Kolkata, West Bengal
In joy, sorrow, or leisure, the companion I seek is music. When I can’t sing myself, I ask someone nearby to sing for me. It’s not necessary that there be any accompaniment with that song.
However, when an artist is introduced on stage with an announcement— “Presenting to you a musical performance by…”— we immediately understand that music will be accompanied by appropriate instruments. Besides rhythm instruments like the tabla, it’s natural to have one or more melodic instruments such as a guitar, keyboard, or flute. In recent times, artists also perform by playing instruments themselves while singing, allowing us to experience music with both our ears and eyes. Since ancient times, music has been seen as a combination of song, instrument, and dance. But it’s not necessary that the dance always be performed by the singer themselves.
Yet, when we think of a song or music, we often limit it to just the vocal component, ignoring other forms. When only instruments are played, we refer to it as instrumental music. Sound acts as the bridge between both forms. So, let us now explore the essence of music in terms of sound.
From a philosophical perspective, it is said that the universe was created from sound. Science has taught us that sound originates from vibration. Hence, we can say that the foundation of all matter in the world lies in vibration. In this way, everything becomes intimately connected with music, as it too is rooted in vibration, with its own unique characteristics.
When something vibrates, it causes the air to move. This vibrating air reaches our ears, creating a sensation in our brain. This sensation can evoke joy or irritation. The perception of a sound as good or bad depends on our emotions. For example, the loud noise of an iron gate might be pleasant to a child waiting for his father’s return, but annoying to the neighbours. Thus, the same sound can evoke different responses in different people. However, the next morning, when the cuckoo sings, both the child and the neighbour might find joy in it. The neighbour may not have the time to look for the bird, but the child will seek it out, watching through the leaves. The child will cherish the bird’s song, and even try to imitate it with his own voice. Such behaviour is ordinary in a child, but thousands of years ago, this same urge was seen in poets, who began to create poetry. They sought out pleasant sounds from the environment and developed the technique to reproduce them with their own voices. When reciting poetry, they used those very sounds derived from nature, turning mere sounds into meaningful notes. They wanted their voices to harmonize with these pleasant tones, and thus, melody was born. Perhaps they didn’t know that this foundation would one day lead to a magnificent structure.
Now, we have this grand structure of music with many levels and rooms. Depending on our abilities, some of us are residents, while others are spectators of this musical edifice.
Over time, distinct sounds were identified for use in music, and they were called “shruti.” There are 22 shrutis in total, a number that likely took a long time to determine. People learned to produce these shrutis with their voices, as well as with various instruments. Of these, twelve shrutis are directly used in music and are called “swars” or notes. The simplest way to recognize them is by using a harmonium, where pressing any key produces a note. Numbering these notes from 1, the 1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 8th, 10th, and 12th are called “shuddha swars” (pure notes) and are known as Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. Apart from these, there are five altered notes or “vikrit swars” (2nd, 4th, 9th, and 11th notes), which are called “komal” (soft) swars and are named after the nearest pure note. The remaining note, the 7th, is called “Tivra.” These twelve notes form the basic structure. Additionally, there are ten more shrutis, which cannot be produced on the harmonium but are captured by string instruments like the esraj.
Now you might wonder about the remaining keys on the harmonium. Note number 13 is also called Sa, but of a higher octave. This second Sa vibrates at double the frequency of the first Sa. Just as we differentiate individuals with the same name by their location, these differences are called octaves.
A harmonium contains three octaves. The 13th note is the first note of the “tara” (upper) octave.
Accordingly, the 1st note is the first note of the “múdara” (middle) octave. The range of notes below this is called the “udara” (lower) octave. In vocal training, we typically start with the “múdara” octave. However, where exactly a student will begin with the “múdara sa” is decided by the music teacher, based on the student’s vocal intensity. The section of the harmonium that represents the specific “múdara” (along with its “udara” and “tara” octaves) for the artist is assigned various names, such as A, B, B-flat, C, C-flat, D, F, etc. These are called musical scales. Whichever scale it may be, the frequency of any note in the “múdara” octave is doubled in the corresponding note of the "tara" octave. During musical performance, all accompanying instruments are adjusted to match the same scale, which enhances the melody and harmony of the music.
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