Ragas: Indian Classical Music

In this lecture, the most popular raga in Kalyana, Raga Yaman has been introduced. The basic introduction of Yaman involves Aaroh, Avroh, Pakad, Mukhyaang, Time of the raga, Vadi-Samvadi, Jaati, etc. For instance, Raga yaman starts with: n Re Ga instead of S R G....

Other Characteristics in Yaman:

• Ma is Teevr or raised
  
• Ga and Ni are the most important and used notes
  
• Aaroh leaves the Pa or 5th note and Avroh takes all the notes: n R G m D N SA// SA N D P m G R S
  
• It wanders in all octaves.
  
• Main phrases are : P R G, or P R S, or mPDP or mDNSA etc.

Again, this lecture introduces the raga Yaman in detail including the different elements of raga Parichay.

The best way to understand a raga is to notice the raga tunes into casual songs. Raga Yaman is the most popular raga and is found in around 90% percent of the Indian music, no matter it's Ghazal Bhajan, Indian Rap, folk song, Indian classical or recent Bollywood songs.

In this lecture, old LataJi songs and the recent Bollywood songs based on the Yaman tunes are explained in order to familiarize you with Raga Yaman more deeply by associating them with the other songs you know.

This video presents Swar Malika in Raga Yaman. Swar Malika or Sargam-Geet is the melodic representation of a raga which is a rhythmic composition or song only in Swaras without words, to incorporate better retention of a raga among the beginners. Swar-Malika is also called Taal-Baddha-Sargam (Sargam with Tala).

This lecture includes the Aalap in Raga Yaman. If you have gone through my previous/beginner course, you might be knowing the definition of Aalap. Aalaap is a slow improvisation taking the raga notes, which is an important element in Raga music. Aalap exhibits the personality of the raga and form an impression on the listener of how the raga is going to be. Aalap carries all the attributes of the ragas like note-structure, nature, stressed and sustained notes, ornamentation and presents the raga as it is. However, aalaap is performer's own and extempore creation, but in this lecture, aalap has been written for students to understand the syntax of the raga.

This lecture demonstrate the STHAYEE of a bandish is created in Raga Yaman. As we discussed in the previous course, Bandish is a mirror of a raga which exhibits the nature, structure and overall persona of a raga. A bandish is a composition or song or piece in a raga, which has two parts: Sthayee and Antara. Sthayee is the first part which can be called rephrase. Antara means stanza. This Bandish in Raga Yaman is created in Teentala and starts from the ninth beat as we have done many bandish in the ragas.

Raga Yaman - Bandish Teentala

Sthayee: Piya Ki Nazariya jaadu bhari, Moh liyo man prem bhari

In this lecture, the sthayee of the bandish is discussed and vocalized in detail with beats and correct rhythm.

Bol Baant is an element which is used to improvise or elaborate a bandish. After singing a full bandish, a performer starts improvising the bandish, with badhat, Behlawa, or Bol-Baant, vocalizing the raga notes, in swar, Aakar or with the help of the bandish words simultaneously and in extempore.

Badhat means elaborating the bandish with the help of the swaras and gravitating often on the SAM (First beat of the tala). Similarly, Bol-baant implies to the rhythmic swara-improvisation with the lyrics (Bols). The rhythmic swara-pattern and returning to the sam gives an awesome effect and adds on to the raga-performance.

A bandish can never be completed without the tanas, Taans are the fast improvisation followed by returning to sam or bandish. Tanas are never written or planned and is performer's own random impromptu creation.

But in this lecture, organized taans have been vocalized to give an idea on how the tanas are sung in the bandish. Taanas can be in faster or superfast laya (Tempo) and lengthier according to the performer's capability.

Raga Bhoopali is a pentatonic raga, having only five notes. Omitting Ma and Ni, it is a tranquil soft melody that fills up a new life force in the environment with the dominant Gandhar strengthened by the Swayambhu Gandhar (Consonent longitudinal vibrations) from the Kharja tonic of the drone (Tanpura). This Raag belongs to Kalyan Thaat. This Raag is also known as Raag Bhoop.  In South Indian music, this is referred to as Mohanam.

This lecture teaches about the aalap is initiated or how Raga bhoopali  is developed and improvised through its notes-structure. Aalap is the slow development of a raga which represents the overall persona of the particular raga.

This lecture provides an overview of the association of the popular film songs from Raga Bhupali. Identifying any raga and its notes by casual film songs helps largely in familiarizing with raga more easily.

Some of the popular songs from Raga Bhupali are:

• Sayonara Sayonara
  
• Dekha ek Khwaab to ye silsile Hue
  
• Lagi tumse man ki Lagan
• Chanda Hai tu

This video provides the Swar - Malika or the Swar Melody composed in Raga Bhupali in teentala.

In this lecture, a very beautiful Bhupali bandish sthayee is introduced which is composed by a veteran exponent, legend composer and a vocalist Pt. Ramashrey Jha (Ramrang). 'Ramrang' is his pen name which you will see quoted in the antara's last line. This bandish offers a splendid description of the beauty and grandeur of Lord Shiva. The bandish garnishes a masculine touch through its three-dimensional taan-oriented note-structure and mandra saptak intonation.

Words of the Bandish Sthayee is:

Har Har Mahadev

Eesh Eeshani Akhileshwar

Aghar panchanan Tripurari 

This lecture takes you further vocalizing the second part of the bandish that is antara. The antara is:

Vaahan Bail Vasan Baaghaambar

Vyaal Maal Gal Dhari

'Ramrang'  Sir gang bal chakradhaari

In this lecture, same Antara has been described and offered with beats or Teentala.

This lecture provides the guidance of taanas or the fast development of notes in this raga. The taans are an essential element for practicing the fast rhythmic note-phrases. 

Hansadhwani is a very auspicios Pentatonic raga, very popular and is prevalent in both carnatic and hindusthani music. An audavaraga derived from 29th mela Dhirasankarabharanam. This raga is believed to be invented by Ramaswamy Dikshithar, father of Muthuswamy(Mudduswamy) Dikshitar.

Arohana and Avarohana which sets the swaras and swara stanas of any particular raga. For Hansadhwani, the Arohana and Avarohana of this raga are as follows:

Arohana: s r g p n s [s r(sgri) g p n s(s^ns^)]

Avarohana: s n p g r s [s n(sn) p g(pg) r(grg) s(rss)]

This lecture demonstrates the sthayee (First part) of the Bandish in Raga Hansdhwani. The bandish instructed here is the most populous one in Raga Hansdhwani, which is based on Lord Shiva theme. The meaning refers to the appraisal of Lord Shiva by his wife Bhagwati Parvati. The Bandish sthayee is:

Lagi Lagan Pati sakhi san

Param sukh Anandan

This lecture introduces the second part i.e, Antara of the same bandish. Antara is:

Aaye naye kaaman saghan man

Ang Sugandhan chandan maathe tilak dhare

Mriga Nain Anjan Pawan Te...

Amar ho nit pati Kaaj sukhan

In this lecture, simple 8-beats taanas, (fast note improvisation) are vocalized which starts from the Sam (first beat). Taan rendition is an essential element and is vocalized after completing the bandish, rhythmic intonations like bandish-aalap, bol-baant, behlava etc.

Raga Nand or Anandi or Nand-Kalyana is another captivating raga in the Kalyana group. The raga is very similar to Yaman but due to its softness and placidity. The raga goes unique when the phrase: G M Dh P R S is added in the Yaman-oriented notes. This melodic combination impresses instantly and without any difficulty creates its own unique mood. However, the Vakra movements in rendering result more in repetition and hence it can not be performed for longer duration and the effect is then lost. It is a very popular melody and was much in demand though its impression is not enduring (Long lasting).

The illustrative combinations of this melody which is also called Anandi are as follows;

S - SG m D P - G m P D - DN sP Ds MP - sG ms DP GR s S s Gm PD NR' R' - N s P s - Gm PD Ns Ps - PD PM DP Gm D P GR s S s

Famous song Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega from an old movie 'Mera saaya' is an excellent illustration to show the note-structure, temprament, Chalan, and nature of Raga Nand. This song is beautifully composed in the raga.

This lecture demonstrates the raga through this familiar song. The reason it is very well heard has to do with a very famous film song called “Tu Jahan Jahan Chalega” (translation: wherever you go…) from the Indian film Mera Sayaa (1966) (translation: My Shadow).

This lecture introduces a famous bandish in Raga Nand "ajhun na aaye shyaama" composed and written by an Agara Gharana (Agara music tradition) exponent Ustaad Vilayat Hussian Khan. In fact, this bandish is so popular and sung by all the vocalists that Raga nand and this bandish is associated heartily with each other. As stated by Dr. Parrikar, "Today it has a presence in virtually all vocal gharanas. Another early bandish – ajahun na aaye Shyam, bahuta dina beete – composed by Agrawale Vilayat Hussain Khan ‘Pranpiya’ also made quite a splash."

Bandish - Sthayee

Ajahun Na aaye Shyaam...Bahut Din Beetey

This lectures further introduces the second part that is Antara of the same bandish.

Bandish - Antara

Palkan Dagar Buhaarun Aur Magjharun

Jo Aaye mere Dhaam

In this lecture, fast rhythm notes that is Tanas are introduced and vocalized.

Kalyana thaat envelops another beautiful raga called Kedar which starts from Sa M P. It comprises of both the madhyama (shuddha M and teevra Ma). This lecture represents the introduction of Raga Kedar.

In this lecture, slow development i.e., Aalap of raga kedar phrases like: S M M P, mP, mPDPM R S, Aalap familiiarizes the raga in detail by manifesting its persona before the listeners, if vocalized properly with utter knowledge and aesthetics.

A raga can be understood more clearly if it's associated and identified through the casual movie songs. In this video, casual Hindi film songs, are composed in Raga Kedar are introduced.

This lecture introduces a Bandish in Raga Kedar: Here is a sthayee of the bandish which is explained without beats.

Sthayee: Bol Bol Mose Nand Kunwarava

Rasa bhari Batiyan Laage Madhur Tori

This lecture introduces the same sthayee formally with the beats which is created in Teentala (16 beats). The sthayee starts from the 9th beat which is Khali.

In this lecture, second part of the bandish, i.e., Antara is vocalized and explained, which again starts from the 9th beat.

Antara:

Subhag haath tori bansi shyaam si

Brijvasi Nirakhat nayan bhari

Nahi aghaat jaise bhook bhikhari

This lecture serves the revision of whatever has been covered throughout in this course.

This is last ection of the course in which you have to guess the ragas. You are requested not to read the answers before you analyze the ragas carefully.   Here are the answers of the pieces I have sung:

1. Raga Bhoopali 

Explanation: If you would have listened properly, there are no Ma and ni in the phrases. All the notes are natural in the phrases. The phrases were revoloving around GP DH P G P G R S R d S...

   2.  Raga Kedar

Explanation:  You might have noticed it started with S M M P and frequently the notes mPDPM shows up.

  3.    Raga Nand

Explanation: The frequent use of GMDHP RS has been vocalized. 

   4.   Raga Yaman

Started from NRG, the fast improvisations had Ma teevr in it.