Raga and Bach

I've always thought that the Major Mode (with it's rules of melodic
progression) and the Minor Mode (ditto) are the two
rags of Western Classical Music.

It only has 2 rags (well, maybe a few more if you count the different
minors, plus the "church modes" for mixture), but it makes up for that
with harmony.

Whereas Indian Classical has no harmony (aside from 2-voice with the
drone),, but a lot more complex rag system.

The Chorales would be more correctly compared to . . .is it the gats?
that are the basis of improvisation . . . chorales are essentially
glorified chant melodies.

In a message dated 12/30/2004 1:32:18 PM Eastern Standard Time,
chris@music.columbia.edu writes:
It only has 2 rags (well, maybe a few more if you count the different
minors, plus the "church modes" for mixture), but it makes up for that
with harmony.
Actually, if one accepts Werckmeister III tuning for Bach, then there are 24
distinct scales which alludes much better with the variations found in raga.
I do.

Johnny Reinhard

I thought i would mention in relation to this post that Nimbus has put out a 4CD set with a almost 200 page book called
The Raga Guide: a survey of 74 Hindustani Rags NI 5536/9
description of Raga scales ( not in ratios unfortunately) Notated exambles of how they are played. Poems and paintings that relate to each one. Quite nice for about 40 dollars

> From: Christopher Bailey <chris@music.columbia.edu>
>Subject: Raga and Bach
>
>
>I've always thought that the Major Mode (with it's rules of melodic >progression) and the Minor Mode (ditto) are the two >rags of Western Classical Music.
>
>It only has 2 rags (well, maybe a few more if you count the different >minors, plus the "church modes" for mixture), but it makes up for that >with harmony. >
>Whereas Indian Classical has no harmony (aside from 2-voice with the >drone),, but a lot more complex rag system.
>
>The Chorales would be more correctly compared to . . .is it the gats? >that are the basis of improvisation . . . chorales are essentially >glorified chant melodies.
>
>
> >
>
>
>
> >

--
Kraig Grady
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