Top 10 Classic Indian Music Instruments

Imagine you have to live in the world where there is no sound, where you don’t hear the sound of buses and rickshaws which indicate that life is safe, where you find no sound while pressing the keyboard keys, where there is no thing called noise and where there is no feeling of peace generated while listening to music. The world would have been full of silence; the nature would have been incomplete which is filled with the rhythm of waves, chirping of birds, roaming of cattle, sound of water droplets in rain and much more. The world is perfect because there is a specific sound of everything and that sound is the proof of their presence. There are some sounds which are naturally present in this universe but some sounds are artificially developed. The purpose of making different sounds is making this world a loving and peaceful place. We can’t deny the fact that the sound completes our life so different instruments are built in order to make different sounds that can help people living life peacefully. These instruments have been developed centuries ago and have been adding spice and sugar in lives of people. Below are some instruments that perform their task of spreading peace very well.

10-Clarinet

Clarinet is a cylindrical woodwind instrument that has single-reed mouthpiece. It was invented by Johann Christoph Denner in Germany at the beginning of 18^thcentury by adding more keys to the already present instrument called Chalumeau. The Clarinet family is the largest woodwind family in music world because it consists of various types of Clarinets with different sizes and pitches.

9-Trumpet

Trumpet has significant importance in history. It is believed that during romantic age, Trumpet was used as a device to announce, signal and proclaim in Egypt, Greece etc but later on, it got its folded form and was recognized as the musical instrument that was used to produce harmonic tones. There are various parts of Trumpet I-e bell, finger hooks, valve casing, piston and lead pipe. These parts perform different functions in order to produce various sounds with high and low pitch. Trumpet was highly used in 17^th to 18^th century by famous composers like Michael and Leopold in their musical works.

8- FUE (Japanese word for flute)

Fue is the Japanese word for flute that belongs to the woodwind family. Unlike the instruments with reeds, flute is a reed-less wind instrument that produces its sound from the flow of air across an opening. Flute has historical and religious importance in Hinduism. The lord Krishna is depicted as a lord carrying a flute through which he pleases the world with the musical notes. There were various changes made in the flute designs and functions. The modern flute was invented by Theobald Boehm in which there was a cylindrical body attached to a parabolic head. Europe is more famous for making wooden flutes while silver is commonly used in USA.

7-Trombone

The original design of trombone is derived from the old instrument called sackbut. It is an ancient and famous musical instrument which has different kinds that produce different sounds. Different pitches are made by changing the lip position; when player squeezes or loses his lips different sound with different pitches are made. The person who plays trombone is called trombonist. In this early 19^thcentury, trombone was used in bands and classical music. It was also used to produce sacred music in churches. By the end of 19^th century, it was found in the hands of early jazz musicians in USA.

 

6- Guitar

The history of guitar can be traced back to approximately 4000 years ago. The ancient instrument called “Tanbura” was the first instrument which was similar in shape as guitar but there was difference in functionality. The name Guitar is derived from the Sanskrit word for string “Tar”. The current shape of guitar has been evolved from various ancient instruments for example: the curved structure, holes in base and strings were the part of Spanish instrument vihuela which now are part of modern guitar. Guitar is also called the mathematical instrument because the notes in the guitar follow certain mathematical formula.

5- Sitar

Sitar is one of the most popular musical instruments of north India. The origins of sitar are not known but it is said that it first appeared in 17^thcentury after the mogul empire. It is also believed that idea of sitar is evolved from Persian lutes played in mogul courts.  Sitar has not only the significant importance in terms of music but also it is culturallyimportant for people. There are two categories of sitar I-e the single toomba and the double toomba. Today, Sitar is more popular in India; People, mainly women, take special lessons to learn the sitar.

 4- Tabla

Tabla is basically an Indian instrument having culturally, religiously and devotional importance. It is played in temples to recite religious poems. The word Tabla is derived from Arabic word “Tabl” which means drums. The technique is to move the hand in various positions and configure the palm to produce variety of tunes and rhythms. The origins of Tabla are still unknown. Some says that it was originated in 14^th century but other says that Tabla is the result of fusion of Arabic, Persian, Turkish and other drums that already existed in time.

 

 3- Daf

Daf is drum like instrument which is originated in Middle East. It has different forms and variations played in different countries but it is more popular in Iran and Greece. It is famous for its soft sound and clear tone. It is made of bent wood over which animal skin is stretched. The outer shell is generally hollow. It is also traced that Daf is part Iranian religious music much before Sufism. The spirituality and devotion found in Iranian music is largely spread by playing this frame drum like instrument Daf.

2-Tombak

Tombak is Eucharistic-shaped wooden instrument covered by the membrane of goat skin. It is widely played in Iran. The name Tombak is combination of two words. “Tom” means one low stroke in centre and “bak” means one high stroke on the side of membrane. The instrument is played by using both hands and by rolling the fingers in different ways. The melodic and rhyming tunes are produced because of the rich variety of tones and texture.

1-  Clavichord

Clavichord was invented in 14^th century. It is a European stringed keyboard instrument which became popular in 14^th to 16^th century. The name Clavichord is derived from two Latin words; Clavis means “key” and chordis means “string”. The sound is produced by hitting brass or iron strings with small metal blades called tangents. Today, Clavichord has gained attention in other genres of music like jazz pop and classical. The people who are inclined towards clavichord try to engage users by telling peculiar characteristics about clavichord. Much of the music written for piano can be played by Clavichord but it fails to convey the tune in right manner due to having inadequate volume.

Tags: clarinet family, classic music, different instruments, harmonic tones, johann christoph denner, keyboard keys, mouthpiece, music instruments, music world, musical instrument, peaceful place, piston, rickshaws, romantic age, sound of water, types of clarinets, valve casing, water droplets, woodwind family, woodwind instrument

Top 10 Best Hindi Singer 2013

India since long has been a musical nation. Be it the ancient kings – the Mughals or the Maratha - who preferred and appreciated every possible form of music that existed then or the people of India who firstly switch to music for every possible form of expression. Every festival , every celebration , every occasion is supported by some form of music and dance. The Bollywood movies are popularly called as musical movies in the foreign countries due to their high music content and the Indian music is highly cherished by the foreigners. Indian film industry that is Bollywood has completed a 100 glorious years of cinema recently. With this we have also seen a 100 years of some of the best music and some of the finest musicians and singers of the world. Many Indian singers of the golden era are world renowned till today. They are irreplaceable no doubt. Be it Mohammad Rafi or Kishore Kumar , Lata Mangeshkar or Asha Bhosle there is just no substitute for them even til today. But with the changing time many new singers have emerged which have proved remarkable. These new singers who have already spend a considerable time in the industry have their own unique quality that is appropriate for the today’s generation. Many singers from the neighboring country Pakistan have made a mark in the Indian industry. So today we have some of the finest singers here giving a totally new life to the Hindi songs. Into the year 2013 some singers are already way ahead of the others. The following are the top 10 Hindi singers that are rocking every Indian and Hindi know-er in the world to their beats.

10. Mika Singh

Mika Singh is the younger brother of the prominent Punjabi singer Daler Mehndi. Daler made it large into the Punjabi movies. With respect to Hindi he has some famous albums to his name and recently some Hindi numbers in movies. Mike unlike his elder bro made it large into Bollywood. After his hit number ” Sawan me lag gayi aag” and various other albums he got a break into Bollywood  His prominent song which marked his success was ” dil me baji guitar ” from Apna Sapna Money Money. Since then there is no turning back. He has given one after the other hit numbers that have rocked the nation. His songs have the peppiness desired by the young population of India. He today sings for big stars like Akshay Kumar, Saif Ali khan , John Abraham etc.

9.Neeraj Shridhar

Another singer who made it to Bollywood after a successful pop career. Neeraj made it big into the music world with a totally unique version of music. Neeraj has some super hit album under the name ‘” Mumbai Vikings”. Neeraj remixed some of the popular golden era songs to English lyrics. The songs had the same rhythm but completely different feel. The old melodies were transformed to modern day dance numbers still keeping up their grace. He made it into Bollywood and his first prominent hit was ” Hare Krishna Hare Ram” from movie Bhul Bhulaya. Since them he has given amazing songs like Tum Mile , Tumhi ho Bandhu etc. He is one of the most popular singer these days.

8. Anushka Manchanda

This lady is the one who was born with a remarkable destiny. She rose to the heights of fame from being a no one. Anushka’s singing career started with a reality show aired on Channel V that formed the first all girls band VIVA. Anushka was one of the member of the band. She out stood with a completely different quality and texture to her voice. She got her break with the super hit tittle number for the movie ” Golmaal”. This gave her an entry into the industry. She is known for her various peppy numbers and is one of the most popular young female singers in the industry. She has given number of super hit songs most of them being dance numbers and therefore rock the nation all over.

7. Mohit Chauhan

Mohit Chauhan is one of the most melodious singers in Bollywood. He too started his career with his album as a pop singer. He made his mark in Bollywood with his truly melodious song ” Tum se hi” from Jab We Met. This song marked his career and brought the true magic of his voice to the masses. He became one of the most popular singers on the count downs and award shows. His Song ” pi lun” gave hi m the tittle of the man with a velvet voice, His famous from various other movies have brought him to the front of the race among the singers. Be it romance or sorrow he has the quality of imparting perfect emotions to the lyrics. His songs are very popular among the young population.

6. Sonu Nigam

Sonu Nigam is a big name in Bollywood. He is not only a prominent singer but also has a good reputation and popularity over seas as well. He is often given the tittle of the most stylish singer. He is the man with a divine voice. He started as a host for the show Sa Re Ga Ma which was the most respected singing talent show and many existing Bollywood singers have come from it. Sonu is a versatile singer. Every possible genre is ruled by him. He is also an amazing Mimicry artist. He has given some very hit albums. Tu Kab Ye Jane Gi was before he made it to Bollywood. After making it big into the industry also he keeps his connection with the pp world as well. He is one of the highly rated singers in industry today.

5. Sunidhi Chauhan

Sunidhi Chauhan is one of the most talented and versatile female singers in the industry. She made her debut with the movie Mast and with it started her career as a successful play back singer. She is one of the strong singers out there. Sunidhi is known for her deep voice and her ability to modulate her voice as per the song. She has sung for almost all the actresses working today. She is the choice when its about the item numbers. She just knows it how to put energy to the songs. Her song Dekh Le from super hit Munna Bhai MBBS could not have been what it is if sung by anyone other than Sunidhi Chauhan. She has her own essence and is one of the most demanded singers today.

4. K.K.

Krishnakumar Kannauth is more popularly called as K.K. He also started his career just like Shaan by singing jingles for ads. He then got the opportunity to launch his album Pal which became a super hit. Soon he got an entry into Bollywood. He made his debut into Hindi industry with “Tadap tadap ke” which got so popular that it became almost an anthem for the heart broken lovers. K.K has sung some super hit songs and today is best known for his romantic numbers. He also sings for Tamil industry. He is one of the successful singers out there today.

3. Rahat Fateh Ali Khan

Rahat Fateh Ali khan is a Sufi singer from Pakistan who made a mark for himself in Bollywood with his unique voice and strong classical base. He rose to fame with ” Laagi tumse mann ki lagan” and ” Tujhe dekh dekh sona”. Since them he has stayed here to rule the musical world with back to back chart busters. His recent hit ” Dagabaaz re” from Dabaang 2 is still ruling the chart busters. He is one of the most qualified and popular singer sin the Hindi cinema today.

2. Shreya Ghoshal

Shreya has being singing since her childhood. As a young girl she became a part of the Sa Re Ga Ma and consistently won the show. On one of the show director Sanjay Leela Bhansali noticed her talent and she got her dream break in the movie Devdas. At that time she was just a 12th grade student. Today Shreya is the most successful female singer in the industry. She has given her voice to all the actresses and has sung duets with big singers. She has also been awarded National award for her singing. She is beautiful , melodious and smart. She has it all that is required to make a name.

1. Shaan

Shantanu Ghosh popularly called as Shaan also made it into industry from the world of pop music. He has been a part of very successful music work both national and international. He is not jus a singer but also a lyricist and a composer. His solo album has been awarded MTV Asia award as well. He made it to Bollywood and has lend his voice to almost all the mega stars of the industry. He is one of the most successful singers today. His voice has a charm that no can match. He also gets involved actively with the composing team of the movie for which he sings. He also hosted various music talent shows.

10 Interesting Justin Bieber Facts you dont know

Whether we love him or hate me, we all have heard about Justin Bieber and have probably logged onto Youtube to know what he is all about. The world is divided when it comes to Biebers, while there are a large number of teenagers who cannot help but go gaga all over this now nineteen year old; there are a significant number of people who cannot stand Beliebers and the pop star they idolize. Justin Bieber today, stands as an influential internet sensation with there being tweets by the second about this star. There is so much that we do not know about this face that is making news all over the internet. Here is a list of 10 interesting facts about Justin Drew Bieber that could help you get to know him a little better.

10. He has been listed by Forbes Magazine as the third most powerful celebrity

Forbes Magazine is world-renowned for it’s listings of the worlds most powerful and influential. He has been around for barely half a decade, yet, Bieber finds himself occupying a spot in this coveted list in the year 2012. He is, according to Forbes Magazine, the third most powerful celebrity on this planet. With a growing fan-base and increasing collaborations with popular singes, Justin Bieber is making himself a discernible and stable place in the show business and it is getting increasingly difficult to ignore this young pop-star.

9. Justin Bieber wishes to emulate Michael Jackson

Michael Jackson is better known to the world as The King of Pop; he has influenced and inspired millions with his career spanning decades and replete with high-profile music awards. Justin Bieber, who has established himself taking inspiration from various Pop artists, has claimed that he wishes to be Michael Jackson some day. That is a tough model to replicate, as there has been no one who could come close to the signature music created by the deceased musician. The ambitions are clearly lofty and many critics feel that it could be an out of reach dream for this young pop star. The pop star wishes to model his career related decisions on the ones made by the late King of Pop. He wishes to cater to his fan’s wishes while keeping his personal life under wraps. The young star has struggled to keep his personal life away from the public glare. It seems that Bieber has already started to try and infuse a Michael-esque touch to his songs. His song Maria has clearly drawn from Jackson’s hit-maker, Billie Jean. Another icon Bieber really looks up to is none other than Elvis Presley. Despite how much fame he has already garnered, the young star has a long way to go before he can hope to hold the same place as the two icons that he idolizes.

8. Justin Bieber’s hair sold for $40, 668 on E-bay

We all are aware of the obsession Belieber’s have over their favourite star. Justin Bieber’s locks, that are known to be frizz free, courtesy his hair-stylist Vanessa Prince were sold on e-bay for a staggering 40,668 dollars. Vanessa Prince has said that she works relentlessly to make sure that the teenaged star does not step out with a single frizz. She said she uses Kesari Indian Oil Serum to get his locks to behave. Perhaps, this should not come as a surprise that the signature Justin Bieber that so many people try to imitate costs $750. While stars are known to splurge on their hair-care, Bieber’s hairstyling are clearly elitist. The singer spends more than $1,500 only on his changing hair-cuts, which leave his fans swooning.

7. Bieber sports a total of fourteen tattoos

The pop-star got his first tattoo when he was aged sixteen, a seagull, which is a part of his family tradition as there is much speculation that members of his family too sport similar tattoos. From there he went on to get Jesus inscribed in Hebrew, a tattoo of praying arms on his calf, an American Indian on his back, A crown on his chest, An owl on his left arm now joined by an angel and a tiger. There is much buzz going on that Bieber may probably go in for a full sleeve ink on his left arm. We all have heard of celebrities having their own addictions, some bordering on quirky. Clearly, Bieber is addicted to getting ink. The most poignant of his inked marks has to be the word ‘BELIEVE’ which drives most of his fan-base, the beliebers.

6. Bieber is the youngest star to have five albums to top charts in the United States of America

With the release of his album ‘Believe Acoustic’ that features that acoustic versions of his debut album ‘Believe .1.0’ , Bieber now occupies the coveted title of being the youngest star to have five of his albums top charts. He also happens to be one of the nine artists in the history of the Billboard to have their album holding the number one position for four consecutive years. At nineteen, very few tend to make it to the top and hold such records, clearly, despite having received mixed reviews from the world, he is soon transforming into a force to reckon with.

5. Justin Bieber has more followers on twitter than the entire population of Canada

Justin Bieber has more followers on twitter than quirk queen Lady Gaga. He has more than 3.9 million followers who faithfully retweet most of his tweets leaving twitter flooded with the two words Justin and Bieber. On January 21 2013, Justin Bieber became the most followed person on twitter, beating Lady Gaga who previously held the position. Justin Bieber’s twitter account is estimated to be worth $9,000,000. His first tweet was at 8:27 pm on May 11, 2009. He has been the trending topic numerous times over, however he was really thrilled the first time.

4. His track ‘Baby’ is one of the most viewed music videos on YouTube

The music video of Justin Bieber’s track Baby on JustinBieberVEVO is one of the most viewed music videos with over 668 million views. The song has received a fair share of hate and love. There is a constant argument between the haters and lovers, and currently the video has over 2 million dislikes. The song has been criticized for being too puerile and immature. However, Beiber’s faithful fan-base are currently defending him on online battles where there are long threads of conversations between haters and lovers. Bieber has openly admitted that hate messages have once driven him to tears, and his track Baby happens to be one that isn’t loved very much. There have been countless parodies of the song raging from absurd to hilarious. Daniel Radcliffe went on record saying that he thought Justin Bieber was a female when he first listened to one of his songs. He claimed his ignorance in the field of pop to be the cause of his misidentification.

3. He met Usher in a park

We all know about his collaboration with star artist Usher. But little do we know that Justin Bieber actually met Usher in a park. What is interesting is that Usher initially turned down the offer to collaborate with young Bieber, who at that time was free to instead consider a collaboration with famous pop artist Justin Timberlake. However, Bieber was adamant to collaborate with Usher and did not give up, he tried and waited till Usher watched his videos and saw in him the talent that today makes him quite desirable among high-pitched, squeaky, teenaged girls. That’s the story behind the collaboration that raised quite a number of eyebrows in the pop-world. Bieber has since performed with many chart topping modern day pop artists like Nicky Minaj.

2. Justin Bieber has been sued for Child Support and Paternity

Amidst all that basking in fame and newfound glory, Justin Bieber also found himself at the receiving end of a lawsuit of child support and paternity. The appellant, Mariah Yeater claimed that her now three month old baby is the result of a backstage encounter with the pop star that she alleges lasted for a minute, adding insult to injury. Bieber denied these claims and called them defamatory. He even offered to undergo a DNA test to prove that he is not the father of the child. These charges were soon dropped by her.

1.Justin Bieber can solve the Rubik’s cube in 47 seconds

Most of the cyber world obviously assumed that the teenage pop-star who writes sappy songs with little to no real meaning or soul would obviously not be much of a braniac. Ofcourse, they are all in for a real surprise. This emerging pop artist is capable of solving a rubik’s cube in 47 seconds, leaving much of his audience astonished. There are videos of him solving the Rubik’s cube in under 47 seconds on the internet and if you find this hard to believe, you can feel free to look it up.

'Gentleman', Psy's follow up to 'Gangnam Style' already breaking YouTube records

'Gentleman', Psy's follow up to 'Gangnam Style' already breaking YouTube records

"Gangnam Style" star Psy's new music video had received more than 50 million views on YouTube by Monday, re-writing the video-sharing site's records for single-day hits.

The dance video to "Gentleman", the South Korean singer's long-awaited follow up to "Gangnam Style, was only posted on YouTube at 9:00 pm (1200 GMT) on Saturday.

In the first 24 hours, it racked up around 20 million hits, destroying the previous record for single-day views of 8.0 million, set by Canadian heartthrob Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" video in May 2012.

Now that record looks set to be stretched again, with the view count about 40 hours after release standing at 51 million.

"51million views in 40hours!! My God!!!" the 35-year-old star exclaimed on his Twitter account.

The video shows Psy, wearing his signature sunglasses, dancing at various locations in and around Seoul including a high-end clothing store, restaurant, swimming pool and a library.

The storyline features the singer teasing and playing practical jokes on women, such as pulling their chairs away as they are about to sit or untying a woman's bikini top at a swimming pool, before meeting his match.

It was the video of "Gangnam Style", and in particular Psy's signature horse-riding dance, that pushed him to global stardom last year after it was posted on YouTube and turned into a viral sensation.

A satire on the luxury lifestyle of Seoul's upscale Gangnam district, it has become the most-watched YouTube video of all time, registering more than 1.5 billion views since it debuted last July.

"Gentleman" was ranked in the top 10 songs on iTunes stores in a number of countries Monday, including France, Canada, New Zealand, Denmark and Sweden. It also topped the chart in Finland.

Critical reactions to the song were mixed but the video showing the quirky singer's signature self-mocking humour as well as the new hip-swivelling dance left many fans satisfied.

"The song isn't all that great but let's face it. The video is actually hilarious," wrote one Youtube commentator.

"I just love the fact that neither he nor the dancers are taking themselves too serious, but seriously enough to pelvic sway with perfect synchronization," wrote another.

VIA NDTV