Hindustani Classical Music Hindustani Classical Music is the art music of northern regions of the Indian Subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian Classical Music or Sastriya Sangit. Hindustani music places more emphasis on improvisation and exploring all aspects of a raga. The central notion in both these systems is that of a melodic mode or raga, sung to a rhythmic cycle or tala. Indian classical music has seven basic notes with five interspersed half-notes, resulting in a 12-note scale. The performance is set to a melodic pattern called a raga characterized in part by specific ascent (aroha) and descent (avaroha) sequences, "king" (vadi) and "queen" (samvadi) notes and characteristic phrases (pakad). Register Now