Sunday, November 30, 2014

Auld Lang Syne

"Auld Lang Syne" (Scots pronunciation: [ˈɔːl(d) lɑŋˈsəin]: note "s" rather than "z")[1] is a Scots poem written by Robert Burns in 1788[2][3] and set to the tune of a traditional folk song (Roud # 6294). It is well known in many countries, especially in the English-speaking world, its traditional use being to bid farewell to the old year at the stroke of midnight. By extension, it is also sung at funerals, graduations and as a farewell or ending to other occasions. The international Boy Scout youth movement, in many countries, uses it as a close to jamborees and other functions.

Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 
And never brought to mind? 
Should auld acquaintance be forgot, 
And auld lang syne! 

For auld lang syne, my jo, 
For auld lang syne, 
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, 
For auld lang syne.  

And surely ye'll be your pint stowp! 
And surely I'll be mine! 
And we'll take a cup o' kindness yet, 
For auld lang syne.
 
We twa hae run about the braes, 
And pou'd the gowan fine; 
But we've wander'd mony a weary fitt, 
Sin' auld lang syne. 

We twa hae paidl'd in the burn,
Frae morning sun till dine; 
But seas between us braid hae roar'd 
Sin' auld lang syne.

And there's a hand, my trusty fiere! 
And gie's a hand o' thine! 
And we'll tak a right gude-willie-waught, 
For auld lang syne.

For auld lang syne, my jo, 
For auld lang syne, 
We'll tak a cup o' kindness yet, 
For auld lang syne.
 



Ek Charriya

A fantastic heart rendering song from the little known movie, Citylight sung by Arjit Singh, lyrics by Rashmi Singh and Music director, Jeet Ganguly.



Lyrics

Ek charraiya ghonsle ko chhod udd udd jaaye
Aur ye soche kaash aisa ho kadam mud jaaye..
Ek charraiya ghonsle ko chhod udd udd jaaye
Aur ye soche kaash aisa ho kadam mud jaaye

Tinka tinka kar batora aur banaaya ghar
Par samay ki barishon ne kar diya beghar
Kar diya beghar, kar diya beghar

O musafir dheer dhar, aayega sooraj idhar
Kaahe bhage, kaahe bhaage
Door jitna jaayega, laut phir na payega
Kaahe bhage, kaahe bhaage
Ek charraiya ko paraaya des kaise bhaaye
Gaon ka peepal puraana yaad usko aaye
Tinka tinka kar batora aur banaaya ghar..
Par samay ki baarishon ne kar diya beghar
Kar diya beghar, kar diya beghar

Yeh jo ansuan ki ladi, behrahi hai har ghadi
Tere aage, tere aage..
Yaad rakh har mod par, ek nai subah khadi
Kaahe bhage, kaahe bhaage

Ek charraiya aansuon se lad jhagad so jaaye
Raah pathreeli hai lekin hausla na jaaye
Tinka tinka kar batora aur banaaya ghar
Par samay ki barishon nekar diya beghar
Kar diya beghar, kar diya beghar

Guitar Tabs

 
Scale: G Major
Time Signature: 7/8
Tempo: 111
INTRO G
G
Ek chiraiya ghonsle ko chhod udd udd jaaye
G
Aur ye soche kaash aisa ho kadam mud jaaye

[CHORUS]
G
Ik chiraiya ghonsle ko chhod ud ud jaaye
G
Aur ye soche kaash aisa ho kadam mud jaaye
G
Tinka tinka kar batora aur banaaya ghar
G
Par samay ki barishon ne kar diya beghar
G
Kar diya beghar.. kar diya begharr..

G C D G

G
O musafir dheer dhar
G
Aayega sooraj idhar
       C   Am          Em
Kaahe bhaage.. kaahe bhaage..
Dm            G
Door jitna jaayega
Dm             G
Laut phir naa paayega
      C    Cm          B Em
Kaahe bhaage.. kaahe bhaage..

[CHORUS]
G
Ek charraiya ko paraaya des kaise bhaaye
G
Gaaon ka peepal puraana yaad usko aaye
C              G         D        G
Tinka tinka kar batora aur banaaya gharr
C             G          D         G
Par samay ki barishon ne kar diya begharr
D            G     Cm         G
Kar diya beghar.. kar diya begharr..

G C D G

G
Yeh jo asuan ki ladi
G
Beh rahi hai har ghadi
     C  Am        Bm Em
Tere aage.. tere aage..
Dm           G
Yaad rakh har mod par
Dm         G
Ek nayi subah khadi
       C     Cm      B  Em
Kaahe bhage.. kaahe bhaage..

[CHORUS]
G
Ek charraiya ko paraaya des kaise bhaaye
G
Gaaon ka peepal puraana yaad usko aaye
C              G         D        G
Tinka tinka kar batora aur banaaya gharr
C             G          D         G
Par samay ki barishon ne kar diya begharr
D            G     Cm         G
Kar diya beghar.. kar diya begharr..
 
 

Sunday, November 23, 2014

The Fields of Athenry

"The Fields of Athenry" is an Irish folk ballad set during the Great Irish Famine (1845–1850) about a fictional man named Michael from near Athenry in County Galway who has been sentenced to transportation to Botany Bay, Australia, for stealing food for his starving family. It is a widely known and popular anthem for Irish sports supporters


By a lonely prison wall,
I heard a young girl calling
Michael they have taken you away,
For you stole Trevelyan's corn
So the young might see the morn,
Now a prison ship lies waiting in the bay
CHORUS
Low lie, The Fields of Athenry
where once we watched the small free birds fly
Our love was on the wing
we had dreams and songs to sing,
It's so lonely round the Fields of Athenry
By a lonely prison wall
I heard a young man calling
'Nothing matters Mary, when you're free'
Against the famine and the crown,
I rebelled, they cut me down
Now you must raise our child with dignity
CHORUS
By a lonely harbour wall
She watched the last star falling
As the prison ship sailed out against the sky
For she lived in hope and pray
For her love in Botany Bay
It's so lonely round the Fields Of Athenry


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zr1rzSSMsac

Monday, November 17, 2014

Gustav Holst's opus, The Planets

 
Gustav Theodore Holst (born Gustavus Theodore von Holst; 21 September 1874 – 25 May 1934) was an English composer, arranger and teacher. Best known for his orchestral suite The Planets, he composed a large number of other works across a range of genres, although none achieved comparable success. His distinctive compositional style was the product of many influences, Richard Wagner and Richard Strauss being most crucial early in his development. The subsequent inspiration of the English folksong revival of the early 20th century, and the example of such rising modern composers as Maurice Ravel, led Holst to develop and refine an individual style


 The Planets, Op. 32, is a seven-movement orchestral suite by the English composer Gustav Holst, written between 1914 and 1916. Each movement of the suite is named after a planet of the Solar System and its corresponding astrological character as defined by Holst. With the exception of Earth and Pluto, which had not yet been discovered, all major planets in the Solar System are represented.



Raag Bhairavi- The king of all Raags!

Raag Bhairavi (Hindi: भैरवी) (Urdu: بھیرویں‎) (Sindhiراڳ ڀيروي ) is a Hindustani Classical heptatonic (Sampurna) Raag of Bhairavi Thaat. Traditionally it is a morning raga. In modern times, at least in Khyal Gayaki, it is usually performed as the concluding (finale) piece in concerts. It is the defining raga of its own Thaat.


Aroha, Avroha & Pakad

Ascending structure for Bhairavi




Descending structure of Bhairavi







Pakad for Bhairavi 

 

 

Video Tutorials 

Series of tutorials with swar, vistaars and bandish


A superb Bandish is as below:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=21rQ2K0LzYU

 

Film Songs

Bhairavi is a popular raga for film songs. Here are some film songs based on Bhairavi:

 

 

Sunday, November 16, 2014

Bandish "Ae Re yali", Raag Yaman, Teen Taal.

सखी एरी आली पिया बिन
सखी कलना परत मोहे
घडी पल छिन दिन ।

जबसे पिया परदेस गवन कीनो
रतियाँ कटत मोरी तारे गीन गीन ॥

Tutorial by Siddharth Slathia

 

Teen Taal

 One of the most common beats of Indian classical music as also many Bollywood songs.

Tabla Teentaal - screenshot



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9YfMwZIJ-JE Tabla tutorial

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUef95dD86A Tabla and Tanpura for singers

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjSgV6j8VW0 Tabla in madhya lay

It has a characteristic pattern of bols (theka).

 Theka

dha dhin dhin dha | dha dhin dhin dha |
x



2



na tin tin ta | ta dhin dhin dha |
o



3



This can also be shown using the following figure[2]
Taal signs X


2


0


3


Maatra 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
Bols dha dhin dhin dha dha dhin dhin dha na tin tin ta ta dhin dhin dha
 

Saturday, November 15, 2014

Edvard Hagerup Grieg

 Best known for his Peer Gynt - Incidental Music Op. 23: Prelude (Act IV) (Morning)

 


(Norwegian: [ˈɛdʋɑɖ ˈhɑːɡərʉp ˈɡrɪɡ]; 15 June 1843 – 4 September 1907) was a Norwegian composer and pianist. He is widely considered one of the leading Romantic era composers, and his music is part of the standard classical repertoire worldwide. His use and development of Norwegian folk music in his own compositions put the music of Norway in the international spectrum, as well as helping to develop a national identity, much as Jean Sibelius and Antonín Dvořák did in Finland and Bohemia, respectively.[1]

Piano Concerto in A minor Op. 16 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fKfGDqXEFkE

Wednesday, November 12, 2014

Johann Sebastian Bach



Orchestral Suites:
I. Suite No. 3 for 2 Oboes, 3 Trumpets, Timpani, Strings and Basso Continuo in D major BWV 1068 [Ouverture/Air/Gavotte I&II/Bourèe/Gigue]
II. Suite No.2 for Flute [Traversiere], Strings and Basso Continuo in B minor BWV 1067 [Ouverture/Rondeau/Sarabande/Bourrée I&II/Polonaise-Double/Menuet/Badiner
­ie]
III. Suite No.1 for 2 Oboes, Bassoon, Strings and Basso Continuo in C major BWV 1066 [Ouverture/Courante/Gavotte I&II/Forlane/Menuet i&II/Bourrée I&II/Passapied I&II]
IV. Suite No.4 for 3 Oboes, Bassoon, 3 Trumpets, Timpani, Strings and Basso Continuo in D major BWV 1069 [Ouverture/Bourrée I&II/Gavotte/Menuet I&II/Rejouissance]

Rhapsody in Blue




 

Rhapsody in Blue is a 1924 musical composition by American composer George Gershwin for solo piano and jazz band, which combines elements of classical music with jazz-influenced effects.



Tuesday, November 11, 2014

Mozart symphony no. 40 in G minor

The first movement of this sonata is exhilarating and the melody is rapturous sending listeners into a trance. Listen and let your imagination take you wherever you feel the most joyous- flying amongst the clouds, swimming with the dolphins or feeling the breeze on a mountain top.

It is one of the only two symphonies composed in the minor notes. The other one being symphony no. 21.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTc1mDieQI8

Monday, November 10, 2014

My first Raga- Raag Yaman

Enjoying singing my very first Raag- Raag Yaman which is supposed to be the easiest of the Raagas and one of the first that is taught in Hindustaani vocal training.

Raga Yaman
 
Arohi:    'N  R  G  M  D  N  S'
Amrohi: S'   N   D   P   M   G   R  S

Quite a lot of different ways in which this Raag is taught. And one does get confused about differences in the notes that are out there on the internet. eg The m is teevra and on the above notation this is a mistake. But as long as you study it and get to know its essence, the whole Raag scene becomes much more clearer.

My guru is this young guy on youTube, Siddharth Slathia and he is a very good teacher.


Film songs of Raga Yaman  or Aiman
  • Akale na jana, Film Arman
  • Ansoo bhari hain, Film Parwarish
  • Lagta nahi hai dil mera ujre dyaar mein, Ghazal by Mohd. Rafi
  • Chandan sa badan chanchal chitwan, Film - Saraswati Chandra
      

    The intricate details of this Raag are at following link:







Sunday, November 9, 2014

Concerto No. 21 and Song sung blue!

The Neil Diamond song was inspired by Mozart's Concerto No. 21. This song was a fav. of mine and still invokes nice memories for me.

The concerto has three movements:
  1. Allegro maestoso; in common time. The tempo marking is in Mozart's catalog of his own works, but not in the autograph manuscript.[3]
  2. Andante in F major. In both the autograph score and in his personal catalog, Mozart notated the meter as Alla breve. [4]
  3. Allegro vivace assai 
Mozart
http://youtu.be/i2uYb6bMKyI

Neil Diamond
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P1t9zOwmWok

Lyrics
"Song Sung Blue"

Song sung blue, everybody knows one
Song sung blue, every garden grows one

Me and you are subject to
The blues now and then
But when you take the blues
And make a song
You sing 'em out again
You sing 'em out again

Song sung blue, weeping like a willow
Song sung blue, sleeping on my pillow
Funny thing,
But you can sing it with a cry in your voice
And before you know it get to feeling good
You simply got no choice

Me and you are subject to
The blues now and then
But when you take the blues
And make a song
You sing 'em out again

Song sung blue, weeping like a willow
Song sung blue, sleeping on my pillow
Funny thing,
But you can sing it with a cry in your voice
And before you know it start to feeling good
You simply got no choice

Song sung blue
Song sung blue
Funny thing,
But you can sing it with a cry in your voice


Song Sung Blue chords
Neil Diamond *

C C7 C . . .

C
Song sung blue
          G
Everybody knows one
G7
Song sung blue
             C
Every garden grows one

C7                              F
Me and you, are subject to, the blues now and then
    G
But when you take the blues and make a song
              C
You sing them out again
          Dm       G7
Sing them out again

C
Song sung blue
               G
Weeping like a willow
G7
Song sung blue
               C
Sleeping on my pillow

C7                                      F                 F C G F G
Funny thing, but you can sing it with a cry in your voice
G                      
And before you know it, start to feeling good
           C           G7
You simply got no choice

C  G  G7  C

C7                              F
Me and you, are subject to, the blues now and then
    G
But when you take the blues and make a song
              C
You sing them out again
          Dm       G7
Sing them out again

C
Song sung blue
               G
Weeping like a willow
G7
Song sung blue
               C
Sleeping on my pillow

C7                                      F                F C G F G
Funny thing, but you can sing it with a cry in your voice
G                      
And before you know it, start to feeling good
           C           G7
You simply got no choice

C              G
Song sung blue
G7             C
Song sung blue


* Alternate:

Capo III

C  = A
G  = E
G7 = E7
F  = D
C7 = A7
Dm = Bm

Jules Massenet- Meditation from Thaïs 

Absolutely divine melody solo for violin or flute- which touches every nerve ending within you.

Flute

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rnD3Qmfo-ag 

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DmWl21JALt8

Violin

Thursday, November 6, 2014

Moolight Sonata by Beethoven

One of my fav. piano classic, best heard before bedtime for guaranteed deep relaxation.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aWmj1bMR4Mo

The Piano Sonata No. 14 in C-sharp minor "Quasi una fantasia", Op. 27, No. 2, popularly known as the Moonlight Sonata, is a piano sonata by Ludwig van Beethoven. Completed in 1801 and dedicated in 1802 to his pupil, Countess Giulietta Guicciardi,[2] it is one of Beethoven's most popular compositions for the piano.
Four Seasons-Spring by Vivaldi

Enchanting and vivacious music to remind us of spring in the midst of the cold of the winter.

 The Four Seasons (Italian: Le quattro stagioni) is a set of four violin concertos by Antonio Vivaldi. Composed in 1725, The Four Seasons is Vivaldi's best-known work, and is among the most popular pieces in the classical music repertoire. The texture of each concerto is varied, each resembling its respective season. For example, "Winter" is peppered with silvery pizzicato notes from the high strings, calling to mind icy rain, whereas "Summer" evokes a thunderstorm in its final movement, which is why the movement is often called "Storm".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRxofEmo3HA

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

Bolero by Maurice Ravel! My all time fav.!

Bolera takes you, as a traveler on a most luxurious caravan through the beautiful and exotic countryside on a mystical journey towards joy and happiness. You just want to keep going on and marching on forward as if the journey never ends. So , relax and release all your stress and listen to this masterpiece to embark on a journey which you will never regret!

Boléro is a one-movement orchestral piece by Maurice Ravel (1875–1937). Originally composed as a ballet commissioned by Russian actress and dancer Ida Rubinstein, the piece, which premiered in 1928, is Ravel's most famous musical composition.
A wonderful rendition with over 15 million views on Youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-4J5j74VPw

Sunday, November 2, 2014

Indian Classical Vocal Training

It is never too late to learn. And, so its back to the basics starting with Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, Sa.  Some say that it takes a few years to get to know the Surs. But, it does take daily practice or Riyaz with an electronic tanpura playing in the background.

Found this wonderful young fellow on youTube who teaches Indian Classical vocals.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLiCdHoC1salw7gVflPxaOuxaBtT0ckOul