Understanding Sound as a Wave We all remember from school physics that sound travels as a wave. Something initiates the wave, it travels through the air, reaches our ears, and we perceive it as sound. In music, what initiates this wave is either the human voice or a musical instrument. At the source of vibrations, they are typically very weak and need a resonating body  to amplify them. This resonating body is what completes the instrument: In voice:  The wave is initiated in the vocal cords,...

What is swara in Indian classical music? If you’re new to Hindustani Classical Music, the word swara (often translated as “note”) shows up everywhere. But what exactly is a swara—and how is it different from any other sound we hear in daily life?

Alaap and Bandish in Raga Bhairav Bhairav undoubtedly is the best way to begin your day. Although, instrumentalists today seem to prefer...