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What draws us to music is a deep sense of connection with it. The mantras of the Vedas, the chemistry of sound vibration in recitation, chant and song and the evolution of a sophisticated art music with traces of an ancient music, all have a hidden underlying aim. This book follows a progression from basic principles of sound and hearing to different kinds of song within the Indian tradition. It emphasises some of the influences which ancient forms of language, scale and song have had on the subsequent evolution of music as an art form.

Music is the first language of mankind. It can express the cosmos, its order and rhythm as well as emotion. Although vocal music is pivotal to understanding North Indian music, the voice only produces what the ear hears. There are different levels of audible and inaudible hearing. The mouth is an important instrument for producing sound. It has a specific architecture. There are techniques for activating sound energy within this space, which have been described by ancient Sanskrit phoneticians and which are still true today. Science has confirmed many things which were described long ago when it was understood that every syllable and tone is a vibration, visible as well as audible, differing only in emphasis. The mantras of the Vedas, together with the accents used in recitation, are sacred songs and something more. It is the something more which is important. The mudras (hand gestures) which accompany some styles have both an obvious and a subtle purpose. Ear, mouth and hand in recitation represent a fundamental unity which can be demonstrated neurophysiologically.

From simplicity to complexity; a sophisticated art music evolved after this early form of song with a myriad interesting ways of moving from tone to tone, creating different aesthetic effects and heightening the emotions.

"When ancient music is compared with modern music, one will no doubt find a gulf which is too vast to span. But if there is anything which gives some idea of the original music of the human race, it is Eastern music, which still has traces of the ancient music in it."

(Hazrat Inayat Khan)