Raga as the Key Concept of Musical Thinking in Indian Classical Music

I. Atlas Dergisi Uluslararası Sosyal Bilimler Kongresi, Nevşehir, Türkiye, 19 - 21 Ekim 2018, ss.15-16

The musical art of India is one of the few cultural trends that has been preserved from

ancient times to the present day. Thanks to scientific research in the field of history and

culture, it became possible to recreate the picture of the formation of Indian music, which

developed in close interaction of different cultures and nationalities, incorporating the best

traditions of many peoples. Love of music, its understanding and development at all levels

and in various spheres of life have always played an extremely important role in Indian

culture. Indian music, one of the most highly developed and refined music systems that ever

existed in the world. It should be emphasized that being also the largest melodic system, it

retains this basic quality to this day. The system of micro-intervals developed by her, melodic

models and rhythmic drawings represent the most valuable contribution to the world musical

culture. One of the key concepts of Indian classical music is raga. European language means

of stew can be roughly related to the terms "scale" or "tonality". Its structure also consists of

seven notes, but it is completely different from the western one. This phenomenon does not

occur in any other form of world music. In essence, the art of melodic improvisation, carried

out in fixed limits of the mode and given rhythmic patterns, where in the process of execution

the main theme undergoes intensive intonational development. However, this is not just a

musical theme, but also a profoundly philosophical-poetic combination. While Western music

found its way in search and experimentation, India already had a perfect system that allowed

it to perform music, both in temperament and non temperament tuning system.

Keywords: Indian classical music, raga, rasa, tala, śruti