I had been watching this mesmerizing raga video, but even after a few viewings, I was still utterly unable to comprehend what I was seeing. Despite a robust and advanced study of music, I was adrift. I got that it was beautiful, and it certainly sounded complex, but I couldn't quite piece together what was happening in the music.
Judy said, "I think Indian music is a unique challenge for Western ears," in an effort, I suspect, to make me feel better.
I started the video (below) which features Aashish Khan on sarod (Khan is on our 2010 program) and a young Zakhir Hussain on tabla (drums). Judy was amazed.
"Zakhir Hussein is the most famous tabla player ever. Surely you know who he is."
I didn't.
As the music played, Judy confirmed what I had suspected - the raga is largely improvised, but with very strict music theory rules. A raga is a bit like a mode in western music. Of course the people who really get Indian classical music would say that I'm wrong about this, that it's actually much more complex, and while I'm sure that's generally true, one has to start somewhere.
I asked what I could listen for, and Judy mentioned the tihai, which is a melodic pattern repeated three times to signal the entry into a new section of the raga. I was delighted to discover that they are relatively simple to hear in the selection below.
Judy also talked about the tala. The tala is the rhythm of the piece, typically complex meters. Apparently when she was traveling in India, Judy attended performances where the audience would keep time with the tabla player by counting on their fingers, and the whole room would "arrive at the one together." I'm not totally sure what that would entail, but it sounds really beautiful and interconnected, doesn't it?
In case you're curious, the woman in the back is playing the drone, which is not just one note, but several played in a repeated pattern. I couldn't ever quite clue into what she was playing, but perhaps you can.
So this is a quick and exceedingly basic intro to Indian music. As we learn more about the world of ragas, we will continue to share it here.
- Christiana Thomas
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