The subject of this book is the Rags, and the whole tonal and scalar basis of north Indian music. The important features are considered in detail-the structure of melody, the effect of the drone, ornamentation and intonation, the function of accidentals and so on. These are related to a brilliant and well-documented survey of the evolutionary process that have shaped the Rags of today. With many cross references between Eastern and Westernmusic traditions, the author shows how noth Indian music is a dynamic, and not a static, system and the principles that emerge from his fascinating discussion cannot fail to illuminate the idiom for both theoretician and listener.  

A free Audio CD with this book.

Nazir Ali Jairazbhoy (1927-2009) was the former President of the Society for Ethnomusicology and founder of the Archives and Research Centre for Ethnomusicology (ARCE) of the American Institute of Idnian Studies, New Delhi. He was internationally recognized as a leading expert on Indian music and culture, as well as fieldwork mrthodology, archiving, organology, ethics and technology. He retired as Emeritus Professor from the Department  of Ethnomusicology at the University of California (UCLA), which awarded him recognition for nearly twenty years of distinguished service.

His publications number over one hundred, and include articles as well as audio and video productions concerning both classical and folh music of India, some cast in a fictional vein.