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Several Miles to Ramanujam
A study in the application of Indian rhythmic concepts
for western musicians
Culminating experience reflection paper
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M.T. Aditya Srinivasan
Master of music in Contemporary Performance
Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus
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Project advisor: Professor Enrich Alberich
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Acknowledgements
Matha. Pitha.Guru. Devam.
My first and foremost thanks are to the greatest parents in the world, who have sacrificed
more than they have had at every stage for me in order for me to live my dream, for being
the strongest support system one could ever ask for. To the best friends every person
dreams of having, who made no demands of me over the past year and allowed me to give
my musical growth priority over them and without ever holding it against me. To every
single one of my fellow Berklee classmates, for being fantastic comrades in arms, for being
constant sources of inspiration throughout what has definitely been the best year of my
life so far, in the knowledge that we have made relationships that will last a lifetime.
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To my guru, Pt.Yogesh Samsi, for any idea that I present in this project emerges out of
the seeds that he has sown, through his visionary thinking and guidance in every aspect
of music and life and in his pursuit of sadhana, showing us that it is possible to be a great
performer, great human being and an even better teacher, all in one. To my guru, the
living legend, Padma Vibushan Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman for inspiring me with the
beauty of my own heritage, tradition and music. To Shri Sriram Parasuram, Shri Sai
Shravanam, Shri Ramesh Vinayagam and Pt.Dhruba Ghosh for being strong forces in
my growth and nurturing of the potential they have seen in me. To the ever energetic
Maestro Yoel Paez for being who he is and exposing me to a whole new world of rhythm.
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To all the fabulous professors, faculty and staff here at Berklee Valencia, in particular to
Enrich Alberich, Mariano Steimberg and Victor Mendoza for their constant support,
guidance and encouragement on this project. To the inimitable Ghatam Kartik for his
brilliant conceptualization on Indian rhythm. To the numerous scholars right from
Maestro Trichy Sankaran to T.M.Krishna, to Martin Clayton, to Jamey Haddad, Jerry
Leake and several others who’s pioneering works in this direction have shaped this
project. My thanks and namaskar to all the aforementioned.
Foreword
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I am delighted by this concept of a culminating experience. In my previous masters, I was
both limited and daunted by the rigidity demanded by a traditional thesis. Here the
project is more oriented toward the learning than toward the product (in the traditional
sense), which I find infinitely more relevant to the life of a musician. This meant that the
written part of my thesis, particularly the readings incorporated into this paper, would
help me advance my theoretical knowledge and highlight which aspects of it influenced
the direction I took with my proposal. In particular this has given me the chance to quote
directly from scholars rather than re-interpret their words in my own. While this would
be plagiarism in the context of an academic paper, I am not presenting their ideas as my
own. I am collecting their ideas and presenting the ones I find relevant to my study. Many
of these ideas I need to evolve as part of further study in this direction. I have also quoted
out of context within this paper, in order to arrive at my own point.
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In many parts of this document, I am searching not for literary review but for thoughts,
ideas and suggestions that are relevant to what I must consider before framing a syllabus
for rhythm. It wasn’t particularly analysis or critique of these numerous sources, but the
understanding of the studies themselves and the implications. These are not my words, it
is merely me framing the work of scholars to my own benefit - for I see the ultimate
purpose being learning.
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This paper contains important but not all aspects of this project. A complete document
will be prepared as part of my post graduate fellowship here at Berklee Valencia.
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Contents
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Chapter
Title
Page
1
The project proposal
1
1.1
Aim
1.2
Objectives
1.3
Uniqueness of the project
1.4
Purpose
1.5
Learning outcomes
1.6
Statement of purpose
1.7
Methodology
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2
7
2.1
Reflection on a year
The year at Berklee Valencia
2.2
Interactions at Berklee
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2.3
A change in my understanding of my own rhythmic background
2.4
Ear training classes
2.5
Birth of an idea
2.6
Getting started
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2.7
What this project needs to accomplish
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3
Findings and conclusions
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3.1
Readings in the context of the “Culminating Experience”
3.2
The three challenges
3.3
Designing the project
3.4
The ship of Theseus
3.5
General observations and noteworthy aspects from analysis and
trial execution of the project
3.6
Harmony and the Raga
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4
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3.7
Pattern recognition
3.8
South Vs North
3.9
The use of syllables
3.10
Approaching rhythmic ideas
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3.11
The stigma of mathematics
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3.12
Grammar and technique - The need to internalize concepts
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3.13
The repertoire
3.14
Pathway of growth through material
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3.15
Application of concepts
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3.16
Attitudes towards this project
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36
4.1
The project beyond this thesis
Agenda for this project over the next academic year
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4.2
A final word
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Appendix
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I
Artists who’s material was studied
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II
Berklee students who participated in this project
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III
Bibliography: Books, research papers and other online sources
(audio/Video) analyzed
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Revathi Thillana score sample
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V
Course design overview
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VI
Course material samples
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VII
DVD of presentation material
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IV
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1. The Project Proposal
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1.1 Aim
The primary objective of the study is to develop a syllabus and material for Indian
rhythmical ideas to be taught as a structured course to students at music universities.
1.2 Objectives
1.
To understand how Indian rhythmic concepts can be transcribed into western
notation without compromising their aesthetic quality. To write compositions in
western notation in such a way that the original mathematical and poetical beauty
will remain intact even when the transcriptions are sight-read without prior
context.
3.
To develop a written repertoire of compositions that creates a foundation for
rhythmic interaction for musicians from other traditions with Indian musicians.
4.
To identify rhythmic structures and ideas that is useful as compositional and
performance ideas for other genres of music (with specific reference to jazz).
5.
To understand, identify and incorporate Indian rhythmic exercises that are
beneficial to western musicians in the context of structured course work.
6.
To learn how to teach these concepts as a course for western musicians with little
or no prior exposure to Indian classical music, by understanding different
approaches to learning rhythm and create a uniform repertoire for further
dissemination.
7.
To create repertoire for a percussion ensemble based on Indian rhythmic ideas that
can also be taught as a course at a music school.
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1.3 Uniqueness of the Project
1.
This study will incorporate notation of not just the mathematical and structural
ideas, but also the poetry of Indian rhythm, which has never been done to a high
level of detail so far, merely touched upon.
2.
This study is by an Indian percussionist approaching a western mindset, instead of
the other way around, which is how it has almost always been.
3.
Most other research in this area has had a theoretical focus, whereas the primary
focus of this project is the incorporation of the repertoire into performance.
1.4 Purpose
Everything that this study will go forth to talk about under a purpose for this project
takes me to the furthering of these career goals:
1. To be able to teach Indian rhythmic concepts at a contemporary music school upon
my graduation from Berklee. I have a passion for teaching and believe it to be one of
my strengths.
2. To create a foundation for myself for further research in Indian rhythm.
3. This project will lay the foundation for future research into how Indian rhythmic ideas
can be transcribed into standardized notation without compromising their integrity,
which has far reaching implications into not just musical dissemination but also in
technological music identification and many other areas.
Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John W. White have written in detail about the
goals of Effective Rhythm Pedagogy in their paper, Takadimi: A Beat-Oriented System
of Rhythm Pedagogy, which I find to be highly applicable to this project.
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This study shall strive to satisfy these objectives as well;
1.
It should lead to accuracy and musicality in performance, both studies and sightread, including the ability to recognize and perform musical gesture.
2.
It should require and reflect an understanding of rhythmic structure, recognition of
metric and rhythmic interaction, and an awareness of precise contextual location of
beats and attack points.
3.
It should facilitate aural recognition and identification of rhythmic patterns and
metric divisions.
4.
It should provide a precise and consistent language for the discussion of temporal
phenomena. There should be no need to create new terms or separate categories for
performance, transcription, or analytical work.
5.
It should address rhythmic issues presented by musics outside the realm of
traditional tonal literature such as asymmetric meters, modulation of meter or
tempo, complex syncopations, complex tuplet groupings, and passages that
combine these in novel and challenging ways.
6.
It should be a system that is easily applied and adapts to broad applications, and it
should be a tool for life-long use.
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1.5 Learning Outcomes
A mastery of the concepts and exercises contained herein would be more than simply a
beginning. It will put one well into the process of realizing rhythm as a higher science and
art, opening up new pathways of rhythmic discovery. Studying this coursework will
prepare one to be able to deal with a wide variety of advanced applications in rhythm. If
for instance, they are to attend a workshop on Indian rhythms by an Indian exponent,
they will be able to grasp all of the concepts in much more detail because of the
foundation this course will provide.
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Those participating in this course will have practical knowledge backed by theoretical
understanding, and the foundation to pursue the highest order of skill levels . They will
not necessarily understand the social and cultural context of the concepts, but will
understand that the concepts that have been chosen have applicability outside of such
context. The course will strengthened rhythmic foundation, train the logical mind, inspire
creative ideas and increase player confidence in any performing context.
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1.6 Statement of purpose
To this day Indian classical music remains a largely unwritten form of music, where true
learning can only take place by traveling to India and dedicating many years to rigorous
practice of the art. There are however, many musicians from of other musical forms who
seek to understand various aspects of Indian classical music to incorporate into their own
music, who are unable to undergo such dedicated learning of the art. This project aims to
bridge that gap.
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1.7 Methodology
Three parallel methodologies were selected to execute this project.
1.7.1 Study and analysis of similar work
Many artists, researchers, educators and scholars (among others) have carried out
extensive research and work, with many publications in a similar direction (toward
incorporating Indian rhythmic ideas in western music styles). The scope of the study
though focused on these artists, is not limited to their works. (A full list of these sources is
given in the bibliography). Study of their work will include detailed analysis and
understanding of their works and also transcriptions and selection of interesting ideas to
incorporate into the repertoire proposed under this project.
1.7.2 Focused group study
1.
Hour long weekly sessions where Indian rhythmic ideas are taught to students at
Berklee. The group comprises of students from Berklee Valencia, along with drums
teacher Marian Steimberg.
2.
Feedback is obtained after each session in the following areas (among others) –
Content, Usefulness of concepts, teaching method and style, quality of supporting
material, suggestions of different approaches to understanding.
3.
The sessions help teaching abilities, identify the repertoire to propose for a syllabus,
also providing regular deadlines to create material.
4.
The philosophy: The focus group doesn’t know that they want to learn Indian
Rhythm - they must be shown exactly how useful it would be for them. But for
that, it is important to understand how they utilize. As Steve Jobs was famous for
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believing, a lot of times, people do not know what they want until you show it to
them. The idea is to observe them discover what they want.
1.7.3 Sample repertoire
1.
Preparing content for a percussion ensemble performance (content useable as
repertoire to teach an ensemble course) with completely transcribed arrangements
for Cajon, Conga, Drum set and other percussion based completely on the Tabla
solo format/repertoire.
2.
Arrangements of Indian classical compositions known as thillanas in jazz like
format to highlight some use of the concepts. These would also come in as
available repertoire for an ensemble. (Listed in the appendix). These recordings are
also used to evaluate how musicians approach the melodic and rhythmic
development of such compositions, to try and understand whether such
compositions remain interesting when taken out of the context of Indian classical
music.
3. Assimilating recordings of musicians that have used similar concepts in their own
composition and improvisation, both as examples and for transcription and
analysis. (Listed in the appendix)
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2. Reflection on a year
2.1 The year at Berklee Valencia
Over this past year, I have had the fortune of interacting with some truly great musicians
from traditions other than mine. There was always an eagerness among them to
understand Indian rhythm and I found myself searching for more efficient methods to
share my tradition with them. To find that crucial middle ground where they can find
reference points to their own music. In the process I realized that I was learning more
intricate details about my own music.
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Interaction has always been the greatest attraction for me as a musician. The sharing of
ideas with others is actually more exciting to me than performance. Teaching music is a
way of satisfying my need for interaction at the highest level. With that came the love of
sharing my own thoughts, in the hope of making significant contribution toward my own
musical tradition.
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I had a major fear that coming to Valencia and spending a year away from my musical
roots would remove me from the musical atmosphere of India, that my adherence to my
own culture and traditions would suffer. But far from it, I found that the atmosphere at
Berklee appreciated the cultural diversity.
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I had a renewed respect and pride in my own cultural identity and gained a wonderful
outsider’s perspective of it as well. I took extra effort to study my rhythmic tradition in
much more detail, reviewing and analyzing several videos, articles, research papers and
books. All of that has come together for this project.
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2.2 Interactions at Berklee
Apart from interaction with fellow students, visiting scholars had some highly incisive
ideas that led me to think about their connection and relevance to my project.
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Yoron Israel spoke about how improvisation could realize new paradigms ? It is about the
possibility of interesting possibilities. That is what I see Indian rhythmic concepts as being
able to inspire. The possibility of innovative ideas in composition, improvisation and
accompaniment.
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Interactions with Danilo Perez and the rest of the Global Jazz institute as well made me
wonder, “Why do indian ideas have to be exotic” - what is an “Indian Idea” ? Whenever I
was collaborating with musicians on campus, I was also deemed to bring in exotic ideas
and an exotic instrument. It was my trump card and I certainly took advantage of it, but it
also made me wonder if my instrument and the concepts that I brought into a
collaboration could ever be looked at as an extension of some western music ideas. I
realized that this perception of these ideas as not being exotic, was essential for western
musicians to utilize the concepts I propose as part of this study. As Allan Chase put it for
me, “Creative improvisation through inter disciplinary collaboration” was my goal.
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2.3 A change in my understanding of my own rhythmic background
Many musical scholars consider India’s rhythmic system to be the most highly developed
in the world, particularly for its thorough and logical treatment of the various principles
of movement in time.I observed that there is a certain fascination for the Indian system
of music for those from other systems of music. I knew that this opened up a
phenomenal window of possibilities for me and this project is geared towards taking
advantage of that.
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2.4 Ear Training classes
In my first semester at Berklee, I had the tremendous advantage of being the only student
in the ear training class, allowing for me to proceed at my own pace and focus on the
elements that were essential for me. It gave me tremendous insight into how courses were
structured, designed, how are the components of classwork and homework divided. But
more importantly, it gave me insight into how western musicians approach and
understand rhythm and notation.
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2.5 Birth of an Idea
My initial project idea was to extend my previous research which was a study in online
education in Indian classical music - I had read before coming here that Professor Enrich
Alberich had conducted extensive research in the subject. However the more the year
progressed, the more I realized that I could definitely offer something more unique.
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It was here at Berklee that I actually got exposed to jazz and its related styles of music.
Because of the melodic and rhythmic history that I come from - at some point I was
annoyed by the fact that I was always hearing a short melodic line followed by extensive
soloing. Even after a year here, I cannot listen in harmony as jazz musicians do. The
melodic development is a pre-disposition I am unable to shed. I then noticed the
rhythmic development of these solos was drastically limited the moment we were dealing
with odd time signatures. People were unable to think beyond the bar. All ideas were
contained within that organizational item, which was all of a sudden limiting phrasal
development of the music. Even in compositional terms, complicated time signature
changes were being brought into play when a single time signature would suffice, because
it seemed blasphemous at some levels to break the half bar rule or extend phrases beyond
bars (this may not be entirely true, or even partly true, but it remains my observation therefore true for me).
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But, the seed for my idea was planted more than 3-4 years ago, when drummer Eric
Harland conducted a workshop for Tabla players in Mumbai, India. I asked him a
question about how he approached the idea of a drum solo. Tabla players for instance,
have various different kind of compositions that shape a solo and in many ways the
format is predetermined. His answer however, did not leave me satisfied. It did not
suggest a repertoire for drummers that was independent of accompaniment of music,
which was something I felt was limiting the growth of possibilities.
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What emerged from that discussion was the thought - how can I share my own tradition
in such a way that it translates into usefulness outside of its own context. I wanted to see
whether my tradition could help break these barriers that I perceived. How can the bar
stop being a barrier ? That was the question. I decided to experiment to see if this would
make an interesting project.
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2.6 Getting started on the idea
One immediate similarity that struck me between south Indian classical music and Jazz
was standards. The idea of standards is very similar to the idea of Kritis (or fixed
compositions that allowed for improvisation). I wanted to pick compositions that
displayed focussed melodic development that had strong rhythmic ideas - and thillanas
(compositions that are developed by applying melodic lines to rhythmic motifs) were the
natural conclusion. I had some favorites in terms of thillanas and composers and I dived
into their recordings to identify the thillanas that I could use for this experiment.
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At the same time I started putting together all the fundamental exercises that I had learnt
as part of my rhythmic training and transcribing them in western notation to see what
arose. What emerged was the biggest ego crusher I had ever experienced. Indian
musicians have this sense of ego about their rhythmic “superiority” over all other musical
traditions. I had picked some of the most complicated rhythmic ideas I could think off,
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but on paper they were quite simply quarter notes and rests. It was somehow, reduced.
That told me I needed to test these exercises on my classmates. This led to my researching
other percussionists who had similar ideas about adapting Indian rhythmic concepts to
western notation.
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While this dealt with the mathematical aspect of rhythm, Indian rhythm also has poetical
aspects to it. So I started transcribing some poetical pleasing compositions for drums and
congas. This has been done before but on a personal level by various musicians. (I shall
delve more into this at a later point in the paper).
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2.7 What this project needs to accomplish
With this project I hope to lay the foundation for what I foresee will be my chance to
make significant contribution to my own musical tradition as well as the world of music
at large. The ideas proposed under the study are meant to create a foundation for further
work in the direction. The research serves as a means to understand the advantages of
using a transcribed format and how it can also further the compositional repertoire of
Indian classical music. The project will only transcribe select examples of the repertoire,
establishing a precedent to carry out further transcription. The ideas proposed are
changeable, creative, and open to interpretation and thus creating an endless realm of
possibilities, of which I barely scratch the surface.
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In the words of Romanian Sculptor Constantin Brancusi, “Simplicity is complexity
resolved”. That is what this project should accomplish – resolving Indian rhythmic ideas
for western musicians, retaining their aesthetic integrity without reducing them to mere
transcriptions.
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3.Findings and conclusions
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3.1 Readings in the context of the “Culminating Experience”
The first thing I realized when going through all of my sources, books, videos or articles, is
that this project cannot take the form of a traditional thesis format because that is not
what it is. The subject of the material is predominantly approaches to teaching Indian
rhythmic concepts in various situations ; books, syllabus, Indian masters teaching, western
musicians learning and adapting the same concepts and so on.
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It is important to remember that this is not a scientific paper. The readings and analysis
helped me place my project in perspective. I was able to learn several new facets of my
own tradition and understand how those concepts were applicable to my own project.
Most of those highlighted sections from the readings will be adapted and incorporated
into the theoretical section of the proposed coursework (or in a book that can be
developed based on this material). I have opted to leave out specific analysis of all the
material out of this paper in favor of brevity. Whenever I found useful approaches or
exercises, I transcribed them, analyzed how I can used them or adapted the ideas, to
incorporate them into this proposed coursework.
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3.2 The three challenges
1. I needed a hands on understanding of how western musicians approached Indian
musical concepts.
2. I needed to learn to notate compositions in such a way that they weren’t reduced to
paper
3. I needed to critically analyze similar endeavors in three categories - by western
musicians & scholars, by Indian musicians & scholars and by students of both
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traditions.
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3.3 Designing the project
I will share what I have learnt in my journey of executing the proposed aspects of the
methodology. I have come to understand that a thesis on music must encompass a past,
present and future that involves deepening the bed and strengthening the walls of
tradition, faithfully recording and regulating practice , all while creating and indicating
new directions. I now venture to try and outline how my project has accomplished all of
this.
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3.4 The Ship of Theseus
The ship of Theseus, also known as Theseus' paradox, is a thought experiment that raises
the question of whether an object which has had all its components replaced remains
fundamentally the same object. My understanding of it’s applicability to my project came
from reading T.M.Krishna’s book on south Indian classical music, from where I quote
extensively in this project. When removed from the art music sphere, is it still Indian
classical music? For me I had to evaluate whether the various aspects of this project
survived this paradox.
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This question arises because in this project, Indian classical music is being taken
completely out of context, socially, culturally and in the music itself, the intent of the
usage is also different. The altered intent, which also results in specific changes to the way
each aesthetic element interacts with the other – and that in turn changes the aesthetic
experience of the music.
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It is important to understand the form, change and development of thought in an art
form in order to absorb external influences, and yet retain the essential elements that
make the music. When there is a lot of external influence on a musician lacking internal
introspection, the end result is a musical direction that is disconnected. The acceptance or
the lack of that is not the issue, but the aesthetic repercussions of such directional changes
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is a matter of concern. Even when the context demands a change, it is important for
artists to be sensitive to the form and intent of the art form. At the same time, we cannot
exclude the distinct possibility of the transformed nature of their out-of-context, but
nonetheless authentic , presentation creating an altogether new aesthetic identity and
intent. Sometimes, as an art form is influenced by other factors or requirements (as is the
case in this project) , it can modify and even change character in order to adapt to the
circumstances.
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This understanding is very important in order to perceive music, when it moves into
another art form , doing so not as an addition to the tradition of other performing arts,
but as an integral aesthetic element in it, which is what this project aims for it to be.
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The activity of giving shape to a music that is inspired by Indian music but is not Indian
music. It is not a form derived by altering some elements of Indian music, but rather from
a different aesthetic sound that the musicians discover in their journey. The element of
Indian music and the other forms that may be a part of this discovery are incidental to
the actual experience of the concepts. Music is an idea, but is also a specific contextual
experience. In that specific experience, it is not universal and we should not seek
universality there. This project has to be viewed exactly for what it is: a source for musical
ideas.
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Every music must be given the treatment that its history and aesthetics demand,
irrespective of the musician’s need to explore other systems. Indian classical music gives
you a musical vision, but does not allow us to misuse its beauty to advance our personal
yearning. We need to respect the music , yet use its vision to look outside if we so seek.
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No musical form is universal. No doubt Indian music empowers the musician to
understand different musical environments. This does not imply that Indian classical
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music is universal. Every art music form gives musicians the ability to recognize the
aesthetic structures that constitute music in any form. With vision, it is possible for
musicians to use these skills to interpret all forms of music. In presenting Indian classical
music as universally adaptable, we also believe its nature needs to be changed. Once we
alter its nature, though, what remains is no longer Indian classical music.
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3.4.1 How does my project fare against the ship of theseus
No aspect of this project survives the paradox. They cease to be Indian music, merely ideas
borrowed for inspiration. However there is a notion among participants that they are
learning something that is unique or from a different tradition. Which is why it is all the
more necessary for me to highlight this paradox and explain its implications. Participants
must see the ideas as merely concepts, maybe through which at a later point they will
have a strong foundation to learn Indian music through, but not as learning Indian music.
This was an aspect I found particularly relevant when working on thillanas.
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3.4.2 The Indian-ness of the project
Thillanas were the compositions that were selected for this project keeping in mind a
requirement for rhythmically intricate compositions. Everyone involved in the project for
the most part saw it as an Indian melody and not as a melodic idea for jazz in itself and
that created a general bias in the project, but I believe we were able to better overcome
pre-conceived notions it as we got more into the project. For me, right from the outset it
was important that these were not treated as Indian melodies, but simply as an
inspiration. I am not sure that was entirely accomplished.
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3.5 General Observations and noteworthy aspects from the analysis and trial execution
of the project
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3.5.1 Comparing western and Indian musical traditions based on readings as well as
experiences over the past year
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Indian classical music has a glorious tradition of intricately developed rhythmic
philosophy that since sitar player Pt.Ravishankar’s rise to international fame has caught
the fancy of musicians and connoisseurs alike from all over the world. While
Pt.Ravishankar’s efforts were largely focussed on performance, there were several who
created an impact in the educational field.
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A) Indian classical musicians who had an educational impact in the west
L. Subramaniam (b. 1947 ) completed his post graduation in Western classical music at
the California Institute of the Arts. L. Subramaniam and L. Shankar branched out into
world music and fusion music. T. Viswanathan became a prominent ethnomusicologist in
North America and taught at Wesleyan University. Around the same time, India was
witness to one of the first recognized Indian classical musicians of American origin. Jon
Higgins (1939– 84), popularly known in India as Higgins Bagavathar (Bagavathar is a
title for accomplished musicians), a graduate of Wesleyan University, which was fast
becoming a major center for Indian classical music outside of India.
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UCLA provided the first home to higher education for Indian classical music instruction
in 1958; in 1961, Wesleyan University offered courses on South Indian music and in
1971, Trichy Sankaran and Jon Higgins established a program in South Indian music at
York University, Toronto. Resident artists at these institutions were brought from India to
teach in academic settings and at this stage were not necessarily members of a large
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immigrant community. Rather they appear to have responded to the American interest in
Indian culture and spirituality.
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T. Viswanathan’s came from a special family that had been hereditary practitioners of
music and interacted with non-Indian enthusiasts who were experimenting with diverse
traditions of music. This not only enabled him to develop a special method of notation
and to experiment with other forms of music but also freed him from the shackles of a
convention that had been put in place in Madras by the first quarter of the twentieth
century. Thus he was able to retain his family style which was known to be complex and
difficult and which had a favorable reception in the United States. In an interview, he
mentioned that in America he had been able to maintain his family’s style which may not
have been possible in India, where audiences demand a more accessible style.
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All of this led to the inevitable construction of an alternative authentic tradition and its
integration with diverse musical traditions.
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B) Material produced by western musicians vs Indian musicians
The most extensive approaches in the field have been by western musicians approaching
Indian rhythms, not the other way around. Almost all of these musicians have been
percussionists, pioneered by Steve Smith, Pete Lockett, Jerry Leake, Bernhard
Schimpelsberger and several others. I highlight these names because it is their work that I
have found most interesting.
!
Percussionists of Pete Lockett’s and Bernhard’s calibre have phenomenal grasping ability
and have studied the Indian tradition extensively (living and learning in India from the
best rhythm masters). It is therefore very interesting to not only understand how they
have translated those experiences into their own, but also understand how they share their
learning with others. They have really internalized Indian rhythm to a level of mastery.
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They have produced material that reflects their learning of such tradition and their
interpretation of this learning to their own musical background.
!
Indian masters have trained western seekers for decades and all of that experience has
often been put together as books. Many Indian greats are faculty at universities across
Europe and North America (as discussed earlier in this paper). In all this, westerners have
either travelled to India extensively or studied Indian repertoire with these masters, but
most Indian masters did not learn western approaches to music. What that means is that
more often than not, the training imparted by scholars from either tradition is Indian
music itself not its application outside of the traditional context. But more importantly, it
means that most often, when western musicians are being taught by an Indian musician,
they are learning from someone who does not understand their musical background
entirely. When they are learning Indian concepts from a western musician, they are
learning from someone who does not understand the original Indian music entirely. Of
course, in many cases the scholars who teach these concepts are phenomenal musicians
for whom this need not be necessarily relevant, but nevertheless, my exposure here at
Berklee is an aspect that should make my contribution in this direction truly unique.
!
C) Sources of inspiration: Western vs Indian
I will not discriminate at any stage on adopting material, no matter where the source.
There are several western musicians who have developed really interesting concepts in
Indian music. For instance, Henrik Andersen has some very interesting mathematical
chart concepts and Asaf Sirkis have some very good thoughts about how to take such
course material forward. For instance, Henrik Andersen’s exercise in one bar of 7/4 with
the tala doing the groove change approach is something I think most Indian
percussionists will not be able to do. Instead of doing just various speeds of recitation
alone - also do various speed variations of the clapped tala cycle is a very interesting idea.
!
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D) The work of Ghatam Kartik
Ghatam Kartik is one of the leading exponents of south Indian rhythm today. He teaches
a course in Indian rhythms at the Swarnabhoomi academy of music, Chennai, India. For
the purpose of this project, I managed to obtain several videos of the classes he teaches to
western musicians studying at this school. Though they are focussed on percussionists and
are strictly adhering to south Indian percussionist’s view of rhythmic development, he has
outlined some beautiful concepts that have wonderful applicability. He does not use
western notation or even a mildly western approach. As part of the sessions I conducted
through the year, I re-interpreted many of his concepts and found they had remarkable
applicability for western musicians. My intention is to approach him for guidance in the
future to turn this material into a book at a later stage.
!
3.5.2 Rhythmic organization
Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John W. White make some interesting points in
their survey of rhythmic systems. They classify all rhythmic systems into two categories,
those that emphasize counting within the measure and those that emphasize pattern or
beat.
!
The rhythmic organization of Indian music seems to reflect not so much a unique Indian
approach to music-making as just a different perspective on universal rhythmic concepts.
Indian music seems to be exploiting the same possibilities, and attempting to solve the
same problems, as any other repertoire, but doing so in unique ways which produce rather
distinctive sonic results. Clayton Martin notes a general misconception that western
music is teleological and develops, while Indian music is cyclical and recurs. He argues
that such a dichotomy cannot exist, because whatever theory says, change and recurrence
must continue to be aspects of both repertoires. The primary concept that induces this
sense of cyclicality more prominently in Indian music is the importance given to the “One
or Sum” of the rhythmic cycle.
20
!
The biggest difference in organization of rhythm seems to be that Indian music has
devised extensive theoretical frameworks for rhythm that have immense practical
applicability. That remains the biggest advantage of Indian rhythm. The concepts of meter,
measure and the bar line seem to be inhibiting factors in the case of western music while
the Tala system seems to create a more flexible measure of surface rhythms that enable
musicians to more flexibly delve into several rhythmic layers. Western music theory has
emphasized meter's aspect as time measurement and played down the aspect of
recurrence, while Indian music theory has given expression to both aspects more equally.
Meter, for many Western musicians, has been seen as a regrettable necessity rather than as
the valuable source of order it has been to most Indian musicians. If there is a difference
between meter in Indian and Western music it may lie not so much in one being cyclical
and the other not, but in the fact that Indian theorists have not been troubled by the
apparent paradox of musical time as both linear and recurrent, whereas Western theorists
have been inclined to play down the sense of recurrence, let alone cyclicality, in favor of a
more singular conception of linear development.
!
It is important to remember that to say that rhythmic organization as a whole is more
complex in rag music than in any other repertoire would be a misconception, and show a
lack of understanding of the variety of levels of organization found elsewhere, and of the
very different ways in which broadly comparable levels of complexity can be realized in
different repertoires. To an educated listener, there can be no metrical ambiguity in Indian
music.
!
!
!
!
!
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3.5.3 Strong and weak points
Meter seems to be a useful translation for tala (For the purposes of this discussion, Tala is
the Indian name given to a rhythmic cycle). The commonality being that both are cyclical
in nature and can exist in a range of tempi. However, Tala lacks the internal accent
structure that western meter does, at least to a more obvious basic interpretation. For
instance, a 3/4 meter is generally accepted as - Strong Weak weak Strong Weak Weak in
western rhythm.
!
3.5.4 Episodic development of rhythm
This goes back to my discussion with Eric Harland and how he spoke about development
or growth of performance in a drum solo. I believe the combination of fixed, semi-fixed
and completely improvisational repertoire of Indian rhythm, with development in the
form of several episodes of a story, is its biggest asset and remains the area where Indian
rhythm can make the biggest contributions. This is backed up by the fact that most of the
material analyzed has incorporated concepts from Indian rhythm that are particularly
focussed in this direction.
!
3.5.5 Notation
An enigma that among other things gave Indian musicians a false ego – that we have
achieved a complexity and intricacy in rhythmic development unmatched by any other
musical form. I can find no better an example of a bruised ego than when I first
transcribed Indian rhythmic compositions into western notation. It seemed like the
complexity was resolved on paper, to an extent that they appeared somehow reduced.
!
Finding ways to notate the concepts in western format will be the biggest success and
biggest failure of this project. My understanding of notation over the last year can be
summed up as mildly confused because it stemmed from this point that while on one
hand Staff as the dimension of music represented by a time signature, the bar supposedly
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measures meter it appears to represent phrases more. Because of the need to give stress on
the correct phrases, I have seen many transcriptions in multiple complicated time
signatures when it could have simply been in one time signature (Eg: Ragabop, appendix).
My notating the concepts of this course work have come together after several rounds of
trial and error where I still do not find myself at complete ease with the process.
Jerry Leake quotes David Nelson as saying that “ presenting a south Indian rhythm in
western notation wrongly implies that a pattern is to be interpreted solely in one
particular scheme and tempo. Indeed, the Indian percussionist is constantly creating
alternate surface rhythms. Frozen in time transcriptions detract from the overall aesthetic
truth and potential of a composition or phrase. However on occasion the advantages of
using western notation outweigh the disadvantages.”
!
Marking the subtlety of Indian music, it is near impossible to express it accurately
through notation. Jerry Leake goes on to state that any music which involves an array of
grace notes defies absolute documentation. It is this inability of existing notation systems
that gives rise to inconsistencies and misinterpretations.
!
In Indian music, the act of writing music was not an inherent part of the process of
composing, and definitely not part of teaching. The writing was primarily a record.
Authenticity itself is not a static entity. It is the living value of the composition, its
essential core. The whole process of a composition’s organic evolution is part of its
authenticity.
!
I feel that because the concepts are essentially being taken out of their original context
with this project, they are seemingly more effective in terms of the coursework. Khali
bhari (Impression vs Expression or weighted vs unweighted strokes) is the one important
aspect I have not been able to translate into a western mindset - which is why at this
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stage, my project does not capture compositions with poetical complexity. This is also why
transcriptions for the percussion ensemble remain at a nascent stage.
!
It became apparent from the sessions I conducted through the year that the notation was
a necessity in order for more effective progress through the coursework and therefore I
continue my search for more effective means of notation.
!
A) Notation: Harmonic rhythm, Patterns and phrases vs Bars
As the melodies started to get more intricate I noticed that the points of emphasis were
eventually lost, or never interpreted in the way they were originally intended, which was
very interesting for me. There was the particular instance of a thillana in Mand where my
perception of the clave and its position within the melody was very different to every
single person and often different even among those from a latin, cuban or european jazz
background.
!
Many phrases of important sections had their points of emphasis in the middle of bars.
As I was determined not to write the notation in multiple time signatures, it went against
the general recognition of patterns. As the project grew I also learned how to write the
phrases in such a way within the bars that they were more recognizable. My writing of
notation certainly grew more efficient. I realized that the biggest failure of my notation
and transcription of these melodies in such a manner, was the failure to account for
harmonic rhythm. This became more evident during rehearsals when practicing particular
sections, they would start rehearsing on bar number, which for me was the middle of a
phrase (or a wrong starting point because I don’t listen in harmony), but harmonically it
made perfect sense.
!
!
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3.6 Harmony and the Raga
These compositions do not highlight the qualitative aspect of the raga as intricately when
taken away from context, particularly with the introduction of harmony. The musicians
tended to follow the harmony more than the melodic flow of the raga, as was true to their
musical background. That went against how such melodic phrases would be taken forward
in the original context. When the entire melody of the thillana is used in the jazz context,
because the harmony is limited by the raga, the melody seems to become repetitive or
harmonically uninteresting, at least to the western musicians.
!
3.7 Pattern recognition
The Indian system reinforces the fact that much of the rhythm we encounter is based on a
relatively small number of patterns, which can be notated in different ways. By learning
and thinking in terms of patterns, students are taught strategies for chunking and learn to
practice higher-level listening skills. They come to regard rhythm as identifiable and
interrelated units of sound rather than a simple stream of attack points. To separate
patterns in music from patterns in the listener, and to separate features necessarily in the
music from patterns expected to be in the music, are not easy tasks. Chunking is a critical
factor in how music is perceived and enjoyed. A conversation with the students from the
Global Jazz institute threw up interesting ideas of how people perceive patterns in music
and go on to think in patterns. This was an area where I could clearly identify the
advantages of using the Indian rhythmic system.
!
3.7.1 Pattern recognition through poetry
The idea of being able to identify the key phrases or kriya padh of any composition should
not be limited to rhythmic or even Indian repertoire. Identifying and understanding the
inherent phrases, not defined by a bar can help give better emotion to the music.This is
indicative of the approach not to play tabla solo repertoire on the drums for the sake of
playing tabla, but to develop groove and accompanying ideas, which for me is the
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desirable approach. One of the initial, essential steps in this direction is definitely
establishing a relationship between sounds of strokes on the tabla and those on the
drumset. Jerry leake has done just that, in his book, drum set adaptations of North Indian
Tabla. He has classified them based on the nature and sound quality - with a set of
possible interpretations on a drum set. It was interesting for me to see someone who
entered and experienced the tradition from a different perspective explain the same
concepts. The idea of using a specific corresponding drum notation was definitely a
visionary idea with immense benefits and one that I considered very much for this project
- however, after careful examination I realized that at times it has limitations that render
the emotional context of the poetry ineffective. To his credit, he has made provisions for
expanding his interpretations.
!
3.8 South vs North
While the north favors a certain degree of flexibility, invention and even pure
improvisation.The south Indian system is more universal because there is no apparent
direct co-relation between stroke and the spoken syllable. This along with the general
mathematical intricacy makes south indian system more applicable for developing purely
mathematical rhythmic concepts.
3.9 The use of syllables
Several systems of rhythmic learning have employed different ideas of syllables. Zoltan
Kodaly, Allan Mchose and Ruth Tibbs, Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John W.
White with their Ta-ka-di-mi system and so on. Edwin Gordon analyzes many such
systems in his book Learning sequences in Music (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993).
!
The Takadimi system advocated by the aforementioned authors, was influenced by the
authors’ extensive study of Indian music. They have justified their borrowing of these
syllables by citing other instances of rhythmic systems that have done the same
26
(borrowing from Indian rhythm). None of these systems, they point out, is entirely
systematic, nor does any account for the variety of Western rhythmic practice.
None of these systems’ use of syllables piqued my interest. I believe that in most cases
they failed to capture not just the importance of the poetry, but in many cases, the main
advantage of using syllables, which is for me pattern recognition.
!
Reasons for avoiding the poetical compositions in the first stage also include the fact that
I feel the basic rhythmic foundation needs to be established before comprehending poetry
as well. Therefore I must probably insist on teaching some of the concepts of the basics
course before adventuring into poetry based development.
!
The human voice is the primary tool for teaching melodic or rhythmic instrumentalists
their art. Vocalizing rhythms tends to help internalize those concepts in such a way that
eventually the method of vocalization will be secondary to the patterns they help identify
with. Drum syllables aide in the complex process of memorization and recollection of
large bodies of repertoire, connecting the musician more intimately to the instrument and
tradition by recitation. Poetry used here is not indicative of the poetical beauty of
concepts but simply of a representation of the mathematical aspects for recitation.
!
Rhythmic poetry simplify the memorization process and allow the mind to digest long
phrases that develop as a natural sequence of musical events. Any musician, whether
drummer or melodic, could use Indian syllables to work out a rhythmically challenging
passage—perhaps the broadest implication of this approach. The act of vocalizing before
playing forces the performer to internalize the music. This moves the syllabic language
into the world of general rhythmic analysis and training.
!
In the rhythm sessions, I initially tried teaching the same rhythmic concepts that
traditionally use the south Indian syllable system, but by using western melodic solfeggi
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or number counting. However, as the concepts grew in complexity, it became evident that
this methodology would not suffice. Also, the participants eagerness to learn the solfeggi
system of south Indian rhythms cannot be entirely ignored.
!
Many approaches to rhythm study have been devised over the years and remain in use
today. A set of rhythm syllables is frequently a hallmark of such systems. At the simplest
level, a system may rely entirely on a single neutral syllable, like “da” or “la.” Such a system
does not ascribe meaning to its syllable, but merely uses it for intoning rhythmic
materials. As a result, analytic activities regarding duration, beat value, and meter are not
explicitly conveyed in the vocalization. Other systems use syllables to provide labels for
temporal phenomena, in a manner analogous to the use of solfège syllables to label pitch
phenomena. They are designed to help students learn, remember, and quickly identify
recurrent patterns, and they provide a link—a translator—between aural and visual
domains.
!
3.10 Approaching rhythmic ideas
Pre-conceived notions were a major factor here.There is general consensus that westerners
without extensive experience have tended to misunderstand, or completely fail to
understand, Indian rhythm - because understanding depends to some extent on both
experience and training. But there was something peculiar that I noticed with participants
in my project. Detailed rhythmic transcriptions may in many cases suggest a rhythmic
complexity which is illusory. All of the musicians involved in these experiments have used
the same rhythmic ideas throughout their performing careers and this past year
subconsciously, but the moment they had to think about using ideas that were seemingly
from a different tradition, there was a panic. There was stigma - because the approach
changed. This was not exclusive to just the rhythm sessions but also the thillanas project.
!
!
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3.11 The stigma of Mathematics
Indian rhythm has the reputation of being extremely mathematical, it is true, but also not;
because rhythm in its essence is mathematics. The Indian rhythmic system has fantastic
formula that have been given deep thought. It is architecture in time giving beautiful
ideas on how to use space. India is not the only ancient civilization to comprehend
mathematics in music. The Pythagorean and Neopythagorean doctrines of the mysterious
mathematical proportions of musical intervals, their imaginary connection with the
movements of planets and the harmony of the spheres, formed the subject of many
writings on mathematics in music. Pythogoreans saw geometry in rhythm and believed
that different geometric rhythm structures would convey different emotions through the
music.
!
When I approached some of the concepts of the coursework mathematically, I could
instantly see participants switch off, get bored and quite often get scared. Mathematics is
not natural to everyone, but the mathematics in music is something that all musicians
possess. I believe that they are just afraid of what it unfolds, unaware of their own
capability for it. One of the biggest challenges in framing the coursework was to ensure
that the mathematics, which is the center of Indian rhythm, never got associated with a
stigma, nor become too theoretical.
!
3.11.1 Application of Concepts - The mathematical approach to composition
Albert Einstein famously said “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not
everything that can be counted counts”. All these technical aspects of time and measure
are of no consequence if they do not dissolve into the experience of music. In this
coursework I have tried to cut out the purely mathematical ideas in favor of those that
can be used in practical, everyday composition and performance. I have tried to ensure
that emphasis is given to not just learning the concepts but applying them in performance
or composition. I do believe that calculation, inspiration and application - that comes
29
from mathematics can inspire wonderful frameworks, that can bring in a whole new
variety of western composition.
!
3.12 Grammar and Technique - The need to internalize concepts
There are 4 fundamental components to music - science or theory, technique, content
knowledge, artist sensibility and aesthetic sensibility. These must remain at the roots and
shoots of this coursework. The technique can only be acquired by practice. They involve
more doing than knowing. (in this project students will do, the masters can help them no)
This art goes beyond the limits of mental knowledge - into execution. Music originates in
inspiration and is expressed by performance or execution. This should not be obstructed
by inadequate technique .They can translate thought into action instantly. That is why
technique is essential for translating inspiration into expression.
!
Sometimes technique can be used excessively. As the statement goes, Learn the technique
, master the technique forget the technique. This applies not just to technique - at the
moment of creation, on the stage, the artist needs to put aside all consciousness of
knowledge and technique learned, and bring it to bear automatically. This forgetting of
learning means the artist is engaged in a far seeing vision of the whole performance. This
vision of utilization of technique applies to every aspect of this course. The students must
be enabled to internalize all the concepts in such a way that their utilization is natural.
!
3.13 The repertoire
A lot of the material available, with very few exceptions is oriented towards percussionists,
and often even more focussed on learning Indian rhythmic repertoire for Indian
percussion, just taught in a western manner. For instance, whenever Indian masters have
approached this area of teaching or research, the focus has always been on repertoire of
percussion meant to be implemented within the context of Indian classical music.
Otherwise it is more of a seminar on Indian rhythms.
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An excerpt from my analysis of Pete Locket’s book on Drum-set adaptations of Indian
tabla, (which I have largely left out of this paper) will highlight these suggestions.
“ Some of the groove ideas specially the tuples grooves are fantastic extrapolations of
Indian rhythmic concepts. Often though the orchestrations are basic and nothing that
drummers cannot come up with on their own if they understand or know the concepts
themselves. Which is why I think being strong with the fundamental concepts is more
important than random interesting orchestrations. This is why I feel I have an advantage one who has natively studied north Indian rhythmic poetry, who understands the syllabic
orchestration of south Indian sensibilities - I have a melody in my head to orchestrate on
the drums that keeps the Indian aesthetic. He uses a variant of the clave five exercise He
highlights an exercise or korvai. And then shows different orchestrations of it as a theme
throughout the book. So yes the ideas are developed to a great detail but I do not think it
trains the readers as to how these ideas were arrived upon, what are the aesthetic and
mathematical concepts and how they can be expanded. “
!
Another passage from my analysis of Jerry Leake’s book, North Indian Tabla for the
drum-set, will highlight similar aspects. “The idea of rhythm as melody or as a harmonic
layer requires a lot of exploration and is one of the goals of this project. All research prior
has been limited to drums and percussion - musicians as a whole can benefit from the
Indian rhythmic philosophy. The philosophy gives a phenomenal foundation for musical
development.”
!
Percussionists are ahead of the curve of musicians who have identified the useful aspects
of the Indian rhythmic system outside of India. For all instrumentalists and composers its about structures and patterns and how you can apply them - no matter which style of
music you find it relevant to. Because everything is defined as grouped phrasings that are
pronounceable - its easy to build on them. Indian rhythmic systems build on rhythmic
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confidence. An explosion of something new, something fresh, because Influences are really
important in rhythmic growth.
!
3.14 Pathway of growth through material
None or very few books have been written allowing the melodic musician to combine
improvisation with rhythmic techniques. There does not seem to be a linearity of growth
in terms of the prescribed learning pattern of the material. There often isn’t a coherent
growth through the material that allows for a thorough foundation.
!
There is the general agreement that the south Indian system provides better building
blocks for learning rhythm than the north Indian system, at least at the first stages. Very
few cases were founded where the scholar was equally knowledgeable in both the south
Indian and north Indian systems of rhythm. Unlike in north Indian style, the south
Indian style need not necessarily have a one-one correspondence between the spoken
syllable and the stroke. It is more about the interplay of the logic of the apparent
relationship between the two. The syllables themselves will eventually become redundant,
they merely serve as a means for pattern recognition.
!
Also, usage of phrases in their respective time signatures seems to be the agreed upon
starting point - with the initial emphasis being on phrase groupings and recognition of
patterns. But the flow of ideas from that point is highly arbitrary and often ends up
confusing the pattern of learning.
!
I would largely attribute this ambiguity to the fact that these rhythmic concepts are not
taught even to Indian musicians as a separate repertoire, on their own. Therefore there is
no established paradigm for pedagogy.
!
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This is why I feel that such material should be taught by someone with the proper
traditional exposure to the art only. For instance, Everyone seems quite eager to get into
tuples - but I will wait for the more advance program - I remain convinced that the
stronger foundations will serve them well when they enter tuples so they can fully exploit
the possibilities. the historic importance of giving triplet priority over all else must change
when setting precedent on a tuples course. Therefore just delving into triplets alone at the
early stages will not satisfy this condition.
!
3.15 Application of concepts
Most materials don't outline clearly enough on “How to think” - how to develop on each
of these ideas and to make them your own. It makes a few mentions but not significantly
or with clarity. So at the end of the book you are almost limited to only the information
you have learnt from the book.
!
Almost none of the material available outlines application of the concepts outside of the
original context of their intent. All material stays within the social and cultural context of
Indian classical music, which means the learning can never be thorough or effective,
because the learning atmosphere is never recreated to the same degree. However, many of
these will survive the theseus paradox. Quite often the material require some basic
understanding of Indian music in order to interpret effectively.
!
3.16 Attitudes towards this project
“Life is not designed to discover our limitations. It is designed to discover our infinity.
The only way to find out who you are, what your capabilities are, is to explore”- Herbie
Hancock.
How must students approach the concepts and coursework proposed as part of this
project. My teacher, Pt.Yogesh Samsi always says to me “ You can easily be told a number
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of concepts, but when you realize them yourself, they have whole new meaning”. The
coursework is designed in such a way that each student can personalize their learning and
therefore their own attitudes towards the coursework will shape their learning.
Developing this project pushed me to re-visit my experiences as a student of rhythm,
evaluate my experience teaching the concepts as part of this study, as well as read
extensively about the philosophy of learning.
!
It is not only knowledge of music, but the attitude that informs it that affects perception.
Ultimately the musician must seek an understanding of the aesthetics of the music. In
this search, the musician must be willing to give up personal notions and conditioning
and look beyond his practice. This often required the musician to seriously reorient her
view of music and approach musical tradition as an art. Both will face situations of
conflict, with some being totally irreconcilable. This does not mean history is wrong, or
that the current practice is wrong. It only gives each one of them another layer to break
through. Over a period of time, clarity will emerge from both their journeys.
!
3.16.1 Being a seeker of the finer aspects of the art
In order to experience music beyond personal confines, the receiver also needs to be a
serious seeker of art and aware of the art itself. Without that insight, the receiver may not
be able to inhabit that created space, for the music will be received as personal feeling
alone, and to that extent be incomplete. At the same time, a truly evolved connoisseur
may be able to draw out a sense of emotional abstraction from an art form that is
primarily aimed at personal emotion, purely by her attitude towards it. The seriousness
and appropriate attitude towards understanding art have to be cultivated by every art
seeker.
!
!
!
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3.16.2 Propelled by instinct
Beyond what is learnt from the teacher and the understanding that comes from listening,
a certain instinct propels a musician’s quest. Learning techniques, acquiring skill
development and understanding musical parameters are necessary requirements of the art.
!
3.16.3 Making the concepts their own
The student must let the received experience lodge in the mind, not as a frozen fixity but
an organic impulse. When this occurs, the phrase or ideas that come from the reception
are no longer independent technical and aesthetics ideas. They are part of the aesthetic
direction of that particular musician.
!
3.16.4 Acquiring clarity through inquiry
With a deepening of the musician’s inquiries in this direction, their music acquires a
certain special clarity, which is the result of a completeness acquired from a conscious
linking of various musical aspects. In this process, the musician may completely change
previously held positions on music. Therefore, they come to hold and subscribe to a
conscious body of thought that defines every musical action. It evolves from an
understanding of the concepts learnt, the internalizing of other influences and finally a
reinterpretation of their own music.
!
This is neither a journey of negation nor acceptance, but one of realization. The student
must accept the challenges that these concepts present and use their own sensibilities to
navigate through them. It is about extracting information, re-learning rhythm that
already exists within them.
!
Ace percussionist Jamey Haddad had penetration words in this direction when he said
that the key to learning this or any other system that tests our ability will be the honesty
35
to face our personal, temporary boundaries, that the ability to observe the truth about our
personal rhythm will set us free.
!
3.16.5 Attitude towards teaching
Through this past year I saw clear evidence of how it is possible for an artist to conform
to a social context of practice, yet take the music innovatively beyond that context. I
realized that it is something I must aspire to. The belief that teaching is the best form of
learning was reiterated. It is brutal and honest and tests you to the best of your abilities.
It was also evident that very few artists can explain as well as they can play. In teaching it
is important to go beyond matter and manner. A teacher must infuse the disciple with
energy. This energy must inspire resolve, diligence, trust, confidence, energy and impetus.
It is how I approach teaching that will give this course work a vision and form.
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4. The project beyond this thesis
So far the project has only managed to transcribe the mathematical concepts of Indian
rhythm. But I do know that the future of the project lies in being able to translate the
poetry into applicability as well. I do strongly believe that the poetry of Indian rhythm
has implications beyond percussion and this also remains a completely unexplored area.
Developing a mathematical repertoire of transcription and notation through the first
phase of this project has helped me identify several key aspects about retaining the
aesthetics and integrity of the original rhythmic intent. This is the foundation I need to
realize the full potential of the project. The next stage of focus has to be an effective
mechanism by which to translate poetry as well. In his books Jerry Leake has left out a
major set of implications or potential for his work. That is the implications of work in this
direction beyond their applicability to percussionists, or drummers in particular. There are
several technological research projects underway in universities across the world that are
working on identification and classification of Indian classical music. I believe that a
notational system backed by a solid repertoire of coursework will go a far way in making
those projects more effective.
!
These technological projects are crippled by the fact that the computation engineers who
understand the technology required to take such initiatives forward do not have the
required understanding of Indian classical music. However, the understanding they
require is not contextual - neither the cultural nor social development alongside the
musical is necessary. Which is why my project has implications in their work. My project
can provide an understanding of the technical aspects of the music and their application
without requiring the rigor demanded by the music in its original form.
!
As I mentioned before in this document, I was not wholly impressed by the paper on the
TaKaDiMi system of learning rhythm. However, there was an important note to
37
remember from the paper on document was a rather insignificant statement that says identification and labeling occur before notation, moving from the perceived sound
through a process of translation and verbal description, before addressing issues of graphic
description. This was the statement that helps me define the methodology by which this
research can have an impact in technology and computation.
!
This is where being selected as the graduate fellow for the next academic year at Berklee
Valencia comes into the picture. I have identified key areas that I must look into as part of
my fellowship in order to fulfill the potential of this project:
!
4.1 Agenda for this project over the next academic year
1. Teach the proposed coursework to students at Berklee and obtain feedback,
evaluating how the students used the concepts in their own music. Develop the next
stage of mathematical development of this coursework, branching into areas such as
tuplets, advanced applications and so on. One of the outcomes of the trial of this
coursework could be the conversion of this material into a book.
2. Organize a workshop by a senior Indian rhythm maestro and evaluate whether those
who partook of this coursework are able to comprehend this workshop better than
others.
3. Develop a sample library of tabla strokes and develop a notational system for them to
be written in staff alongside on this sample library. This will be the first step toward
the computational side of the project.
4. Conduct further research into how the khali-bhari aspect of Indian rhythm can be
extrapolated out of context. This will, among other things, require in-depth interviews
!
!
!
with drummers and senior tabla players.
38
4.2 A final word
The demand for musical rhythm is as much a part of human nature as that for melody.
The rhythmical sense, like the melodic, varies with individuals, and is probably entirely
wanting in a few cases, which, if they exist, must be as rare as those who want the sense of
relative pitch, generally alluded to as " want of musical ear." Where the rhythmical sense
exists, in however slight a degree, it is capable of more or less development by cultivation.
In this respect it is the same as any other faculty, and it will atrophy if entirely neglected,
or will grow in a wrong direction if not carefully guided. If music is to be something more
than a mere social distraction, if it is to penetrate into our nature, it must be made to
express itself through a carefully conceived and carefully executed rhythm ( Jerry Leake,
Relating sound and Time).
!
David Nelson points out that many musicians in the west have become interested in the
rhythmic intricacy of Indian music, but most of these musicians do not have the time or
inclination to take up a full study of Indian music or dance. He advocates a course in
Indian rhythm to bridge this gap. He attributes four primary advantages of learning -
-
!
The physical confidence
Portability or adaptability outside of context
Inherent musicality
and that it can make rhythmic learning which is often dry and abstract, become
accessible and fun
I believe that with this coursework I have satisfied these advantages with the possibility of
many more to come. Putting this project together has been an experience that tested
every aspect of who I am, the tradition of music I come from, my learning over this past
year at Berklee and it has truly defined a wonderful set of possibilities of a future in music.
!
39
I borrow from the several documents I analyzed to conclude with this. In the dynamic
world of music and music education where students often come to college ill prepared for
their encounter with increasingly complex literature, rhythm pedagogy must keep pace
with the challenge. It is no longer enough to leave rhythm to chance or to assume
students learn it in lessons or ensembles. Rhythm must now be taught. Systems based on
Indian rhythm are not new, either in Western or non-Western music education. I strongly
believe that this course work addresses many of the needs of contemporary music
education and presents a healthy alternative means of understanding rhythm.
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Appendix I
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List of artists who’s material
was studied for this project
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List of artists
Performances, tutorials, recordings, workshops and other material available of these artists
was studied and analyzed for this project
!
Tabla Players
Yogesh Samsi, Zakir Hussain, Sushil Kumar Jain, Suresh Talwalkar,
Taufiq Qureshi (percussionist who’s repertoire is based on tabla repertoire)
!
South Indian percussionists
Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Ghatam Kartik, Erode Nagaraj, T.H.Vinayakaram, Trichy
Sankaran, T.H.Subhas Chandran, Selvaganesh Vinayakaram, Uma Shankar Vinayakaram
!
Non Percussionists
Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. Balamuralikrishna, Abishek Raghuram, John Mclaughlin,
Prasanna Ramaswamy, Avishay Cohen, Victor Wooten
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Western percussionists
Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Steve Smith, Pete Lockett, David Nelson, Jerry Leake, Jamey
Haddad, Todd Isler, Dan Weiss, Henrik Anderssen, Asaf Sirkis
42
!
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Appendix II
!
List of Berklee Valencia
batch of 2013-14 students
involved in this project
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Student
Involvement
Andrea Fraenzel
Contra-Bass, participant in rhythm
sessions
Alexey Leon
Juan Christobal Aliaga
Luis Regidor Pain
Miguel Angel Lous
Miguel Ruiz Santos
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
Peter Connolly
Piotr Orzechovsky
Ricardo Curto
Stephen Mchale
Saxaphone
Guitar, transcription and arrangement
Participant in rhythm sessions
Flute
Clarinet, participant in rhythm sessions
Drums
Guitar, participant in rhythm sessions
Piano
Arrangement of tunes and Piano player
Arrangement of tunes, guitar and
participant in the rhythm sessions
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!
(Technicians, sound engineers and mix engineers have not been included in this list. They
can be found in Appendix VII)
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44
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Appendix III
!
Bibliography
Books, research papers
and other online sources
(audio/Video)
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!
Bibliography
______. (N.D.). Learning Rhythm With The Takadimi System Of Rhythm Solfege.
Adler, J. A Study Of Rhythm. (2011)
Balslev, Anindita Niyogi. A Study Of Time In Indian Philosophy, Wiesbaden.(1983)
Berendt, Joachim-Ernst. Nada Brahma: The World Is Sound (Trans. H. Bredigkeit),
Rochester, Vt. (1987)
Brower, Candace, 'Memory And The Perception Of Rhythm', Music Theory Spectrum.
(1993)
Brown, Robert E.The Mrdariga: A Study Of Drumming In South India, Ph.D. Diss.,
UCLA.(1965)
C.F. Abdy Williams. The Aristoxenian Theory Of Musical Rhythm, Cambridge
University Press. (1911)
Clayton, M. R. L. Free Rhythm: Ethnomusicology And The Study Of Music Without
Metre. Bulletin Of The School Of Oriental And African Studies. (2009)
Clothey, Fred W. Rhythm And Intent (Ritual Studies From South India), Madras.
(1983)
Dan Fox, The Rhythm Bible, Alfred Publishing Co.
Essentials Of Musicology In South Indian Music - Professor S.R. Janakiraman. (2008)
Frishman, Marcie Lea. Patterning And Cadential Formulation In The South Indian
Drum Solo, MA Disc., Wesleyan University. (1985),
Ghosh, Nikhil. Fundamentals Of Raga And Tala With A New System Of Notation,
Bombay. (1968)
Goldberg, Daniel. Reconsidering Additive Rhythm In Balkan Music.
Grimmer, S. Trinity Laban Conservatoire Of Music And Dance, UK Institute Of
Education, University Of London, UK. Royal Northern College Of Music, 5(Special
Issue), 79–95. (2012)
Hadfield, B. J. Applying Carnatic Rhythmic Principles To The Drumset. (2011)
Hartenberger, John Russell. Mrdangam Manual: A Guidebook To South Indian
Rhythm For Western Musicians.
Hartigan, Royal James. Blood Drum Spirit: Drum Languages Of West Africa, AfricanAmerica, Native America, Central Java, And South India.
Hoffman, R., Pelto, W., & White, J. W. Takadimi: A Beat-Oriented System Of
Rhythm Pedagogy. Journal Of Music Theory Pedagogy, 10, 7–30. (1996)
Hulin, M. (N.D.). Towards An Ecology Of Rhythm, The Seminal Contribution Of
Rhythmanalysis For The Comparative Study Of Some Rhythm Based Epistemologies,
1–6.
Introduction To The Principle Of Layam - Being An Exposition Of The Thala System
- Part 1 Professor K. Ramachandran. (1929)
J. Leake, Drum Set Adaptations Of North Indian Tabla. (1989)
Jerry Leake, Relating Sound & Time: A Percussionist's Journey Through African And
Indian Music, Rhombus Publishing
Kiba, Norman. Creation, Form, And Tradition: A Cybernetic Study Of North Indian
Tabla Drumming
Krishna, TM .A Southern Music. Harpercollins Publisher. (2013)
Lomax, Alan. 'The Cross-Cultural Variation Of Rhythmic Style', In M. Davis, Ed.,
Interaction Rhytlnns, New York.(1982)
Martin, Clayton. Time In Indian Music: Rhythm, Metre, And Form In North Indian
Rag Performance (Oxford Monographs On Music)
Morris, R. (N.D.). Sets, Scales And Rhythmic Cycles - A Classification Of Talas In
Indian Music. Eastman School Of Music, University Of Rochester.
Parncutt, Richard. 'The Perception Of Pulse In Musical Rhythm', In Alf Gabrielsson,
Ed., Action And Perception In Rhrtlnn And Music, Stockholm: Publications Issued
By The Royal Swedish Academy Of Music, No. 55, 127-38.(1987)
S.Naimpalli, Theory And Practice Of Tabla. (2005)
Sangita Sastra Sangraha - A Guide To Theory Of Indian Music By Dr. M.B. Vedavalli.
(2006)
Shelar, S. (N.D.). Tabla Kal-Akshar Notation System.
Shyammonk, Big, Small And One More – Indian Music Notation (Sa Ri Ga Ma) &
Western Interval Naming – 2 & 3 Note Systems.
Simundza, M. Messiaen ’ S Rhythmical Organisation And Classical Indian Theory Of
Rhythm Published By: Croatian Musicological Society. (2008)
Subramaniam, L. Culture and consumption: Classical Music In Contemporary India
And The Diaspora. Transforming Cultures Ejournal. (2008)
T.Viswanathan The Hindu. ( January 4, 1998)
Theory Of Indian Music Ram Avtar’ Vir. (1999)
Wickwire, Wendy C. Cultures In Contact: Music, The Plateau Indian, And The
Western Encounter.
Young, L. The History And Development Of Solkattu - The Vocal Syllables - Of The
Mridangam. (2010)
47
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Appendix IV
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Score sample of Revathi Thillana
Original composition by
Lalgudi Shri Jayaraman,
arranged by Ricardo Curto
and M.T. Aditya Srinivasan
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Appendix V
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Course design overview
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MT-607
Several Miles to Ramanujam
Stage 1: Designed in 15 phases of development
Instructor: M.T. Aditya Srinivasan
athiagarajan@berklee.edu
Course outline
Phase 1: Ashtak exercise and learning basic phrases from 1 to
14 and reciting them in their respective time signatures (also
with basic clap patterns and claves)
Phase 2: Introducing silences and mixing-matching the basic
phrases in multiple speeds and various time signatures
Materials
Material is presented in western
notation, mathematical
representation, optimized for
the instructor to explain
concepts
Phase 3: Combing phrases and silences into Yati patterns
Examples and activities
Phase 4: Silence exercises in 60 for 4/4 time signature
Audio Samples
Phase 5: Extending silence exercises and Yati patterns to odd
time signatures
Phase 6: Endings in 32
Phase 7: Using phrases of 2 and 3 for endings in 32
Phase 8: Filling up sequences using basic phrases to
Each set of exercises will have
background relevant theory and
audio samples of how they are
utilized in performance, from
musicians such as Prasanna,
Victor Wooten and Steve Smith
In class activity
Phase 9: 64 count korvais (advanced)
Every stage will have in-class
activities pre-designed to be
adaptable to the requirements
of students in the class
Phase 10: 128 count korvais (basic)
Homework activity
approach endings in 32 leading to basic 64 count korvais
Phase 11: 128 count korvais (advanced)
Phase 12: Korvais in silence
Phase 13: The art of composing korvais and its application
Homework activities will
include practicing the exercises,
transcribing applied concepts
from recordings and composing
music based on the concepts
discussed in the class
toward a mathematical approach to music composition
Phase 14: Korvais applicable in multiple time signatures
Phase 15: Application of cadences to claves and other
emphasis points
Several Miles to Ramanujam
1
52
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Appendix VI
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Course material sample drafts
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Basic syllables under the South Indian recitation system for rhythm ( Konakkol )!
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1 - Tha!
2 - Tha ka !
3 - Tha ki Ta!
4 - Tha ka Dhi mi / Tha ka Jo nu !
5 - Tha dhi gi na thom!
6 - Tha dhi . gi na thom !
7 - Tha . dhi . Gi na thom!
9 - Tha . dhi . gi . na. thom!
!
As you will notice, from 5 onwards, the syllables are the same, it is only the spacing ( gap inbetween )
syllables that chances. !
A standard method of counting gap between notes is to enunciate the gap, to increase convenience of
recitation . A gap of a beat + 2 counts is denoted as Thangu ( 3 counts total ). !
A gap of a beat + 1 count ( 2 counts total ) is denoted as tham. !
!
!
Endings for one avarthana of a Adi Tala ( with just a few additional possibilities )!
1,2,3,4,5!
6 - 2+2+2!
7 - 1+2+1+2+1!
8 - 2+1+2+1+2!
9 - 3+3+3!
10 - 2+2+2+2+2!
11 - 3+1+3+1+3!
12 - 2+3+2+3+2!
13 - 3+2+3+2+3!
14 - 4+1+4+1+4!
15 - 5+5+5!
16 - 4+2+4+2+4!
17 - 5+1+5+1+5!
18 - 6+6+6!
19 - 5+2+5+2+5!
20 - 6+1+6+1+6!
21 - 7+7+7 = 5+3+5+3+5!
22 - 6+2+6+2+6!
23 - 7+1+7+1+7 = 5+4+5+4+5!
24 - 6+3+6+3+6!
25 - 7+2+7+2+7!
26 - 8+1+8+1+8 = 6+4+6+4+6!
27 - 9+9+9 = 7+3+7+3+7!
28 - 8+2+8+2+8!
29 = 9+1+9+1+9 = 7+4+7+4+7!
30 = 10+10+10=8+3+8+3+8=6+6+6+6+6=4+6+4+6+4+6!
31= 7+5+7+5+7 = 9+2+9+2+9 !
32 = 8+4+8+4+8=10+1+10+1+10
56
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Appendix VII
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Material Included
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57
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1.
Copy of Final presentation used for thesis defense
2.
Videos used in the final presentation
Video 1: Pictures and videos from this last year at Berklee Valencia. Background
tracks are music recorded and produced by me over this last year.
Video 2: Feedback by participants about the project
3.
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Demo tracks of music from the thillana project recorded over this last year
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Song Name
Artists
Technicians
Brindavani Thillana
Ricardo Curto (piano), Andrea
Fraenzel (bass),
Peter Connolly (guitar),
Alexey Leon (saxophone),
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
(drums)
Session Engineer- Timothy
Shull Jr.
Overdubs engineer & MixingM.T.Aditya Srinivasan
Revathi Thillana
Ricardo Curto (piano), Andrea
Fraenzel (bass),
Miguel Angel Lous (flute),
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
(drums)
Session Engineer- Alan Tishk
Kalyani Thillana
Ricardo Curto (piano), Andrea
Fraenzel (bass),
Alexey Leon (saxophone),
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
(drums)
Session Engineer- Beth
Schofield Overdubs engineer &
Mixing- Mixing- M.T.Aditya
Srinivasan
Parakeet (Based on thillana in
Mohana Kalyani)
Stephen Mchale (guitar), Andrea Session Engineer - Pablo
Fraenzel (Bass), Piotr
Schueller
Orzechovsky (piano) and
Mariano Steimberg (Drums)
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Overdubs engineer & MixingMixing- M.T.Aditya Srinivasan
Several Miles to Ramanujam
A study in the application of Indian rhythmic concepts
for western musicians
Culminating experience reflection paper
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M.T. Aditya Srinivasan
Master of music in Contemporary Performance
Berklee College of Music, Valencia Campus
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Project advisor: Professor Enrich Alberich
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Acknowledgements
Matha. Pitha.Guru. Devam.
My first and foremost thanks are to the greatest parents in the world, who have sacrificed
more than they have had at every stage for me in order for me to live my dream, for being
the strongest support system one could ever ask for. To the best friends every person
dreams of having, who made no demands of me over the past year and allowed me to give
my musical growth priority over them and without ever holding it against me. To every
single one of my fellow Berklee classmates, for being fantastic comrades in arms, for being
constant sources of inspiration throughout what has definitely been the best year of my
life so far, in the knowledge that we have made relationships that will last a lifetime.
!
To my guru, Pt.Yogesh Samsi, for any idea that I present in this project emerges out of
the seeds that he has sown, through his visionary thinking and guidance in every aspect
of music and life and in his pursuit of sadhana, showing us that it is possible to be a great
performer, great human being and an even better teacher, all in one. To my guru, the
living legend, Padma Vibushan Umayalpuram K.Sivaraman for inspiring me with the
beauty of my own heritage, tradition and music. To Shri Sriram Parasuram, Shri Sai
Shravanam, Shri Ramesh Vinayagam and Pt.Dhruba Ghosh for being strong forces in
my growth and nurturing of the potential they have seen in me. To the ever energetic
Maestro Yoel Paez for being who he is and exposing me to a whole new world of rhythm.
!
To all the fabulous professors, faculty and staff here at Berklee Valencia, in particular to
Enrich Alberich, Mariano Steimberg and Victor Mendoza for their constant support,
guidance and encouragement on this project. To the inimitable Ghatam Kartik for his
brilliant conceptualization on Indian rhythm. To the numerous scholars right from
Maestro Trichy Sankaran to T.M.Krishna, to Martin Clayton, to Jamey Haddad, Jerry
Leake and several others who’s pioneering works in this direction have shaped this
project. My thanks and namaskar to all the aforementioned.
Foreword
!
I am delighted by this concept of a culminating experience. In my previous masters, I was
both limited and daunted by the rigidity demanded by a traditional thesis. Here the
project is more oriented toward the learning than toward the product (in the traditional
sense), which I find infinitely more relevant to the life of a musician. This meant that the
written part of my thesis, particularly the readings incorporated into this paper, would
help me advance my theoretical knowledge and highlight which aspects of it influenced
the direction I took with my proposal. In particular this has given me the chance to quote
directly from scholars rather than re-interpret their words in my own. While this would
be plagiarism in the context of an academic paper, I am not presenting their ideas as my
own. I am collecting their ideas and presenting the ones I find relevant to my study. Many
of these ideas I need to evolve as part of further study in this direction. I have also quoted
out of context within this paper, in order to arrive at my own point.
!
In many parts of this document, I am searching not for literary review but for thoughts,
ideas and suggestions that are relevant to what I must consider before framing a syllabus
for rhythm. It wasn’t particularly analysis or critique of these numerous sources, but the
understanding of the studies themselves and the implications. These are not my words, it
is merely me framing the work of scholars to my own benefit - for I see the ultimate
purpose being learning.
!
This paper contains important but not all aspects of this project. A complete document
will be prepared as part of my post graduate fellowship here at Berklee Valencia.
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Contents
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Chapter
Title
Page
1
The project proposal
1
1.1
Aim
1.2
Objectives
1.3
Uniqueness of the project
1.4
Purpose
1.5
Learning outcomes
1.6
Statement of purpose
1.7
Methodology
5
2
7
2.1
Reflection on a year
The year at Berklee Valencia
2.2
Interactions at Berklee
8
2.3
A change in my understanding of my own rhythmic background
2.4
Ear training classes
2.5
Birth of an idea
2.6
Getting started
10
2.7
What this project needs to accomplish
11
3
Findings and conclusions
12
3.1
Readings in the context of the “Culminating Experience”
3.2
The three challenges
3.3
Designing the project
3.4
The ship of Theseus
3.5
General observations and noteworthy aspects from analysis and
trial execution of the project
3.6
Harmony and the Raga
2
4
9
13
16
24
3.7
Pattern recognition
3.8
South Vs North
3.9
The use of syllables
3.10
Approaching rhythmic ideas
27
3.11
The stigma of mathematics
28
3.12
Grammar and technique - The need to internalize concepts
29
3.13
The repertoire
3.14
Pathway of growth through material
31
3.15
Application of concepts
32
3.16
Attitudes towards this project
4
36
4.1
The project beyond this thesis
Agenda for this project over the next academic year
37
4.2
A final word
38
Appendix
25
I
Artists who’s material was studied
40
II
Berklee students who participated in this project
42
III
Bibliography: Books, research papers and other online sources
(audio/Video) analyzed
44
Revathi Thillana score sample
47
V
Course design overview
50
VI
Course material samples
52
VII
DVD of presentation material
56
IV
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1
1. The Project Proposal
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1.1 Aim
The primary objective of the study is to develop a syllabus and material for Indian
rhythmical ideas to be taught as a structured course to students at music universities.
1.2 Objectives
1.
To understand how Indian rhythmic concepts can be transcribed into western
notation without compromising their aesthetic quality. To write compositions in
western notation in such a way that the original mathematical and poetical beauty
will remain intact even when the transcriptions are sight-read without prior
context.
3.
To develop a written repertoire of compositions that creates a foundation for
rhythmic interaction for musicians from other traditions with Indian musicians.
4.
To identify rhythmic structures and ideas that is useful as compositional and
performance ideas for other genres of music (with specific reference to jazz).
5.
To understand, identify and incorporate Indian rhythmic exercises that are
beneficial to western musicians in the context of structured course work.
6.
To learn how to teach these concepts as a course for western musicians with little
or no prior exposure to Indian classical music, by understanding different
approaches to learning rhythm and create a uniform repertoire for further
dissemination.
7.
To create repertoire for a percussion ensemble based on Indian rhythmic ideas that
can also be taught as a course at a music school.
2
1.3 Uniqueness of the Project
1.
This study will incorporate notation of not just the mathematical and structural
ideas, but also the poetry of Indian rhythm, which has never been done to a high
level of detail so far, merely touched upon.
2.
This study is by an Indian percussionist approaching a western mindset, instead of
the other way around, which is how it has almost always been.
3.
Most other research in this area has had a theoretical focus, whereas the primary
focus of this project is the incorporation of the repertoire into performance.
1.4 Purpose
Everything that this study will go forth to talk about under a purpose for this project
takes me to the furthering of these career goals:
1. To be able to teach Indian rhythmic concepts at a contemporary music school upon
my graduation from Berklee. I have a passion for teaching and believe it to be one of
my strengths.
2. To create a foundation for myself for further research in Indian rhythm.
3. This project will lay the foundation for future research into how Indian rhythmic ideas
can be transcribed into standardized notation without compromising their integrity,
which has far reaching implications into not just musical dissemination but also in
technological music identification and many other areas.
Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John W. White have written in detail about the
goals of Effective Rhythm Pedagogy in their paper, Takadimi: A Beat-Oriented System
of Rhythm Pedagogy, which I find to be highly applicable to this project.
3
This study shall strive to satisfy these objectives as well;
1.
It should lead to accuracy and musicality in performance, both studies and sightread, including the ability to recognize and perform musical gesture.
2.
It should require and reflect an understanding of rhythmic structure, recognition of
metric and rhythmic interaction, and an awareness of precise contextual location of
beats and attack points.
3.
It should facilitate aural recognition and identification of rhythmic patterns and
metric divisions.
4.
It should provide a precise and consistent language for the discussion of temporal
phenomena. There should be no need to create new terms or separate categories for
performance, transcription, or analytical work.
5.
It should address rhythmic issues presented by musics outside the realm of
traditional tonal literature such as asymmetric meters, modulation of meter or
tempo, complex syncopations, complex tuplet groupings, and passages that
combine these in novel and challenging ways.
6.
It should be a system that is easily applied and adapts to broad applications, and it
should be a tool for life-long use.
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4
1.5 Learning Outcomes
A mastery of the concepts and exercises contained herein would be more than simply a
beginning. It will put one well into the process of realizing rhythm as a higher science and
art, opening up new pathways of rhythmic discovery. Studying this coursework will
prepare one to be able to deal with a wide variety of advanced applications in rhythm. If
for instance, they are to attend a workshop on Indian rhythms by an Indian exponent,
they will be able to grasp all of the concepts in much more detail because of the
foundation this course will provide.
!
Those participating in this course will have practical knowledge backed by theoretical
understanding, and the foundation to pursue the highest order of skill levels . They will
not necessarily understand the social and cultural context of the concepts, but will
understand that the concepts that have been chosen have applicability outside of such
context. The course will strengthened rhythmic foundation, train the logical mind, inspire
creative ideas and increase player confidence in any performing context.
!
!
1.6 Statement of purpose
To this day Indian classical music remains a largely unwritten form of music, where true
learning can only take place by traveling to India and dedicating many years to rigorous
practice of the art. There are however, many musicians from of other musical forms who
seek to understand various aspects of Indian classical music to incorporate into their own
music, who are unable to undergo such dedicated learning of the art. This project aims to
bridge that gap.
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!
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1.7 Methodology
Three parallel methodologies were selected to execute this project.
1.7.1 Study and analysis of similar work
Many artists, researchers, educators and scholars (among others) have carried out
extensive research and work, with many publications in a similar direction (toward
incorporating Indian rhythmic ideas in western music styles). The scope of the study
though focused on these artists, is not limited to their works. (A full list of these sources is
given in the bibliography). Study of their work will include detailed analysis and
understanding of their works and also transcriptions and selection of interesting ideas to
incorporate into the repertoire proposed under this project.
1.7.2 Focused group study
1.
Hour long weekly sessions where Indian rhythmic ideas are taught to students at
Berklee. The group comprises of students from Berklee Valencia, along with drums
teacher Marian Steimberg.
2.
Feedback is obtained after each session in the following areas (among others) –
Content, Usefulness of concepts, teaching method and style, quality of supporting
material, suggestions of different approaches to understanding.
3.
The sessions help teaching abilities, identify the repertoire to propose for a syllabus,
also providing regular deadlines to create material.
4.
The philosophy: The focus group doesn’t know that they want to learn Indian
Rhythm - they must be shown exactly how useful it would be for them. But for
that, it is important to understand how they utilize. As Steve Jobs was famous for
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believing, a lot of times, people do not know what they want until you show it to
them. The idea is to observe them discover what they want.
1.7.3 Sample repertoire
1.
Preparing content for a percussion ensemble performance (content useable as
repertoire to teach an ensemble course) with completely transcribed arrangements
for Cajon, Conga, Drum set and other percussion based completely on the Tabla
solo format/repertoire.
2.
Arrangements of Indian classical compositions known as thillanas in jazz like
format to highlight some use of the concepts. These would also come in as
available repertoire for an ensemble. (Listed in the appendix). These recordings are
also used to evaluate how musicians approach the melodic and rhythmic
development of such compositions, to try and understand whether such
compositions remain interesting when taken out of the context of Indian classical
music.
3. Assimilating recordings of musicians that have used similar concepts in their own
composition and improvisation, both as examples and for transcription and
analysis. (Listed in the appendix)
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2. Reflection on a year
2.1 The year at Berklee Valencia
Over this past year, I have had the fortune of interacting with some truly great musicians
from traditions other than mine. There was always an eagerness among them to
understand Indian rhythm and I found myself searching for more efficient methods to
share my tradition with them. To find that crucial middle ground where they can find
reference points to their own music. In the process I realized that I was learning more
intricate details about my own music.
!
Interaction has always been the greatest attraction for me as a musician. The sharing of
ideas with others is actually more exciting to me than performance. Teaching music is a
way of satisfying my need for interaction at the highest level. With that came the love of
sharing my own thoughts, in the hope of making significant contribution toward my own
musical tradition.
!
I had a major fear that coming to Valencia and spending a year away from my musical
roots would remove me from the musical atmosphere of India, that my adherence to my
own culture and traditions would suffer. But far from it, I found that the atmosphere at
Berklee appreciated the cultural diversity.
!
I had a renewed respect and pride in my own cultural identity and gained a wonderful
outsider’s perspective of it as well. I took extra effort to study my rhythmic tradition in
much more detail, reviewing and analyzing several videos, articles, research papers and
books. All of that has come together for this project.
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!
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2.2 Interactions at Berklee
Apart from interaction with fellow students, visiting scholars had some highly incisive
ideas that led me to think about their connection and relevance to my project.
!
Yoron Israel spoke about how improvisation could realize new paradigms ? It is about the
possibility of interesting possibilities. That is what I see Indian rhythmic concepts as being
able to inspire. The possibility of innovative ideas in composition, improvisation and
accompaniment.
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Interactions with Danilo Perez and the rest of the Global Jazz institute as well made me
wonder, “Why do indian ideas have to be exotic” - what is an “Indian Idea” ? Whenever I
was collaborating with musicians on campus, I was also deemed to bring in exotic ideas
and an exotic instrument. It was my trump card and I certainly took advantage of it, but it
also made me wonder if my instrument and the concepts that I brought into a
collaboration could ever be looked at as an extension of some western music ideas. I
realized that this perception of these ideas as not being exotic, was essential for western
musicians to utilize the concepts I propose as part of this study. As Allan Chase put it for
me, “Creative improvisation through inter disciplinary collaboration” was my goal.
!
2.3 A change in my understanding of my own rhythmic background
Many musical scholars consider India’s rhythmic system to be the most highly developed
in the world, particularly for its thorough and logical treatment of the various principles
of movement in time.I observed that there is a certain fascination for the Indian system
of music for those from other systems of music. I knew that this opened up a
phenomenal window of possibilities for me and this project is geared towards taking
advantage of that.
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!
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2.4 Ear Training classes
In my first semester at Berklee, I had the tremendous advantage of being the only student
in the ear training class, allowing for me to proceed at my own pace and focus on the
elements that were essential for me. It gave me tremendous insight into how courses were
structured, designed, how are the components of classwork and homework divided. But
more importantly, it gave me insight into how western musicians approach and
understand rhythm and notation.
!
2.5 Birth of an Idea
My initial project idea was to extend my previous research which was a study in online
education in Indian classical music - I had read before coming here that Professor Enrich
Alberich had conducted extensive research in the subject. However the more the year
progressed, the more I realized that I could definitely offer something more unique.
!
It was here at Berklee that I actually got exposed to jazz and its related styles of music.
Because of the melodic and rhythmic history that I come from - at some point I was
annoyed by the fact that I was always hearing a short melodic line followed by extensive
soloing. Even after a year here, I cannot listen in harmony as jazz musicians do. The
melodic development is a pre-disposition I am unable to shed. I then noticed the
rhythmic development of these solos was drastically limited the moment we were dealing
with odd time signatures. People were unable to think beyond the bar. All ideas were
contained within that organizational item, which was all of a sudden limiting phrasal
development of the music. Even in compositional terms, complicated time signature
changes were being brought into play when a single time signature would suffice, because
it seemed blasphemous at some levels to break the half bar rule or extend phrases beyond
bars (this may not be entirely true, or even partly true, but it remains my observation therefore true for me).
!
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But, the seed for my idea was planted more than 3-4 years ago, when drummer Eric
Harland conducted a workshop for Tabla players in Mumbai, India. I asked him a
question about how he approached the idea of a drum solo. Tabla players for instance,
have various different kind of compositions that shape a solo and in many ways the
format is predetermined. His answer however, did not leave me satisfied. It did not
suggest a repertoire for drummers that was independent of accompaniment of music,
which was something I felt was limiting the growth of possibilities.
!
What emerged from that discussion was the thought - how can I share my own tradition
in such a way that it translates into usefulness outside of its own context. I wanted to see
whether my tradition could help break these barriers that I perceived. How can the bar
stop being a barrier ? That was the question. I decided to experiment to see if this would
make an interesting project.
!
2.6 Getting started on the idea
One immediate similarity that struck me between south Indian classical music and Jazz
was standards. The idea of standards is very similar to the idea of Kritis (or fixed
compositions that allowed for improvisation). I wanted to pick compositions that
displayed focussed melodic development that had strong rhythmic ideas - and thillanas
(compositions that are developed by applying melodic lines to rhythmic motifs) were the
natural conclusion. I had some favorites in terms of thillanas and composers and I dived
into their recordings to identify the thillanas that I could use for this experiment.
!
At the same time I started putting together all the fundamental exercises that I had learnt
as part of my rhythmic training and transcribing them in western notation to see what
arose. What emerged was the biggest ego crusher I had ever experienced. Indian
musicians have this sense of ego about their rhythmic “superiority” over all other musical
traditions. I had picked some of the most complicated rhythmic ideas I could think off,
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but on paper they were quite simply quarter notes and rests. It was somehow, reduced.
That told me I needed to test these exercises on my classmates. This led to my researching
other percussionists who had similar ideas about adapting Indian rhythmic concepts to
western notation.
!
While this dealt with the mathematical aspect of rhythm, Indian rhythm also has poetical
aspects to it. So I started transcribing some poetical pleasing compositions for drums and
congas. This has been done before but on a personal level by various musicians. (I shall
delve more into this at a later point in the paper).
!
2.7 What this project needs to accomplish
With this project I hope to lay the foundation for what I foresee will be my chance to
make significant contribution to my own musical tradition as well as the world of music
at large. The ideas proposed under the study are meant to create a foundation for further
work in the direction. The research serves as a means to understand the advantages of
using a transcribed format and how it can also further the compositional repertoire of
Indian classical music. The project will only transcribe select examples of the repertoire,
establishing a precedent to carry out further transcription. The ideas proposed are
changeable, creative, and open to interpretation and thus creating an endless realm of
possibilities, of which I barely scratch the surface.
!
In the words of Romanian Sculptor Constantin Brancusi, “Simplicity is complexity
resolved”. That is what this project should accomplish – resolving Indian rhythmic ideas
for western musicians, retaining their aesthetic integrity without reducing them to mere
transcriptions.
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3.Findings and conclusions
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3.1 Readings in the context of the “Culminating Experience”
The first thing I realized when going through all of my sources, books, videos or articles, is
that this project cannot take the form of a traditional thesis format because that is not
what it is. The subject of the material is predominantly approaches to teaching Indian
rhythmic concepts in various situations ; books, syllabus, Indian masters teaching, western
musicians learning and adapting the same concepts and so on.
!
It is important to remember that this is not a scientific paper. The readings and analysis
helped me place my project in perspective. I was able to learn several new facets of my
own tradition and understand how those concepts were applicable to my own project.
Most of those highlighted sections from the readings will be adapted and incorporated
into the theoretical section of the proposed coursework (or in a book that can be
developed based on this material). I have opted to leave out specific analysis of all the
material out of this paper in favor of brevity. Whenever I found useful approaches or
exercises, I transcribed them, analyzed how I can used them or adapted the ideas, to
incorporate them into this proposed coursework.
!
3.2 The three challenges
1. I needed a hands on understanding of how western musicians approached Indian
musical concepts.
2. I needed to learn to notate compositions in such a way that they weren’t reduced to
paper
3. I needed to critically analyze similar endeavors in three categories - by western
musicians & scholars, by Indian musicians & scholars and by students of both
!
traditions.
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3.3 Designing the project
I will share what I have learnt in my journey of executing the proposed aspects of the
methodology. I have come to understand that a thesis on music must encompass a past,
present and future that involves deepening the bed and strengthening the walls of
tradition, faithfully recording and regulating practice , all while creating and indicating
new directions. I now venture to try and outline how my project has accomplished all of
this.
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3.4 The Ship of Theseus
The ship of Theseus, also known as Theseus' paradox, is a thought experiment that raises
the question of whether an object which has had all its components replaced remains
fundamentally the same object. My understanding of it’s applicability to my project came
from reading T.M.Krishna’s book on south Indian classical music, from where I quote
extensively in this project. When removed from the art music sphere, is it still Indian
classical music? For me I had to evaluate whether the various aspects of this project
survived this paradox.
!
This question arises because in this project, Indian classical music is being taken
completely out of context, socially, culturally and in the music itself, the intent of the
usage is also different. The altered intent, which also results in specific changes to the way
each aesthetic element interacts with the other – and that in turn changes the aesthetic
experience of the music.
!
It is important to understand the form, change and development of thought in an art
form in order to absorb external influences, and yet retain the essential elements that
make the music. When there is a lot of external influence on a musician lacking internal
introspection, the end result is a musical direction that is disconnected. The acceptance or
the lack of that is not the issue, but the aesthetic repercussions of such directional changes
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is a matter of concern. Even when the context demands a change, it is important for
artists to be sensitive to the form and intent of the art form. At the same time, we cannot
exclude the distinct possibility of the transformed nature of their out-of-context, but
nonetheless authentic , presentation creating an altogether new aesthetic identity and
intent. Sometimes, as an art form is influenced by other factors or requirements (as is the
case in this project) , it can modify and even change character in order to adapt to the
circumstances.
!
This understanding is very important in order to perceive music, when it moves into
another art form , doing so not as an addition to the tradition of other performing arts,
but as an integral aesthetic element in it, which is what this project aims for it to be.
!
The activity of giving shape to a music that is inspired by Indian music but is not Indian
music. It is not a form derived by altering some elements of Indian music, but rather from
a different aesthetic sound that the musicians discover in their journey. The element of
Indian music and the other forms that may be a part of this discovery are incidental to
the actual experience of the concepts. Music is an idea, but is also a specific contextual
experience. In that specific experience, it is not universal and we should not seek
universality there. This project has to be viewed exactly for what it is: a source for musical
ideas.
!
Every music must be given the treatment that its history and aesthetics demand,
irrespective of the musician’s need to explore other systems. Indian classical music gives
you a musical vision, but does not allow us to misuse its beauty to advance our personal
yearning. We need to respect the music , yet use its vision to look outside if we so seek.
!
No musical form is universal. No doubt Indian music empowers the musician to
understand different musical environments. This does not imply that Indian classical
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music is universal. Every art music form gives musicians the ability to recognize the
aesthetic structures that constitute music in any form. With vision, it is possible for
musicians to use these skills to interpret all forms of music. In presenting Indian classical
music as universally adaptable, we also believe its nature needs to be changed. Once we
alter its nature, though, what remains is no longer Indian classical music.
!
3.4.1 How does my project fare against the ship of theseus
No aspect of this project survives the paradox. They cease to be Indian music, merely ideas
borrowed for inspiration. However there is a notion among participants that they are
learning something that is unique or from a different tradition. Which is why it is all the
more necessary for me to highlight this paradox and explain its implications. Participants
must see the ideas as merely concepts, maybe through which at a later point they will
have a strong foundation to learn Indian music through, but not as learning Indian music.
This was an aspect I found particularly relevant when working on thillanas.
!
3.4.2 The Indian-ness of the project
Thillanas were the compositions that were selected for this project keeping in mind a
requirement for rhythmically intricate compositions. Everyone involved in the project for
the most part saw it as an Indian melody and not as a melodic idea for jazz in itself and
that created a general bias in the project, but I believe we were able to better overcome
pre-conceived notions it as we got more into the project. For me, right from the outset it
was important that these were not treated as Indian melodies, but simply as an
inspiration. I am not sure that was entirely accomplished.
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3.5 General Observations and noteworthy aspects from the analysis and trial execution
of the project
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3.5.1 Comparing western and Indian musical traditions based on readings as well as
experiences over the past year
!
Indian classical music has a glorious tradition of intricately developed rhythmic
philosophy that since sitar player Pt.Ravishankar’s rise to international fame has caught
the fancy of musicians and connoisseurs alike from all over the world. While
Pt.Ravishankar’s efforts were largely focussed on performance, there were several who
created an impact in the educational field.
!
A) Indian classical musicians who had an educational impact in the west
L. Subramaniam (b. 1947 ) completed his post graduation in Western classical music at
the California Institute of the Arts. L. Subramaniam and L. Shankar branched out into
world music and fusion music. T. Viswanathan became a prominent ethnomusicologist in
North America and taught at Wesleyan University. Around the same time, India was
witness to one of the first recognized Indian classical musicians of American origin. Jon
Higgins (1939– 84), popularly known in India as Higgins Bagavathar (Bagavathar is a
title for accomplished musicians), a graduate of Wesleyan University, which was fast
becoming a major center for Indian classical music outside of India.
!
UCLA provided the first home to higher education for Indian classical music instruction
in 1958; in 1961, Wesleyan University offered courses on South Indian music and in
1971, Trichy Sankaran and Jon Higgins established a program in South Indian music at
York University, Toronto. Resident artists at these institutions were brought from India to
teach in academic settings and at this stage were not necessarily members of a large
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immigrant community. Rather they appear to have responded to the American interest in
Indian culture and spirituality.
!
T. Viswanathan’s came from a special family that had been hereditary practitioners of
music and interacted with non-Indian enthusiasts who were experimenting with diverse
traditions of music. This not only enabled him to develop a special method of notation
and to experiment with other forms of music but also freed him from the shackles of a
convention that had been put in place in Madras by the first quarter of the twentieth
century. Thus he was able to retain his family style which was known to be complex and
difficult and which had a favorable reception in the United States. In an interview, he
mentioned that in America he had been able to maintain his family’s style which may not
have been possible in India, where audiences demand a more accessible style.
!
All of this led to the inevitable construction of an alternative authentic tradition and its
integration with diverse musical traditions.
!
B) Material produced by western musicians vs Indian musicians
The most extensive approaches in the field have been by western musicians approaching
Indian rhythms, not the other way around. Almost all of these musicians have been
percussionists, pioneered by Steve Smith, Pete Lockett, Jerry Leake, Bernhard
Schimpelsberger and several others. I highlight these names because it is their work that I
have found most interesting.
!
Percussionists of Pete Lockett’s and Bernhard’s calibre have phenomenal grasping ability
and have studied the Indian tradition extensively (living and learning in India from the
best rhythm masters). It is therefore very interesting to not only understand how they
have translated those experiences into their own, but also understand how they share their
learning with others. They have really internalized Indian rhythm to a level of mastery.
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They have produced material that reflects their learning of such tradition and their
interpretation of this learning to their own musical background.
!
Indian masters have trained western seekers for decades and all of that experience has
often been put together as books. Many Indian greats are faculty at universities across
Europe and North America (as discussed earlier in this paper). In all this, westerners have
either travelled to India extensively or studied Indian repertoire with these masters, but
most Indian masters did not learn western approaches to music. What that means is that
more often than not, the training imparted by scholars from either tradition is Indian
music itself not its application outside of the traditional context. But more importantly, it
means that most often, when western musicians are being taught by an Indian musician,
they are learning from someone who does not understand their musical background
entirely. When they are learning Indian concepts from a western musician, they are
learning from someone who does not understand the original Indian music entirely. Of
course, in many cases the scholars who teach these concepts are phenomenal musicians
for whom this need not be necessarily relevant, but nevertheless, my exposure here at
Berklee is an aspect that should make my contribution in this direction truly unique.
!
C) Sources of inspiration: Western vs Indian
I will not discriminate at any stage on adopting material, no matter where the source.
There are several western musicians who have developed really interesting concepts in
Indian music. For instance, Henrik Andersen has some very interesting mathematical
chart concepts and Asaf Sirkis have some very good thoughts about how to take such
course material forward. For instance, Henrik Andersen’s exercise in one bar of 7/4 with
the tala doing the groove change approach is something I think most Indian
percussionists will not be able to do. Instead of doing just various speeds of recitation
alone - also do various speed variations of the clapped tala cycle is a very interesting idea.
!
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D) The work of Ghatam Kartik
Ghatam Kartik is one of the leading exponents of south Indian rhythm today. He teaches
a course in Indian rhythms at the Swarnabhoomi academy of music, Chennai, India. For
the purpose of this project, I managed to obtain several videos of the classes he teaches to
western musicians studying at this school. Though they are focussed on percussionists and
are strictly adhering to south Indian percussionist’s view of rhythmic development, he has
outlined some beautiful concepts that have wonderful applicability. He does not use
western notation or even a mildly western approach. As part of the sessions I conducted
through the year, I re-interpreted many of his concepts and found they had remarkable
applicability for western musicians. My intention is to approach him for guidance in the
future to turn this material into a book at a later stage.
!
3.5.2 Rhythmic organization
Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John W. White make some interesting points in
their survey of rhythmic systems. They classify all rhythmic systems into two categories,
those that emphasize counting within the measure and those that emphasize pattern or
beat.
!
The rhythmic organization of Indian music seems to reflect not so much a unique Indian
approach to music-making as just a different perspective on universal rhythmic concepts.
Indian music seems to be exploiting the same possibilities, and attempting to solve the
same problems, as any other repertoire, but doing so in unique ways which produce rather
distinctive sonic results. Clayton Martin notes a general misconception that western
music is teleological and develops, while Indian music is cyclical and recurs. He argues
that such a dichotomy cannot exist, because whatever theory says, change and recurrence
must continue to be aspects of both repertoires. The primary concept that induces this
sense of cyclicality more prominently in Indian music is the importance given to the “One
or Sum” of the rhythmic cycle.
20
!
The biggest difference in organization of rhythm seems to be that Indian music has
devised extensive theoretical frameworks for rhythm that have immense practical
applicability. That remains the biggest advantage of Indian rhythm. The concepts of meter,
measure and the bar line seem to be inhibiting factors in the case of western music while
the Tala system seems to create a more flexible measure of surface rhythms that enable
musicians to more flexibly delve into several rhythmic layers. Western music theory has
emphasized meter's aspect as time measurement and played down the aspect of
recurrence, while Indian music theory has given expression to both aspects more equally.
Meter, for many Western musicians, has been seen as a regrettable necessity rather than as
the valuable source of order it has been to most Indian musicians. If there is a difference
between meter in Indian and Western music it may lie not so much in one being cyclical
and the other not, but in the fact that Indian theorists have not been troubled by the
apparent paradox of musical time as both linear and recurrent, whereas Western theorists
have been inclined to play down the sense of recurrence, let alone cyclicality, in favor of a
more singular conception of linear development.
!
It is important to remember that to say that rhythmic organization as a whole is more
complex in rag music than in any other repertoire would be a misconception, and show a
lack of understanding of the variety of levels of organization found elsewhere, and of the
very different ways in which broadly comparable levels of complexity can be realized in
different repertoires. To an educated listener, there can be no metrical ambiguity in Indian
music.
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3.5.3 Strong and weak points
Meter seems to be a useful translation for tala (For the purposes of this discussion, Tala is
the Indian name given to a rhythmic cycle). The commonality being that both are cyclical
in nature and can exist in a range of tempi. However, Tala lacks the internal accent
structure that western meter does, at least to a more obvious basic interpretation. For
instance, a 3/4 meter is generally accepted as - Strong Weak weak Strong Weak Weak in
western rhythm.
!
3.5.4 Episodic development of rhythm
This goes back to my discussion with Eric Harland and how he spoke about development
or growth of performance in a drum solo. I believe the combination of fixed, semi-fixed
and completely improvisational repertoire of Indian rhythm, with development in the
form of several episodes of a story, is its biggest asset and remains the area where Indian
rhythm can make the biggest contributions. This is backed up by the fact that most of the
material analyzed has incorporated concepts from Indian rhythm that are particularly
focussed in this direction.
!
3.5.5 Notation
An enigma that among other things gave Indian musicians a false ego – that we have
achieved a complexity and intricacy in rhythmic development unmatched by any other
musical form. I can find no better an example of a bruised ego than when I first
transcribed Indian rhythmic compositions into western notation. It seemed like the
complexity was resolved on paper, to an extent that they appeared somehow reduced.
!
Finding ways to notate the concepts in western format will be the biggest success and
biggest failure of this project. My understanding of notation over the last year can be
summed up as mildly confused because it stemmed from this point that while on one
hand Staff as the dimension of music represented by a time signature, the bar supposedly
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measures meter it appears to represent phrases more. Because of the need to give stress on
the correct phrases, I have seen many transcriptions in multiple complicated time
signatures when it could have simply been in one time signature (Eg: Ragabop, appendix).
My notating the concepts of this course work have come together after several rounds of
trial and error where I still do not find myself at complete ease with the process.
Jerry Leake quotes David Nelson as saying that “ presenting a south Indian rhythm in
western notation wrongly implies that a pattern is to be interpreted solely in one
particular scheme and tempo. Indeed, the Indian percussionist is constantly creating
alternate surface rhythms. Frozen in time transcriptions detract from the overall aesthetic
truth and potential of a composition or phrase. However on occasion the advantages of
using western notation outweigh the disadvantages.”
!
Marking the subtlety of Indian music, it is near impossible to express it accurately
through notation. Jerry Leake goes on to state that any music which involves an array of
grace notes defies absolute documentation. It is this inability of existing notation systems
that gives rise to inconsistencies and misinterpretations.
!
In Indian music, the act of writing music was not an inherent part of the process of
composing, and definitely not part of teaching. The writing was primarily a record.
Authenticity itself is not a static entity. It is the living value of the composition, its
essential core. The whole process of a composition’s organic evolution is part of its
authenticity.
!
I feel that because the concepts are essentially being taken out of their original context
with this project, they are seemingly more effective in terms of the coursework. Khali
bhari (Impression vs Expression or weighted vs unweighted strokes) is the one important
aspect I have not been able to translate into a western mindset - which is why at this
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stage, my project does not capture compositions with poetical complexity. This is also why
transcriptions for the percussion ensemble remain at a nascent stage.
!
It became apparent from the sessions I conducted through the year that the notation was
a necessity in order for more effective progress through the coursework and therefore I
continue my search for more effective means of notation.
!
A) Notation: Harmonic rhythm, Patterns and phrases vs Bars
As the melodies started to get more intricate I noticed that the points of emphasis were
eventually lost, or never interpreted in the way they were originally intended, which was
very interesting for me. There was the particular instance of a thillana in Mand where my
perception of the clave and its position within the melody was very different to every
single person and often different even among those from a latin, cuban or european jazz
background.
!
Many phrases of important sections had their points of emphasis in the middle of bars.
As I was determined not to write the notation in multiple time signatures, it went against
the general recognition of patterns. As the project grew I also learned how to write the
phrases in such a way within the bars that they were more recognizable. My writing of
notation certainly grew more efficient. I realized that the biggest failure of my notation
and transcription of these melodies in such a manner, was the failure to account for
harmonic rhythm. This became more evident during rehearsals when practicing particular
sections, they would start rehearsing on bar number, which for me was the middle of a
phrase (or a wrong starting point because I don’t listen in harmony), but harmonically it
made perfect sense.
!
!
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3.6 Harmony and the Raga
These compositions do not highlight the qualitative aspect of the raga as intricately when
taken away from context, particularly with the introduction of harmony. The musicians
tended to follow the harmony more than the melodic flow of the raga, as was true to their
musical background. That went against how such melodic phrases would be taken forward
in the original context. When the entire melody of the thillana is used in the jazz context,
because the harmony is limited by the raga, the melody seems to become repetitive or
harmonically uninteresting, at least to the western musicians.
!
3.7 Pattern recognition
The Indian system reinforces the fact that much of the rhythm we encounter is based on a
relatively small number of patterns, which can be notated in different ways. By learning
and thinking in terms of patterns, students are taught strategies for chunking and learn to
practice higher-level listening skills. They come to regard rhythm as identifiable and
interrelated units of sound rather than a simple stream of attack points. To separate
patterns in music from patterns in the listener, and to separate features necessarily in the
music from patterns expected to be in the music, are not easy tasks. Chunking is a critical
factor in how music is perceived and enjoyed. A conversation with the students from the
Global Jazz institute threw up interesting ideas of how people perceive patterns in music
and go on to think in patterns. This was an area where I could clearly identify the
advantages of using the Indian rhythmic system.
!
3.7.1 Pattern recognition through poetry
The idea of being able to identify the key phrases or kriya padh of any composition should
not be limited to rhythmic or even Indian repertoire. Identifying and understanding the
inherent phrases, not defined by a bar can help give better emotion to the music.This is
indicative of the approach not to play tabla solo repertoire on the drums for the sake of
playing tabla, but to develop groove and accompanying ideas, which for me is the
25
desirable approach. One of the initial, essential steps in this direction is definitely
establishing a relationship between sounds of strokes on the tabla and those on the
drumset. Jerry leake has done just that, in his book, drum set adaptations of North Indian
Tabla. He has classified them based on the nature and sound quality - with a set of
possible interpretations on a drum set. It was interesting for me to see someone who
entered and experienced the tradition from a different perspective explain the same
concepts. The idea of using a specific corresponding drum notation was definitely a
visionary idea with immense benefits and one that I considered very much for this project
- however, after careful examination I realized that at times it has limitations that render
the emotional context of the poetry ineffective. To his credit, he has made provisions for
expanding his interpretations.
!
3.8 South vs North
While the north favors a certain degree of flexibility, invention and even pure
improvisation.The south Indian system is more universal because there is no apparent
direct co-relation between stroke and the spoken syllable. This along with the general
mathematical intricacy makes south indian system more applicable for developing purely
mathematical rhythmic concepts.
3.9 The use of syllables
Several systems of rhythmic learning have employed different ideas of syllables. Zoltan
Kodaly, Allan Mchose and Ruth Tibbs, Richard Hoffman, William Pelto, and John W.
White with their Ta-ka-di-mi system and so on. Edwin Gordon analyzes many such
systems in his book Learning sequences in Music (Chicago: GIA Publications, 1993).
!
The Takadimi system advocated by the aforementioned authors, was influenced by the
authors’ extensive study of Indian music. They have justified their borrowing of these
syllables by citing other instances of rhythmic systems that have done the same
26
(borrowing from Indian rhythm). None of these systems, they point out, is entirely
systematic, nor does any account for the variety of Western rhythmic practice.
None of these systems’ use of syllables piqued my interest. I believe that in most cases
they failed to capture not just the importance of the poetry, but in many cases, the main
advantage of using syllables, which is for me pattern recognition.
!
Reasons for avoiding the poetical compositions in the first stage also include the fact that
I feel the basic rhythmic foundation needs to be established before comprehending poetry
as well. Therefore I must probably insist on teaching some of the concepts of the basics
course before adventuring into poetry based development.
!
The human voice is the primary tool for teaching melodic or rhythmic instrumentalists
their art. Vocalizing rhythms tends to help internalize those concepts in such a way that
eventually the method of vocalization will be secondary to the patterns they help identify
with. Drum syllables aide in the complex process of memorization and recollection of
large bodies of repertoire, connecting the musician more intimately to the instrument and
tradition by recitation. Poetry used here is not indicative of the poetical beauty of
concepts but simply of a representation of the mathematical aspects for recitation.
!
Rhythmic poetry simplify the memorization process and allow the mind to digest long
phrases that develop as a natural sequence of musical events. Any musician, whether
drummer or melodic, could use Indian syllables to work out a rhythmically challenging
passage—perhaps the broadest implication of this approach. The act of vocalizing before
playing forces the performer to internalize the music. This moves the syllabic language
into the world of general rhythmic analysis and training.
!
In the rhythm sessions, I initially tried teaching the same rhythmic concepts that
traditionally use the south Indian syllable system, but by using western melodic solfeggi
27
or number counting. However, as the concepts grew in complexity, it became evident that
this methodology would not suffice. Also, the participants eagerness to learn the solfeggi
system of south Indian rhythms cannot be entirely ignored.
!
Many approaches to rhythm study have been devised over the years and remain in use
today. A set of rhythm syllables is frequently a hallmark of such systems. At the simplest
level, a system may rely entirely on a single neutral syllable, like “da” or “la.” Such a system
does not ascribe meaning to its syllable, but merely uses it for intoning rhythmic
materials. As a result, analytic activities regarding duration, beat value, and meter are not
explicitly conveyed in the vocalization. Other systems use syllables to provide labels for
temporal phenomena, in a manner analogous to the use of solfège syllables to label pitch
phenomena. They are designed to help students learn, remember, and quickly identify
recurrent patterns, and they provide a link—a translator—between aural and visual
domains.
!
3.10 Approaching rhythmic ideas
Pre-conceived notions were a major factor here.There is general consensus that westerners
without extensive experience have tended to misunderstand, or completely fail to
understand, Indian rhythm - because understanding depends to some extent on both
experience and training. But there was something peculiar that I noticed with participants
in my project. Detailed rhythmic transcriptions may in many cases suggest a rhythmic
complexity which is illusory. All of the musicians involved in these experiments have used
the same rhythmic ideas throughout their performing careers and this past year
subconsciously, but the moment they had to think about using ideas that were seemingly
from a different tradition, there was a panic. There was stigma - because the approach
changed. This was not exclusive to just the rhythm sessions but also the thillanas project.
!
!
28
3.11 The stigma of Mathematics
Indian rhythm has the reputation of being extremely mathematical, it is true, but also not;
because rhythm in its essence is mathematics. The Indian rhythmic system has fantastic
formula that have been given deep thought. It is architecture in time giving beautiful
ideas on how to use space. India is not the only ancient civilization to comprehend
mathematics in music. The Pythagorean and Neopythagorean doctrines of the mysterious
mathematical proportions of musical intervals, their imaginary connection with the
movements of planets and the harmony of the spheres, formed the subject of many
writings on mathematics in music. Pythogoreans saw geometry in rhythm and believed
that different geometric rhythm structures would convey different emotions through the
music.
!
When I approached some of the concepts of the coursework mathematically, I could
instantly see participants switch off, get bored and quite often get scared. Mathematics is
not natural to everyone, but the mathematics in music is something that all musicians
possess. I believe that they are just afraid of what it unfolds, unaware of their own
capability for it. One of the biggest challenges in framing the coursework was to ensure
that the mathematics, which is the center of Indian rhythm, never got associated with a
stigma, nor become too theoretical.
!
3.11.1 Application of Concepts - The mathematical approach to composition
Albert Einstein famously said “Not everything that counts can be counted, and not
everything that can be counted counts”. All these technical aspects of time and measure
are of no consequence if they do not dissolve into the experience of music. In this
coursework I have tried to cut out the purely mathematical ideas in favor of those that
can be used in practical, everyday composition and performance. I have tried to ensure
that emphasis is given to not just learning the concepts but applying them in performance
or composition. I do believe that calculation, inspiration and application - that comes
29
from mathematics can inspire wonderful frameworks, that can bring in a whole new
variety of western composition.
!
3.12 Grammar and Technique - The need to internalize concepts
There are 4 fundamental components to music - science or theory, technique, content
knowledge, artist sensibility and aesthetic sensibility. These must remain at the roots and
shoots of this coursework. The technique can only be acquired by practice. They involve
more doing than knowing. (in this project students will do, the masters can help them no)
This art goes beyond the limits of mental knowledge - into execution. Music originates in
inspiration and is expressed by performance or execution. This should not be obstructed
by inadequate technique .They can translate thought into action instantly. That is why
technique is essential for translating inspiration into expression.
!
Sometimes technique can be used excessively. As the statement goes, Learn the technique
, master the technique forget the technique. This applies not just to technique - at the
moment of creation, on the stage, the artist needs to put aside all consciousness of
knowledge and technique learned, and bring it to bear automatically. This forgetting of
learning means the artist is engaged in a far seeing vision of the whole performance. This
vision of utilization of technique applies to every aspect of this course. The students must
be enabled to internalize all the concepts in such a way that their utilization is natural.
!
3.13 The repertoire
A lot of the material available, with very few exceptions is oriented towards percussionists,
and often even more focussed on learning Indian rhythmic repertoire for Indian
percussion, just taught in a western manner. For instance, whenever Indian masters have
approached this area of teaching or research, the focus has always been on repertoire of
percussion meant to be implemented within the context of Indian classical music.
Otherwise it is more of a seminar on Indian rhythms.
30
An excerpt from my analysis of Pete Locket’s book on Drum-set adaptations of Indian
tabla, (which I have largely left out of this paper) will highlight these suggestions.
“ Some of the groove ideas specially the tuples grooves are fantastic extrapolations of
Indian rhythmic concepts. Often though the orchestrations are basic and nothing that
drummers cannot come up with on their own if they understand or know the concepts
themselves. Which is why I think being strong with the fundamental concepts is more
important than random interesting orchestrations. This is why I feel I have an advantage one who has natively studied north Indian rhythmic poetry, who understands the syllabic
orchestration of south Indian sensibilities - I have a melody in my head to orchestrate on
the drums that keeps the Indian aesthetic. He uses a variant of the clave five exercise He
highlights an exercise or korvai. And then shows different orchestrations of it as a theme
throughout the book. So yes the ideas are developed to a great detail but I do not think it
trains the readers as to how these ideas were arrived upon, what are the aesthetic and
mathematical concepts and how they can be expanded. “
!
Another passage from my analysis of Jerry Leake’s book, North Indian Tabla for the
drum-set, will highlight similar aspects. “The idea of rhythm as melody or as a harmonic
layer requires a lot of exploration and is one of the goals of this project. All research prior
has been limited to drums and percussion - musicians as a whole can benefit from the
Indian rhythmic philosophy. The philosophy gives a phenomenal foundation for musical
development.”
!
Percussionists are ahead of the curve of musicians who have identified the useful aspects
of the Indian rhythmic system outside of India. For all instrumentalists and composers its about structures and patterns and how you can apply them - no matter which style of
music you find it relevant to. Because everything is defined as grouped phrasings that are
pronounceable - its easy to build on them. Indian rhythmic systems build on rhythmic
31
confidence. An explosion of something new, something fresh, because Influences are really
important in rhythmic growth.
!
3.14 Pathway of growth through material
None or very few books have been written allowing the melodic musician to combine
improvisation with rhythmic techniques. There does not seem to be a linearity of growth
in terms of the prescribed learning pattern of the material. There often isn’t a coherent
growth through the material that allows for a thorough foundation.
!
There is the general agreement that the south Indian system provides better building
blocks for learning rhythm than the north Indian system, at least at the first stages. Very
few cases were founded where the scholar was equally knowledgeable in both the south
Indian and north Indian systems of rhythm. Unlike in north Indian style, the south
Indian style need not necessarily have a one-one correspondence between the spoken
syllable and the stroke. It is more about the interplay of the logic of the apparent
relationship between the two. The syllables themselves will eventually become redundant,
they merely serve as a means for pattern recognition.
!
Also, usage of phrases in their respective time signatures seems to be the agreed upon
starting point - with the initial emphasis being on phrase groupings and recognition of
patterns. But the flow of ideas from that point is highly arbitrary and often ends up
confusing the pattern of learning.
!
I would largely attribute this ambiguity to the fact that these rhythmic concepts are not
taught even to Indian musicians as a separate repertoire, on their own. Therefore there is
no established paradigm for pedagogy.
!
32
This is why I feel that such material should be taught by someone with the proper
traditional exposure to the art only. For instance, Everyone seems quite eager to get into
tuples - but I will wait for the more advance program - I remain convinced that the
stronger foundations will serve them well when they enter tuples so they can fully exploit
the possibilities. the historic importance of giving triplet priority over all else must change
when setting precedent on a tuples course. Therefore just delving into triplets alone at the
early stages will not satisfy this condition.
!
3.15 Application of concepts
Most materials don't outline clearly enough on “How to think” - how to develop on each
of these ideas and to make them your own. It makes a few mentions but not significantly
or with clarity. So at the end of the book you are almost limited to only the information
you have learnt from the book.
!
Almost none of the material available outlines application of the concepts outside of the
original context of their intent. All material stays within the social and cultural context of
Indian classical music, which means the learning can never be thorough or effective,
because the learning atmosphere is never recreated to the same degree. However, many of
these will survive the theseus paradox. Quite often the material require some basic
understanding of Indian music in order to interpret effectively.
!
3.16 Attitudes towards this project
“Life is not designed to discover our limitations. It is designed to discover our infinity.
The only way to find out who you are, what your capabilities are, is to explore”- Herbie
Hancock.
How must students approach the concepts and coursework proposed as part of this
project. My teacher, Pt.Yogesh Samsi always says to me “ You can easily be told a number
33
of concepts, but when you realize them yourself, they have whole new meaning”. The
coursework is designed in such a way that each student can personalize their learning and
therefore their own attitudes towards the coursework will shape their learning.
Developing this project pushed me to re-visit my experiences as a student of rhythm,
evaluate my experience teaching the concepts as part of this study, as well as read
extensively about the philosophy of learning.
!
It is not only knowledge of music, but the attitude that informs it that affects perception.
Ultimately the musician must seek an understanding of the aesthetics of the music. In
this search, the musician must be willing to give up personal notions and conditioning
and look beyond his practice. This often required the musician to seriously reorient her
view of music and approach musical tradition as an art. Both will face situations of
conflict, with some being totally irreconcilable. This does not mean history is wrong, or
that the current practice is wrong. It only gives each one of them another layer to break
through. Over a period of time, clarity will emerge from both their journeys.
!
3.16.1 Being a seeker of the finer aspects of the art
In order to experience music beyond personal confines, the receiver also needs to be a
serious seeker of art and aware of the art itself. Without that insight, the receiver may not
be able to inhabit that created space, for the music will be received as personal feeling
alone, and to that extent be incomplete. At the same time, a truly evolved connoisseur
may be able to draw out a sense of emotional abstraction from an art form that is
primarily aimed at personal emotion, purely by her attitude towards it. The seriousness
and appropriate attitude towards understanding art have to be cultivated by every art
seeker.
!
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3.16.2 Propelled by instinct
Beyond what is learnt from the teacher and the understanding that comes from listening,
a certain instinct propels a musician’s quest. Learning techniques, acquiring skill
development and understanding musical parameters are necessary requirements of the art.
!
3.16.3 Making the concepts their own
The student must let the received experience lodge in the mind, not as a frozen fixity but
an organic impulse. When this occurs, the phrase or ideas that come from the reception
are no longer independent technical and aesthetics ideas. They are part of the aesthetic
direction of that particular musician.
!
3.16.4 Acquiring clarity through inquiry
With a deepening of the musician’s inquiries in this direction, their music acquires a
certain special clarity, which is the result of a completeness acquired from a conscious
linking of various musical aspects. In this process, the musician may completely change
previously held positions on music. Therefore, they come to hold and subscribe to a
conscious body of thought that defines every musical action. It evolves from an
understanding of the concepts learnt, the internalizing of other influences and finally a
reinterpretation of their own music.
!
This is neither a journey of negation nor acceptance, but one of realization. The student
must accept the challenges that these concepts present and use their own sensibilities to
navigate through them. It is about extracting information, re-learning rhythm that
already exists within them.
!
Ace percussionist Jamey Haddad had penetration words in this direction when he said
that the key to learning this or any other system that tests our ability will be the honesty
35
to face our personal, temporary boundaries, that the ability to observe the truth about our
personal rhythm will set us free.
!
3.16.5 Attitude towards teaching
Through this past year I saw clear evidence of how it is possible for an artist to conform
to a social context of practice, yet take the music innovatively beyond that context. I
realized that it is something I must aspire to. The belief that teaching is the best form of
learning was reiterated. It is brutal and honest and tests you to the best of your abilities.
It was also evident that very few artists can explain as well as they can play. In teaching it
is important to go beyond matter and manner. A teacher must infuse the disciple with
energy. This energy must inspire resolve, diligence, trust, confidence, energy and impetus.
It is how I approach teaching that will give this course work a vision and form.
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4. The project beyond this thesis
So far the project has only managed to transcribe the mathematical concepts of Indian
rhythm. But I do know that the future of the project lies in being able to translate the
poetry into applicability as well. I do strongly believe that the poetry of Indian rhythm
has implications beyond percussion and this also remains a completely unexplored area.
Developing a mathematical repertoire of transcription and notation through the first
phase of this project has helped me identify several key aspects about retaining the
aesthetics and integrity of the original rhythmic intent. This is the foundation I need to
realize the full potential of the project. The next stage of focus has to be an effective
mechanism by which to translate poetry as well. In his books Jerry Leake has left out a
major set of implications or potential for his work. That is the implications of work in this
direction beyond their applicability to percussionists, or drummers in particular. There are
several technological research projects underway in universities across the world that are
working on identification and classification of Indian classical music. I believe that a
notational system backed by a solid repertoire of coursework will go a far way in making
those projects more effective.
!
These technological projects are crippled by the fact that the computation engineers who
understand the technology required to take such initiatives forward do not have the
required understanding of Indian classical music. However, the understanding they
require is not contextual - neither the cultural nor social development alongside the
musical is necessary. Which is why my project has implications in their work. My project
can provide an understanding of the technical aspects of the music and their application
without requiring the rigor demanded by the music in its original form.
!
As I mentioned before in this document, I was not wholly impressed by the paper on the
TaKaDiMi system of learning rhythm. However, there was an important note to
37
remember from the paper on document was a rather insignificant statement that says identification and labeling occur before notation, moving from the perceived sound
through a process of translation and verbal description, before addressing issues of graphic
description. This was the statement that helps me define the methodology by which this
research can have an impact in technology and computation.
!
This is where being selected as the graduate fellow for the next academic year at Berklee
Valencia comes into the picture. I have identified key areas that I must look into as part of
my fellowship in order to fulfill the potential of this project:
!
4.1 Agenda for this project over the next academic year
1. Teach the proposed coursework to students at Berklee and obtain feedback,
evaluating how the students used the concepts in their own music. Develop the next
stage of mathematical development of this coursework, branching into areas such as
tuplets, advanced applications and so on. One of the outcomes of the trial of this
coursework could be the conversion of this material into a book.
2. Organize a workshop by a senior Indian rhythm maestro and evaluate whether those
who partook of this coursework are able to comprehend this workshop better than
others.
3. Develop a sample library of tabla strokes and develop a notational system for them to
be written in staff alongside on this sample library. This will be the first step toward
the computational side of the project.
4. Conduct further research into how the khali-bhari aspect of Indian rhythm can be
extrapolated out of context. This will, among other things, require in-depth interviews
!
!
!
with drummers and senior tabla players.
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4.2 A final word
The demand for musical rhythm is as much a part of human nature as that for melody.
The rhythmical sense, like the melodic, varies with individuals, and is probably entirely
wanting in a few cases, which, if they exist, must be as rare as those who want the sense of
relative pitch, generally alluded to as " want of musical ear." Where the rhythmical sense
exists, in however slight a degree, it is capable of more or less development by cultivation.
In this respect it is the same as any other faculty, and it will atrophy if entirely neglected,
or will grow in a wrong direction if not carefully guided. If music is to be something more
than a mere social distraction, if it is to penetrate into our nature, it must be made to
express itself through a carefully conceived and carefully executed rhythm ( Jerry Leake,
Relating sound and Time).
!
David Nelson points out that many musicians in the west have become interested in the
rhythmic intricacy of Indian music, but most of these musicians do not have the time or
inclination to take up a full study of Indian music or dance. He advocates a course in
Indian rhythm to bridge this gap. He attributes four primary advantages of learning -
-
!
The physical confidence
Portability or adaptability outside of context
Inherent musicality
and that it can make rhythmic learning which is often dry and abstract, become
accessible and fun
I believe that with this coursework I have satisfied these advantages with the possibility of
many more to come. Putting this project together has been an experience that tested
every aspect of who I am, the tradition of music I come from, my learning over this past
year at Berklee and it has truly defined a wonderful set of possibilities of a future in music.
!
39
I borrow from the several documents I analyzed to conclude with this. In the dynamic
world of music and music education where students often come to college ill prepared for
their encounter with increasingly complex literature, rhythm pedagogy must keep pace
with the challenge. It is no longer enough to leave rhythm to chance or to assume
students learn it in lessons or ensembles. Rhythm must now be taught. Systems based on
Indian rhythm are not new, either in Western or non-Western music education. I strongly
believe that this course work addresses many of the needs of contemporary music
education and presents a healthy alternative means of understanding rhythm.
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Appendix I
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List of artists who’s material
was studied for this project
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List of artists
Performances, tutorials, recordings, workshops and other material available of these artists
was studied and analyzed for this project
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Tabla Players
Yogesh Samsi, Zakir Hussain, Sushil Kumar Jain, Suresh Talwalkar,
Taufiq Qureshi (percussionist who’s repertoire is based on tabla repertoire)
!
South Indian percussionists
Umayalpuram K. Sivaraman, Ghatam Kartik, Erode Nagaraj, T.H.Vinayakaram, Trichy
Sankaran, T.H.Subhas Chandran, Selvaganesh Vinayakaram, Uma Shankar Vinayakaram
!
Non Percussionists
Lalgudi Jayaraman, M. Balamuralikrishna, Abishek Raghuram, John Mclaughlin,
Prasanna Ramaswamy, Avishay Cohen, Victor Wooten
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Western percussionists
Bernhard Schimpelsberger, Steve Smith, Pete Lockett, David Nelson, Jerry Leake, Jamey
Haddad, Todd Isler, Dan Weiss, Henrik Anderssen, Asaf Sirkis
42
!
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Appendix II
!
List of Berklee Valencia
batch of 2013-14 students
involved in this project
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Student
Involvement
Andrea Fraenzel
Contra-Bass, participant in rhythm
sessions
Alexey Leon
Juan Christobal Aliaga
Luis Regidor Pain
Miguel Angel Lous
Miguel Ruiz Santos
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
Peter Connolly
Piotr Orzechovsky
Ricardo Curto
Stephen Mchale
Saxaphone
Guitar, transcription and arrangement
Participant in rhythm sessions
Flute
Clarinet, participant in rhythm sessions
Drums
Guitar, participant in rhythm sessions
Piano
Arrangement of tunes and Piano player
Arrangement of tunes, guitar and
participant in the rhythm sessions
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(Technicians, sound engineers and mix engineers have not been included in this list. They
can be found in Appendix VII)
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Appendix III
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Bibliography
Books, research papers
and other online sources
(audio/Video)
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Rhythm Published By: Croatian Musicological Society. (2008)
Subramaniam, L. Culture and consumption: Classical Music In Contemporary India
And The Diaspora. Transforming Cultures Ejournal. (2008)
T.Viswanathan The Hindu. ( January 4, 1998)
Theory Of Indian Music Ram Avtar’ Vir. (1999)
Wickwire, Wendy C. Cultures In Contact: Music, The Plateau Indian, And The
Western Encounter.
Young, L. The History And Development Of Solkattu - The Vocal Syllables - Of The
Mridangam. (2010)
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Appendix IV
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Score sample of Revathi Thillana
Original composition by
Lalgudi Shri Jayaraman,
arranged by Ricardo Curto
and M.T. Aditya Srinivasan
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Appendix V
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Course design overview
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MT-607
Several Miles to Ramanujam
Stage 1: Designed in 15 phases of development
Instructor: M.T. Aditya Srinivasan
athiagarajan@berklee.edu
Course outline
Phase 1: Ashtak exercise and learning basic phrases from 1 to
14 and reciting them in their respective time signatures (also
with basic clap patterns and claves)
Phase 2: Introducing silences and mixing-matching the basic
phrases in multiple speeds and various time signatures
Materials
Material is presented in western
notation, mathematical
representation, optimized for
the instructor to explain
concepts
Phase 3: Combing phrases and silences into Yati patterns
Examples and activities
Phase 4: Silence exercises in 60 for 4/4 time signature
Audio Samples
Phase 5: Extending silence exercises and Yati patterns to odd
time signatures
Phase 6: Endings in 32
Phase 7: Using phrases of 2 and 3 for endings in 32
Phase 8: Filling up sequences using basic phrases to
Each set of exercises will have
background relevant theory and
audio samples of how they are
utilized in performance, from
musicians such as Prasanna,
Victor Wooten and Steve Smith
In class activity
Phase 9: 64 count korvais (advanced)
Every stage will have in-class
activities pre-designed to be
adaptable to the requirements
of students in the class
Phase 10: 128 count korvais (basic)
Homework activity
approach endings in 32 leading to basic 64 count korvais
Phase 11: 128 count korvais (advanced)
Phase 12: Korvais in silence
Phase 13: The art of composing korvais and its application
Homework activities will
include practicing the exercises,
transcribing applied concepts
from recordings and composing
music based on the concepts
discussed in the class
toward a mathematical approach to music composition
Phase 14: Korvais applicable in multiple time signatures
Phase 15: Application of cadences to claves and other
emphasis points
Several Miles to Ramanujam
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Appendix VI
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Course material sample drafts
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Basic syllables under the South Indian recitation system for rhythm ( Konakkol )!
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1 - Tha!
2 - Tha ka !
3 - Tha ki Ta!
4 - Tha ka Dhi mi / Tha ka Jo nu !
5 - Tha dhi gi na thom!
6 - Tha dhi . gi na thom !
7 - Tha . dhi . Gi na thom!
9 - Tha . dhi . gi . na. thom!
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As you will notice, from 5 onwards, the syllables are the same, it is only the spacing ( gap inbetween )
syllables that chances. !
A standard method of counting gap between notes is to enunciate the gap, to increase convenience of
recitation . A gap of a beat + 2 counts is denoted as Thangu ( 3 counts total ). !
A gap of a beat + 1 count ( 2 counts total ) is denoted as tham. !
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Endings for one avarthana of a Adi Tala ( with just a few additional possibilities )!
1,2,3,4,5!
6 - 2+2+2!
7 - 1+2+1+2+1!
8 - 2+1+2+1+2!
9 - 3+3+3!
10 - 2+2+2+2+2!
11 - 3+1+3+1+3!
12 - 2+3+2+3+2!
13 - 3+2+3+2+3!
14 - 4+1+4+1+4!
15 - 5+5+5!
16 - 4+2+4+2+4!
17 - 5+1+5+1+5!
18 - 6+6+6!
19 - 5+2+5+2+5!
20 - 6+1+6+1+6!
21 - 7+7+7 = 5+3+5+3+5!
22 - 6+2+6+2+6!
23 - 7+1+7+1+7 = 5+4+5+4+5!
24 - 6+3+6+3+6!
25 - 7+2+7+2+7!
26 - 8+1+8+1+8 = 6+4+6+4+6!
27 - 9+9+9 = 7+3+7+3+7!
28 - 8+2+8+2+8!
29 = 9+1+9+1+9 = 7+4+7+4+7!
30 = 10+10+10=8+3+8+3+8=6+6+6+6+6=4+6+4+6+4+6!
31= 7+5+7+5+7 = 9+2+9+2+9 !
32 = 8+4+8+4+8=10+1+10+1+10
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Appendix VII
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Material Included
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1.
Copy of Final presentation used for thesis defense
2.
Videos used in the final presentation
Video 1: Pictures and videos from this last year at Berklee Valencia. Background
tracks are music recorded and produced by me over this last year.
Video 2: Feedback by participants about the project
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Demo tracks of music from the thillana project recorded over this last year
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Song Name
Artists
Technicians
Brindavani Thillana
Ricardo Curto (piano), Andrea
Fraenzel (bass),
Peter Connolly (guitar),
Alexey Leon (saxophone),
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
(drums)
Session Engineer- Timothy
Shull Jr.
Overdubs engineer & MixingM.T.Aditya Srinivasan
Revathi Thillana
Ricardo Curto (piano), Andrea
Fraenzel (bass),
Miguel Angel Lous (flute),
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
(drums)
Session Engineer- Alan Tishk
Kalyani Thillana
Ricardo Curto (piano), Andrea
Fraenzel (bass),
Alexey Leon (saxophone),
Mikael Chauvet Jorgensen
(drums)
Session Engineer- Beth
Schofield Overdubs engineer &
Mixing- Mixing- M.T.Aditya
Srinivasan
Parakeet (Based on thillana in
Mohana Kalyani)
Stephen Mchale (guitar), Andrea Session Engineer - Pablo
Fraenzel (Bass), Piotr
Schueller
Orzechovsky (piano) and
Mariano Steimberg (Drums)
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Overdubs engineer & MixingMixing- M.T.Aditya Srinivasan
Media of
