Educational Galaxy

Making Music — EG's own notes, in simple words

Book: Kriti (CBSE, Class 7)  |  Chapter 5  |  Medium: English

Section: Music

Diagram (labels are printed on the image): Children making music with a box drum, bottle and claps. A general teaching picture; it is not a picture from the book.

A child singing and keeping rhythm. A general picture about making music anywhere; no book picture is copied here.

What the chapter is about

Music is made of layers. When you listen to a song, you hear different kinds of sounds at once — vocals, musical instruments, melody, harmony and lyrics — and each layer has its own role. A film song and a devotional song have different layers, and different styles of music use different sounds and instruments. The chapter begins by singing together: its suggestions are Barso re megha megha, Bharat humko jaan se pyaara hai, Aa chalke tujhe main lekey chaloon, Zindagi ek safar hai suhana, and O palan haarey nirgun aur nyaare — though any suitable, age-appropriate song may be chosen.

The chapter’s opening verse, from the Sangita-ratnakara of Sharangdeva, defines Nada, musical sound: na stands for prana, life force, and da stands for agni, fire — Nada is created through the combination of prana and agni. The world of music, the chapter says, is all about sur, laya and shabd — pitch, rhythm and word — woven together to express love, devotion, patriotism, chivalry, appreciation of nature, grief, and many other emotions. Music can also carry messages in society: the importance of occupations and skills, social reforms, health issues, and more.

Some common musical terms come first. Aadhara Shruti or Aadhar Swar is the base note according to which music is played or sung. A Swara is a note in music; there are seven notes in Indian music — Sa, Ri (Re), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. A Raga is a group of notes that come together as per certain rules to create a melody. Tala or Taal is a rhythm cycle, made of a number of beats. Laya is tempo or speed, from slow to fast. Aroh or Arohana is the ascending scale of a raga, and Avroh or Avarohana is its descending scale. Sargam is a pattern of notes.

When many voices sing together in a pleasing blend of different notes, it is called singing in harmony — common in many styles of music, vocal and instrumental. An easy way to begin singing in harmony is a canon: different groups sing the same melody but start at different times, and canon songs are written so that the different notes heard at the same time sound good together. The chapter’s canon examples are Kuttanadan punjayile kochu penne kuyilale, learnt in Grade 6, and Hum honge kaamyaab, learnt in Grade 3: first sing together, keeping time, then divide into two groups — Group 1 sings the first line and continues to the second, and when Group 1 starts the third line, Group 2 starts the first line — and repeat, so all the harmonies can be heard. If that feels easy, try four groups, each starting one line later.

Music is also teamwork from ancient times. In the Shrauta-Yajna, the Vedic fire ceremony, a team of Ritvijs — guardians of the sacred hymns from the four Vedas — assembled at dawn in the Yaga-shala with the institutor, the Yajamana, and his wife, the Yajamana-patni. Among them, a sub-team of four Ritvijs specialised in the Sama-Veda, led by the main Sama-Vedi-Ritvij, the Udgata, together called the Udgatri-Gana. They harmonised verses from the Sama-Veda Samhita, facing east, the direction of the rising sun. The singing of a Sama-gana composition is divided into five sections called bhaktis: Prastava, the introduction, initiated by the Prastota; Udgitha, the primary section and core of the recitation, sung by the head Ritvij, the Udgata; Pratihara, sung by the Pratiharta, continuing from the last line of the Udgitha; Upadrava, the connective musical interlude of instruments and rhythmic interpretation, again rendered by the Udgata; and Nidhana, the concluding section, sung in unison by all Ritvijs. A fourth Sama-Vedi-Ritvij, Subrahmanya, chants the Subrahmanyahvana, and the Yajamana-patni plays an important role by playing the Shatatantri Veena during the Sama-gana and singing important sections. The chapter’s group chant is the shloka Asato ma sadgamaya, Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, Mrityorma amritam gamaya, Om shantih shantih shantih — lead me from falsehood to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.

What you should learn

• Identify the layers of a song: vocals, instruments, melody, harmony and lyrics.
• Use the terms Aadhara Shruti, Swara, Raga, Tala, Laya, Aroh, Avroh and Sargam correctly.
• Explain harmony and sing a canon in two groups, then four.
• Measure your own singing accuracy in pitch and rhythm, and use feedback to improve.
• Name the five bhaktis of Sama-gana and who sings each, and explain Nada from the Sangita-ratnakara.

Try it: Exploring songs (Activity 5.1)

1. Make four groups in your class and give each group a musical name.
2. Choose three different songs of different styles that you like listening to.
3. For each song, fill in the chapter’s template: title, year of release, theme, form/style/genre, artist, composer, lyricist.
4. For mood: what is the mood and rasa of the song, and what is its theme? What is its tempo — fast or slow, and does it change? Is it mostly high, medium or low in pitch, and does that change? What do you like about it, and would you change its mood — how?
5. For musical elements: is the arrangement heavy (many instruments and beats) or light? How many layers and different lines can you hear at the same time? Is it sung in a male voice, a female voice, or as a duet? What instruments can you hear?
6. Discuss similarities and differences with your classmates.

Try it: Measure your accuracy (Activity 5.2)

1. Sing a song you are comfortable singing, using a karaoke track if you have one.
2. Record yourself singing and listen back: where are you right in pitch and rhythm, and where are you not?
3. Compare your version to the original audio and note the areas for improvement.
4. Ask someone else — a classmate, friend, teacher or family member — to listen and give constructive feedback, and use it to improve your performance.

Try it: Sing a canon, then chant shlokas in a group (Activities 5.2–5.3)

1. First sing Hum honge kaamyaab together, keeping time so everyone sings together.
2. Divide into two groups: Group 1 sings the first line and continues to the second; when Group 1 starts the third line, Group 2 starts the first line. Repeat a few times to hear all the harmonies.
3. If that feels easy, try four groups, each group starting one line later than the previous one.
4. In a group, chant the shloka Asato ma sadgamaya, Tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, Mrityorma amritam gamaya, Om shantih shantih shantih, with clear enunciation and coordination — lead me from falsehood to truth, from darkness to light, from death to immortality.

Chart / Table: The five bhaktis of Sama-gana

Bhakti	Who sings it / What it is
Prastava	Introduction of the composition; initiated by the Prastota.
Udgitha	Primary section, the core of the recitation; sung by the head Ritvij, the Udgata.
Pratihara	Continues from the last line of the Udgitha; sung by the Pratiharta.
Upadrava	Connective musical interlude — instruments and rhythmic interpretation; rendered by the Udgata.
Nidhana	Concluding section; sung in unison by all Ritvijs.

Practice set — try it yourself

1. Name the seven swaras of Indian music.
   Hint: Hint: They start with Sa and end with Ni.
2. What is the difference between Aroh and Avroh?
   Hint: Hint: One climbs, one comes down.
3. List the layers you can hear in a film song.
   Hint: Hint: Voices, instruments, melody, harmony and words.
4. Sing Hum honge kaamyaab as a two-group canon. When does Group 2 start?
   Hint: Hint: Watch for Group 1’s third line.
5. What does the shloka Asato ma sadgamaya mean?
   Hint: Hint: Think of falsehood to truth, darkness to light, death to immortality.

Questions with Answers

1. What are the layers of a song?
   The different types of sounds heard in a song: vocals, musical instruments, melody, harmony and lyrics. Each layer has its own role, and different styles of music have different sounds and instruments.
2. Define Swara, Raga, Tala and Laya.
   Swara is a note in music; Indian music has seven — Sa, Ri (Re), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. Raga is a group of notes that come together as per certain rules to create a melody. Tala (Taal) is a rhythm cycle comprising a number of beats. Laya is tempo or speed, which can vary from slow to fast.
3. What is harmony, and what is a canon?
   Harmony is many voices singing together in a pleasing blend of different notes, common in vocal and instrumental styles. A canon is an easy way to sing in harmony: different groups sing the same melody but start at different times, and canon songs are written so the notes heard together sound good.
4. Name the five bhaktis of Sama-gana in order, with their singers.
   Prastava, the introduction, initiated by the Prastota. Udgitha, the primary section and core, sung by the head Ritvij, the Udgata. Pratihara, continuing from the last line of the Udgitha, sung by the Pratiharta. Upadrava, the connective musical interlude of instruments and rhythmic interpretation, rendered by the Udgata. Nidhana, the concluding section, sung in unison by all Ritvijs.
5. What is Nada, according to the Sangita-ratnakara?
   Nada, musical sound, is created through the combination of na, prana or life force, and da, agni or fire — as stated in the Sangita-ratnakara of Sharangdeva.

Extension Questions — for deeper understanding

1. How would you analyse a song using Activity 5.1’s template?
   Record its title, year, theme, form/style/genre, artist, composer and lyricist; then its mood and rasa, tempo (fast or slow, changing or not), pitch (high, medium or low, changing or not), what you like about it and whether you would change its mood; then its musical elements — heavy or light arrangement, how many layers and lines at once, male, female or duet voice, and the instruments heard — and discuss similarities and differences with classmates.
2. How do you measure and improve your singing accuracy?
   Sing a comfortable song, with a karaoke track if available, record yourself and listen back for pitch and rhythm, compare with the original audio, note areas for improvement, and ask a classmate, friend, teacher or family member for constructive feedback — then practise those areas.
3. Who were the Udgatri-Gana, and what was the Yajamana-patni’s role?
   The Udgatri-Gana were the four Sama-Veda Ritvijs led by the main Sama-Vedi-Ritvij, the Udgata, who harmonised Sama-Veda Samhita verses at dawn in the Yaga-shala during the Shrauta-Yajna. The Yajamana-patni, the institutor’s wife, played the Shatatantri Veena during the Sama-gana and sang important sections of it.
4. Why does the chapter say music is about sur, laya and shabd?
   Because pitch (sur), rhythm (laya) and word (shabd) are woven together in every composition to express emotions — love, devotion, patriotism, chivalry, appreciation of nature, grief — and to carry social messages about occupations, skills, reforms and health.
5. How does a four-group canon work, after the two-group version?
   Each group starts one line later than the previous one: Group 1 starts, then when it reaches the second line Group 2 starts the first line, and so on, so four staggered voices overlap and the harmonies can be heard together.
6. A friend says a canon is just “singing out of time”. How would you correct them?
   A canon is not a mistake in timing: the groups deliberately start at different times, and the song is written so that the different notes heard at the same time sound good together — keeping time is essential, or the harmony collapses.

How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Check your answers against Questions with Answers, and ask your teacher or parent to check your work.