Music can soothe even the beast, so goes an old saying. And there is immense truth in this. The type of music one listens to affects one's moods. And music does have a therapeutic value.

Astrologer and palmist Yaschpaule says:

"The right type of music calms the pulse, heightens the vision, and improves concentration. Music even exercises an influence over the human breath. And music affects the activity and secretion of the glands of the body."

Classical Tradition

The whole edifice of the Indian musical tradition rests on ragam (melody), and thalam (rhythm). Just as Western music has seven notes (do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti) to an octave, Indian music has sa- ri- ga- ma- pa- dha- ni. Except for sa and pa, each note allows two varieties - the lower and higher. With these 12 semitones one can make ragam by various combinations and build up mood patterns. Depending on what combinations of sharp or flat notes are used, each ragam can build up mood patterns - soothing, melancholic sprightly, aggressive, soporific; pathos, loneliness, heroism, eroticism, devotion etc.

A peculiar feature of Indian music is that each ragam is associated, according to its mood, with a particular time of day or night and a season. For instance, the Suruthi-Sensurithiragam is a morning ragam suitable between 10am and 12 noons. A song with this ragam is "Muruga yendralaikavaa, Muthukumara yendralaikavaa, Kantha...

The Mukari (12 noon - 2p.m.) finds expression in the song "Senthoor Muruganai sinthaiyilae kollu..." while the Natha Bhairavi (8p.m. - l0p.m.) rings in "Manangkaninthae Nee Arulpurivai, Thirumaal Maruga...."

"Oraru Mugamum, Erarukaramum theeratha vinai thannai thirkum" is in the Malaya Marutham ragam (2am - 6am).

Carnatic and Hindustani Music

Although Indian classical music can be divided into two categories - Carnatic and Hindustani - there is an amazing unity underlying both systems. Carnatic and Hindustani music have in fact been often described as two branches of the same tree. For instance, there are many ragam in Hindustani and Carnatic music, which have similar names and svara sequences or Arohanas and Avarohanas like Jinjoti, and Jenjuhuti , Jaijaiwanti and Dvijavanti, Kamaj and Kamash.

There have been many adoptions of Carnatic music by Hindustani musicians. The Hamsadhvani is an example. The famous Ravi Shankar has for instance inducted many Carnatic music ragam like Charukesi .

Origin of Indian Music

The origin of Indian classical music can be traced to 4,500 years ago when the ritualistic chanting of the Sama Veda began. The hymns of the Sama Vedas are the earliest examples of words set to music.

Mrs. Suseela Mistra, a music expert, says:

"Our earliest music embodies highly religious, philosophical, moral and ethical concepts. Music was a vehicle of worship and so naturally it was nurtured in the temples and other places of worship"

The Muslim Influence

With the coming of the Muslims around the 13th Century, momentous changes took place in the style, spirit and word-content of music in North India. The impact of the Muslim influence brought music out of the temples into the courts and chambers of royal families as well in North India. Some of the Muslim Moghul rulers, who loved music and helped it grow, enriched North Indian music by incorporating Persian elements into it. New melodies and new types of music like the Khayal, Thumri and Tarana we introduced so that by the 15th Century. Carnatic and Hindustani systems had evolved as two distinct streams of music both based on the ragam and the thalam.

Music in the South

However, South India continued to maintain the older and more traditional style. Its music remained confined chiefly to temples and religious occasions. In fact Carnatic music even to this day remains highly devotional. Thevaram compositions in Tamil are evidence of this.

To the Indian, the highest forms of art are always inextricably interwoven with the idea of God. The Goddess Saraswati carries the veena, Lord Shiva has the damaru and Sri Krishna with his pullangkulal (flute) is all testimony of this.

A Typical Carnatic Concert

Mrs. Mistra describes a typical Carnatic music katcheri:

"A Carnatic concert commences either with a Varnam or some Madhyama-kaala (medium speed) Kriti. Then follow a couple of kritis with some Raga Alapana, elaborations in the Charanam, and plenty of Kalpana Svara (spontaneously improvised) pieces. However, the main item of the concert is the Ragam- Thalam- Pallavi which is the true test of a musician's virtuosity and training. The Pallavi is usually set in a difficult slow tempo and it gives full scope for the singer's powers of improvisation. At the end of the Pallavi, the percussion accompanists such as the Mridangam, Ghatam, Ganjara and Morsing are given a few minutes for Thala-vadyam ensemble demonstration known as Tani Aavartanam. The violin accompanist usually knows all the kritis and so he really accompanies the singer. The last part of the katcheri generally consists of lighter classical or devotional songs, a Thillana or songs in delightful Desiga Ragam . The concert is then rounded off with the singing of a Mangalam in an auspicious ragam".

Instruments

Generally speaking, the North Indian music is richer in stringed instruments while the South Indian music is richer in Thala-vadyam. While the veena, violin, flute, nadasvaram and mridangam play a dominant role in Carnatic music, the sitar, sarod, shehnai and tabla take over in Hindustani music. According to T. C. Satyanath, it was Amir Khusrau who improvised the sitar from the veena and the tabla from the mridangam.

Music Appreciation

Ms Sakuntala Narasimhan gives this advice on classical music appreciation:

"The best way to understand and cultivate an appreciation of the classical idiom would be through constant listening. It would be futile to try to list names, for all preferences will have an element of personal likes and dislikes, but M. S. Subbulakshmi's recitals would be an excellent choice for Carnatic music."

She adds: