Western forms, in terms of chord changes, are currently integrated into the North Indian forms of music. The harmonium is not strictly limited to Indian styles. With the exception of South Indian music, the harmonium has been used in almost all genres of music in India. Since Indian music is primarily melodic, only hand was needed to pump and one hand was needed to play the melody.ĭespite its European origin, the instrument has found its use really well in an Indian musical setting. Even though one hand was required to pump air, it was not a problem, because Indian music does not have chords. Sarangi is a bowed instrument which was used to accompany vocalists.

Thirdly, it was much easier to learn than sarangi. Secondly, the harmonium was able to go with the flow of the voice pretty well. Thus, this format of a floor organ worked well.

For an Indian musician, it was discipline and practice to sit on the floor. When the hand pumped version came out, it did not require foot pedals. When the harmonium came across to North Indian musicians, they immediately favored this instrument for few reasons. Although the foot pedal was still retained, the hand pumped version was introduced. When the British came to India in the 18th century, they brought their harmoniums also. A chord is when three or more notes are played simultaneously. European music requires this, it is mostly harmonic through the use of chords. This way, the musician could play the harmonium with both hands. There is was a huge number of keys, a chair to sit down, and a foot pump for the air. The look of the harmonium then was almost similar to a piano. The harmonium was actually a European organ that was used in churches during the medieval time frame. Unlike the instruments that have been previous taught or examined in the music of India, the harmonium is one of the most frequently used instrument that has no Indian origin. This guide discuss the introductory theory of North Indian music, musical scales, practice exercises, and fourteen Gaudiya Vaisnava bhajans and kirtans to practice and make good use of all the theory and skills taught in this course. Except for instrumental and South Indian music, virtually every genre will have a spot for the harmonium, due to its simple and versatile nature.

Originally a reed organ with Western origin, the harmonium has been a very integral part of Indian music.

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