1. THE ART OF MUSIC AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE

Introduction

Music is an art form as well as a cultural activity that functions through sound and silence. Music is performed or practiced with a vast range of instruments and with vocal techniques ranging from singing to rapping. There are solely instrumental pieces, solely vocal pieces and pieces that combine singing and instruments.

The creation, performance, significance, and even the definition of music varies according to cultural and social context. There are some new forms or styles of music that have even been criticized as "not being music".

Music can be divided into genres and subgenres, although the dividing lines and relationships between music genres are often subtle. For example, it can be hard to draw the line between some early 1980s hard rock and heavy metal. Music may be classified as a performing art, fine art, or as an auditory art. Music may be played or sung and heard live as part of a dramatic work, or it may be recorded and listened on various devices or as part of a film or TV show.

Form of Art or Entertainment

Music is composed, practiced or performed for many purposes, ranging from pleasure, religious or ceremonial purposes, or as an entertainment product for the marketplace. Music was only available through sheet music scores during the Classical and Romantic eras and music lovers would buy the sheet music of their favorite pieces and songs. At present, anyone could practice or perform them at home on the piano, with the advent of sound recordings, records of popular songs rather than sheet music. With the advent of home tape recorders in the 1980s and digital music in the 1990s, music lovers could make tapes or playlists of their favorite songs and take them with them on a portable cassette player including the Electronic Gadgets.

A distinction is made between music performed for a live audience and music that is performed in a studio so that it can be recorded and distributed through the music retail system or the broadcasting system. There are also many cases where a live performance in front of an audience is also recorded and distributed.

Music therapy

Music therapy is an interpersonal process in which the therapist uses music and all of its facets like physical, emotional, mental, social, aesthetic, and spiritual to help clients to improve or maintain their health. In some instances, the client's needs are addressed directly through music; in others they are addressed through the relationships that develop between the client and therapist. Music therapy is used with individuals of all ages and with a variety of conditions, including psychiatric disorders, medical problems, physical handicaps, sensory impairments, developmental disabilities, substance abuse, communication disorders, interpersonal problems, and aging. It is also used to: improve learning, build self-esteem, reduce stress, support physical exercise, and facilitate a host of other health-related activities.

Philosophy and aesthetics

Philosophy of music is a subfield of philosophy. The philosophy of music is the study of fundamental questions regarding music. Many musicians, music critics, and other non-philosophers have contributed to the aesthetics of music. Music has the ability to affect our emotions, intellect, and psychology; it can assuage our loneliness or incite our passions. There has been a strong tendency in the aesthetics of music to emphasize the paramount importance of compositional structure; however, other issues concerning the aesthetics of music include lyricism, harmony, hypnotism, emotiveness, temporal dynamics, resonance, playfulness, and color.

Psychology

Modern music psychology aims to explain and understand musical behavior and experience. Research in the music in alliance with human thoughts and its subfields are primarily empirical; their knowledge tends to advance on the basis of interpretations of data collected by systematic observation of and interaction with human participants. In addition to its focus on fundamental perceptions and cognitive processes, music psychology is a field of research with practical relevance for many areas, including music performance, composition, education, criticism, and therapy, as well as investigations of human aptitude, skill, intelligence, creativity, and social behavior.

Education

Non-professional music education is given by Individuals and Professional education is offered by various institutions in vicious settings in different countries from Certificate courses to the Doctorate degree. The Music courses were offered even in the schools according to the level of the Children.

Importance of Music in our Life

1. Music is the Key to Creativity.

Music stimulates the mind and thus fuels our creativity. A Creative mind has the ability to make discoveries and innovations. Listening to instrumental music helps one to listen and tell a story about what one hears. In the same sense, playing a musical instrument gives the ability to tell the story without words. Both require maximum right brain usage which not only exercises one's creativity but also one's intellect.

The strength of all the Arts including writing, painting, dance, and theatre has the ability to create a similar effect.

2. Music makes Education more enjoyable.

Music can help engage students in the classroom and is a great tool for memorization. Music teaches us self-discipline and time management skills that you cannot get anywhere else. Studying an instrument on a regular basis helps to work on concrete ideas and take small steps to achieve larger goals. This way of thinking organizes the wiring in the brain to start looking at Learning in a new light.

In raising children, Music education can be used to keep kids focused and keep them off the streets. Instead of running around too much and causing mischief, the child may be practicing piano or rehearsing music with friends.

Unfortunately, some forms of music can influence children in negative ways. It is well known that music has the power to influence the way we dress, think, speak, and live our lives. Profane and violent lyrics can have a negative influence on children.

3. Music is the Language of the Universe.

Music is universal in that there are no boundaries in understanding music. Even animals like Dogs, and Whales are said to understand music to a certain degree through researches. Music transcends all boundaries of communication because a person can speak and tell stories to someone on the other side of the planet, even though both don’t speak the same language, if there is an open mind in order to be in touch with that sense of understanding.

Many people immediately push away certain styles of music without having explored what it has to offer. Not all styles will appeal or resonate with a person, but one may discover a new part of one’s self when there is an openness to all the possibilities.

4. Music has Spiritual Powers.

No one really knows where Music came from but there are many theories that suggest music predates the existence of Mankind. One of the most commonly known uses of music was religious and sacred tribal events. In Mayan civilization, music was used in the celebration of a victory at war and even at the burial of influential figures.

Some of the earliest recorded moments in Music took place in medieval times with choral pieces for church prayers. Much emphasis was placed in the organization and the use of specific harmonies or rhythm to create moods that would illicit a spiritual experience.

5. Music can create a mood and make you feel some Emotions.

Music can refresh a person on an extended journey. Music can make to feel the time frozen. Music also has the power to suggest movement. All these things deal with the human senses.

We usually remember a moment where a song has made us particularly sad or very excited and happy. It’s a mystery that organized tones create such an effect on our senses. No one really knows why or where it comes from but there are many studies that have been done to show that there is an agreement of which emotions pertain to certain scales, chords, and harmonies.

6. Music Brings People Together.

The amazing thing about music is that it is embedded within all of us. Everyone can understand it and feel something if they open themselves up. Playing music with other musicians is an incredible feeling. Some people describe it as rowing down a river together.

There is a certain type of connection that comes when you make music in a group. The same is true for those who are listening to music in a group and interacting with music through Dance. This type of behavior is rooted in our history and our discoveries as human beings.

Also, there are many experiences where a random person would ask another to play along and within an instant, both were having a dialogue via the piano or gu,.itar. It’s a level of playing around, communicating, and copying each other that creates the connection.

The Academic Benefits of Music Education

Researchers have studied the benefits of music education for decades, consistently finding strong correlations between music and academic achievement. Positive results have been noted in standardized tests. Regardless of socioeconomic background, according to a 10-year study that tracked more than 25,000 middle and high school students, music-making students get higher marks on standardized tests than those who have little or no music involvement.

Mathematics Skills

Research had clearly found that music instruction helps to develop the capacity for spatial-temporal reasoning, which is integral to the acquisition of important mathematics skills. One explanation is musical training in rhythm emphasizes proportion, patterns, fractions and ratios expressed as mathematical relations.

Reading and Language Skills

In language development, the relationship between music and skill transfer is less obvious or direct. What we write, read, and hear in music, involving usage of words in specific contexts enhances language skills. These contexts can be seen as spatial networks where words are related to other words and expressions. Thus, overall reading skills improve with exposure to music, as does the quality of a student's writing.

The Practical Benefits of Music Education

Not all benefits derived from a music education are academic. Many studies have found that involvement in music leads to positive in their personal, social, and motivational effects. In short, music helps to improve the overall quality of a young person's life.

Performing with others also helps students build critical thinking and problem-solving skills. Students who play an instrument in a band need to acquire certain social and emotional skills necessary to be a contributing member, including discipline, collaboration, patience, persistence, and motivation (Adderly, 2003). In addition, performing in front of others helps boost children's self-esteem and gives them the opportunity to overcome fears and see they can succeed.

Music also creates a supportive environment that promotes acceptance of constructive criticism and safely allows one to take risks (Barry, 2002). In several national studies over the past decade, students at risk of dropping out of school cite participation in the arts as their reason for staying. These students also reported watching fewer hours of television, participating more in community service, and having fewer feelings of boredom in school. Similarly, orchestra students in Tacoma, Washington (Cutietta, 1998) followed over a two-month period were found to have more positive attitudes about school and less classroom friction and competitiveness.

Finally, in Catterall's 2012 study, the findings revealed a large increase in volunteerism in young adults with arts-rich high school experiences. This was true for both low income and high-income students, with a greater impact seen on low-income students.

Tomorrow's Future

It is evident that the academic standards are insufficient without a concomitant focus on developing creativity and imagination. Organizations such as Music Empowers and equitable access to music improve academic achievement, build self-esteem, teach critical social skills, and engender creativity and innovation. Music Empowers hopes to ignite the spark of creativity that lies within all children and inspire a love of learning to achieve their highest potential.

1.1. BASIC MAJOR SCALE

C Major Scale location in Keyboard and Fingering in Left Hand (LH) as well as Right Hand (RH)

Note: The set of 7 whites and 5 black keys, totally 12 notes together is called an Octave. Standard keyboards have 5 Octaves and we may start playing in the Right hand from 3^rd Octave (C3) and start playing in the Left hand from 2^nd Octave (C2). The piano has more octaves and numbering may vary. Here throughout the content, wherever the Octave and its number is mentioned, refer it with the standard keyboard.

C Major Scale in Guitar with the position of notes and fingers

Metronome

A metronome is a practice tool that produces a steady pulse (or beat) to help musicians play rhythms accurately. The pulses are measured in beats-per-minute (BPM). Most metronomes are capable of playing beats from 35 to 250 BPM. It is built in default in most electronic keyboards. It can be downloaded as an App in mobile phones too. It can be played along while practicing an instrument at a tempo (speed) that shall be played (For beginners it shall be 40 or 60 BPM).

Tuners and Tuning an Instrument:

Some of the instruments are ready to use, whereas some of the instruments, especially string instruments and pitched percussion instruments needs to be tuned to the appropriate notes according to the nature of the instrument.

For example, the six strings of the Guitar should be tuned as follows: 1^st string – E in 4^th Octave of Keyboard (E4); 2^nd string- B in 3^rd octave of keyboard (B3); 3^rd string-G in 3^rd octave of keyboard (G3); 4^th string- D in 3^rd octave of keyboard (D3); 5^th string- A in 2^nd octave of keyboard (A2); 6^th string- E in 2^nd octave of keyboard (E2), which could be remember using the line, ‘Every Body Gets Dinner At Eight’.

For tuning an instrument, another instrument which is already in tune or not needed to be tuned can be used as a Tuner. By playing the appropriate note in the tuned instrument till it is grasped by hearing the sound carefully and adjusting the note in the untuned instrument by tightening or loosening the tension slowly, tuning is done. Or else some software or mobile applications (Example- DaTuner) can be used as Tuner too. Know that the notes are arranged in the sequential order of the 12 notes of Music (…, C, C#/Db, D, D#/Eb, E, F, F#/Gb, G, G#/Ab, A, A#/Bb, and B, C, …) and in the sequential order of the octave (…, B2, C3, C#3, D3, …). While using a software or app, we have to tune to an appropriate note by tightening or loosening the tension slowly by considering the sequence of 12 notes and octave.

(Note: The tuning pegs or screws should be adjusted carefully, and excess tightening should be avoided to avoid breakage of strings or skin. Also, avoid excess loosening of the strings or skin to avoid lagging of notes.

Introduction to the Exercises in Indian Music (Varisaigal)

Practicing the exercises in Indian Music (Varisaigal) has great benefits, than repeatedly practicing some song (s). It tunes our mind and actions to the different tones and enhances our hearing sense. Also, the exercises can be used to practice any scale or even any raga that is complete with seven notes. For example in the C major Scale: C- Sa, D- Ri, E- Ga, F- Ma, G- Pa, A- Da, B- Ni, Ċ- Ṡa. Likewise other scale or raga can be compared. The exercises were practiced from the level of complexity, from simple one to the complex one.

1.2. KALAPRAMANA VARISAIGAL: 4/4 RHYTHM

S , , ,	R , , ,	G , , ,	M , , ,
P , , ,	D , , ,	N , , ,	Ṡ , , ,
Ṡ , , ,	N , , ,	D , , ,	P , , ,
M , , ,	G , , ,	R , , ,	S , , ,

S , S ,	R , R ,	G , G ,	M , M ,
P , P ,	D , D ,	N , N ,	Ṡ , Ṡ ,
Ṡ , Ṡ ,	N , N ,	D , D ,	P , P ,
M , M ,	G , G ,	R , R ,	S , S ,

S S S S	R R R R	G G G G	M M M M
P P P P	D D D D	N N N N	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ	N N N N	D D D D	P P P P
M M M M	G G G G	R R R R	S S S S

S S S ,	R R R ,	G G G ,	M M M ,
P P P ,	D D D ,	N N N ,	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ ,
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ ,	N N N ,	D D D ,	P P P ,
M M M ,	G G G ,	R R R ,	S S S ,

S , S S	R , R R	G , G G	M , M M
P , P P	D , D D	N , N N	Ṡ , Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ , Ṡ Ṡ	N , N N	D , D D	P , P P
M , M M	G , G G	R , R R	S , S S

S S , S	R R , R	G G , G	M M , M
P P , P	D D , D	N N , N	Ṡ Ṡ , Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ , Ṡ	N N , N	D D , D	P P , P
M M , M	G G , G	R R , R	S S , S

S , , S	R , , R	G , , G	M , , M
P , , P	D , , D	N , , N	Ṡ , , Ṡ
Ṡ , , Ṡ	N , , N	D , , D	P , , P
M , , M	G , , G	R , , R	S , , S

S S , ,	R R , ,	G G , ,	M M , ,
P P , ,	D D , ,	N N , ,	Ṡ Ṡ , ,
Ṡ Ṡ , ,	N N , ,	D D , ,	P P , ,
M M , ,	G G , ,	R R , ,	S S , ,

NOTE:

S- Sa R- Ri G- Ga M- Ma P-Pa D- Da N- Ni (It is common for any Scale/Raga)

Ṡ Ṙ Ġ Ṁ Ṗ Ḋ Ṅ - The Dot above the swaram (note), represents the next octave.

Ṣ Ṛ G̣ Ṃ P. Ḍ Ṇ - The Dot below the swaram (note), represents previous octave.

A comma ‘ , ’ after a swaram (note)- Denotes that the swaram (note) should be played one more beat (two beats) by sustaining it (continuously) based on the tempo. If there are two commas ‘ , , ’ after a swaram (note), it should be played for three beats. Likewise, it goes on.

1.3. SHRUTHI SWARA VARISAIGAL:

Shruthi is the combination of the root note, seventh note and the twelfth note which is static for any type of scale or raga in a pitch and usually used to identify the pitch.

S , , ,	P , , ,	Ṡ , , ,
Ṡ , , ,	P , , ,	S , , ,

S , S ,	P , P ,	Ṡ , Ṡ ,
Ṡ , Ṡ ,	P , P ,	S , S ,

S S S S	P P P P	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ	P P P P	S S S S

S S S	P , P P	Ṡ , Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ , Ṡ Ṡ	P , P P	S , S S

S S S ,	P P P ,	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ ,
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ ,	P P P ,	S S S ,

S S , S	P P , P	Ṡ Ṡ , Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ , Ṡ	P P , P	S S , S

S S , ,	P P , ,	Ṡ Ṡ , ,
Ṡ Ṡ , ,	P P , ,	S S , ,

S , , S	P , , P	Ṡ , , Ṡ
Ṡ , , Ṡ	P , , P	S , , S

S S	P P	Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ	P P	S S

10.

S S S	P P P	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ	P P P	S S S

11.

S S S S S	P P P P P	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ	P P P P P	S S S S S

12.

S S S S S S	P P P P P P	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ	P P P P P P	S S S S S S

13.

S S S S S S S	P P P P P P P	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ	P P P P P P P	S S S S S S S

14.

S S S S S S S S S	P P P P P P P P P	Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ
Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ Ṡ	P P P P P P P P P	S S S S S S S S S

Mean Music

Thursday, June 25, 2020

1. The Art of Music and its Significance