India has a rich and varied musical tradition. Their music is usually presented in the form of improvising by group music-making. Through some known group performance analysis of Hindustani music, this paper will investigate the important characteristic features in the process of creating improvisation of Hindustani music and understand the interpersonal entrainment around the performers and between the performers and audiences.
Table of Contents
- Abstract
- 1. Introduction.
- 2. The improvisation in Hindustani instrumental music
- 2.1 The Processes of improvisation in Hindustani Instrumental Music
- 2.1.1 Ālāp
- 2.1.2 Jor
- 2.1.3 Gat.
- 2.1.4 Tihai
- 2.2 The communication of improvisation in Hindustani music --- interpersonal entrainment
- 2.2.1 The instantaneous reflection---sensorimotor synchronization
- 2.2.2 The signal of interaction --- movement coordination
- 2.3 The Role and Relationship of the musicians in Hindustani Music Performance
- 2.3.1 The musicians' positions on the stage.
- 2.3.2 The social position of musicians.
- 2.3.3 Musicians as the Audiences during the performance in Hindustani music
- 2.1 The Processes of improvisation in Hindustani Instrumental Music
- 3. Discussion and Conclusion.
- References...
Objective & Topics
This paper fundamentally aims to investigate the important characteristic features in the process of creating improvisation in Hindustani music. It also seeks to understand the interpersonal entrainment that occurs among performers and between performers and audiences in this musical tradition.
- Analysis of improvisation processes in Hindustani instrumental music.
- Examination of specific improvisational sections: Ālāp, Jor, Gat, and Tihai.
- Investigation of interpersonal entrainment, including sensorimotor synchronization and movement coordination.
- Exploration of the roles, relationships, and social dynamics among musicians during performance.
- Impact of audience interaction and social hierarchy on musical improvisation.
Excerpt from the Book
The Processes of improvisation in Hindustani Instrumental Music
Alāp is one of the oldest musical practices extant in Indian classical music. Ālāp ordinarily constitutes the first section of the performance of a raga. As now the basic manner of performing ālāp proceeded as an unpulsed, ametrical, free-flowing exploration of the melodic potential of a particular raga.³ In ālāp the tune is established and the dominant notes are selected. These “quite less” improvised melody structures reveal the musical characteristics of the raga. In this section the instrumental soloist will first explore and confirm the overall tone. This part is accompanied by a drone instrument and often also by another melodic instrument that repeats the soloist's phrases after a lag of a few seconds. It is a non-metrical (no tala) improvisational introduction. The performers of the ālāp introduce the essential notes and melodic turns of the raga to be performed. When the soloist is satisfied that he has set forth the full range of melodic possibilities of the raga and has established its unique mood and personality he will proceed, without interruption, to the metrically organized section of the piece. If a drummer is present, as is usual in a formal concert, his first beats serve as a signal to the listener that the ālāp is concluded.4 In Hindustani music it moves gradually to a section known as jor.
Jor is the section of the ālāp, which uses a rhythmic pulse and tone repetitions but through no tala (metric cycle), so it is never accompanied by tabla. It is defined by the beginning of improvisation. The performers begin strumming a pulse on the instrument's drone strings while creating some melodies over the raga. The majority of jor performances will share a great deal in common. There is a basic pulsation unit—cikari, which some musicians use as the primary structuring device governing rhythm in improvising melodic phrases within the jor. The pulsation is not ordered into a higher level of rhythmic complexity. One common strategy for playing in this way is to allow the repeated articulation of a pedal tone in alternation with the drone to serve as a musical space of relative repose between episodes of melodic extemporization played on the melody strings with a continuous inward stroking at a pace equivalent to that of the basic pulsation unit's strokes. 5 This section is pleasant to listen to and quite easy for the audience to understand, who are new to raga, as it describes a very distinct outline of it. There are some differences in the creative process of improvising jor that are particularly telling of the way musicians must be thinking in order to construct musical phrases. Many musicians use liberal amounts of rubato in jor. It is free to move, slowly to accelerate and usually reaches its climax to jhala. It can be regarded as the conclusion of the ālāp and is marked by rapid accompaniment using drone strings on instruments like the sitar or sarod.
Summary of Chapters
Abstract: This section outlines the paper's focus on analyzing improvisation in Hindustani music and understanding interpersonal entrainment among performers and between performers and audiences.
1. Introduction: The introduction establishes improvisation as an integral part of musical performance, distinguishing between 'idiomatic' and 'non-idiomatic' forms, and poses the central questions regarding how Indian musicians improvise and communicate.
2. The improvisation in Hindustani instrumental music: This main chapter delves into the characteristic features of improvisation within Hindustani instrumental music, detailing its structured processes and communication dynamics.
2.1 The Processes of improvisation in Hindustani Instrumental Music: This sub-section describes the distinct stages of improvisation in Hindustani music, including Ālāp, Jor, Gat, and Tihai, explaining their individual characteristics and sequence.
2.2 The communication of improvisation in Hindustani music --- interpersonal entrainment: This part examines how musicians communicate and achieve synchronization during improvised performances, focusing on sensorimotor synchronization and movement coordination as key mechanisms.
2.3 The Role and Relationship of the musicians in Hindustani Music Performance: This section discusses the various factors influencing improvisation, such as the musicians' stage positions, social status, hierarchy, and the interaction between performers and audience.
3. Discussion and Conclusion: This chapter synthesizes the paper's findings, concluding that Hindustani music is a blend of precomposed and improvised elements, shaped by complex interactions among performers and audiences, leading to a unique and structured performance.
References: This section provides a comprehensive list of all academic and scholarly sources cited throughout the paper.
Keywords
Indian music, Hindustani music, improvisation, interpersonal entrainment, raga, tala, sensorimotor synchronization, movement coordination, Ālāp, Jor, Gat, Tihai, musicians' roles, audience interaction, musical performance
Frequently Asked Questions
What is this work fundamentally about?
This work fundamentally explores the nature of improvisation in Hindustani music, analyzing its characteristic features and the dynamics of interpersonal entrainment among performers and between performers and audiences.
What are the central thematic areas?
The central thematic areas include the specific processes of improvisation in Hindustani instrumental music (Ālāp, Jor, Gat, Tihai), the communication mechanisms like sensorimotor synchronization and movement coordination, and the social and hierarchical roles and relationships of musicians and audiences during performances.
What is the primary objective or research question?
The primary objective is to investigate the important characteristic features in the process of creating improvisation in Hindustani music from an objective aspect, and to understand the interpersonal entrainment around the performers and between performers and audiences from a subjective aspect.
Which scientific method is used?
The paper employs group performance analysis of Hindustani music, integrating findings from experimental and comparative investigations of interpersonal synchronization in musical performance.
What is covered in the main part?
The main part of the paper covers the structured processes of improvisation (Ālāp, Jor, Gat, Tihai), the communication dynamics among musicians through instantaneous reflection and movement coordination, and the roles, relationships, social positions, and audience interactions that influence Hindustani music performance.
Which keywords characterize the work?
The work is characterized by keywords such as Indian music, Hindustani music, improvisation, interpersonal entrainment, raga, tala, sensorimotor synchronization, movement coordination, Ālāp, Jor, Gat, Tihai, musicians' roles, audience interaction, and musical performance.
What are the main stages of improvisation in Hindustani instrumental music?
The main stages of improvisation discussed are Ālāp (unpulsed melodic exploration), Jor (rhythmic pulse without metric cycle), Gat (fixed composition with extensive improvisation over a tala), and Tihai (a conventional rhythmic pattern for ending improvisations).
How does the social hierarchy in India influence musical improvisation?
The social hierarchy in India influences improvisation through factors such as musicians' stage positions (soloist at the center), the preference for familiar accompanists (often students or employees of the soloist), and the impact of seniority, where senior musicians may guide or exert pressure on younger soloists.
What is 'interpersonal entrainment' in the context of Hindustani music?
In Hindustani music, 'interpersonal entrainment' refers to the timing coordination and synchronization between two or more individuals (musicians and sometimes audience), encompassing both instantaneous sensorimotor synchronization and longer-timescale movement coordination, facilitated by shared understanding and experience.
How do audiences participate in or influence Hindustani music performances?
Audiences, particularly knowledgeable musicians and expert listeners, can influence performances through their reactions, providing feedback, and even creating pressure on performers, especially younger artists, while experienced musicians may exchange glances and gestures with the audience to enhance the performance.
- Citar trabajo
- Jin Zhang (Autor), 2019, Improvisation in Hindustani music, Múnich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/1691549
