pandit Pran Nath and Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan. Features of the Kirana gharana: - great emphasis on proper intonation and emotionality - slow tempos, introspective and meditative - use of silence and restraint - structurally intricate sargam taans, an influence from Carnatic (South Indian) music - preference for deep ragas: Todi, Lalit, Multani, Patdeep, Puriya, Marwa, Darbari, Yaman... ![[gurujiPHOTO.jpg|floatR]] > Pandit Pran Nath at Mills College ![[Abdul Wahid Khan.png]] > Abdul Wahid Khan **References** [Rose Okada's Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan Bio at Kirana West](http://www.kiranawest.com/abmianpage.htm) [Rose Okada's Pandit Pran Nath Bio at Kirana West](http://www.kiranawest.com/panditpage.htm) [Lord of the Drone: Pandit Pran Nath and the American Underground](https://www.bidoun.org/articles/lord-of-the-drone) [The Kirana Legacy by Sheila Dhar](https://www.mashkooralikhan.com/?page_id=8) ### Artists to listen to: There is a wealth of Hindustani music on YouTube. Here are Michael's recommended artists: Kirana gharana vocalists: - [Abdul Wahid Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Wahid_Khan) - [Abdul Karim Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abdul_Karim_Khan) - [Sawai Gandharva](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sawai_Gandharva) - [Sureshbabu Mane](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sureshbabu_Mane) - [Hirabai Barodekar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hirabai_Barodekar) - [Gangubai Hangal](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gangubai_Hangal) - [Bhimsen Joshi](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhimsen_Joshi) - [Roshanara Begum](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roshanara_Begum) - [Prabha Atre](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prabha_Atre) - [Pran Nath](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pran_Nath_(musician)), Khayal vocalists from other gharanas: - [Rashid Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rashid_Khan_(musician))  - [Amir Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amir_Khan_(singer)) - [Bade Ghulam Ali Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bade_Ghulam_Ali_Khan) - [Kishori Amonkar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kishori_Amonkar) Instrumentalists: - Sitar - [Vilayat Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vilayat_Khan)  - [Ravi Shankar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ravi_Shankar) - [Nikhil Banerjee](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nikhil_Banerjee) - [Shahid Parvez](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shahid_Parvez) - Rudra Vina (dhrupad) - [Zia Mohiuddin Dagar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zia_Mohiuddin_Dagar) - [Bahauddin Dagar](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bahauddin_Dagar) - Bansuri (bamboo flute) - [Hariprasad Chaurasia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hariprasad_Chaurasia) - [G.S. Sachdev](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/G._S._Sachdev) - Santoor: - [Shivkumar Sharma](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shivkumar_Sharma) ## Music as a Spiritual Practice Pandit Pran Nath exemplifies for Michael an older tradition that is being lost: the tradition of approaching music as a spiritual practice. Musician and Sufi teacher **Hazrat Inayet Khan** (1882-1927) is an important source for this perspective, and a touchstone for our classes. From [Hazrat Inayet Khan](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inayat_Khan): *The Mysticism of Sound and Music.* "Before the world was, all was in sound, God was sound, we are made of sound. That is why we like music. That is why you are listening to it, because it is your element." (24) "Music is not an amusement or only for entertainment. It is something more than that. Music... is the food of his soul." (63) "If one can focus one's heart on music, it is just like heating something which was frozen. The heart comes to its natural condition, and the rhythm regulates the beating of the heart which helps to restore health of body, mind and soul, and brings them to their proper tone. The joy of life depends on the perfect tuning of mind and soul." (64-65) "Music, besides power, is intoxication. When it intoxicates those who hear it, how much more must it intoxicate those who play or sing it themselves!" (5) "Our sages developed music from time immemorial for the mind to take shelter in that pure being which stands apart as one's true self. Real music is not for wealth, not for honors or not even for the joys of the mind – it is one kind of yoga, a path for realization and salvation to purify your mind and heart and give you longevity." _— Ustad Ali Akbar Khan_ (b.1922) ## Styles of Hindustani Music There are many styles, including - *Dhrupad* (older devotional style) - *Thumri* (semi-Classical, ie. not strictly in one raga, romantic songs) - *Qawwali* (Sufi devotional songs), - *Bhajan* (Hindu devotional songs) - *Ghazal* (Persian romance songs) - *Khayal* Our lineage sings the *Khayal* style. Khayal emerged from *Dhrupad* around the 14th century. *Khayal* means 'imagination.' It features songs called *bandishes* as structures for expansive improvisation. This improvisation is the heart of the music. Unlike Western Classical music, where notated compositions determine every note and rhythm, *Khayal* puts the inspiration of the individual performer in the center. # Elements ## Drone We sing with a drone created by the *tamboura* (or *tampura*). It has four strings that are plucked in series to create a steady buzzing tone that anchors the tonality of the music. You can see it in the photos above. **It is essential that we practice with this sound.** We all use **iTablaPro**, a great iPhone application, and recommend that everyone buy it. In addition to the tamboura drone, it is also a tabla drum accompaniment. There are presets for all the ragas we study. There are also tamboura recordings on YouTube. Hazrat Inayet Khan: "When one hears an artist, a singer of Hindu music, the first thing he does is to tune is *tampura* to give one chord, and while he tunes his *tampura* he tunes his own soul. This has such an influence on his hearers that they can wait patiently for fifteen minutes. Once he finds that he is in tune with his instrument, with that note, his soul, mind and body all seem to be one with the instrument... By that time he has concentrated; by that time he has attuned himself to all who are there. Not only has he tuned the instrument, but he has felt the need of every soul in the audience, and the demands of their souls - what they want at that time. Perhaps not every musician can do this, but the best can. They he synthesizes and it all comes automatically. As he begins his song, it seems that it touches every person in the audience, for it is an answer to the demands of the souls who are sitting there. He has not made a programme for the music beforehand; he does not know what he will sing next. But every moment he is inspired to sing a certain song, or to play a certain mode, he becomes an instrument of the whole cosmic system, open to all inspiration that comes, at one with his audience, in tune with the chord of the *tampura.* And it is not only music that he gives to the people, but a phenomenon in itself." (The Mysticism of Sound and Music, 64). ## Sargam *Sargam* is the system of syllables naming the 7 notes of a scale. Learning these syllables is essential. They are: Sa - Re - Ga - Ma - Pa - Dha - Ni - Sa Practice saying these syllables in order until it is second nature. Also practice descending order: Sa - Ni - Dha - Pa - Ma - Ga - Re - Sa The full names of each note are: - Shadja - Rishabh - Gandhar - Madhyam - Pancham - Dhaivat - Nishad ## The Swara System *Swara* refers to the pitches of a raga. Like Western music, there are 7 scale degrees between each octave, as named in sargam. Different scales are created by altering the position of those 7 notes. A natural note is called *shuddha*, a lowered note is *komal*, and a raised note is *tivra*. Every note has one or two possible positions. - Sa is always just Sa. (Say we are starting on C: Sa is C). - Re can be *komal* or *shuddha* (Db or D) - Ga can be *komal* or *shuddha* (Eb or E) - Ma can be *shuddh* or *tivra* (F or F#) - Pa is always just Pa (G). - Dha can be *komal* or *shuddha* (Ab or A). - Ni can be *komal* or *shuddha* (Bb or B). All together there are 12 possible swaras in a scale (just like Western music). (It is often said that Indian music uses a 22 tone system. This is an attempt to classify all the shades of tuning that can be perceived of the 12 notes. It is not a '22-note scale' in the sense of 22 separate steps within in a octave.) ## Intonation The precise placement of the notes *(shruti)* is not the same as on a Western piano. The notes that we find when we are singing with a drone are **more in tune** than a piano. Traditionally, each raga often has one or two specially-tuned notes that are used in that raga only, which your teacher teaches you. Looking to understand Indian intuitions about tuning, Western musicians have explored **Just Intonation**. Just Intonation refers to tuning based on natural resonance of the [harmonic series](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harmonic_series_(music)), and it seems to explain how notes are frequently tuned in Indian music. Michael created a tuning for the piano that works well for ragas. In it, the relationships between all the notes are created by two simple ratios: 3:2 (the perfect fifth), and 5:4 (the perfect major third). This is the tuning we use in class. ![[Harrison Ragas JI tuning chart.png]] Here is a chart of each note, the ratio relationship to C, and the cents difference from equal temperament (Western standard tuning), rounded to integers: | Note | Ratio | Cents Difference | | ---- | ------- | ---------------- | | C | 1:1 | | | Db | 256:243 | -10 | | D | 9:8 | +4 | | Eb | 32:27 | -6 | | E | 5:4 | -14 | | F | 4:3 | -2 | | F# | 45:32 | -10 | | G | 3:2 | +2 | | Ab | 128:81 | -8 | | A | 5:3 | -16 | | Bb | 16:9 | -4 | | B | 15:8 | -12 | | C | 2:1 | | ## Finding your Sa Each singer sings with a Sa at a pitch that suits them best. A common Sa for men is C or C#, for women A and A#. You should find the Sa that allows you to comfortably sing the music. Experiment with different notes for Sa, and see if you can sing down to Pa and up to the high Ga or Ma. The range of this music rarely exceeds that. ## Sargam notation This is an oral tradition, so we learn as much as we can by ear and by memory. But after we have learned by ear, it is helpful to write down what we have learned so we can return to it in the future. Sargam is written in single letters, S R G M P D N S. - The low octave is written with a dot below each *swara*. - The high octave is written with a dot above each *swara*. - *Komal* (flat) notes are signified with a horizontal line below. - **Tivra Ma** is signified with a vertical line above. Example: the full raga **Nat Bhairav**, across the entire singing range, is: ![[sargam-notation-example.png]] **Tivra Ma** looks like this: <span class="sargam">M`</span> Online you'll see another convention that doesn't require special font characters. The dots below or above are often written with an apostrophe before or after: 'P S'. The *komal* notes can be written in lowercase. **Shuddha Ma** is also lowercase, and **Tivra Ma** uppercase. This is the same **Nat Bhairav** across the full singing range: 'P 'd 'N S R G m P d N S' R' G' M' If you want to type the dots and lines, you can try my font [Lato-Sargam](https://bit.ly/lato-sargam-v1). It is important to write things down in the correct rhythmic place. A grid is useful. Michael has a template to print out for handwritten notation. I use a spreadsheet. ![[sargam-notation-spreadsheet-example.png]] ## Raga *Raga* is the central tonal organization of this music. A raga is a melodic archetype. It is like a scale but is more specific, more determined: a raga has key phrases, characteristic endings and ornaments, and things that are forbidden. Some combinations of notes are very common, and some combinations are not. Each note in a raga has its own character, feeling and behavior, manner of approach and departure. These give the raga its specific identity. "_Raga_ is living soul, raga means living souls (invoking a spiritual being) and ragas have a morning to next morning cycle (i.e. each raga is sung at a specific time of day). _Raga_ is always in between the notes and the breath is (like) a raga-moving. Every breath has a different feeling." _— Faquir Pandit Pran Nath_ (1918 -1996) A raga reminds me of a yoga pose. From the outside it is a static shape, but from the inside - moving into it yourself - it is a journey that can feel new every time, if you pay attention to all of the sensations and ask: where is the stretch, where is the ease, where are the lines of energy and flow? How does it feel in my body today? It is the same in a raga. Every note has its own flavor - sour, sweet, cool, warm. Some will be important destinations, places to rest, and some will be fleeting passageways. We learn these subtleties through call-and-response with our teacher. Ragas have history and lore. Most ragas are associated with a specific time of day, and 'work best' when sung then. Some are associated with seasons. Some are associated with legendary musicians of the past, or regions of the country, or gods and goddesses. Ragas are classified into a **Thaat** - a system of parent scales. Raga is also written *raag*. Raga is the older Sanskrit form, raag the modern Hindi. They are used interchangeably. ### Ascent and Descent Some ragas have different forms depending on whether you are going up or going down. - **Arohana** (or Aroh) is the **ascending form** of the raga, used when going up. - **Avarohana** (or Avroh) is the **descending form**. The rule for whether to use the ascending or descending form is this: if there is a note that only appears in the descending form, you can rise to it, but you must descend from it. ### Vadi and Samvadi - **Vadi** is the most important note. - **Samvadi** is the second most important note. > "Every vadi needs samvadi" - La Monte Young ### Resources - [RagaJunglism.org](https://ragajunglism.org/ragas/about/) is a very useful catalog of ragas with information, example recordings, terminology and more. ## Tala A *tala* or *taal* refers to the time cycle that is played by the tabla and observed by all musicians. Each composition we learn is set in a specific taal, and you can practice to it with your iTabla app. When we learn a composition, it is important to learn which beat it begins on. **Sam** (pronounced 'sum') is the **first beat** of a *tala* cycle. Two of the most common *thekas* (tabla patterns) we sing to are: #### Teental | **1** | **2** | **3** | **4** | **5** | **6** | **7** | **8** | **9** | **10** | **11** | **12** | **13** | **14** | **15** | **16** | | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ----- | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ | ------ | | Dha | Dhin | Dhin | Dha | Dha | Dhin | Dhin | Da | Dha | Tin | Tin | Ta | Ta | Dhin | Dhin | Dha | #### Ektaal | **1** | 2 | **3** | 4 | **5** | 6 | **7** | 8 | **9** | 10 | **11** | 12 | | ----- | ---- | ----- | -------- | ----- | --- | ----- | --- | ----- | -------- | ------ | --- | | Dhin | Dhin | DhaGe | Tirakita | Tun | Na | Kat | Ta | DhaGe | Tirakita | Dhin | Na | ## Alap *Alap* is a slow improvisation in a raga with no text and no *taal* (no steady pulse). It is an introduction to a song or a concert. It can be short, a few phrases long, or it can be a half hour or longer. Our *gharana* favors long, meditative *alaps*. At least half of each class with Michael is usually dedicated to *alap*. While the music is improvised, it follows a set trajectory. First the low notes are explored, and gradually higher notes are introduced one by one. The arrival on the high Sa is the culmination of the trajectory. *Alap* is usually sung on the vowel 'aa.' This is called *aakar*. Occasionally other vowels appear. *Alap* development also can happen over a pulse: In *Dhrupad* style, the parent of *Khayal*, and often in instrumental music, the alap is divided into 3 parts: - **Alap** - no pulse - **Jor** - slow pulse - **Jhala** - faster pulse In *Khayal* concerts, the structure is usually: - **Alap** - no pulse. Short. - **Bada Khayal** - long *bandish* improvisation over slow tempo following an *alap* shape. - **Chota Khayal** - faster songs. ## Song Forms We learn two types of songs. There are 1. *Bandishes*, which are songs with text. (It is related to the word bind - the binding together of words and music). The lyrics may be in Hindi, Sanskrit, Farsi, Urdu, and a variety of other dialects, primarily Braj Bhasha. I ask our teacher Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan "what language is this song" and he often laughs and says only, "village language." 2. *Taranas* are special type of *bandish* that uses musical syllables instead of words - ta nom dira dira ta da re ta..., tabla bols, and also sometimes text.[^1] ## Structure of a Bandish or Tarana There are always two parts. - **Asthayi** or **Sthayi**- the main material, usually a few lines long, that is repeated most often. - **Antara** - a second part, always in the higher range, used for contrast and climax. In a raga performance, a bandish is the structure for an improvisation: - *Asthayi* to establish the song, which can be repeated. Maybe also the *antara.* - Improvisation, including fast phrases (*taans*) that lead into a *mukhra*, a 'hook', an abbreviated reference to the Asthayi (usually the first few beats). - *Taans* are sung in *sargam*, or *aakar*, or with words from the *bandish* (*bol-taans*) - The *antara* may appear often, once, or not at all. Or a singer may sing just its first line amid improvisations. - While the *antara* may have lines that repeat - the last line always leads immediately back to the *asthayi*. ## Structure of a full presentation of a Raga Most vocal performances follow a common path: - Alap - Bada Khayal - a vilambit (slow) bandish, with much improvisation - Chota Khayal - a madhya lay (medium) or dhrut (fast) bandish, with much improvisation. Together these form a complete presentation of a raga. The Alap and Bada Khayal may take most of the time, with the Chota Khayal coming just at the end. This can be an entire concert, or a concert can feature a few ragas. Our studies with Michael focus on Alap and Chota Khayal. ## A few notes about pronunciation 1. **a** vs. **aa** There are two A vowels, one wide and long - as in 'father', and one short and closed, like 'about.' Often these are spelled distinctly as **a** and **aa**. But transliteration conventions are inconsistent. For example, the word **raga** has both vowels - **raaga** is more correct. The *swara* **Sa** is the only *swara* with the **aa** vowel. **Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha** all use the **a** vowel. 2. The Inherent **(a)** There are no consonants separate from vowels. Words that end with a consonant have an implied (a) vowel after. This (a) vowel is more closed than either **a** discussed above. We hear this as adding an invisible syllable to many words. For example, this line: **Nish din so bhat palak na kholat** is sung: **Nish(a) din so bhat(a) palak(a) na kholat(a)** Sometimes I hear Ustad Mashkoor Ali Khan end words with **e** (as in hey) as well. Here is a more complete [Guide to the Pronunciation of Indian Music Terms](https://www.ism.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/Guide-to-the-pronunciation-of-Indian-music-terms.pdf) ## Taans *Taans* are fast, flowing phrases used in improvisations. We learn them from our teachers, practice them a lot, and gradually learn to write and improvise them on our own. When improvising, the game is to sing phrases that lead to the *mukhra* at exactly the right time. For example, if the *mukhra* begins on beat 11, we try to improvise all the way up to beat 10 and go right into it at 11. That way we land the right word on *sam*, which can be very satisfying. ## Paltas *Paltas* are note patterns used for practicing a raga and improving our voice. For example if the raga is: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 A *palta* would take a short figure: 1 - 2 - 3 And repeat it moving up the entire raga: 1 2 3 / 2 3 4 / 3 4 5 / 4 5 6 / 5 6 7 / 6 7 8 and then back down 8 7 6 / 7 6 5 / 6 5 4 / 5 4 3 We will learn some traditional *paltas* in class, but it's easy to make your own. ## Alankar (Ornaments) Melodic ornaments frequently decorate this music. Collectively they are called *Alankar*. The most common that I hear in our *gharana* are: - *Meend* - long glides between notes - *Gamak* - a kind of 'bounce' heard in repeated notes and fast taans. - REPEATED NOTES have a grace note - *Andolan* - slow, narrow oscillation around certain notes - *Kan* - grace notes, very small notes approaching an important note (sometimes written in parentheses, or subscript) - *Murki* - a fast enclosure (the note below, then above) approaching an important note. For example, **Ma** in **Ahir Bhairav** frequently is sung twice, with *murki* between: M (GP)M ## Laya (Tempo) - *Vilambit* - slow tempo - *Madhya* - medium tempo - *Drut* - fast tempo There is also *ati-ati-vilambit* (very, very slow, 10-20 bpm), which is an important innovation of **Ustad Abdul Wahid Khan**. To perform this, each beat of the *taal* is subdivided into 4 beats - so a 12 beat cycle becomes a 48 beat cycle. ## Riyaz *Riyaz* is your practice session. Michael's classes model a good *riyaz*: a long *alap* to warm up, then work on specific compositions, *taans*, and improvisation. If you don't know what to practice, it's always good to go back to the recording and just take class again. Other elements of *riyaz* can include: - *Kharaj* practice: long tones gradually getting lower and lower until you find the bottom of your range. This is great for developing stability and relaxation. - *Paltas* in the major scale (all natural notes) or in the raga. - *Aakar* - singing everything on 'aa'. It's important to find the right emotion for the raga. Create a good practice space with a good mood, good lighting. Here are some things to think about regarding vocal technique in *riyaz:* - Posture is the foundation. It is traditional to sit on the floor with a straight back and face straight ahead. But I find good technique is sometimes easier to find in a chair, sitting on the edge with feet flat. - Relaxation is crucial. You can put a hand on your jaw and your neck to check for tension. If you are tense, stop, breathe, relax, and try again. ## Some other terms that have come up in class | Term | Definition | | ------------ | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | | Achala Swar | fixed notes: Sa and Pa | | Vikrut Swar | movable notes: Re, Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni | | Muran | ornament in ascending scale - approach notes from above | | Duran | in descending scale - go up a note before going down a note | | Ans Gans | inhale / exhale - make the notes breathe, using muran/duran instead of straight scale | | Nyasa Swaras | Settling down notes - notes that can be used as ending notes | | Jeeva Swaras | Jeeva = life - the quintessential swaras which lend life to a raga | | Chalan | Route, path, way of going around in the raga | | Lehra | An ostinato accompaniment | # Resources [Rose Okada's articles on Kirana West](http://www.kiranawest.com/articles.htm) [QUAL Blog](http://qaul.blogspot.com) (wealth of information and examples) # Footnotes [^1]: Generally assumed to be 'meaningless' words, the Tarana syllables [have been shown to have meanings](http://qaul.blogspot.com/2008/05/tarana-singing-ustad-amir-khan.html).