Statistical Musicology: Embracing Hindustani Ragas

The authors of this book propose to computationally analyze both the structure and the performance of Hindustani classical music. Under the structure, they have taken up certain fundamental aspects like aroh (ascent), awaroh (descent), pakad (catch), etc. of the more common ragas. Under performance, other features like note duration, inter onset interval, and pitch movements between the notes have also been considered. Both statistics and probability are extensively used, including statistical modeling. The authors have also analyzed raga-based songs whose role in promoting Hindustani classical music among laymen cannot be denied. An open research problem of assessing the raga content in such songs is addressed as well. This book would be useful for musicians, musicologists, researchers in music history, aesthetics, statistical musicology, and advanced undergraduate and postgraduate students of music and musicology.