Songs From India A Music Lesson 1

OpenStax-CNX module: m43688
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 traditional Hindustani songs. Students are encouraged to explore and appreciate both the musical and cultural
aspects of the tradition. The module includes song texts, English-language translations, renderings of
the 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 in
which neither the teacher/director nor the majority of students are familiar with singing Hindustani classical
music. The students may struggle with accurately reproducing the correct tuning and vocal style; that
is appropriate for these songs, because they are used as teaching songs within their tradition. Students
should be encouraged to make a reasonable best eort at a stylistically-appropriate performance. The aim
is to encourage them to be open to listening to, learning about, appreciating, and engaging with unfamiliar
musics.
Please note that the songs are oered in common notation as an aid to studying and
learning 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 and
tuning.
important:
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/
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2 Planning Information
Unless your students are familiar with singing in this style, it is strongly suggested that you help them
develop an ear for the appropriate vocal style before teaching the songs. Most traditional music from the
Indian subcontinent has a certain basic style, which is quite distinct from other musical styles such as
Western, East Asian or African. To help students develop a ear for the Indian style, choose a few recordings
of typically Indian music and use them in a guided listening session, for example as outlined in Listening to
Unfamiliar Music1 . Once they begin to hear and identify some of the characteristics of this style, they will
be ready to study and practice the songs included in this module. To begin with, you may want to choose
short, simple pieces (folk songs from various parts of India, some of the older movie songs, and ghazals are
a 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 elementarylevel students of Hindustani classical music. A raga is somewhat similar to a scale and functions something
like a key signature in tonal music. It provides the framework for the melody of the piece by prescribing the
notes (pitches) that are to be used and their relationship to each other (you can nd a detailed introduction
to ragas here2 and here3 ). There are hundreds of ragas in Hindustani classical music; we have chosen
songs in the ragas Bhupali and Kedar for learning in this module. Accordingly, the songs/classical music
recommended 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 movie
Ek Musar 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 by
hearing it often. Repeated casual listening (for example as background music during other activities) - of the
same piece, or of a variety of pieces in the same style - can help create a very useful aural familiarity. When
possible - for example during class changes or study breaks - play Hindustani vocal recordings as background
music.
Lesson Plan Information

Purpose - To develop awareness and appreciation of the variety of ways in which vocal music traditions
can dier, and to give the students practice in applying to their own vocal performance the knowledge
they have gained through careful listening and discussion.
Objectives - Students will learn to sing songs from the Hindustani tradition, using, as much as
possible, appropriate vocal style and techniques.
Grade Level - Recommended for students of any age with who have sucient listening and singing
skills to benet.
1 "Listening to Unfamiliar Music: An Inquiry Module"

2 http://raag-hindustani.com/Introduction.html
3 http://raag-hindustani.com/Scales1.html
<http://cnx.org/content/m43540/latest/>
Student Prerequisites - It is strongly recommended that the class do the Listening to Unfamiliar
Music4 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 to
try an unfamiliar style can serve as a motivating example to the students. The teacher should be wellpracticed 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 extra
points for attempts and successes in adopting unfamiliar vocal aesthetics and techniques.
Music Standards Addressed - National Standards for Music Education standards5 1 (singing, alone
and with others, a varied repertoire of music) and 9 (understanding music in relation to history and
culture).
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 invite
the singer to visit your classroom and perform informally. If possible, arrange for a discussion and
question-and-answer session after the performance. Or, if possible, have students or guest artists add
appropriate 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 of
various kinds. The notes are rst sung in Indian solfge (sa re ga ma pa dha ni). You will nd a detailed
explanation of all the notes in the Hindustani octave (S, r, R, g, G, m, M, P, d, D, n, N) and their solfa syllables here6 . The next step is to repeat the same exercise simply using the vowel sound "aa." This
provides excellent voice training because singing correctly and clearly without the help of consonants requires
greater 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/>
5 http://www.menc.org/resources/view/national-standards-for-music-education
6 http://raag-hindustani.com/Tones.html
7 See 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 key
signature F# despite not featuring the note F in any of its forms, but that can only be explained to more
advanced 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.

<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 in
specic note combinations, but is not an essential feature of this raga.

<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/kedarAscentDescent.mp3>
Figure 5: Here are the typical ascent and descent for Raag Kedar.

<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 pen
name 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 .
<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 the
basic melody.

<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 step
lower than the notated version.
8 See
the le at <http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/JaunTore.pdf>
Figure 9
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 metaphor
for lovely/pure/enlightened. It is often used as an adjective when referring to the feet/eyes of
one's beloved, but also of God)
o gopal, govind, muraar Translation: Oh, Gopal, Govind, Oh Muraar (all these are names for
Krishna, 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 dicult for a foolish person (poet
is 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 .
<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 the
basic melody.

<http://cnx.org/content/m43688/1.1/SochaSamajhaSimple.mp3>
Figure 11: Here is a simplied sung version. It is performed a major third lower than the notated
version.
9 See
the le at <http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/SochaSamajha.pdf>

<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 third
lower than the notated version.
10
Figure 13
11
Here is a rough translation of Socha Samajha

socha samajha manmeet piyarava Translation: Stop and consider, beloved mind (the poet seems
to 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, so
mand-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 to
get you started, and there are also some suggested resources (Section 6: Suggested Resources) below for
pursuing 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 for
the purpose of teaching dierent ragas to students of Hindustani classical music. Hindustani classical music
is the northern Indian style of Indian classical music (the southern Indian style is called Carnatic or Karnatic
or Karnatak music, and is somewhat dierent though sharing many things on a fundamental level.) If your
students are unfamiliar with India, it is strongly suggested that you include some background information
as appropriate for your students' age and grade level. A classroom presentation including a world map or
globe, pictures, stories or literature, and information about its history and present-day culture would help
provide 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, it
has evolved and grown in many ways, but without losing its essential original identity. It is important to
understand that in the Indian context, the word "classical" is not used in the Western sense (of or relating
to music during the latter half of the 18th and the early 19th centuries) but more just in the sense "of or
relating to the most artistically developed." In Hindi, classical music is called shastriya sangeet, which
translates 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 that
is distinct from other gharanas while still fully belonging to the greater Hindustani style. Stalwart musicians
in each gharana compose bandishes to be used by artists belonging to the gharana. Traditionally, gharanas
jealously guarded their compositions from being stolen by outsiders, and a bandish was sung only by those
10 http://raag-hindustani.com/Introduction.html
12
who belonged to the composer's gharana. These days, there is less of that jealousy. There are even bandish
compilations/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 still
part of the classical repertoire, and new bandish are also composed by artists all the time. Composers often
insert 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 archaic
dialects that are only partly comprehensible to people now. The meaning of the lyrics is probably the least
important part of a bandish - its main point is to portray the melodic characteristics of a specic raga. So
composers have usually gone with stock themes, typically portraying nature, or using romantic, religious or
spiritual themes. In terms of their meaning,bandish can often seem unimaginative (because of the repetition
of themes), but melodically and rhythmically, they are very rich and diverse and indispensable to singers
and learners of raga music.
As a student of classical music, one is taught many dozens of bandish in dierent ragas and expected
to master them in their standard form, singing the melody, rhythm and lyrics exactly as prescribed. Over
time, one must learn to sing the bandish with elaborate improvisation. Classical artists also use bandish in
their performances, but they esh them out into something very elaborate in their own way. So, in a real
performance, it is often very hard to gure out the lyrics of the bandish because they are so extended. You
may 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 eect on the mood and to be appropriate for
a specic time of the day. Of the songs presented here, Socha Samajha is in Raag Kedar, which is a late
night Raga (sung during the sixth phase of the day, dened as 9:00 p.m. to midnight). It is associated with
the shaanta11 (peace/tranquility) mood. Jaun Tore is in Raag Bhupali, which is an evening Raga (sung
during the fth phase of the day, dened 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 dierent from more-familiar songs?

Here are a few specic characteristics of these songs that might be very dierent from the songs that your
students already know and like. If you and they are familiar with your own tradition's music theory or
notation, you can use that as a beginning point for a lecture, class discussion, group inquiry, or individual
research papers about any of these characteristics.
Jaun Tore is in raag Bhupali. Socha Samajha is in raag Kedar. The raga provides the framework
for the melody of the piece by prescribing the notes (pitches) that are to be used and their relationship
to 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 dierent 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
11 http://www.rasas.info/peace_calmness_shanta_shanti_shant_rasa.htm
12 http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/ http://www.rasas.info/love_shringara_shringar_rasa.htm
13 http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/ http://www.rasas.info/emotion_art_beauty.htm
14 http://cnx.org/content/m43688/latest/ http://www.rasas.info/spiritual_devotion_bhakti_yoga.htm
15 http://raag-hindustani.com/Scales1.html
13
the next. These nuances or "ornamentation" (more on that here16 ) are very important features of
Hindustani classical music.
Both songs are in teentaal, a sixteen-beat rhythmic cycle that is very common in Hindustani music. The
rhythmic cycle provides very important elements of the structure and organization of the song. If one
listens to the 16-beat teentaal cycle, one will nd a specic pattern of emphasized and non-emphasized
beats, and it is important to t the emphatic and non-emphatic portions of the composition to the
pattern of the beats. A simple way to do this is to t the melody into the lyric in such a way that the
most 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 dierent point in the rhythm cycle.
For instance Socha Samajha starts at beat number 9 of the 16-beat cycle, while Jaun Tore starts
at beat number 5. Click here17 for detailed explanations and video demonstrations of how rhythm in
Hindustani 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 learners
and listeners from the perspective of a Hindustani musician.

The Music Room is a good book for anyone looking to get a real feel for the
world of Hindustani classical music.
There are also Connexions modules introducing this music to beginning listeners (Listening to Indian
Classical Music19 ) and discussing Tuning and Ragas20 from a Western-music perspective.
Namita Devidayal's
For Help with Common-Practice Ways of Discussing Music Characteristics

The course The Basic Elements of Music21 includes many activities for introducing students to the
characteristics of music as they are understood within Western music theory traditions. For students
who are most comfortable with Western music, familiarity with these concepts and terms can also help
them discuss unfamiliar musics.
16 http://raag-hindustani.com/Embellishment.html
17 http://raag-hindustani.com/Rhythm.html
18 http://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/>
21
<http://cnx.org/content/col10218/latest/>
The Basic Elements of Music

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