[Pramāṇa](https://indike.org/pramana/) › [Studies](https://indike.org/pramana/ins) › [Architecture and art](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art) › [A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative) › c15.23 # A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c15.23 A Comparative Study of Some of the Leading Music Systems of the 15th, 16th, 17th & 18th Centuries c15.23 - **Language:** English ### [c15.23.1](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c15.23.1) I think that in our present text books, we can safely leave out of consideration that portion of our ancient text books which deals with the physiological theories of the production of sound But we will take the division of the gamut into 22 srutis adopted by these works for our gamut, and fix on it our shuddha scale, same as has been done in those works. It is well-known that our shuddha scale is the Bilawal scale, while that of some of the works is the Kali scale, and that of others is the Mukhari scale. If the sruti intervals of the ancient works are such as do not satisfy the modern principles of acoustics, these can be determined by modern science, and standardised by consensus of opinion If this is done, then the basis of the structure of our music will be standardised and uniform. ### [c15.23.2](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c15.23.2) The process of describing swaras in terms of srutis, vikrita swaras with reference to the shuddha swaras, thatas or genus modes in terms of the swaras and ragas in terms of the thatas etc which has been used in the ancient works can be adopted for our present system But the indefinite method of describing the shuddha swaras used in the texts will have to be improved on by describing the swaras in terms of the length of the speaking wire, of vibrational values, when there is a consensus of opinion as to these When the swaras have been standardised, (are determined,) we can also fix on the number of parent modes under which the existing ragas can be classified and grouped This is to be done by deciding mathematically the number of possible permutations and combinations as has been done by Vyankata Makhi, in his Chaturdandi Prakasika, and then taking from them such as will best fit the present derivative modes When the number of the parent modes has been determined by consensus of opinion, we have to proceed to the classification of the existing ragas under the parent modes, and in this we will be following our ancient treatises Only, we shall fix the classification having regard to the similarity of swaras, vadi note, peculiarity of development and other features between the parent mode and the derivative raga and not arbitrarily, or blindly following the ancient works. ### [c15.23.3](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c15.23.3) Still, the rule followed in the ancient texts that a derivative Raga must be having the same scale as the parent mode, the only difference being in the swaras deleted or added still remains. In the ancient texts, we see an absence of information which is necessary to enable one to make an accurate differential diagnosis of derivative ragas coming under the same parent mode. There the differentiation is made in aroha, avaroha, vadi, time, graha, amsha and nyasa. This differentiation can be amplified by mentioning also the "pakads", or catches, the similarity or dissimilarity of any particular raga, as compared with another derivative of the same thata, whether it is a "purvanga" or "uttaranga" raga, (that is whether its development is in the upper or the lower tetrachord), what vivadi note can be used in it and when and how, how it compares with a similar raga mentioned in the ancient texts, or in vogue in the Karnatik system, and so forth. We can also see our text books have illustrations of the "alapa" developement of a raga, set to tala and notation according to modern methods of scoring. As it is impossible to reduce to notation all the graces, meends, slurs, gamaks, and other alamkaras, the notation may be supplemented by vocal records of practical experts, which records should be indexed and registered, and thrown open to the student studying with the help of the notations. ### [c15.23.4](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c15.23.4) If research is able to determine the meaning of the pictorial descriptions of the ragas, (and I must mention that there are to be found works on the chromatics of sound, such as Field on the Chromatics of Sound), then these pictorial representations can be incorporated in our text-books to be, as expounding the aesthetic and psychic possibilities of the raga. The ancient works do not throw any light on the principles of the compositions of tunes or songs, so that every one has to fall back on a limited stock of "ustadi" songs, the correctness of which no one can be sure of as they have never been noted and have only been handed down from generation to generation. If these principles are determined, and standardised, incorrect versions of "ustadi" compositions can be corrected, and also new compositions made. By a study of the works relating to the southern system, we can compose songs for the northern musicians in the ragas which are sure there but have not found a place in the northern system, and thus induce, at some date, how distant soever, a fusion of the two sister systems of music. --- Source: [https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c15.23](https://indike.org/pramana/ins.art.bhatkhande-comparative.c15.23) · Pramāṇa