Chapter 6: Music and Us
Songs at festivals, at work and at home — what music does in our lives, and how songs are built.
Original notes — ready CBSE (NCERT, English Medium) • Class 9 • Arts • Book: Madhurima
Chapter 6: Music and Us — EG's own notes, in simple words
Book: Madhurima (CBSE, Class 9) | Chapter 6 | Section: Music | Medium: English
Diagram (labels are printed on the image): Children singing together with a drum, listening to each other. A general picture about music in daily life; it is not a scene from the book.
A music class singing and clapping together in rhythm.
What the chapter is about
Music is everywhere in our lives. We hear it at festivals, in films, at weddings, in prayers and in lullabies. Long before we learn to read, we learn to clap, hum and sing along with others.
Music connects people. When a class sings together, everyone follows the same beat and breathes together. That shared feeling is why music is used in celebrations, in mourning, and in bringing communities together.
Music is also personal. The songs we love can calm us, cheer us up, or help us remember people and places. Learning to listen carefully to music is the first step to making music well.
Genre, style and song structure
A genre — also called a form or vidha — is a category of music with characteristic features and sounds. It is defined by the instruments it uses, the style of singing, and the feelings it carries. Shaili is different: it is the style of presentation within that category, how a singer or player presents the same genre.
Songs also have an underlying structure. A devotional song will have a chorus — the pallavi or sthayi — followed by two or more verses, the charanas or antaras. A contemporary song sometimes starts with an introduction before the chorus. Listening for these parts is the first step to understanding a song's design.
Classical music and folk music — both valued
Both classical music and folk music are considered important, but for different reasons. Folk music belongs to a particular region and community: festival songs, occupation songs of farmers, fishers or craftspeople, and songs tied to seasons and work. Classical music is a structured form with long training, fixed rules of raga and tala, and deep study.
Neither is ‘better’ than the other. Folk songs carry a region's life and language; classical music carries a refined, rule-based art. A good listener values both, and can name what makes each one what it is.
What you should learn
Music is part of daily life, it connects people, and careful listening — to genre, style and song structure — is the start of making music.
Key Terms
- Melody — A tune — a line of notes that we can sing or hum.
- Rhythm — The pattern of beats in music, like a heartbeat.
- Beat — The steady pulse you can clap along to.
- Vidha (genre) — A category of music with characteristic features and sounds.
- Shaili — The style of presentation within a genre.
- Sthayi / Pallavi — The chorus of a song, which returns again and again.
- Antara / Charana — A verse of a song, following the chorus.
- Listening — Paying close attention to sounds, tunes and rhythms.
Remember
- Music lives in festivals, films, weddings, prayers and lullabies.
- Singing together connects people through a shared beat.
- Genre (vidha) is the category; shaili is the style of presenting it.
- A song's chorus is the sthayi/pallavi; its verses are antaras/charanas.
- Folk music is region-rooted; classical music is a structured form — both matter.
Common mistake: calling every old song ‘classical’. Folk songs belong to a region and community; classical music follows a structured, rule-based tradition.
Chart / Table: Where music lives in our lives
| Point | Detail |
|---|---|
| Festivals | Songs and dances that mark seasons and celebrations |
| Work | Occupation songs that ease labour and set its rhythm |
| Worship | Devotional songs with chorus (sthayi) and verses (antara) |
| Family | Lullabies and family-tradition songs passed down at home |
| Films and bands | Popular songs mixing genres for wide audiences |
| Classroom | Listening, singing together, and learning structure |
Practice set — try it yourself
- Sing a festival song and name its chorus and one verse.
Hint: Listen for the part that returns. - Name two songs with their genres (vidha). What features helped you identify each?
Hint: Think instruments, singing style and feeling. - Find a song about an occupation in your region. Write its theme.
Hint: Think about the work it describes. - Create a lyric about a family tradition with a sthayi and one antara.
Hint: Chorus first, then a verse that adds detail. - Listen to a song and say whether it is folk or classical, with reasons.
Hint: Region and community, or structured rules?
Questions with Answers
- What is a genre (vidha) in music?
A genre is a category of music with characteristic features and sounds, defined by its instruments, singing style and feelings. - What is the difference between vidha and shaili?
Vidha is the category itself; shaili is the style of presentation within that category — how a singer or player presents it. - What are the sthayi and antara of a song?
The sthayi (or pallavi) is the chorus, which returns again and again. The antara (or charana) is a verse that follows it and adds new words. - Why is folk music important?
Folk music belongs to a region and community. Its festival songs and occupation songs carry local life, language and seasons. - Why is classical music important?
Classical music is a structured form with long training and fixed rules of raga and tala. It carries a refined art built over centuries.
Extension questions — go deeper
- Research two music personalities and their contributions.
Choose national or international artists; note what each changed — a genre, an instrument, a style of singing — not just their fame. - Justify: ‘Both classical and folk music are equally valuable.’
Folk carries community life and language; classical carries structured artistry and deep study. Value comes from what each preserves, not from ranking them. - Listen to a composition and identify its sthayi and antara. How did you identify them?
The sthayi returns unchanged and is easy to join in with; the antara changes words and melody while keeping the song's mood. - Write a short lyric about a family tradition with a sthayi and at least one antara.
Chorus states the tradition; the verse tells one memory or detail of it. - Listen to songs by popular bands of our country. Which genres do they mix?
Answers vary: listen for instruments, language and rhythm, and name each genre you can hear in the mix.
- Music is everywhere: festivals, work, worship, family, films.
- Vidha = genre (category); shaili = style of presentation.
- Song structure: sthayi/pallavi (chorus) + antara/charana (verses).
- Folk = region-rooted; classical = structured form.
- Careful listening is the first step to making music.
How to use this page: Read the summary, say the Key Terms in your own words, then try the practice set without looking. Use the Questions with Answers to check yourself afterwards. Ask your teacher or parent to check your answers.