Guidelines/Parameters for homespun Sadhana Mantras

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam all,A question came up yesterday morning at our Albuquerque community Sadhana:What and where are the guidelines for composing our own musical renditions of the Aquarian Mantras?  Respecting the power and precision of the Naad, we want to be sure we don't lose the 'magic' in the name of catchy tunes and phrasing.Thanks for any and all responses.Sumpuran Kaur

[Guest guest]

What a marvelous question!

 

Unfortunately (or not, perhaps), there are no guidelines that I know of. Shakti Parwha Kaur used to try to monitor the music and chanting styles for the morning meditations, but I believe she finally gave up in an act of surrender to the way things are.

 

In the technology of Gurmukhi, the mantras are written to have specific pronunciations and timings. A fair estimate of the pronunciation can be made with transliterations if someone does not read Gurmukhi, but I think it would be useful to pass it by someone who does read Gurmukhi before publishing a CD.

 

Syllables can have either one or two beats, or sometimes even half a beat, based on the vowel within a particular syllable. Some transliterations try to take this into account by using "AA" for a 2-beat syllable and "a" for a one-beat syllable, but the transliteration styles vary quite a bit with this.

 

Generally the accent of a syllable lands on the first long syllable, but there are some exceptions when certain consonants are used. Still it's a pretty good rule of thumb.

 

For me,one thing that musicians often do that throws of the feeling of the Naad is when a single syllable is sung over multiple notes. Many of our best musicians and ragis do this, though, and sometimes it is to conform to a particular raga or traditional style of music.

 

Remembering simplicity is important. Sometimes the music is so complicated, that it makes it hard for some people to follow and reproduce it. It's always important to remember that this is not performance music, but singing/chanting music.

 

Anyway, I so appreciate that you and your comrades are sensitive to the issue. Sadhana and chant music is clearly different from other music. Most musicians seem to me to emphasize the "musicality", or the beauty of the piece, more than the effect that it has through the power of Naad. Sometimes the power of the Naad comes out most clearly when little music is used at all (check out the nearly monotone approach of Livtar Singh's sadhana CD, probably the best sadhana CD for Naad that's out there, in my opinion).

 

Blessings,

Sham Rang Singh

 

 

 

In a message dated 4/20/2009 3:12:18 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time, miriam_friedland writes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat Nam all, A question came up yesterday morning at our Albuquerque community Sadhana:

 

What and where are the guidelines for composing our own musical renditions of the Aquarian Mantras? Respecting the power and precision of the Naad, we want to be sure we don't lose the 'magic' in the name of catchy tunes and phrasing.

 

Thanks for any and all responses.

 

Sumpuran Kaur

[Guest guest]

Sat Nam Sumpuran Kaur and Sham Rang,

I, too, really appreciate Livtar's Sadhana and also Siri Ved Kaur's,

which is Kirtan based in the Sikh tradition which can get pretty raga

like. Not enough can be said about the power of one note, or

vibration.... and then, as is the esthetic in Raga tradition, there is

a building on that one note (or natural) such that there is some,

hopefully skillful, artistic progression and then a return to that one

note. Warren Senders adequately and humorously describes this art form

in this short listen...

http://www.gongsongs.com/Warren.Senders_excerpt.mp3

 

That said "That which is a special dhwani, is bedecked with swara

(notes) and varna and is colorful or delightful to the minds of the

people, is said to be ra-ga" - Matanga in the Brihaddeshi.

- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raga

 

What is delightful to the minds of people can vary so very, very much.

I'll leave it for others to fill in the blanks. I will say there are only

a couple of a Sadhanas that are a lot of work, for me, to sit

through. I'm pretty tough and try to make the best of things. One thing

I like about the Sadhanas mentioned above is that they maintain one

"theme" throughout that is more than just a "feeling". I'm going to

fall short if I try to find words, but lets say there is a tradition

that they can fall back on.

 

Good luck Sumpuran, in finding that special Chord that resonates with

the Soul!

 

All the Zest,

Dharam Singh

Millis, MA

www.gongsongs.com

 

Love is the keynote, Joy is the music, Knowledge is the

performer, the Infinite All is the composer and audience.

Sri Aurobindo (1872-1950)

 

People say that the soul, on hearing the song of creation,

entered the body, but in reality

the soul itself was the Song.

--Hafiz (1320-1390)

 

dockhalsa wrote:

 

 

What

a marvelous question!

 

Unfortunately

(or not, perhaps), there are no guidelines that I know of. Shakti

Parwha Kaur used to try to monitor the music and chanting styles for

the morning meditations, but I believe she finally gave up in an act

of surrender to the way things are.

 

In

the technology of Gurmukhi, the mantras are written to have specific

pronunciations and timings. A fair estimate of the pronunciation can

be made with transliterations if someone does not read Gurmukhi, but I

think it would be useful to pass it by someone who does read Gurmukhi

before publishing a CD.

 

Syllables

can have either one or two beats, or sometimes even half a beat, based

on the vowel within a particular syllable. Some transliterations try to

take this into account by using "AA" for a 2-beat syllable and "a" for

a one-beat syllable, but the transliteration styles vary quite a bit

with this.

 

Generally

the accent of a syllable lands on the first long syllable, but there

are some exceptions when certain consonants are used. Still it's a

pretty good rule of thumb.

 

For

me,one thing that musicians often do that throws of the feeling of the

Naad is when a single syllable is sung over multiple notes. Many of

our best musicians and ragis do this, though, and sometimes it is to

conform to a particular raga or traditional style of music.

 

Remembering

simplicity is important. Sometimes the music is so complicated, that it

makes it hard for some people to follow and reproduce it. It's always

important to remember that this is not performance music, but

singing/chanting music.

 

Anyway,

I so appreciate that you and your comrades are sensitive to the issue.

Sadhana and chant music is clearly different from other music. Most

musicians seem to me to emphasize the "musicality", or the beauty of

the piece, more than the effect that it has through the power of Naad.

Sometimes the power of the Naad comes out most clearly when little

music is used at all (check out the nearly monotone approach of Livtar

Singh's sadhana CD, probably the best sadhana CD for Naad that's out

there, in my opinion).

 

Blessings,

Sham

Rang Singh

 

 

 

In

a message dated 4/20/2009 3:12:18 P.M. Eastern Daylight Time,

miriam_friedland writes:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sat Nam all,

A question came up yesterday morning at our Albuquerque

community Sadhana:

 

 

What and where are the guidelines for composing our own

musical renditions of the Aquarian Mantras? Respecting the power and

precision of the Naad, we want to be sure we don't lose the 'magic' in

the name of catchy tunes and phrasing.

 

 

Thanks for any and all responses.

 

 

Sumpuran Kaur<