Commonalities Between Music and Language- Dr Gayathri S , Educationist and Musician

 

COMMONALITIES BETWEEN MUSIC AND LANGUAGE

Music is an art form, whose medium is sound. It is a system of beautiful sounds in orderly fashion. It is the combination of tune, rhythm, emotions and feelings expressed through vocal sounds.

 Language is the systematic and conventional use of ‘sounds’ for the purpose of communication or self-expression (Crystal, 1995).

There are commonalities between music and language which are shown in the diagram given below.

            

Both music and language have specific structures and governed by rules. Music is the combination and permutation of various notes result in different tunes, ragas and rhythm. Whereas speech is the result of various vowel and consonant sounds arranged in specific way. The sounds form words and words form sentences. Sound is the medium for both music as well as speech. Nada and Shabda are the synonyms of the word sound in music. “Sounds are systematically organized in all human languages” (NCF, 2005). Music is also system of beautiful sounds in orderly fashion.

The main function of music and language is communication. Max Muller says “We may speak in singing and sing in speaking”.Music is rightly styled the language of emotions. Music is powerful vehicle for the portrayal of feelings (P. Sambamurthy, 1982).

Music and language have commonality in expressing emotions. Navarasas like humorous, pathetic, furious, valorous, fearful, odious, love, wonder. For effective reading and speaking these emotions and gestures play a  very significant role.

Comprehension, expression and appreciation are the important objectives of any language. In music also these play a very significant role. When one is able to comprehend/understand and express feelings, ideas, thoughts naturally, he appreciates and enjoys the rhyme, rhythm, ideas, meanings in the language as well as music. When one understands the meaning of the song or a piece of music then only one can experience the  Rasamrita or Navarasas in higher order of learning of both music as well as language. Though at primary levels students only like the music and rhythm, but in later stages of learning, concentrates on lyrics also. This is the responsibility of the teacher to create awareness on lyrics (language and literature) aspects while teaching. 

            Totally in the spoken language pronunciation stress, intonation, duration (rhythm), rhyme and pauses are same in vocal music and language. For example: It is difficult to understand the speech of Robot, i.e., without stress and intonation than person who speaks with natural intonation and rhythm and expressing with feelings and emotions. Like wise in singing also one has to follow the grammar of language.