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Books on Indian Classical Music

There are very few texts on Indian Classical Music and it is only thanks to few authors, researchers, musicians and musicologists if we can access to an introduction to the musical system of India. You will find here some texts in English such as manuals, dictionaries and biographies dedicated to the world of Indian classical music to add to your private collection.

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Applying Karnatic Rhytmical Techniques to Western Music
by Rafael Reina

Most classical musicians, whether in orchestral or ensemble situations, will sooner or later face composers like Ligeti, Messiaen, Varèse or Xenakis. The "improvisers" on the other hand will deal with the music of Dave Holland, Steve Coleman, Aka Moon, Weather Report, Irakere, or will sooner or later have to delve into musical elements from the Balkans, India, Africa or Cuba. Rafael Reina claims that today's music requires a new approach to rhythmic training, a training that will provide musicians with the tools necessary to tackle, with precision, more varied and complex rhythmic concepts, while maintaining emotional content.

Indian sun the life and music of Ravi Shankar.jpg

Indian Sun.
The life and music of Ravi Shankar
by Oliver Craske

As an icon of India, Ravi Shankar is not far below Gandhi or the Taj Mahal. One of the most important musicians of the twentieth century, the breadth of his impact is reflected in those he influenced, such as George Harrison, John Coltrane, Philip Glass and Yehudi Menuhin, to name a few. In this biography of Ravi Shankar, Oliver Craske presents a comprehensive portrait of the man and the artist, painting a vivid picture of the public and private faces of a captivating and restless workaholic who lived an intense and extraordinary life for ninety-two years . "A masterful chronicle of a life teeming with all-too-human but heavenly-inspired incidents."

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Ocean of Alankar
by Remo Scano

The literal meaning of alankara or Alaṁkāra is ornament. Everything that a musician exhibits can be said "Alaṁkāra" as this decorates and enhances the beauty of a particular melody. In this book you will find a collection of more than twelve thousand scale exercises, inspired by the ancient tradition of Indian Classical Music. The notation system is inspired by the one developed by Pt. Bhatkhande ji, using the latin alphabet instead of the devánāgarī.

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The Sixth String of Vilayat Khan
by Namita Devidayal

Everyone knows Vilayat Khan, but no one knows Vilayat Khan. Thoughtful and playful, generous and ruthless, he was many things to many people. He broke hearts and broke rules, he transformed technique and instrument to create the new standard of the Sitar.

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My Music, My Life
by Ravi Shankar

Biography updated in 2007, first written in 1968, includes new chapters that tell his career and the history of Indian classical music, as well as featuring a manual on how to play the sitar.

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Zakir Hussain: A Life in Music
by Nasreen Munni Kabir

Tabla virtuoso, composer and percussionist Zakir Hussain is an international musical phenomenon. The eldest son of the legendary Ustad Allarakha, Zakir has been on stage since the age of seven. His masterful dexterity and creative genius have led him to become one of the most sought-after escorts in the world.

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Sangitaratnakara of Sarngadeva: Text & English Translation Chapter I, Vol. I
by Prem Lata Sharma

An excellent translation from Sanskrit to English with a wealth of scientific information on music, the soul and the body. Anyone with an interest in Indian classical music should own this book.

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Sangitaratnakara of Sarngadeva: Text & English Translation Chapter II-IV, Vol. II
by Prem Lata Sharma

Second volume of this ancient treatise on Indian musicology translated by the legendary Prem Lata Sharma

Natyasastra of Bharata Muni
tr. by Adya Rangacharya

One of the oldest musicological treatises in the world, translated by Adya Rangacharya into English

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A Rasa Reader: Classical Indian Aesthetics
by Sheldon Pollock

Indian intellectuals explored with unparalleled subtlety the role of emotion in art, with their investigations leading to the deconstruction of the formal structures of art and to broader investigations of aesthetic pleasure. Rasa, the word they chose to describe the aesthetics of art, and their passionate effort to define these phenomena became an extraordinary act of creation.

Rag Dhun Dictionary A Lexicon Of Melodic Scale Of Indian Music(2 Vol) by R.K. Das.jpg

Rag Dhun Dictionary A Lexicon Of Melodic Scale Of Indian Music(2 Vol) by R.K. Das

Dictionary of Indian Classical Music terms compiled by musicologist and musician R.K. Das

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The Dictionary of Hindustani Classical Music (Performing arts series)
by Bimalakanta Roychaudhuri

In this book the author has covered both the musical terms found in the ancient Sastras and those in common use. He explained these terms in simple language with reference to their etymology. There are also descriptions of 78 different Talas and as many musical instruments. This is essential work for music researchers and students.

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Critical Study of Sangita Makaranda of Narada
by M. Vijay Lakshmi

The book presents an elaborate and interesting study of music according to Narada's thoughts. It is both a comparative and critical essay, the main feature of which is the treatment of ragas by categorizing them as masculine, feminine and neutral. An academic work of definitions, descriptions and comments on all the essential elements of Indian music, enriched by the thoughts of other ancient authors such as Bharata and Sharangdeva.

The Body of the Musician An Annotated Translation and Study of the Pindotpatti prakarana o

The Body of the Musician: An Annotated Translation and Study of the Pindotpatti-prakarana of Sarngadeva's Sangitaratnakara
by Makoto Kitada

The Sangitaratnakara ("The Ocean of Music") written by Sarngadeva in the 13th century is the most important theoretical work on Indian classical music. Its prologue, the Pindotpatti-prakarana ("The section on the arising of the human body"), deals with the Indian science of the human body, namely embryology, anatomy and the hathayogic theory of the chakras. The sources of this work are found in the classical medical texts of Ayurveda, such as Caraka, Susruta and Vagbhata, in the Hathayogic texts and in the Puranas.

Classical Music of India a Practical Guide L. Subramaniam and Viji Subraniam.jpg

Classical Music of India a Practical Guide
by L. Subramaniam and Viji Subramaniam

Indian classical music is the oldest, most sophisticated and scientifically complete musical system in the world. Its two main styles, Hindustani and Carnatic, share common origins and were part of a single tradition until the 13th century. L. Subramaniam, one of the best-known classical musicians of our age, and the late and much celebrated singer Viji Subramaniam examine the origins, history, structure and spirit of this system. The essay Classical Music of India discusses in depth the melodic and rhythmic aspects of both styles, briefly comparing these concepts with European classical music.

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The grammar of Carnatic Music di di K.G. Vijayakrishnan

This book argues that Carnatic music as practiced today dates back to the musical practices of the early/mid-eighteenth century. Earlier varieties of Indian music, elaborately described in many musical treatises, are only of historical relevance today as the music described is quite different from current practices. It is argued that earlier varieties may not have survived because they failed to meet the three crucial requirements for the survival of a language-like organism, i.e. a robust community of practitioners/listeners which the author calls the Carnatic Music Fraternity, a sizable body of texts and a felt need for communication.

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Indian Musical Rhythm Analysis Understanding Taal Shastra
di Manual Totin

The neuroscience of rhythm refers to the various forms of rhythm generated by the central nervous system (CNS). Nerve cells, also known as neurons in the human brain, are capable of firing in specific patterns that cause oscillations. The brain has many different types of oscillators with different periods.
The present volume of this book is an English synopsis with some of the Author's experiences and interpretations on the Science of Rhythm. The book addresses the theme of illustrating Science (logical and experimental roots) and Sensitivity (genesis based on emotional and spiritual feeling) of Indian rhythmic structures also known as "Taal Shastra" in Sanskrit.

Classical Music of North India the First Years of Study The Music of the Baba Allauddin Gh

Classical Music of North India: the First Years of Study: The Music of the Baba Allauddin Gharana As Taught by Ali Akbar Khan at the Ali Akbar College of Music
di Ali Akbar Khan

An excellent book on North Indian Hindustani music, perfect for beginners. The text delves into musical theory, the taal (or rhythmic cycle), the structure of the raga and explains all aspects of Indian musical notation. It also presents a glossary of Indian classical music terms and a series of compositions on different Ragas.

The Raga Guide A Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas Joep Bor.jpg

The Raga Guide A Survey of 74 Hindustani Ragas
di Joep Bor

The ragas of Indian music are complex entities. Performers, who have spent years acquiring their knowledge, often prefer to remain silent, and in any case few have been taught to approach ragas from an analytical point of view. Musicologists, on the other hand, often lack in-depth practical insight into Indian music. The authors of this guide are all experts in both the theory and practice of Indian music. Of the hundreds of ragas in existence, the guide examines seventy-four of the most performed and established, with specially commissioned recordings by Hariprasad Chaurasia (flute), Buddhadev DasGupta (sarod), Shruti Sadolikar-Katkar (voice) and Vidyadhar Vyas (voice). For each ragathe the guide includes: An analytical and historical description; transcription of the alap (melodic construction) for each raga as performed on the CDs; rise-descent and melodic profile in both Western and Indian notation; Song lyrics with English translation (for ragas sung). The Raga Guide includes four CDs with over five hours of music. Essential reading for listeners and connoisseurs, students and scholars. Joep Bor teaches at Leiden University. He was the founder of the Rotterdam World Music Department and the artistic consultant for the Amsterdam India Festival.

The Raga-Ness of Ragas Ragas Beyond the Grammar Deepak S Raja.jpg

The Raga-Ness of Ragas: Ragas Beyond the Grammar
di Deepak S. Raja

This book is a systematic and contemporary exploration of the uniquely Indian phenomenon of raga, which forms the foundation of India's musical culture. The masters speak with complete conviction of a raga as a personality. A raga must therefore be seen not only as the governing authority of musical performance, but also as a pregnant and cultural archetype. The exploration of raga, therefore, can begin with the grammatical coordinates of raga, but it cannot stop there.

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Hindustani Music Today
di Deepak S. Raja

Arguing that Hindustani music should rightly be called art music and not classical music, the book begins by discussing the characteristics of art music and presents a different approach to appreciating Hindustani music, providing a detailed understanding of the components that enable the experience of Raga.

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