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Discovering the Elements of Music – Class 8 Arts Chapter 5 Notes & NCERT PDF

Class 8ArtsChapter 5NCERT book: Kriti - Arts Class 8

Notes and a simple summary of Chapter 5 of the NCERT Class 8 Arts book, with the official chapter PDF, flashcards, an MCQ quiz and an AI tutor for your doubts.

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Chapter 5: Discovering the Elements of Music (Music)

Introduction

The Music section of Kriti opens with a verse from Matanga's Brihaddeshi (Chapter 3, Verse 264):

Yoyam dhwanivisheshastu swar varna vibhushitah I ranjako janachittanaam sa raga kathato budhayi II
The sound which is pleasant to the ears of human beings and which has been aesthetically structured with swar and varna (aroha, avaroha and other special features) is termed as raga by the knowledgeable.

When we listen to a piece of music or sing a song, it is made of smaller parts. The chapter names the main elements of music — melody (raga), rhythm (tala) and lyrics (sahitya) — and shows, through voice exercises, shlokas, konnakkol and tabla bols, how they come together.

Key Ideas

1. Building your voice

  • Range (Activity 5.1): your vocal range is the span from the lowest to the highest note you can sing comfortably. The book gives a pattern for the lower register (mandra saptak): S, SṆS, SṆḌṆS, SṆḌPḌṆS, SṆḌPṂPḌṆS — each line goes one note lower and comes back. You are asked to create a similar pattern for the higher register (tara saptak).
  • Keep the head and neck in a neutral position so you do not strain your voice or throat.
  • Flexibility (Activity 5.2): sargam patterns in teentala such as SRSG, RGMG, SGRG, SRGM — sing slowly first, then increase the tempo.

    • 2. Harmony

    Different notes can be sung at the same time to produce a pleasant effect. This is called harmony.
  • In Grade 7 you sang canons, the first step towards harmony. Activity 5.3 divides the class into two groups singing different parts at the same time, including a "warmup in thirds".
  • Singing in harmony is an example of collaboration; a duet or jugalbandi is another.

    • 3. Sanskrit verses and rhythm (Activity 5.4)

  • Sanskrit verses are set in a particular metre called chhandas.
  • The shloka from the Rudra Yamala — Omkaaram Bindu-Samyuktam, Nityam Dhyaayati Yoginah, Kaamadam Mokshadam Chaiva, Omkaaraaya Namo Namah — is recited in Anushtup Chhand.
  • Meaning: salutations to Shiva, represented by the syllable 'Om', on whom yogis meditate and who grants desires and liberation.
  • While reciting, you notice the syllables fall into a pattern of 4; clap along to feel the rhythm.

    • 4. Konnakkol and swaras in adi tala (Activities 5.5–5.6)

  • Konnakkol is the rhythm language of Carnatic music.
  • Adi tala has 8 beats, kept as: clap, little finger, ring finger, middle finger, clap, wave, clap, wave.
  • The 8-akshara phrase is ThaKaDhiMi ThaKaJhaNu (4 + 4 = 8).
  • Speeds: 1st speed — 1 count per beat; 2nd speed — 2 counts per beat; 3rd speed — 4 counts per beat. Each change doubles the syllables — a link to maths (multiplication and ratio).
  • Activity 5.6 repeats this with swaras (S R G M P D N Ṡ).

    • 5. Tabla patterns in Hindustani music

  • Great tabla players created patterns such as Paran, Chakradhaar, Uthaan, Fard and Palta.
  • After recalling the bols of Ektaal, you recite the Saraswati Paran composed by Swami Pagal Das ("Jayati Jayati Jaya Maatu Saraswati…").
  • Laya patterns (Activity 5.8): Ek gun — 1 bol per beat; Dugun — 2; Tigun — 3; Chaugun — 4.

    • 6. Leading and participating in an ensemble (Activity 5.9)

  • Form groups of 15–20 students, learn a song and assign roles: conductor (keeps the performance synchronised), lead singer, chorus singers, instrument players, and support by clapping or body percussion.
  • Every member matters for a successful performance.
  • Example: the Maihar Band, founded by Ustad Allauddin Khan, known for a harmonious blend of many instruments.
  • The chapter ends with the patriotic song "Jayati Jayati Bharata Mata" (credit: Sangeet Natak Akademi).

    • Activities in the Chapter

  • 5.1 Range — mandra saptak practice; invent a tara saptak pattern.
  • 5.2 Flexibility — sargam in teentala at increasing tempo.
  • 5.3 Warmups in harmony — two groups, two parts.
  • 5.4 Recite the Anushtup shloka and clap its pattern of 4.
  • 5.5–5.6 Konnakkol and swaras in adi tala at three speeds.
  • 5.7 Saraswati Paran; 5.8 ek gun to chaugun; 5.9 ensemble with roles.

    • Key Terms

  • Raga — melodic framework (राग)
  • Tala — rhythmic cycle (ताल)
  • Sahitya — lyrics (साहित्य / गीत के बोल)
  • Mandra saptak — lower octave (मन्द्र सप्तक)
  • Tara saptak — higher octave (तार सप्तक)
  • Vocal range — span of notes you can sing (स्वर-सीमा)
  • Harmony — different notes sung together pleasantly (सामंजस्य)
  • Canon — singing the same tune starting at different times (अनुकरण गायन)
  • Chhandas — metre of a verse (छन्द)
  • Konnakkol — spoken rhythm syllables (कोन्नक्कोल)
  • Akshara — a beat unit/syllable in Carnatic rhythm (अक्षर)
  • Paran — a tabla composition (परन)
  • Dugun / Chaugun — double / four-times speed (दुगुन / चौगुन)
  • Ensemble — a group performing together (वृन्द)

    • Artists & Traditions

  • Matanga (Brihaddeshi) — defined raga.
  • Swami Pagal Das — composer of the Saraswati Paran.
  • Ustad Allauddin Khan — founder of the Maihar Band.

    • Connect to Your Life

    Notice harmony when a choir or a family sings together; try clapping adi tala while chanting a shloka; take on the conductor's role in your class song.

    Common Mistakes

  • Confusing range (lowest to highest note) with loudness.
  • Straining the neck while reaching low notes — keep it neutral.
  • Thinking the 3rd speed is "3 counts per beat" — in the book's konnakkol exercise it is 4 counts per beat; tigun (3 per beat) belongs to the Hindustani laya list.
  • Believing only the lead singer matters in an ensemble.

    • Let's Reflect

  • Why does each speed change double the number of syllables?
  • How can harmony and jugalbandi teach collaboration outside music?
  • Self-check with the chapter's outcomes: recite konnakkol, shlokas and bols; sing a patriotic or folk song; sing note patterns in harmony.

    • 💡 Key Learning Points

    • ✓Music is built from melody (raga), rhythm (tala) and lyrics (sahitya)
    • ✓Vocal range and flexibility grow through mandra/tara saptak and sargam exercises
    • ✓Harmony means different notes sung at the same time; canons, duets and jugalbandi build it
    • ✓Sanskrit verses follow metres (chhandas) such as Anushtup, which reveal rhythm patterns
    • ✓Konnakkol in adi tala and tabla laya (ek gun to chaugun) show how speed multiplies rhythm

    👨‍🏫 Teaching Tips

    • →Start each class with the mandra saptak ladder (S, SṆS, SṆḌṆS …) and ask pupils to invent the tara saptak version
    • →Split the room into two halves for the 'warmup in thirds' so pupils hear harmony forming
    • →Have pupils clap while reciting the Omkaaram shloka and count the groups of four syllables
    • →Teach the adi tala hand gestures (clap, three fingers, clap-wave, clap-wave) before konnakkol
    • →Link konnakkol speeds to a maths discussion: 8, 16, 32 syllables per cycle
    • →Run Activity 5.9 in groups of 15–20 and rotate the conductor role
    • →Play a Maihar Band recording to show many instruments blending
    • →Use the chapter's assessment table for observation-based formative feedback

    📋 Assessment Questions

    1. Can the student name the three main elements of music?
    2. Can the student recite ThaKaDhiMi ThaKaJhaNu in adi tala at 1st, 2nd and 3rd speed?
    3. Can the student explain harmony and sing one part while another group sings a different part?
    4. Can the student recite the Anushtup shloka while clapping its rhythm?
    5. Does the student take a clear role and cooperate in the ensemble activity?

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    Keep learning

    All chapters in Kriti - Arts Class 8

    1. 1. Bringing Words Alive — Play Reading
    2. 2. One Stage, Many Scripts
    3. 3. From Page to Stage
    4. 4. Applause and Advice
    5. 5. Discovering the Elements of Music
    6. 6. Musical Instruments
    7. 7. Indian Classical Music
    8. 8. Inspiration and Imagination
    9. 9. My World of Music
    10. 10. Inner Dynamics of Dance
    11. 11. Pan Indian Dance Forms
    12. 12. Dance for Well-being
    13. 13. Innovation, Inclusivity and Inspiring Change
    14. 14. A Presentation of Dance and Choreography
    15. 15. Elements and Principles of Visual Art and Design
    16. 16. Still Life in Colour
    17. 17. People in Places
    18. 18. Arts of the People, With the People, For the People
    19. 19. Campaign for Art Awareness