Hello silklister, I am hoping that the many clever people on this list can provide me with some credible resources examining the major theoretical and practical differences between Indian and Western music, particularly the classical forms of each. I'm just an enthusiastic n00b, but some of what I've gathered so far:
1. Unlike Western music's equal temperament, Indian music is generally just-tempered, with small microtonal variations in notes of the scale between Gharanas. 2. Indian music does not generally use triads or chords (of course this is changing with the influence of Western music). 3. (following from 2 above) Indian music doesn't use counterpoint. This is common in every style of music from this region including western- influenced pop music (AR Rahman seems to be warming to the idea though!) 4. Where key changes are common in Western music, Indian music is more likely to feature rhythm shifts and poly-rhythms (this is one of the things I like about authentic bhangra drumming, as opposed to the repetitive crap in the movies with excruciatingly fake punjabi accents), esp looking at popular music of both Western and Indian music. Indian music rarely features key changes. 5. Many of the above points are null and void for jazz and blues, which enthusiastically embrace polyrhythms, microtones and amodality. 6. The harmonium is a horrible instrument that has no business being in any kind of music and must be eradicated for the benefit of all cultures.[1] What should I be reading to add to this list? Any other obvious differences I have missed? -Taj. [1] This is a fact, not an opinion. It doesn't matter if its easier to tune to a custom scale than any other piano-keyed instrument, a well-tuned pig- squeal is still a pig-squeal.
