Nuances of Hindustani Classical Music

For those who listen to Hindustani classical music or those who are looking to improve their knowledge for better appreciation of the music, 'Nuances of Hindustani Classical Music" written by Dr. Hema Hirlekar is the ideal choice.

Hindustani classical music has become very popular in the last few years. Concerts held all over the world are packed to capacity. Statistics reveals that only a handful of audience truly appreciate the classical music with any degree of knowledge. This book aims to lift the rest to total enjoyment at par with the handful circle.

The canopy of Hindustani classical music is vast. There are many books in the market that explore Hindustani music from different angles, sometimes focussing on just one part such as Khayal. Refreshingly, Hema Hirlekar has produced a unique blend that is at once easy for a raw listener yet comprehensive for highly initiated. It is organised for extremely easy understanding of the musical terms, the music, the genres, the gharanas, and the concerts.

Learning to Appreciate Classical Music

The thought of listening to classical music might conjure up images of uptight, elitist snobs, but it's entirely possible for you to acquire a taste for classical music. Just like any other type of music, you've got to spend a little time listening to it, you've got to expose yourself to several different variations and you've got to open yourself up if you ever want to appreciate it. Those unfamiliar with classical music may be surprised to find out that it is a truly diverse musical genre. If you're ready to expand your musical tastes, check out my tips and suggestions for gaining an appreciation for classical music.

The easiest first step is to just go out a purchase a classical CD that contains a compilation of several different composers. If you really want to get a good feel for the wide variety, then you may want to purchase several different compilations.

Now just let the music play in the background during the day whilst you do other tasks. In most cases it won't be incredibly distracting, so you'll be able to listen o it at work or at home.

After you've been listening to it for a couple of days, start paying attention to specific composers that you enjoy. Take note of their names and begin seeking out additional classical music composed by them.

Once you've identified a particular style you like, start attending concerts that fit your tastes. This will greatly increase and enhance your appreciation for the music. You'll get far more information about the premise and meaning of the music as the composer often will explain this between sets.

Appreciating Classical Music and the Arts

Many people have the same complaints about classical music and poetry. Some say classical music bores them and poetry just does not make any sense. In reality, they suffer a problem very similar to culture shock, or in other words, they have not learned how to appreciate poetry or classical music. I should be clear that most people fall into this category. Even people who have studied the arts often times do not put forth the energy required to appreciate some classical music or poetry. A look at how people listen and appreciate might help to understand what a listener or reader really has to do if they want to avoid being bored to tears by T. S. Eliot's "Ash Wednesday" or Pier Gynt's Hall of the Mountain King.

Spoiled by popular music, most people have never been taught how to listen to classical music. Popular music tends to consist of about three chords, has a repetitive 'hook', and nearly always consists of a four-four beat, three verses, and a chorus, except when it's even simpler than that. Most popular music will repeat the important bits multiple times with a catchy rhythm just in case you didn't hear it the first time, so you can learn the words to a song without ever really listening to it. In fact, anyone who happened to sit down and do nothing but listen intently to all the chord progressions, the lyrics, and the subtleties of the popular genre will most likely get really bored, really fast. Although they will come away knowing the song by heart. Which just emphasizes my point, popular music teaches all the wrong lessons for listening to classical music.

Classical music also has a melodic 'hook', often call a motif. This motif goes around and around, but every time suffers important alterations. The casual listener often finds himself bored to tears as it seemingly repeats itself over and over, but only because s/he is only superficially listening. More careful attention reveals that the composer takes that melody and flips it upside down, sideways, backwards, high, low, fast, slow, and finally pulls it right side up again, all to the counterpoint of an entire orchestra. In other words, you cannot do other things while listening to classical music. Cleaning the house to the sound of the Beatles will work fine, but listening to Mozart's Requiem with the vacuum cleaner going will make it range from inaudible to noise. The secret to enjoyment lies in paying attention and ignoring outside distractions. I won't promise that this way of listening will make classical your favorite music, but at least you will know what you've been missing.

Introduction to Indian Classical Music 101

The system of Indian classical music known as Raga Sangeet can be traced back nearly two thousand years to its origin in the Vedic hymns of the Hindu temples. Unlike Western classical music which has written scores, an Indian classical performance is based on improvisation, and anywhere from 10% to 90% of the performance could be extempore, depending on the creative imagination of the artist. The music is rendered orally to the disciple by his guru, popularly known as guru-shishya (teacher-student) parampara (tradition).

The very heart of Indian music is the raga, the melodic form upon which the artist improvises his performance. A raga is a scientific, precise, subtle and aesthetic melodic form with its own ascending and descending movement consisting of either a full seven-note octave or a series of six or five notes.

Every raga is characterized by its own particular mood. The acknowledged order of these nine sentiments, or emotions, is as follows: romantic and erotic, humorous, pathetic, anger, heroic, fearful, disgust, amazement and peaceful. Each raga, in addition to being associated with a particular mood, is also closely connected to a particular time of day or a season of the year. Thus through the rich melodies and rhythm of Indian music, every human emotion, every subtle feeling in man and nature, can be musically expressed and experienced.

In terms of aesthetics, a raga is the projection of the artist's inner spirit: a manifestation of his most profound feelings and sensibilities. The musician breathes life into each raga as he unfolds and expands it so that each note shimmers and pulsates with life and the raga is revealed vibrant and incandescent with beauty.

Collection Of Classical Music Cd

The world of classical music can be somewhat confusing. There is a vast amount of recordings of works going back many years. If I decide that I want to buy a classical music cd of a favorite composer, I then have to choose which version to get. Most classics are duplicated by different orchestras, conductors or soloists. There is a radio show in the UK, which advises on building a musical collection and that has been very useful. Sometimes, I will look for recommendations by experts to help me to steer through the maze. I used to think that it didn't make much difference as to which version to choose until I heard two different orchestras perform Vivaldi's Four Seasons. One recording was vastly superior to the other, so I have been discerning ever since.

When choosing what orchestral works to buy, I tend to look at the conductor of the piece and I base my decision on that. It helps to know if a conductor specialized in a certain composer, as Sir John Barbirolli was an expert on the works of Edward Elgar for instance. Other conductors that I would look out for on a classical music cd are Herbert von Karajan, Otto Klemperer and Simon Rattle. All these men have reputations that are hard to beat.

I also have to decide on a selection of soloists. Again, there seems no point in looking outside the known geniuses in their field. The cello is one of my favorite instruments and I love the work of Pablo Casals, Jacqueline du Pre, Yo Yo Ma and Steven Isserlis. The best violin virtuosos are Itmak Perlman and Yehudi Menuin. When selecting pianists, I go for Glenn Gould whenever possible. A classical music cd which matches the best composers with the best players is sublime.

Modern Classical Music

Classical music in strict terms is music that was written and composed during a very specific time period. This time period is 1750 to 1820. What is it that sets this particular period apart from the Baroque period which comes right before or the Romantic which is the period right after? These are not just random dates that some forgotten historian chose, but rather refer to the actual way that the music was composed.

In literature, there are a number of recognized styles of writing. A limerick or a Haiku are both poems, and yet each one has a very strict format and layout. This same principle applies to music. Pieces written during the classical period have a very distinct structure and layout as well. A person who has classical music training can recognize the differences between pieces in the same way that a person schooled in literature can tell you the exact difference between an English sonnet and an Italian one.

So what happens when you have a piece of music that follows this exact format, but was written during a later period? Do you call it a piece of classical music, or maybe, a modern classical piece?

One of the latest trends in the world of video gaming is to have background music that is written in the classical style. These are not simple tunes, these are pieces that are written to be preformed and played by an entire orchestra. The people who are composing the music are those that have been educated in the field of music and are following the format of the classic composition. The creators of these pieces are not only wonderful writers, they are often musicians themselves.

A spin-off of this trend is a change in the productions being held in theatres and auditoriums all around the globe. People are flocking to these places to go and see concerts that are played by the orchestras. These productions are much more than a listening experience. Many of the productions involve huge screens with videos and lights. One special tour even permitted audience participation. Select members of the audience were given the chance to show off their gaming skills against others on the big screens while the entire audience watched and cheered. Prizes awarded to the best gamers at each performance.

The Importance of Classical Music in Parenting

Today, if you know a couple who is expecting a child, chances are, they have heard the effects of classical music to an unborn fetus. But, what is in these classic tunes that enhance the brain development of babies inside the womb?

Well, music is a broad term. If you simply let your fetus hear rock or pop music, they are more likely to adapt the song they frequently hear. On the other hand, it is different with classical music. Popular composers of the olden days like Mozart, Beethoven, and Tchaikovsky are known to have a complex ability of creating music without the beauty of words. During those days when digital tools used in enhancing songs were not yet invented, you have to be a very brilliant person to come up with a series of keys and create a tune. But, these brilliant men did not just create a tune -- they created a masterpiece, just like Vincent Van Gogh and Pablo Picasso.

Are you still wondering what their music has to do with the development of an unborn baby's brain? Well, according to research, classical music involves a series of complex musical framework. Just as you would when you hear a song playing repeatedly, babies can follow that complex structure which claims to enhance the baby's brain development. Even neonates react to the complexities of this classical music through recognizing the tunes even if they have never heard of them before.

The experts believe that the intricate structure of classical music is the key in enabling the unborn child to improve his problem solving skills. It is due to this fact that classical music has a different effect on a baby's brain instead of the other kinds of music. On the contrary, while classical music may be helpful in the brain development of a baby, it does not follow that the other unmentioned types of music have no good effects whatsoever. As a general rule, if babies are exposed to various types of music during the early phases of their lives, the pathways of their brain becomes more inclined to music. This can be shown through our high regard to music as something that can soothe our nerves, help us breathe, and cool us down during moments of stress.

Classical Music - What Do You Know?

When someone thinks about classical music, they think of school bands and Bach. It is not as popular as it used to be when it was the only kind of music out there. Classical is the oldest type of music. It encompasses many different elements and instruments. Most people who listen to this type of music appreciate the sounds and technicality of the music. Classical can be simple or complex depending on what the composer was feeling at the time they were writing it.

Many researches have stated that listening to classical music can help alleviate, or reduce, stress and blood pressure. Classical music is made up of sounds that are considered to he high-frequency. Many studies have said that the high-frequency sounds aide in energizing parts of your brain to help boost health. Today, most of us listen to music that is consisted of low-frequency sounds. This type of sound can have a negative affect on your brain and cause you to have a reverse affect than the high-frequency sounds. When a woman is pregnant, she will have lots of people asking or telling her to put earphones on your belly while playing classical music. Reports have shown that when a mother does this to their unborn child, after that child is born, they have a possibility of remembering that music. This is due to the many different kinds of complex rhythms that take place within classic music.

You can listen to this type of music anywhere. From restaurants to book stores to the radio, you can always find it. Although it is made up with much complexity, classical music is a calming and relaxing type of music that will help us get a more positive attitude. No matter what type of music you listen to now, classical music never die out and will always live on for many years to come.

Imagination in Indian Classical Music

Khayal literally means imagination, thought or fancy. Khayal is that vocal genre of all North Indian vocal styles which gives its performers the greatest opportunity and also the greatest challenge to display the depth and breadth of their musical knowledge and skills. Khayal has dominated the performing art for past 150 years. Khayal is the genre of improvisational music, and hence it is the study of artist's creative individuality and ability to render a unique khayal at each performance. Despite the presumed freedom in khayal singing, it is structured upon three main characteristics: (i) the raga (melodic mode), the taal (meter) and the cheez (composition), (ii) the types of improvisation which are acceptable for khayal such as alap, taan, boltaan, sargam and nom-tom, and (iii) the placement of these material for creation of aesthetically and technically balanced performance. Khayal is not only a distinguished, richly evolved improvisational music genre, but also a study of cultural history of India since thirteenth century onwards.

Legend, scattered commentary, and speculations suggest that khayal originated with Amir Khusrau (1251-1326). Born in North India, Amir Khusrau was a poet as well as a composer and a great musician of his time. He enjoyed importance at the courts of the Khilji rulers in Delhi. Khayal's origin may have been attributed to Khusrau because of the rapid fusion of Perso-Arabic and Indic musical systems during his lifetime. After Khusrau, the next prominent figures in the history of khayal are the sultans of Jaunpur - Muhammad Sharqui (1401-40) and Hussain Sharqui (ruled 1458-99), who were contemporaries of Babur, the first Mughal ruler in India. The precise role of the Sharqui sultans with respect to khayal is unclear; some scholars suggest a patronage role for them. Most historians are of the opinion that neither Amir Khusrau nor any of the Sharqui sultans was the innovator of khayal, but that khayal was an outcome of the gradual process of evolution that was at work during an era of Indo-Persian amalgamation.

For khayal, the first musical evidence of court support is noted at the Delhi darbar (court) of the eighteenth century Mughal emperor Muhammad Shah Rangile (ruled 1720-48), where the musicians Nyamat Khan (Sadarang) and Firoz Khan (Adarang) composed songs that have been transmitted to the present time. It is believed that Sadarang and Adarang also formalized the structure of modern day khayal. As khayal continued to evolve in the courts throughout North India, distinct performing styles emerged into different gharanas. Three major khayal gharanas carrying the names of the princely states in which they were originally fostered, are Gwalior, Rampur (Sahaswan) and Patiala. Later Agra, Kirana and Jaipur gharanas also became prominent centers of khayal singing. Today this style of classical vocal music is even adopted by some of the instrumental gharanas such as Ithawa. Throughout most of its existence khayal has always been the music of elite patrons. Only in the twentieth century has any other group attained significant involvement in khayal.

How to Introduce Your Child to Classical Music

Children may have different thoughts and perspectives compared to adults when it comes to appreciating music. Some children may appreciate classical music readily, while there are others who will not like it. However, if you want to introduce music to your child and want him/her to appreciate it, there are ways that you can do so.

Children don't literally know what they like yet. When it comes to different types of music, and other things for that matter, there are no preconceptions about it when it comes to children. They won't turn away from new things, even music.

Although this type of music would seem very beautiful and soothing for you, don't try to talk down to kids when it comes to music. Just like any other things, talking down to them would often end up in failure. Allow them to appreciate it in their own, rather than forcing your ideals about it on them.

What can allow your children to appreciate classical music and listen to them more is by relating something with it. If you read stories to your kid, try playing related music in the background while reading the story. This can allow him/her to reminisce those special moments with you each time he/she hears similar music.

However, if you're going to relate music to stories, make sure that you play the same music when reading the same story to them. This can allow them to remember it more and be familiar with it. Also, make sure that you just don't pick out random songs to play while reading a story to your children. You should also make sure that the song that you'll play can relate to the mood of the story.

Is 'Classical Music' Dead in the Water?

On various blogs and message boards I've read lately I've encountered a lively debate over what we should call Classical Music. You know the kind of music I mean: a conductor at the front, a group of musicians scraping, blowing, plucking and striking a variety of instruments ranging from the 'fit your pocket' small, to the 'I need a dump truck to move this mother' behemoth; everyone reading from printed scores, most likely formally dressed, seldom smiling, earnest in their endeavours.

Polite applause ripples around the auditorium, usually initiated either by the 'I know my stuff, so follow my lead and applaud when I do' cognoscenti, or, more disastrously, though admittedly more amusingly, by the enthusiastic ingenue who inadvertently claps between movements of a string quartet -- "tut, tut!" Stifled guffaws and a kind of 'there but for the Grace of God go I' embarrassment wafts around the concert hall for a moment. The cognoscenti enjoy their moment of schadenfreude, the Minuet begins.

This kind of music bears the generic label 'Classical', but this is inaccurate, both in the sense of Classical Literature, which refers to Ancient Greece and Rome, and in the sense of Classical Music as a period of musical history (see below).

Free Online Classical Music

The advent of the internet has created hitherto unimagined changes in many aspects of society, especially on the commercial front. One of the areas where the effect of the internet was more vibrant, and controversial too, was the music industry. The facility to convert recorded music into easy-to-transfer computer file formats has created a sort of anarchy in sharing of music over the internet. A particular software package called Napster caused a stirring controversy, which pitted the giants in the music distribution industry like Sony and BMG against the creators of the software. These companies argued that Napster in effect enabled users to create pirated versions of their branded music releases. The case was solved later. Napster is no longer in use. But sharing of music files remained one of the most common activities over the internet.

There are plenty of websites that provide all kinds of songs and music for free, including free online classical music. One can easily find several of such websites by using a search engine like Google. By searching with a simple keyword like "free music download," one can access a number of websites that provide a gold mine of songs and other kinds of music.

Each website works in different way. Some websites allow the users to download a particular music files to the computer of the user. The file stays in the computer of the user. This activity sometimes violates copyright issues. So, a majority of websites allow the user to play and hear the music. The user will need continuous internet connection. Once the internet connection is disrupted, the playing of the music will stop.

Another source of free online classical music is web radios. There are a good number of online radio stations. Some of which are free to use. Some radio stations give prominence to classical music. The advantage of radio stations is that the listeners will get a chance to enrich their knowledge about the music and a golden opportunity to hear previously unheard music.

Classical Music - Not Just For OAPs

For too long, classical music has been regarded as the domain of instrumentalists, composers, academic musicologists and, typically, anyone over 40 years old. But while the majority of today's youth would rather listen to Britney Spears' greatest hits or watch My Chemical Romance on MTV, the view that young people are completely uninterested in classical music is not just erroneous - it's simply not grounded in historical reality.

Mozart, widely regarded as one of the greatest classical composers of all time, wrote his first symphony at age eight and was dead by the age of 35. Schubert also died when he was 31, while Chopin famously didn't live past the age of 39. Moreover, the phenomenon of the castrato in classical music in the 1700s shows that young people haven't just been interested in classical music throughout the years - they've practically been canonised as part of a classical music tradition that, although lost, is not forgotten.

Today's orchestras, choirs and opera houses are packed with young singers and musicians, many of whom are still in their twenties. Moreover, almost all modern, successful classical musicians will have undergone training from a very young age. Charlotte Church may have made headlines when she released her debut album "Voice of an Angel" in 1998 aged just thirteen, but while her phenomenal mainstream success was not typical, the fact that she was such a young musician in the classical industry was.

In the twenty-first century, the likes of Katherine Jenkins and "male soprano" Michael Maniaci, 28 and 29 years of age respectively, are making headlines the world over for their innovative approach to classical music and their stunning vocal range. Edward Gardner, the new Music Director of Glyndebourne on Tour (one of the UK's premier operatic fixtures), is also only 28, proving that there is certainly no dearth of young people performing classical music, although there may be fewer youths than OAPs listening to it.

Classical Music CD

There are many forms of classical music. Before going for a classical music CD, it is first necessary to decide which form of music you like. Most pieces fall into four basic categories. So you may prepare a list of music pieces that you like. Having selected the music you like, try to find out the name of its composer. May be, having liked one piece of a certain composer, you may like to hear his other pieces too. You can prepare a list of different composers also.

The next step is to find the sources of finding the classical CDs. There are many sources of obtaining the CDs. You can download them free. You can also get them against cost. But the catch here is that free CDs may not match your taste and choice. Their musical quality too may not be up to the mark you set. You may not be able to get the composers and the music of your choice.

There are several sources for the best recordings of the works of your choice. Stevenson Guide and the Penguin Guide are good references. There are many classical music review publications like Fanfare, American Record Guide, Gramophone, and others.

Before going in for classical music CDs, you should read the reviews of those you have selected. You can also find out resources of buying these CDs from these reviews. It would be interesting to note that sometimes, you can get the CDs of many great musical performances for just as little as $4/5. The low price may mislead you to think that the quality of the music CD may be poor. You however must remember that sometimes there is no relation between the quality and the price. Sometimes the best performances on quality CDs are available at low prices.

Classical Music Downloads

It's fun to make your own library of classical music recordings and decide which classical composers and their music pieces you would like to include. One way is to do this is to purchase the CDs of your choice from the local chain stores. But the problem here may be the high CD cost the local stores may charge due to the overhead charges. Moreover the local store may not be able to provide you the music piece or the composer of your choice.

You are therefore left to rely on the Internet for downloading music CDs. The Internet is indeed a veritable ocean from where you can take as much music as you like sitting in the comfort of your home. There is a wide margin of choice, and a lot of competition among the vendors too. Therefore with a little search you can download the best quality music of your choice at cheaper rates. Besides the competition and the wide choice, the net vendors of classical music can afford to sell the music at cheaper rates due to the absence of overhead charges that your local store has to bear. Download of music on the Internet also eliminates the shipping charges because you are not asking for the CDs, which can only be sent by post.

You also need to select the right classical music Internet vendor. You should opt for the site that offers to supply you the labels and tracks that you want. It should offer a wide variety and flexible choices, including music by emerging artists in every music genre. You should be able to burn as many CDs as you want, transfer music to MP3 devices or any desktop, portable music player or digital device and also make multiple copies of downloaded music. Your vendor should offer to deliver music in the universally compatible MP3 format, which is the most popular and versatile digital file format. The music should have the highest quality fidelity, and should be downloadable to any platform such as PC, Macintosh and Linux.

The Charisma of Classical Music

Classical music is one of the most cherished forms of music; however, there are not many takers on it. People who are classical composition fans will always resort to finding solace in listening to their favorite tunes coming from some of the best traditional music composers.

Many people who listen to this form of music find it quite complex. Hence, there is not much of real appreciation for this form of music, since it requires profound comprehension of musical notes. These people fail to comprehend and appreciate the beauty and charm of traditional composition.

The study of classical music basically depends upon your taste for music. It might be that one form of composition appeals to you but not to others. Similarly, there might be instances where a traditional music expert might try to influence you with their judgment of classical music; though you can never understand what they mean to say until you begin to understand it.

A lot of people are not comfortable listening to classical composition at all. One major reason for this is the complexity and distance from the artist. The best way out to appreciate and understand classical music is learning it. Sometimes it can take too long to understand it. It totally depends upon the interest and dedication of the person.

There are many young music composers who are eager to learn and adopt classical music as their major mode of singing. There are different websites that promote these young singers who wish to study traditional music seriously. These music-oriented websites facilitate young singers to interact and share their art with each other. Moreover, many seasoned musicians also help those young composers to create better music. Many also promote young and budding artists to get some of the best opportunities in the music industry.

Classical Music

Classical music, like other forms of classical art, has not as many takers as those of light music. Nonetheless, classical music has its fans too and lots more are falling to its charms. Yet, those who turn to it often find it rather beyond their understanding and real appreciation. They are charmed by it, but they cannot critically explain why it appeals them. You cannot rationalize its appeal or beauty.

Another reason why a large majority of people are not very comfortable with classical music is its complexity and a sense of distance from the artist. Light music can be easily sung by ordinary artists with whom ordinary listeners can identify easily. It expresses the feelings of ordinary persons in their own language. Classical music, on the other hand, is rather mysterious and is rendered in diverse styles and it takes years, sometimes a life long time to understand .But its study has its rewards too. The more you study it, the more you enjoy it and the more you find it wonderful and worth the effort and hard work to study it.

The study or appreciation of classical music depends upon your individual taste. A form of music that appeals to you may not appeal to another person. You may come across experts who may try to influence you by their judgments about the quality of music. You may listen to them, but you should not compel yourself to like the music that they like. Or if you come across a much-acclaimed piece of music that you cannot really appreciate, you do not have to blame yourself for not liking it. You may of course try to find out why the particular expert likes a given piece of music. May be, you find some point to learn.

Free Classical Music

Classical music is not as popular as light music so its demand is perhaps not as high as its supply. There are many classical music enthusiasts, composers and producers who offer free downloads of classical music from their websites. So there are many kinds of free classical music downloads available on net. You can download classical pieces of music produced by great artists like Pachelbel, Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin, Brahms, and Bach. The music may have been performed on a variety of musical instruments like piano, harp, flute and violin. You can also discover a number of original music composers of classical instrumental pieces, like the Brobdignagian Bards, Ryan Farrish, Bassic, Paul Spaeth, and a variety of classical music groups.

The first step in getting free classical music is to first identify which genre of classical music and which composer's music you wish to download. It is better to prepare a list of your favorite music pieces instead of making random selections, which you may not like later on and which may have to be deleted.

Having prepared the list of the pieces of your choice, it is when you start searching the Internet to download them that you find that what you really like may not be easily available on the Net.

If you are lucky enough to find some pieces available for free downloads, their sound quality may not be up to the mark. Some of these files may be plagiarized and or may even carry viruses. These can damage the smooth functioning of your computer. The free offers are often irresistible, but the fact is that nothing really comes free. Your free classical music downloads might come with nasty advertisements and pop-ups or other forcible downloads.

Making of Classical Music

Classical music is governed by some known conventions that have its roots in a variety of forms, genres, styles and historical periods. These features together go in defining the term 'classical music.' Music rated as classical has always made its thumping presence felt. With the evolution of the popular music forms, the dominance of the classical form has not diminished. In-fact, it further magnified with new forms and codes.

Instrumentation - This is one way of classifying the classical genre of music. Different instruments are brought to use for creating the symphony that make it classical. Various string instruments like violin, string, woodwind instruments, brass instruments and other diverse percussion are commonly used to give this form of music a unique style. However, nowadays electronic instruments like electric guitars are occasionally brought to use.

Form and Technical Execution - The classical form generally take the form of a song, symphony, dance music, chamber suite, symphony, concerto, electronic music and more. The composition of this form of music requires expertise as a lot of complexities are involved in arriving at a balance between its emotional content and the music that accompanies it. The Classical Guitar Music is one such example of complex composition.

Complexity - The complexities involved in making of classical works are not just confined to instruments and beats. But a lot of it lies in the development, modulation, musical phrases and even length and variations of tones. A perfect combination of all these features results in the development of a perfect symphony of music. In-fact, the large scale classical works are built from smaller units of musical compositions.

Society - The classical forms of music maintains a repute of being a choice of the upper-level society. The music has never been popular among the working class. However, it is not compulsory as most of the classical musicians fall in the middle class range. The Classical Music CD buyers and concert goers also include the middle class audience.

Everything You Need to Know About Classical Music Gear

Classical music is a broad term that usually refers to music produced in, or rooted in the traditions of, Western art, or ecclesiastical and concert music, in the period from the 9th century to the 21st century. The central norms of this tradition became codified between 1550 and 1900, which is known as the common practice period.

Classic music is still played by many of today's musicians. European classical music is largely distinguished from many other non-European and popular musical forms by its system of staff notation, in use since about the 16th century.

Classical and popular music are often distinguished by their choice of instruments. The instruments used in classical music were mostly invented before the middle of the 19th century. Some of them had been designed even earlier, and codified in the 18th and 19th centuries. They consist of the instruments found in an orchestra, together with a few other solo instruments such as the piano, harp, accordion, and organ.

The great majority of classical music gear fall into six major categories - bowed strings, woodwind, brass, percussion, keyboard, and the guitar family. The first four form the basis of the modern symphony orchestra.

The classical guitar was originally a Spanish-derived, six-stringed instrument. It is played using a plectrum or the finger-nails, with frets set into the fingerboard. Popular music tends to use amplification for both the six-stringed instruments and the four-string bass guitar. The guitar family gradually supplanted the lute which had come to prominence during the Renaissance.

Free Classical Music Online

I believe that the origin of the term "Mutopia" in The Mutopia Project's name is "Music" + "Utopia." If I had my way, however, it would be "Muphoria," because my discovery of this resource put me on Cloud 9, and started me on my way to finding many other such resources.

In short, The Mutopia Project is a collection of more than 1,400 pieces of sheet music (with more coming all the time) that are free for you to download, print, perform, record, or even create your own editions. Put it this way: if you can find what you want in Mutopia, you will never need to go into a music store again.

They could have just as easily called it "Music To Your Wallet." But I don't suppose "Muwallet" makes any sense.

Using Mutopia is very simple. You can browse by composer, instrument group, style, or selected compilations. Or, you can use the handy little search box and search for a piece by name.

When you get to the piece you're looking for, you'll see a table, which contains links by which you can download scores in letter or A4 size, midis, or click to various kinds of additional information. Download is super easy; click on the letter or A4 links and the score loads in Adobe Reader. Print, and there you are!

The Joy of Listening to Classical Music in Digital Form

Classical music is a traditional form. It can be quite complex and some basic knowledge is required to understand and appreciate it. It usually appeals less to the masses compared to light-music. The shops have better collections of popular-music CDs than that of Classical CDs. But these CDs endures longer than popular and its devotees continue to add to their collection with relentless zeal.

If you desire to understand and appreciate it then you need to cultivate a taste for classical. This can only be done by listening to a broad range of classical regularly. We are fortunate to be living in an age when CDs are available everywhere. However sometimes the prices of these CDs are quite high and it discourages people from buying them. But a collection of CDs is definitely a treasured possession for a true music lover.

Light music can be easily sung or played by anyone that's why people forget about the richness of classical. But once you have developed a taste for it you would have much more pleasurable experiences than you can have while listening to popular music. It explores greater depths of emotions in a much more refined manner that is why its effects last much longer than popular.

Understanding Classical Music - Is It Worth The Time?

Understanding classical music is something most people think is far too lofty a goal, one best left for music scholars and academics in their ivory towers. It's the epitome of stuffiness; black ties and diamond earrings must be worn at all times.

Classical music should be heard and appreciated by all people. Composers were and are real people who struggle with the same problems we all do, including paying bills, satisfying their clients, and just existing from one day to the next.

It's not necessary to understand composition techniques, orchestration principles, and the intricacies of arranging music to be awed by its beauty. Just let it wash over you and absorb the feelings!

The genius of Bach, the magnificence of Beethoven, the sheer beauty of Chopin, and the power of Prokofiev are all waiting to be discovered by you, no matter how much you know or don't know about music theory and history.

Classical Music and the New London Middle Class

One thing I've puzzled over in London is why classical music is losing out in the 'new middle class cultural feeding frenzy.' London's a rich city and there's been an explosion of wealth in the last twenty years: hence the term 'new' or 'expanded' middle class.

A large group of young, educated, new-media savvy people - the product of the expanded universities - live and work in London, have cash in their pockets, and want to spend some of it on art. They're not experts but want more, in cultural terms, than Harry Potter and a night in the pub.

You see them, in huge numbers, in the London art galleries, particularly the cleverly branded Tate Modern. They join Facebook en masse and chatter about art on the internet. Many of my neighbours in the trendy district of London where I live (I went to live there before it became trendy) are very much part of this new, young, culturally hungry, wealthy, liberal, (small L) middle class.

Yet, except for the Proms, you seldom see them at classical music concerts. It's not on their radar. They won't buy tickets and dilute the grey-haired, traditional, ageing, rather stuffy and snobby, audience. Why?

If you study the cultural environment in which 18th century court music was performed it was obviously for the upper class alone. The middle class, and certainly the working class - God forbid! - didn't get a look in except as composers, performers, technicians and servants. But it was very much less stuffy than a London concert today.

The Development of Classical Music

There were two times in this century. The first era was called the baroque era. This era was around 1600 to 1750. Baroque was the beginning of modern music because it has experienced the revolution from both theory and technique of its cultivating.

The key characteristics of this era included the merger of major and minor scales, many dissonan tones, the development of the orchestra, and the regular structures, but monotony. They also included the use of violin, harpsichord, organ, and flute.

In this era, people also knew basso continuo technique, namely the bass accompaniment that brought harmony. There was repetition in the structure of music.

Composers who lived in this era were Johann Sebastian Bach, Georg Friedrich Handel, Antonio Vivaldi, Claudio Monteverdi, and Henry Purcell.

The second era was called the classical era. Sonatas and chamber music grew with more dynamic melodies. All of the classical era rules were applied intelligently by the composers.

The key characteristics of this era were the development of musical harmony, a very strong element of the dynamics that colored the composition, and a dynamic atmosphere that was expressed through the tempo, melody, and harmony. In this era, people also knew the pattern of 'question and answer'. Piano, with its ability to create dynamic, became a very important instrument.

Is Classical Music Dead?

After reading Mr. Daniel Wakin's article in the New York Times entitled "High Notes and Low Points for Classical Music" (12/22/2011), I felt it necessary to comment on this state of affairs. In his editorial, the writer lists the top news stories from the Classical music world. Unfortunately, one cannot miss the terrible financial distresses in which many orchestras find themselves today. Mr. Wakin particularly mentions the disasters that befell the Syracuse, New Mexico, Louisville, Utica, and even the Philadelphia orchestras. Then, there is also the Detroit Symphony, which only recently has been struggling to regain its footing.

For years, naysayers have been predicting the death of classical music. Many cite graying audiences, "expensive" tickets (never mind that pop concerts and sports games can cost much more), and a general lack of interest among the public in quality music.

It is also certainly easy and comfortable for us to put up our hands, shrug, and blame the difficult economy for the woes of the above orchestras. Yet, I find it necessary to dig deeper as we examine why this has happened.

Wedding Ceremony Music - The Benefits To Using Classical Music

The selection of appropriate music to complement the style of wedding ceremony is vitally important to the success of the day. Many traditional church wedding ceremonies are considered to be quiet and solemn in their style, this can be contributed to the ceremony being viewed as a religious rite or sacrament. The music used does not have to be used continuously throughout the entire ceremony but rather at key points to compliment the significance of that part of the ceremony. In most traditional weddings the use of classical music is opted for as this helps create the solemn atmosphere to highlight the serious nature of the wedding ceremony.

Classical music is ideal to be performed at wedding ceremonies because it has the ability to set various moods to directly target the part of the ceremony it is being used.The use of various instrumentation and songs from various time periods (Baroque, Classical, Romantic) can all be effective ways to cause diversity and compliment specific moments.To create a romantic atmosphere the use of violin, piano, and harp are highly effective. For a spiritual and solemn mood, you may choose songs arranged for the instrumentation of organ and strings.  During the exchanging of vows, lighting of the candle, and wearing of rings, flute or piano can be played as background to add serenity and solemnity, it is important that this music does not overpower the people speaking otherwise it will become a distraction that will overpower the most important part of the wedding ceremony.

The inclusion of classical music at the wedding reception can add a degree of style, class and elegance to your wedding reception. Hiring musicians such as a string trio or quartet to play as guests arrive or even throughout the dinner would leave a lasting effect on your family and guests for many years to come. The use of a classical ensemble in this way would work well if used in conjunction with other entertainment, such as a live band (either jazz or popular) or a disc-jockey. This increased diversity in entertainment throughout the night manages to provide the ideal musical backing for every part of the evening from the entrance to the first dance and cutting of the cake right through to the bride and groom's departure at the end of the evening.

Classical Music Serves As A Welcoming Transition

What better way is there to welcome a brand new, fellow human being into the world than with the resonance of beautiful and temporal classical music? Numerous studies have proven time and time again that classical music is capable of providing the most calming of all environments - not only in the workplace or in schools, but also in the home and nurseries across the nation. The curious aspect of this phenomenon of course, is why.

From soft slow melodies gently pouring from a violin solo - to upbeat tempos played by a simple stringed quartet, the human heart naturally beats in rhythmic harmony with each note, each pause, and each vibrato of this musical genre. To the newborn, these classical rhythms simulate the rhythmic beat of mother's and father's heart, while the synthesis of stringed instruments emulate the partnership between mother and father - bonding as one - effectively validating the birth of this music's youngest audience.

Classical music is on one hand, a manifestation of mathematics - a series of numbers arranged in such a way that manipulates the physics of our environment to a state that's comforting through prediction and repetition. With regular use, it will ultimately generate familiarity within the environment with calm and validating trust. On the other hand, classical music is an arrangement of fun, playful and creative melodies - an inviting playground for the imagination of a newborn to flow from past ethereal experiences to a new world physical sights and sounds.

Learn Guitar Easy With Classical Music Notes

The first time I heard Gabriela Lena Frank's music live - with Gabriela herself improvising on a piano at an intimate gathering in Berkeley, California - I was surprised and a little embarrassed to find tears streaming down my face. I know next to nothing about contemporary classical music, and I often find it too dissonant and challenging to truly enjoy, but that evening, Gabriela's music just knocked me out. Of course, I'm not alone. The Los Angeles Times calls her work "luminous... bursting with fresh originality" while the Washington Post notes its "unself-conscious craft and mastery."

In 2009, she won a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Latin American Grammy for "Inca Dances," and was featured in a PBS documentary on her collaboration with the Indianapolis Symphony Orchestra. Clearly, Gabriela is an artist in the full bloom of her creative powers, and one of the major new musical voices of her generation.She is also a wonderfully rich, realized human being, without a zot of the pretention or preciousness that could easily accompany her rare musical gifts, as you'll see for yourself, in this conversation with Gabriela over a long dinner at my home in Richmond, California, in July 2009.

YO: As ignorant as I am about what you've done musically, I do have this strong sense that you are one of those rare people who can successfully integrate your individual personal genius with your energy and your actions, creating a great...

GLF: I think a lot of it comes from discomfort, and discomfort with accepting my training in music, accepting the vision that other people had for me, of music. I didn't disrespect my teachers necessarily. For a long time I thought I wasn't good enough, that I didn't fit in in a certain way. Then, I started to start to live with the discomfort and say this discomfort is good, this is who I am, so I'm in that feeling all the time now and it's just a rewiring. It's not changing your feelings, it's changing your intellectual appraisal of it.

I think it's very important for teachers to do to young developing spirits, when they're creative or intellectual -- to trust their instincts and to go deep with it. We all have these ways of bucking the norm, we all have this potential. I got lucky in that whatever risk-taking spirit I have in me - I just chucked the normal path very suddenly, very early, and almost totally. Although I love certain composers in classical music. I'm not a total classical music aficionado, which is a great irony. It's where I could get the best training, but I had to fit it into a different kind of mold.

Listening to Classical Music Will Not Make Your Child More Intelligent

Will listening to classical music, make your child smarter? That question has been around for many years. Years ago when these studies began to be conducted, they were only done on adults. The results were that they only had a small effect on short term memory.

While there is no dispute that listening to classical music is very relaxing, it will not make your child smarter. Past studies have concluded that listening to classical music has increased the motor skills in children. However, other studies have also been conducting with reading, memory exercises and consistently putting puzzles together with the same result.

Independent studies have also been conducted that show that listening to this type of music has had an effect on the intelligence of children. It is not reliable and the result have been too insignificant for this theory to be fact. The test have only shown to make a difference for about 20 minutes. Talk about short term memory.

Whether your intention is directed towards unborn children, infants or toddlers making them smarter will simply not happen in this way. Does this mean that classical music is useless for children? Absolutely not! Classical music is most definitely soothing and relaxing. We can all use a little relaxation in our lives. This also applies to children. A misconception is that children do not have stress in their lives. That is simply not true. It is just a different kind of stress than us adults deal with on a daily basis.