American classical music is music written in the United States but in the European classical music tradition. In many cases, beginning in the 18th century, it has been influenced by American folk music styles; and from the 20th century to the present day it has often been influenced by folk, jazz, blues, and pop styles.Jazz music is sometimes referred to as American classical music, mainly by jazz musicians. They feel that, being as jazz originated in America, jazz is the true American classical music.

If “classical” can be taken to mean what it often in fact means, “serious”, then the earliest American classical music consists of part-songs used in religious services during Colonial times. The first music of this type in America were the psalm books, such as the Ainsworth Psalter, brought over from Europe by the settlers of the Massachusetts Bay Colony. The first music publication in English-speaking North America — indeed the first publication of any kind — was the Bay Psalm Book of 1640.

Many American composers of this period worked (like Benjamin West and the young Samuel Morse in painting) exclusively with European models, while others, such as William Billings, Supply Belcher, Daniel Read, Oliver Holden, and Justin Morgan, also known as the First New England School, developed a native style almost entirely independently of European models. Many of these composers were amateurs, and many were singers: they developed new forms of sacred music, such as the fuguing tune, suitable for performance by amateurs, and often using harmonic methods which would have been considered bizarre by contemporary European standards. Some of the most unusual innovators were composers such as Anthony Philip Heinrich, who received some formal instrumental training but were entirely self-taught in composition. Heinrich traveled extensively throughout the interior of the young United States in the early 19th century, recording his experiences with colorful orchestral and chamber music which had almost nothing in common with the music being composed in Europe. Heinrich was the first American composer to write for symphony orchestra, as well as the first to conduct a Beethoven symphony in the United States (in Lexington, Kentucky in 1817).

In the early 20th century, George Gershwin was greatly influenced by African American classical music however, this was during an era of legally enforced Jim Crow racial segregation during which his music perhaps enjoyed undue fame owing to the refusal of white listeners to listen to music that formed Gershwin’s sources.On the other hand, he created a convincing synthesis of music from several traditions once considered to be irreconcilable, and which continues to enjoy enormous popularity.In the 1980s, after a period during which self-defined American “classical” composers like John Cage adopted atonal structures and thought of themselves less American than Modern composers, Philip Glass revived tonality and traditional genres, such as opera in works like Einstein on the Beach. Glass re-created a semi-mass market for “classical” music, made in America because audiences outside of an avant-garde had simply refused to sit still for Modernist, atonal music, whether from America or Europe.

The Samaveda, one of the four Vedas, describes music at length. The Samaveda was created out of Rigveda so that its hymns could be sung as Samagana; this style evolved into jatis and eventually into ragas. Indian classical music has its origins as a meditation tool for attaining self realization. All different forms of these melodies (ragas) are believed to affect various “chakras” (energy centers, or “moods”) in the path of the Kundalini. However, there is little mention of these esoteric beliefs in Bharat’s Natyashastra, the first treatise laying down the fundamental principles of drama, dance and music.

Indian classical music has the most complex and complete musical systems ever developed. Like Western classical music, it divides the octave into 12 semitones of which the 7 basic notes are Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa, in order, replacing Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti Do. However, it uses the just intonation tuning (unlike most modern Western classical music which uses the equal temperament tuning system).

Indian classical music is monophonic in nature and based around a single melody line which is played over a fixed drone. The performance is based melodically on particular ragas and rhythmically on talas.

The Main genres of Indian Classical Music are Hindustani classical music ( originally from North India) & Carnatic music (Originally from South India)

In Hindustani music, the performance usually begins with a slow elaboration of the raga, known as alap. This can range from long (30-40 minutes) to very short (2-3 minutes) depending on the style and preference of the musician. Once the raga is established, the ornamentation around the mode begins to become rhythmical, gradually speeding up. This section is called the drut or jor. Finally, the percussionist joins in and the tala is introduced. Instruments typically used in Hindustani music include the sitar, sarod, tanpura, bansuri, shehnai, sarangi and tabla.The prime themes of Hindustani music are romantic love, nature, and devotionals.

Carnatic music tends to be significantly more structured than Hindustani music; examples of this are the logical classification of ragas into melakarthas, and the use of fixed compositions similar to Western classical music. Carnatic raga elaborations are generally much faster in tempo and shorter than their equivalents in Hindustani music. The opening piece is called a varnam, and is a warm-up for the musicians. A devotion and a request for a blessing follows, then a series of interchanges between ragams (unmetered melody) and thaalams (the ornamentation, equivalent to the jor). This is intermixed with hymns called krithis. This is followed by the pallavi or theme from the raga.Instruments typically used in Carnatic music include venu, gottuvadyam, veena, mridangam, kanjira, ghatam and violin.

Indian classical music has given wonderful musicians to the world. Notable vocalists include Kesarbai Kerkar, Roshanara Begum, Subbulakshmi, G. N. Balasubramaniam, Balamuralikrishna, Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar, Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, D. V. Paluskar, Abdul Karim Khan, Abdul Waheed Khan, Faiyaz Khan, Amir Khan, Bade Ghulam Ali Khan, Kumar Gandharva, Omkarnath Thakur, Narayanrao Vyas, Mallikarjun Mansur, Nazakat and Salamat Ali Khan, pandit Bhimsen Joshi, Mogubai Kurdikar, Kishori Amonkar, Ulhas Kashalkar and Rashid Khan.