kirtan again

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam,

 

First...you can ask as many questions as you want! Sound, mantra,

music, chanting and Gurbani Kirtan are vast and rich realm! My

kirtan teacher once said that, the more you know, the more you learn

that there is to know.

 

So...to answer your questions:

 

First: In Gurbani Kirtan (and other forms of classical Indian

music), there is something called 'raga' or 'raag'. Raag refers to

the scale that the music is played in and also the nuance of how you

play the music in that scale. For example, you may play all the

notes going up but leave out some when descending the scale. You may

focus on certain notes more than others and sing them in a special

way. It's not 'chords' necessarily...it's more the scale. The raag

is also played at a specific time of day for a specific effect.

 

Most of the chant music in Kundalini Yoga is not played in Raag. Sat

Kirin Kaur has recorded some CDs in Raag. In the Western Sikh

community, some shabads ('songs' from the Sikh scriptures) are played

in raag and others are not.

 

As a musician, I find that there's nothing quite like singing or

hearing a shabad played properly in raag. However, chanting any of

these sacred words with proper rhythm and intent is great. Yogi

Bhajan loved all expressions of music and encouraged us to create,

compose and play music often.

 

Second question: Where do you learn. It depends upon where you are

and who you can find to teach you. People teach at Solstice events

and Women's camp. My teacher will be here next year at about this

time. Some teachers come from India and teach periodically. I think

Sat Kirin Kaur from NYC teaches as well.

 

Keep asking questions!

 

Blessings...Dev Suroop Kaur

 

Kundalini-Yoga , " jreneeworks "

<jreneeworks wrote:

>

> ok, last question. so ARE there sacred chords in mantras? If so,

how

> do I find out what they are?

>