Indian classical music has been shaped by several significant influences, including the Rigveda, Yajurvedic chants, and Natya Shastra, which provides insights into scales, melodic forms, tala (rhythmic cycles), and musical instruments.
Another key text is Matanga’s Brihaddesi, compiled between the 8th and 9th centuries AD.
Additionally, Sangeeta Ratnakara, written by Sarangadeva in the 13th century, is an important work on music theory.
Rhythmic and Structural Elements:
One of India's unique contributions to musical rhythm is the tala, a cyclic arrangement of time units. Musical forms are broadly classified into two categories:
Anibaddha Sangeeta – Unrestricted by meaningful words and tala, with alap being its purest form.
Nibaddha Sangeeta – Structured compositions, including prabandha, a generic term for bound compositions, of which Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda (12th century) is a notable example. Another formal aspect of nibaddha sangeeta is dhrupad.
Major Styles in Hindustani Music:
Hindustani music features ten primary styles: Dhrupad, Dhamar, Hori, Khayal, Tappa, Chaturang, Ragasagar, Tarana, Sargam, and Thumri.
