songs from india: a music lesson - openstax cnx · pdf fileopenstax-cnx module: m43688 1 songs...

OpenStax-CNX module: m43688 1

Songs from India: A Music Lesson∗

Catherine Schmidt-Jones

Sadhana S.

This work is produced by OpenStax-CNX and licensed under the

Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0†

Abstract

This is a lesson plan for introducing students to the music of India by teaching them two short tradi-tional Hindustani songs. Students are encouraged to explore and appreciate both the musical and culturalaspects of the tradition. The module includes song texts, English-language translations, renderings ofthe melody in common notation, audio �les, and lesson planning information.

1 Introduction

This lesson is intended to introduce two relatively easy Hindustani songs in classes and performing groups inwhich neither the teacher/director nor the majority of students are familiar with singing Hindustani classicalmusic. The students may struggle with accurately reproducing the correct tuning and vocal style; thatis appropriate for these songs, because they are used as teaching songs within their tradition. Studentsshould be encouraged to make a reasonable best e�ort at a stylistically-appropriate performance. The aimis to encourage them to be open to listening to, learning about, appreciating, and engaging with unfamiliarmusics.

important: Please note that the songs are o�ered in common notation as an aid to studying andlearning them. They would not traditionally be notated this way, and the representation on a sta�with a key signature should only be considered a rough approximation of the correct notes andtuning.

The module includes

• Planning information (Section 2: Planning Information) for teachers.• Warm-up exercises (Section 3: Warm-up Exercises) to do before learning the songs.• Two simple songs (Section 4: Two Songs to Learn) from India for the students to try singing.• Background Information (Section 5: Background Information) about the songs to share with your

students.• Suggestions for and links to other resources (Section 6: Suggested Resources) for a class inquiry into

Indian vocal music.

∗Version 1.1: Jun 27, 2012 3:13 pm -0500†http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/

http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/


2 Planning Information

Unless your students are familiar with singing in this style, it is strongly suggested that you help themdevelop an ear for the appropriate vocal style before teaching the songs. Most traditional music from theIndian subcontinent has a certain basic style, which is quite distinct from other musical styles such asWestern, East Asian or African. To help students develop a ear for the Indian style, choose a few recordingsof typically Indian music and use them in a guided listening session, for example as outlined in Listening toUnfamiliar Music1. Once they begin to hear and identify some of the characteristics of this style, they willbe ready to study and practice the songs included in this module. To begin with, you may want to chooseshort, simple pieces (folk songs from various parts of India, some of the older movie songs, and ghazals area few likely candidates). More advanced students can be exposed to real classical music performances.

The two songs presented for learning in this module are simple raga compositions aimed at elementary-level students of Hindustani classical music. A raga is somewhat similar to a scale and functions somethinglike a key signature in tonal music. It provides the framework for the melody of the piece by prescribing thenotes (pitches) that are to be used and their relationship to each other (you can �nd a detailed introductionto ragas here2 and here3 ). There are hundreds of ragas in Hindustani classical music; we have chosensongs in the ragas Bhupali and Kedar for learning in this module. Accordingly, the songs/classical musicrecommended for listening below are also in the same two ragas.

Songs in Raag Bhupali and Raag Kedar recommended for listening

� Jyoti Kalash Chhalke (version sung by Pundit Sudhir Phadke) - Raag Bhupali� Dil Hoom Hoom Kare (version sung by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika) from the movie Rudaali (1993) -Raag Bhupali

� Bekas Pe Karam Keejiye (sung by Lata Mangeshkar) from the movie Mughal-e-Aazam (1960) -Raag Kedar

� Aap Yun Hi Agar Humse Milte Rahe (sung by Mohammed Ra� and Asha Bhosle) from the movieEk Musa�r Ek Hasina (1962) - Raag Kedar

Hindustani classical performances recommended for more advanced listeners

• Sahela Re Aa Mil by Kishori Amonkar (Raag Bhupali) from the album 50 Glorious Classical

Years, Vol 3

• Raag Kedar by Rashid Khan from the album Kedar, Abhogi and Sahana

One of the main ways people learn to hear and understand what is going on in a piece of music is simply byhearing it often. Repeated casual listening (for example as background music during other activities) - of thesame piece, or of a variety of pieces in the same style - can help create a very useful aural familiarity. Whenpossible - for example during class changes or study breaks - play Hindustani vocal recordings as backgroundmusic.

Lesson Plan Information

• Purpose - To develop awareness and appreciation of the variety of ways in which vocal music traditionscan di�er, and to give the students practice in applying to their own vocal performance the knowledgethey have gained through careful listening and discussion.

• Objectives - Students will learn to sing songs from the Hindustani tradition, using, as much aspossible, appropriate vocal style and techniques.

• Grade Level - Recommended for students of any age with who have su�cient listening and singingskills to bene�t.

1"Listening to Unfamiliar Music: An Inquiry Module" <http://cnx.org/content/m43540/latest/>2http://raag-hindustani.com/Introduction.html3http://raag-hindustani.com/Scales1.html



• Student Prerequisites - It is strongly recommended that the class do the Listening to UnfamiliarMusic4 lesson, or a similar activity, at least once before learning these songs. It can be very challenging,even for accomplished vocalists, to accurately hear and imitate an unfamiliar style of music.

• Teacher Expertise - Familiarity with the vocal style is not necessary; the teacher's willingness totry an unfamiliar style can serve as a motivating example to the students. The teacher should be well-practiced in leading the class in learning unfamiliar songs (but see the suggestions for Adaptations).

• Time Requirements - Depends on the vocal abilities of the students and performance standards.Budget more time for learning these songs than you would for songs from a familiar vocal tradition.

• Evaluation - Use your standard rubric for evaluating learning and performance, but include extrapoints for attempts and successes in adopting unfamiliar vocal aesthetics and techniques.

• Music Standards Addressed - National Standards for Music Education standards5 1 (singing, aloneand with others, a varied repertoire of music) and 9 (understanding music in relation to history andculture).

• Adaptations - If either teacher or students do not feel capable of singing the songs without support,simply use the recording as "back-up" every time the students sing.

• Extensions - Arrange for the students to attend a live performance by an Indian vocalist, or invitethe singer to visit your classroom and perform informally. If possible, arrange for a discussion andquestion-and-answer session after the performance. Or, if possible, have students or guest artists addappropriate instrumental accompaniment (Hindustani-style drone accompaniment and/or percussion)when the students perform these songs.

3 Warm-up Exercises

Doing warmup exercises in a raga helps to prepare the voice for singing more complex melodies in that raga.A warmup exercise can involve singing the notes of the raga straight up and down or in simple patterns ofvarious kinds. The notes are �rst sung in Indian solfège (sa re ga ma pa dha ni). You will �nd a detailedexplanation of all the notes in the Hindustani octave (S, r, R, g, G, m, M, P, d, D, n, N) and their sol-fa syllables here6 . The next step is to repeat the same exercise simply using the vowel sound "aa." Thisprovides excellent voice training because singing correctly and clearly without the help of consonants requiresgreater agility of the vocal cords. You can download a PDF of the warm-up exercises here7

4"Listening to Unfamiliar Music: An Inquiry Module" <http://cnx.org/content/m43540/latest/>5http://www.menc.org/resources/view/national-standards-for-music-education6http://raag-hindustani.com/Tones.html7See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/RaagBhupaliKedar.pdf>



Figure 1: Raag Bhupali uses the notes S R G P D. (There is a reason why this raga uses the keysignature F# despite not featuring the note F in any of its forms, but that can only be explained to moreadvanced learners. For the moment, please ignore it.)

This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/BhupaliAscentDescent.mp3>

Figure 2: Here are the typical ascent and descent for Raag Bhupali.

This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/BhupaliExercise.mp3>

Figure 3: Here is another warmup exercise for Raag Bhupali.



Figure 4: Raag Kedar uses the notes S R G m M P D (n) N. The note "n" is used sparingly and inspeci�c note combinations, but is not an essential feature of this raga.

This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/kedarAscentDescent.mp3>

Figure 5: Here are the typical ascent and descent for Raag Kedar.



This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/KedarExercise.mp3>

Figure 6: Here is another warmup exercise for Raag Kedar.

4 Two Songs to Learn

These songs are bandish composed by Pundit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (d. 1936), who used the penname Chatur. We believe them to be in the public domain.

4.1 Jaun Tore - A Bandish in Raag Bhupali

You can download a PDF to copy for your class here8.

This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/JaunToreMidi.mp3>

Figure 7: Here is a simple midi-keyboard rendition of the song as it is notated, to aid in learning thebasic melody.

This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/JaunToreNatural.mp3>

Figure 8: Here is an example of the tune in an appropriate vocal style. It is performed one whole steplower than the notated version.

8See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/JaunTore.pdf>



Figure 9http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/


Here is a rough translation of the text of Jaun Tore

jaun tore charan kamal par vaar Translation: I am devoted to your lotus-feet (lotus is a metaphorfor lovely/pure/enlightened. It is often used as an adjective when referring to the feet/eyes ofone's beloved, but also of God)

o gopal, govind, muraar Translation: Oh, Gopal, Govind, Oh Muraar (all these are names forKrishna, a central �gure in Hindu beliefs)

sharanagat hun dwar tihaar Translation: I have come to you for protection

angin durit bhayo hun jadmati Translation: The path is very di�cult for a foolish person (poetis referring to himself as foolish)

kis vidha paaun chatur tumhare pag Translation: How, o wise one, shall I attain you?

tum hi jag ke ek aadhaar Translation: You are the foundation upon which the world stands

4.2 Socha Samajha - A Bandish in Raag Kedar

You can download a PDF to copy for your class here9.

This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/SochaSamajhaMidi.mp3>

Figure 10: Here is a simple midi-keyboard rendition of the song as it is notated, to aid in learning thebasic melody.

This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/SochaSamajhaSimple.mp3>

Figure 11: Here is a simpli�ed sung version. It is performed a major third lower than the notatedversion.

9See the �le at <http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/SochaSamajha.pdf>



This media object is an audio �le. Please view or download it at<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/SochaSamajhaNatural.mp3>

Figure 12: Here is an example of the tune in an appropriate vocal style. It is performed a major thirdlower than the notated version.



Figure 13http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/


Here is a rough translation of Socha Samajha

socha samajha manmeet piyarava Translation: Stop and consider, beloved mind (the poet seemsto be addressing himself)

satguru naam kare sumiranava Translation: Remember the name of your true guide ("satguru"= "true spiritual guide")

ghari-ghari pal-pal umar ghatat sab Translation: With every passing moment, life is shorter (i.e.,one is closer to death)

ajahu chet mati mand-chaturva Translation: Reform today, o foolish one (chatur = clever, somand-chatur = foolish; again, the poet seems to be referring to himself)

5 Background Information

In order to better understand and appreciate these songs, you may want to include in the lesson a lecture,class discussion, inquiry, or research about this kind of music. Here is some introductory information toget you started, and there are also some suggested resources (Section 6: Suggested Resources) below forpursuing your inquiry.

5.1 Where do these songs come from?

They come from northern India. Songs like these (called bandish) are used as basic instructional tools forthe purpose of teaching di�erent ragas to students of Hindustani classical music. Hindustani classical musicis the northern Indian style of Indian classical music (the southern Indian style is called Carnatic or Karnaticor Karnatak music, and is somewhat di�erent though sharing many things on a fundamental level.) If yourstudents are unfamiliar with India, it is strongly suggested that you include some background informationas appropriate for your students' age and grade level. A classroom presentation including a world map orglobe, pictures, stories or literature, and information about its history and present-day culture would helpprovide the students with a context for this music.

5.2 What is Indian classical music?

Indian classical music is a tradition that goes back over 3,500 years. Over this long period of time, ithas evolved and grown in many ways, but without losing its essential original identity. It is important tounderstand that in the Indian context, the word "classical" is not used in the Western sense (of or relatingto music during the latter half of the 18th and the early 19th centuries) but more just in the sense "of orrelating to the most artistically developed." In Hindi, classical music is called shastriya sangeet, whichtranslates to "the discipline of music" or "formal music" (as in, music for which you need formal training).You will �nd a more detailed introduction to Hindustani classical music here10 .

5.3 Who composes bandish?

In Hindustani music, there are what are called gharanas. A gharana can probably be described as a"dynasty" of music. Each gharana has a founder and many generations of disciples, and a musical style thatis distinct from other gharanas while still fully belonging to the greater Hindustani style. Stalwart musiciansin each gharana compose bandishes to be used by artists belonging to the gharana. Traditionally, gharanasjealously guarded their compositions from being stolen by outsiders, and a bandish was sung only by those

10http://raag-hindustani.com/Introduction.html



who belonged to the composer's gharana. These days, there is less of that jealousy. There are even bandishcompilations/databases freely available to anyone interested in learning Hindustani classical music.

Both of the songs provided here are bandish. Bandish in their standard form are usually very short.There are many hundreds of bandish in each raga. Bandish that were composed many centuries ago are stillpart of the classical repertoire, and new bandish are also composed by artists all the time. Composers ofteninsert their pen-names or real names into their compositions so people will know who wrote them.

5.4 Who sings bandish, and why do they sing them?

Bandish are only sung by those who learn classical music. They are not part of the popular music repertoire.They do not work well as popular songs because they are too short and they are often in regional or archaicdialects that are only partly comprehensible to people now. The meaning of the lyrics is probably the leastimportant part of a bandish - its main point is to portray the melodic characteristics of a speci�c raga. Socomposers have usually gone with stock themes, typically portraying nature, or using romantic, religious orspiritual themes. In terms of their meaning,bandish can often seem unimaginative (because of the repetitionof themes), but melodically and rhythmically, they are very rich and diverse and indispensable to singersand learners of raga music.

As a student of classical music, one is taught many dozens of bandish in di�erent ragas and expectedto master them in their standard form, singing the melody, rhythm and lyrics exactly as prescribed. Overtime, one must learn to sing the bandish with elaborate improvisation. Classical artists also use bandish intheir performances, but they �esh them out into something very elaborate in their own way. So, in a realperformance, it is often very hard to �gure out the lyrics of the bandish because they are so extended. Youmay hear half a line of lyric now and the other half many minutes later.

5.5 When are Raag Bhupali and Raag Kedar sung?

A Hindustani raga is typically considered to have a particular e�ect on the mood and to be appropriate fora speci�c time of the day. Of the songs presented here, Socha Samajha is in Raag Kedar, which is a latenight Raga (sung during the sixth phase of the day, de�ned as 9:00 p.m. to midnight). It is associated withthe shaanta11 (peace/tranquility) mood. Jaun Tore is in Raag Bhupali, which is an evening Raga (sungduring the �fth phase of the day, de�ned as 6:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.). It is associated with shringara12 (love),beauty13 and bhakti14 (devotion) moods.

5.6 What makes these songs di�erent from more-familiar songs?

Here are a few speci�c characteristics of these songs that might be very di�erent from the songs that yourstudents already know and like. If you and they are familiar with your own tradition's music theory ornotation, you can use that as a beginning point for a lecture, class discussion, group inquiry, or individualresearch papers about any of these characteristics.

• Jaun Tore is in raag Bhupali. Socha Samajha is in raag Kedar. The raga provides the frameworkfor the melody of the piece by prescribing the notes (pitches) that are to be used and their relationshipto each other. This is somewhat similar to the way scales and key signatures function in tonal music,but there is much more variety among the di�erent ragas than there is among major and minor scales.You can �nd a detailed introduction to ragas here15 .

• Besides prescribing the pitch relationships, each raga also prescribes the precise tuning for each note,and the appropriate ways to vary pitch and timbre during a note and while moving from one note to

11http://www.rasas.info/peace_calmness_shanta_shanti_shant_rasa.htm12http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/ http://www.rasas.info/love_shringara_shringar_rasa.htm13http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/ http://www.rasas.info/emotion_art_beauty.htm14http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/ http://www.rasas.info/spiritual_devotion_bhakti_yoga.htm15http://raag-hindustani.com/Scales1.html



the next. These nuances or "ornamentation" (more on that here16 ) are very important features ofHindustani classical music.

• Both songs are in teentaal, a sixteen-beat rhythmic cycle that is very common in Hindustani music. Therhythmic cycle provides very important elements of the structure and organization of the song. If onelistens to the 16-beat teentaal cycle, one will �nd a speci�c pattern of emphasized and non-emphasizedbeats, and it is important to �t the emphatic and non-emphatic portions of the composition to thepattern of the beats. A simple way to do this is to �t the melody into the lyric in such a way that themost emphatic point in the �rst line of melody will coincide with the most emphatic (usually the �rst)beat of the rhythm cycle. This means that every song starts at a di�erent point in the rhythm cycle.For instance Socha Samajha starts at beat number 9 of the 16-beat cycle, while Jaun Tore startsat beat number 5. Click here17 for detailed explanations and video demonstrations of how rhythm inHindustani classical music works.

6 Suggested Resources

For Insight into the Hindustani Music Tradition

• You can �nd useful introductory information at raag-hindustani.com18 written for Western learnersand listeners from the perspective of a Hindustani musician.

• Namita Devidayal's The Music Room is a good book for anyone looking to get a real feel for theworld of Hindustani classical music.

• There are also Connexions modules introducing this music to beginning listeners (Listening to IndianClassical Music19) and discussing Tuning and Ragas20 from a Western-music perspective.

For Help with Common-Practice Ways of Discussing Music Characteristics

• The course The Basic Elements of Music21 includes many activities for introducing students to thecharacteristics of music as they are understood within Western music theory traditions. For studentswho are most comfortable with Western music, familiarity with these concepts and terms can also helpthem discuss unfamiliar musics.

16http://raag-hindustani.com/Embellishment.html17http://raag-hindustani.com/Rhythm.html18http://raag-hindustani.com/19"Listening to Indian Classical Music" <http://cnx.org/content/m12502/latest/>20"Indian Classical Music: Tuning and Ragas" <http://cnx.org/content/m12459/latest/>21The Basic Elements of Music <http://cnx.org/content/col10218/latest/>


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