Friday, September 26, 2014

133 Listening Quiz to identify the given rAga

Acquiring capabilities of identifying rAgas (tune structures) while listening, identifying the svaras (notes) used while listening, is an important aid as well as requisite for enjoying Classical Instrumental Music, unlike film music, where lay persons can understand and appreciate songs by the popularity of literature and tunes.

While I do not find fault with those who enjoy film music, understanding and appreciating Classical Music can bring paradigm changes to our listening.  Classical Music in my humble view has many elements of science, whereas other genres of music are art forms dependent on the individual whims, fancies, mindsets of the singers and composers.


Thus the classical music and film music belong to different genres, as a science classical music calls for mathematical exactitude some fastidiousness, and a willingness to insist on some principles in composing.



The above video is a listening quiz designed to help connoisseurs develop skills  and self-test acquired skills in listening to , or playing rAgas.

You can see on the screen (if necessary pl. zoom the video screen by clicking on the zoom button on the right-bottom corner of the above video.  Press escape to comeback to normal size).   While listening pl. try to identify the rAga used, and the notes used for that rAga, by comparing the notes appearing on the video with the sounds you listen.  This requires some effort.  It may take a few days or a few weeks to train our sound perceptions.
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multisubj or yb or ybr or ybrao a donkey. occupation: Retired Bank Officer and LAWYER. Kindly see autobiographicalyb.blogspot.com, if you will like to know more about me as a person. Main goal: Marxism through non-violent means. Sub-goal: minimising the effects of the opium i.e. the religion on human minds.

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Producing tones on a South Indian Bamboo flute


South Indian bamboo flutes, classical type have eight holes. North Indian flutes have six holes. Some Bengali/North Eastern flutes have an additional hole separately slightly in a different position. I am, at present, using one such 6+1 hole bass flute, as it produces sweet low tones, without disturbing family members. In SI music, six hole flutes are not a TABOO. Six hole flutes are preferred in light music.
tones:
Bass octave (mandra saptakam)
ma - f_ : close all the six holes.
pratimadhyamam strong ma f#_ : close 5 and half of sixth.
pa g_ : close first 5 holes.
suddha dhaivatam mild da g#_: close first 4+ half of fifth.
chatusr dhaivatam da a_ : close first 4.
kaisiki nishAdam ni a#_ : close first 3. (There is no position for 3 and half).
kAkali nishAdam ni b_ : close first 2 and half.
We can use low breath for these.
Middle octave - madhya saptakam
sa c : close first two holes.
suddha ri c# : close first 1 and half.
chatusr ri d : close first 1 hole.
sadhAr ga d# : close first half hole.
antara ga e : open all holes.

From here onwards, we have to use stronger breaths
suddh ma f: open first hole. Close all the remaining holes.
prati ma f#: close first 5 and half. stronger breath when compared to f#_.
pa g : close first 5. stronger breath.
suddh da g#: close first 4 and half. strong breath.
chatusr da a: close first 4. strong breath.
kaisiki nishad ni a# : close first 3. strong breath.
kAkali nishAd ni b : close first 2 and half. strong breath.
Upper octave - tAr saptakam
tAr shadj sa' c' : close first two. Strong breath.
tAr suddh ri ri' c#' : close first 1 and half. Strong breath.
tar chatushr ri' d' : close first 1. Strong breath.
tar sAdhARaN ga d#' : close first half hole. Strong breath.
tar antar ga' e' : open all holes. Use strong breath.
tar suddh ma' f' : open first whole. Close all others. Use very strong breath.
tar prati ma' f#' : close first 2 and half. Close last two. Keep middle holes open. Use very strong breath.
tar pancham pa' g' : close first two, last two. Open middle two. Use very strong breath. Difficult for beginners. Success also depends on the quality of the flute.
We cannot go above pa' or wesern g'.

summary: We can get about 2 to 2 and half octaves. Not all the three bass, middle and upper octaves in full i.e. 36 notes.
gist: bass: lower f_ to b. 7 notes. middle: c to c' (all the 12). upper: c' to g. 8 notes. Total 27 notes.
I have seen my teacher going down even to lower ga_ i.e. e_ below f. We ordinary humans cannot go below ma_ or f_.

Note: Though it is a practice in South India to take close first 2 holes for getting sa or c, (North India first 3 hole closing is taken as sa or c), we can practice taking every hole as sa or c. But then tone points (svara sthAnas) will change and tunes will change. For example, when we take 2 hole saw, we are getting hari kaMbhoji in South India. Suppose we close first three holes and take it as sa or c, we get kalyANi tune and not hari kAmbhOji (khamAj tune of NI). Everything revolves around calculation of relative position and reallocating tones. This change of position of the sa or c may become necessary when sufficient flutes of different sizes and different frequency Nos. are not available with the player. Advanced players know this. Beginners too have to develop, but it requires some effort.



CONVERSION FROM SOUTH INDIAN MUSIC TONES TO WESTERN NOTATION


sa (shadjam of the madhya saptakam) = c.
ri (suddha rishabham, a tone softer than catusriti rishabh) = c#.
ri (catusriti rishabh) = d.
ga (sAdhAraNa gandhAram, a tone softer than antara gAndhAram) = d#.
ga (antara gandhAram) = e.
ma (suddha madhyamam, a tone softer than tIvra madhyamam) = f.
ma (tIvra madhyamam) = f#.
pa (pancamam) = g.
da (suddha dhaivatam, a tone softer than catusriti dhaivatam) = g#.
ni (kaisiki nishAdam, a tone softer than kAkali nishAdam) = a#.
ni (kAkali nishAdam) = b.
sa' (shadjamam of tAra saptakam, i.e. higher octave) = c'.
suddha ri' = c#'.
kAkali nishAdam of mandra saptakam i.e. lower octave = b_
kaisiki nishAdam of mandra saptakam i.e. lower octave = a#_.
so on and so forth. Apply analogy and reasoning.
Note: Carnatic Music (South Indian Music) has 16 notes instead of 12 notes used in North Indian and Western Music.

It is possible to show some distinction in the additional four tones, while it is not really possible in instrumental music.
E.g. : suddha gAndhAram in the first cyclic (called cakra) tune called mELakarta No.3 uses catusriti rishabham as suddha gandhAram. The ascending octave called ArOhaNa of the tune gAnamurtE will thus be as under:
c c# d f g g# b c'.
Descending octave called avarOhaNa will be as under: c' b g# g f d c# c.
Vocalists will utter 'ga' while using the tone d, whereas it is actually 'ri strong of 4tone catusriti'. Vocalists have this advantage over instrumentalists. When an instrumentalist plays this tune gAnamurtE will be heard as: sa ri(light) ri(strong) ma pa da ni sa'. That means we use two rishabhs (komal rishabh and suddh rishabh of North Indian Music) and call the ri ga. The original "ga"s i.e. d# and e lose their place.

FOR THIS REASON ONLY I AM TEMPTED TO SAY THAT WE CANNOT RESTRICT HINDUSTANI MOTHER "ThAT"S TO JUST 38 OR 40. WE CANNOT RESTRICT THE SOUTH INDIAN CARNATIC MELAKARTAS TO JUST 72. WE CAN HAVE HUNDREDS OF THATS AND MELAKARTAS in both the systems. Yet, we cannot find fault with the designers of the 'that' and 'melakarta' systems, because they gave us good framework of mother tune permutations and combinations to work upon in this land of the Rivers Ganges and gOdAvari.

Similar double usage sets:


ri (shatsriti rishabham of 6tones stronger than the 4tone catusriti rishabham d) = d#.



da (shatsriti dhaivatam of 6 tones stronger than the 4tone catusriti dhaivatam a) = a#.



ni (suddha nishAdam softer than the kaisiki nishAdam a#) = a.



These ga ri da ni (d d# a# a), the instrumentalists of North India and the West need not worry about, except while reading the Carnatic notations and converting them to the western or North Indian Hindusthani notation.

Carnatic South Indian Vocalists have to worry because while playing gAnamurtE they have to say 'ga' while using the tone 'ri'. They will have a similar problem while singing the tune 'nAta' which uses 'ga' as 'ri'. That is you will utter "sa ri ga' but note frequency levels will be c d# e". Such tunes are few in number and are less popular (relatively. A somewhat subjective view). Examples: candrajyOti, kanakAngi, ratnAngi, vanaspati, varALi, sUlini.

summary: By and large we use 12 tones only except when singing exceptional tunes mentioned above.

CONVERSION TABLES

CONVERSION TABLE FROM NORTH INDIAN MUSIC TONES TO WESTERN NOTATION

sa (shadj) = c
re (komal rishabh) = c#
re (suddh rishabh) = d
ga (kOmal gandhAr) = d#
ga (suddh gandhAr) = e
ma (suddh madhyam) = f
ma (tIvr madhyam) = f#
pa (pancam) = g
dha (kOmal dhaivat) = g#
dha (suddh dhaivat) = a
ni (kOmal nishAd) = a#
ni (suddh nishAd) = b
sa' (tAr shadj of higher octave) = c'
ri' (kOmal rishabh of higher octave) = c#'
same way others.
ni_ (suddh nishAd of lower octave) = b_
ni_ (kOmal nishAd of lower octave) = a#_.
same way others.
, = legato repetition of the same tone.

How to produce tones (svaras) on North Indian bamboo flutes



North Indian Hindusthani flutes usually have six holes.
The method of producing tones:
Lower relatively bass octave - mandra saptakam:
Close all the six holes and blow with less air: mandra pancham = g_.
Close first 5 and half holes and blow with less air: mandra kOmal dhaivat dha_ = g#_.
Close first 5 holes and blow with less air: mandra suddh dhaivat dha_ = a_.
Close first 4 and half holes and blow with less air: mandra kOmal nishAd ni_ = a#_.
Close first 4 holes and blow with less air: mandra suddh nishAd ni_ = b_.



From here middle octave - madhya saptakam
Close first three holes o-o-o = shadj or c.
Close first 2 and half holes o-o+half of third = kOmal rishabh or c# ( or Db).
Close first two holes o-o : suddh ri = d.
Close first one and half holes: kOmal gandhAr = d#.
Close first hole o : suddh gandhAr = e.
Close first hole half only : suddh madhyam ma = f.
Open all the holes : tIvr madhyam ma = f#.
Close all the six holes (if necessary open the first hole) and blow slightly hard: pancam pa = g.
Close first 5 and half holes blow slightly hard: kOmal dhaivat dha = g#.
Close first 5 holes and blow slightly hard: suddh dhaivat dha = a.
Close first 4 and half holes, and blow slightly hard: kOmal nishAd ni = a#.
Close first 4 holes and blow slightly hard: suddh nishAd ni = b.
There is no tone for closing 3 and half holes.


Upper Octave (relatively treble) or tAr saptak:
Close first 3 holes and blow slightly hard: tAr shadj sa' = c'.
Close first 2 and half holes and blow slightly hard: tAr kOmal ri' = c#'.
Close first 2 holes and blow slightly hard: tAr suddh ri' = d'.
Close first 1 and half holes and blow slightly hard : tar kOmal gandhAr ga' = d#'.
Close first hole and blow slightly hard : tAr suddh gandhAR ga' = e'.
Close first hole only half and blow slightly hard: tAr suddh madhyam ma' = f'.
Open all the holes and blow slightly hard: tAr tIvr madhyam ma~' = f#'.
Close all the six holes and blow hard (if necessary open the first hole): tAr pancam pa' = g'.
Close first 5 and half holes and blow hard (If necessary close first two and half holes and the last two holes) : tAR KOmal dhaivat dha~' = g#".
(Somewhat difficult, but practice makes us perfect).
Close first two and last two holes with middle two holes open and blow very hard without sounding very harsh: tAr suddh dhaivat dha' = a'.
Note: I have not seen anybody who can play all the three 12 bass + 12 middle + 12 top or treble octaves on flute. Presumably it is not possible.
What we get on a Hindusthani flute with no special mechanical additions is:
lower octave -mandra saptak = pa_ (g_) to suddh ni_ (b_).
middle octave madhya saptak = sa (c) to ni (b).
treble or top octave -tAr saptak = sa' (c') to tar suddh dhaivat dha' = a'.

Difference between North Indian and South Indian flutes: In SI flutes sa or c = close first two holes.
In NI flutes sa or c = close first three holes.


ybrao a donkey's observations: By closing first three holes we are getting rAg yaman. Suppose we close only first two holes and call it 'sa', the whole thing will change and we get 'khamAj'. (South Indian equivalent 'hari kAmbHoji'. In North India, music flute beginners, I believe are taught the tune rAg yaman, with no half notes (closing half holes). In South India, flute beginners are taught hari kAmbhOji or khamaj ThATh.

We can regard any hole first one closing, first one and half closing or first two closing or first two and half closing or first three close (so on) as sa or c. Then tunes (rAgas) will not be same. You will get different tunes such as Hindusthani kApI. A professional flutist needs such changing skills. It requires lot of mathematical skill and retention (dhAraNa). Beginners, we may not have.

listen/download HINDUSTHANI MUSIC (NORTH INDIAN MUSIC)

Apologies for the disappearance of our painstakingly uploaded mp3 files at azrowear.net. They have deleted all the files without information to me.


I found a solution, at last. Uploading these files to soundcloud.com and sharing them publicly.


I am trying to upload all the files to soundcloud.com and provide links here. In the meantime kindly bear with me.


As a solution, you can try to create your own midi and mp3 files using either tunescript or abctomidi and thereafter to mp3. This will strengthen your own skills.

Why flute?

1. Flutes are cheap. They are poor person's nectars.

2. Flutes are portable. We can carry them easily even in unreserved Second Class General Compartments.

3. We do not lose much, even if we discontinue in the middle, owing to personal problems. We go all over the world in search of livelihood. Suppose we invest some 30,000 bucks on a sitar and discontinue in the middle, not only do we lose some part of money, but also when we see the instrument accumulating dust, we get mental agony.

4. I am happy for one reason with the North Indian Hindusthani Music. They use bass flutes. They produce low frequency melodious sounds. They do not disturb neighbors. South Indian musicians use small flutes which have higher frequencies. They produce shrill sounds and sometimes disturb neighbors, particularly when played in rooms and populated areas.

Small shrill high frequency flutes are unavoidable in South Indian Music, because of the need to play number of literary works, sometimes even in higher octaves. Large bass flutes are not suitable for South Indian literary works called 'kritis'. But, the South Indian musicians have started using long bass flutes for the purpose of alAp (delineation of the tune or rAga) of the main piece of the concert, in low octaves. This suits when there are no percussion instruments and only melody is shown.

5. Bass flutes are difficult to start with. It is difficult to produce the initial sound. Fingers may not stretch. We may not have adequate breath. But these are all initial troubles. They go, once we practice.

6. Does flute-playing cause respiratory troubles?

Some Ayurvedic physicians and books suggest that possibility.

But I understand from some music teachers, that flute playing is equivalent to prANAyAma, a sort of yOgic breathing exercise. Anything in moderation, may not probably be bad. When any adverse indications are found, the flute playing may be discontinued and after some weeks cause-and-effect relationships may be studied. Breathing troubles may arise from numerous causes including climatic or weather changes. They may arise from allergies and infections. I find thousands of persons suffering from respiratory diseases, who have never touched a flute in their life. People smoke expensive cigars and cigarettes. People purchase gutkha at high prices and cnsume notwithstanding statutory warnings. Swami Vivekananda himself was a slave of tobacco. Tobacco must be more blameworthy than musical instruments. Anyway, one must be very careful about health. But then, mental health is as important as physical health. We can see how celebrities like Michael Jackson, and Tyson have become nervous wrecks owing to lack of mental training.

Music, particularly, classical music, inculcates discipline among practitioners because we have to adhere to tonal and tune structures and follow rhythm and timing. Sufficient mathematics goes into classical music. For this reason only, classical music has become difficult to learn and is abandoned by many in the middle.

We have to strike a balance between physical health and mental health, while continuing to earn our livelihood under testing conditions. This is a Herculean task, but it saves us from stresses and burnouts.

LISTEN/DOWNLOAD/STUDY AS YOU LIKE --HOW TO MAKE BEST USE OF THE NOTATIONS AND MP3s PROVIDED HERE

First disclosure: I am not an expert in NI Music or SI Music. "nAku nAlugu telugu mukkala pasE kAnI sangItam rAdu". (Engl: My strength is only some four Telugu words. I do not know music like an expert.). Hence these humble suggestions:


1. For enjoying classical music, particularly the instrumental music, we need the ability to identify the musical tones (svara gnAnam) and relate them to the tunes, and if we know the literature, to the literature's emotional content (bhAva). Even if we do not know the literature part of the composition, we can enjoy the rAga bhAva (emotional essence of the tune).

2. For getting 'note identification capabilities (svara gnAnam), our ears need training. My search on the net, both about the Western music, as well as the Indian Music, often ended up with an obstructive assertion that svara gnAnam is God-given. I am not sure, whether ears are given by God or parents or the human race as a part of this NATURE (prakriti). Anyway, as an atheist, I cannot accept that svara gnAnam is God-given.

3. Hence, I view that our ears (particularly those who have parent-given ears or Nature given ears, and not God-given ears), need some training. Some ear-training softwares such as solfege are already available on the net. I thought that we need lengthier pieces with READABLE notations, while listening the music.

4. I am providing you the READABLE notations. I am providing you the mp3s which are based on the notations.

5. Now, how to make best use of both: 1. Save the notations by pressing Control F and select 'save as'. Give a file name and save to your computer for offline viewing. You will get a html file. You can open it on your computer using browsers such as firefox/google/IE or any text editor with right click. 2. Download the mp3 file by clicking the link in the boxes of South Indian Music or the North Indian Music of this page. The downloaded file you can open in your favourite music player both in windows and in linux or Ubuntu


6. Open the notation file. Start comparing it to the mp3 while you listen. Initially, there may be difficulties in linking the abc notations with the sounds. I believe, that over a period of 3 or 4 months of reading-listening-comparing, you will get some note identification skills. And these note identification skills will help us not only in Indian music, but also the world music. In fact, this is the reason for my giving the notations in English-abc and not in dEvanAgari or Telugu or Tamil or KannaDa or MalayALam.


7. By and large, the mp3 files and notations agree with one other. Some deviations might have crept in, when I by error, altered the notation, after producing the mp3 and did not bother to re-produce the changed mp3.



Best wishes and regards.


Apologies

Apologies for the failed links of azrowear.net here. They have deleted all the uploaded files without informing me. At last I found a solution.

Converting the mp3s into videos, upload to U tube, and then provide a link here.

I know this will be very expensive as videos tend to consume more mb-s and conversion also takes time. But I am trying to finish it. Kindly bear with the me. In the meantime, if you need any item for which notations were given here, in a particular amr/wav/3gp/avi/flv format, you can email to ybhask [at] gmail [dot] com. I shall try to convert into that format and send you.


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