The idea that sound and musical notes has been derived from the sounds of nature, has always been
known to man. The sounds of creatures such as peacocks, cows and goats
have lead to the refinement of music. The beginning of Indian music has
been cited in the Samaveda,
one of the oldest scriptures of Hinduism. The Samaveda provided the
basics of music through the singing of hymns which led to the formation
of ragas, and jatis.
Indian music is based off of a melodic system and not a symphonic style,
as in the western music. In the symphonic style, there are layers to
the music; the melody and the harmony are
intertwined to form the piece. But in the melodic system, there is only
a melody, a one track system. For the longest of times India had only
one style of music, but as the surrounding Empires began to fester and
invade, their impact on North India caused
a slow distinction between the styles of music in the nation. As time
progressed, the distinction led to the divide and enhancement of two
different styles known as Carnatic and Hindustani music.
Carnatic music is composed of Kalpita (compositions) and Manodharma
sangeeta (improvisation). Music has always been taught orally, based on
the compositions available, by the guru (teacher) to sishya (disciple),
known as the sishya parampara. However, a guru cannot
impart all the knowledge to the student. That particular part is to be
experienced through improvisation. The combination of these two parts
leads to the beautification of the rendering aspect of music.
Basics
