Although “Norwegian Wood” by The Beatles wasn’t the first song to incorporate elements of Eastern music, it plays a significant role in the development of raga rock. Raga rock is a form of music that has heavy Indian influence, in musical structure, timbre, and use of musical instruments, such as the sitar and the tambourine. The Beatles inspired other artists to use elements of Indian music in their music, and this paper will talk about the characteristics of Indian music, and how “Norwegian Wood” changed rock music.
When raga rock first started in the mid-1960, artists played drones, which is a harmonic effect where a chord or a continuously sounding note can be heard throughout majority or the entire piece. Many artists incorporated Indian elements in rock music when raga rock first started, but the concept didn't become popular until the release of “Norwegian Wood” in 1965. Everybody had their reasons for using Indian instruments or musical form. For example, George Harrison developed a passion for Indian philosophies and ideals when The Beatles visited India and wanted to compose a song that would evoke something that wasn't found in rock music. Other artists such as The Yardbirds' and the Rolling Stones' used Indian elements in their song because they wanted to experiment with sound.
Psychedelic rock also started around the mid- 1960s, and is centered on the use of psychedelic drugs, as well as how the drugs affect the perception of music. Some early psychedelic rock musicians first started out playing genres such as jazz and blues, but some focused on raga rock. They’re similar to each other as they both have common themes that include drug use, sexuality, and spirituality. "Indian music was a central ingredient in the 1960's magical mythical mix which combined Indian religion and culture and objects with hallucinogenic drugs." At first, artists used the guitar and the electric guitar to imitate the sound of the sitar, but later raga rock songs used an actual sitar in the piece. Ravi Shankar, a well-known sitar player from India, helped popularize raga rock. Shankar engaged Western audiences by writing pieces for sitar and orchestra, and performing worldwide.
Indian classical music can be split into two different categories, North and South Indian music. North Indian music is called Hindustani, while South Indian music is called Carnatic. Beatles used the sitar in “Norwegian Wood, an instrument that's found in North Indian music. Although the sitar is used, “Norwegian Wood” isn’t categorized as Hindustani music because it doesn't contain elements. Indian music has two fundamental elements, raga and tala. "Raga is defined in one standard Indian Classical music text as the 'modal system of Indian classical music; a melodic more distinguished form others by a potential variety of elements: selection of pitches (scale-type), melodic shape, melodic motive, pitch hierarchy, pitch register, ornamentation, and mood." Each raga has its symbolic relation to mood, time, and season, and the musician can re-arrange the order of the notes in order to fit the feeling they want. Ragas that are used in Hindustani music include alap (opening), jor (comes right after the alap), and jhala (the climax). A tala means the musical meter in Indian classical music. The literal translation of tal means "clap," and talas are typically established by clapping hands, striking fingers on the palm of the other hand, or on a percussion instrument. Talas are long, complicated cycles that consist of 7, 12, 6, 8, or 10 beats. Empty beats are essential in Indian music, which is shown by the hand gestures. Repetition is commonly found in Indian music, although the repetition doesn’t need to be exact. Call-and-response is also an important aspect of Indian music.
The term Orientalism used by historians and scholars to for the depiction of Eastern culture in the Western world. Indomania is one of the terms that developed from orientalism, and it refers to the Western interest in Indian culture. This was especially common in Germany. Many people thought that Indian music was exotic and exciting.
"Indian music offered exotic instruments and a new and exciting sound. Unlike the complexities and introversion of the bebop and cool jazz favored by the beats, understood only by the elite in-group of underground coffee-houses and jazz bars, or the dissonant aloofness of the classical music avant-garde, here was a new music with its diatonic or mode-like ragas, relaxing drone, and exciting rhythms that seemed at once exotic and immediately accessible and enjoyable"
In response to this, artists start to experiment with using Indian music in their new compositions.
“Norwegian Wood” was the first pop record to use an actual sitar in the piece and is played in a guitar-like fashion to sound European. It is in triple time, either in 6/8 or 12/8, and contains riffs that keep the waltz meter steady. The riffs also open each verse and end the song. "The overall effect is folksy in feel, far removed from the heavy back-beat and driving bass guitar sound associated with The Beatles at that time." George Harrison was inspired to incorporate the sitar into the piece after meeting Ravi Shankar and during the studio recordings for The Beatles’ movie Help. The melodic material is based on the Mixolydian mode (C D E F G A Bb C), which is the equivalent of the khamaj tal in North India classical music. Khamaj is one of the 10 Thaats, or parent scales that serves as the foundation for ragas, found in Hindustani music. Norwegian Wood doesn't have a sense of drone, despite the fact that drones are commonly found in Indian classical music.
¬¬“Norwegian Wood” was inspired by Indian music, but doesn’t sound Indian. “The sitar used as a kind of idealized acoustic/electric guitar with its ability to bend and sustain notes – it is often featured taking lead breaks like the guitar” After the song was released, George Harrison began to compose songs to sound more like Northern Indian music. At first, the sitar was the instrument commonly used by artists. As time went by, more Indian instrument such as the tabla: two single-headed, barrel-shaped drums that are slightly different in size and shape, and the tambura: a long-necked plucked stringed instrument that's used as a drone. “Love You To”, a song released in 1966 by The Beatles was the first song composed entirely on the sitar, and featured Indian musicians playing the tabla and the tambura, with Harrison playing the sitar.
Norwegian Wood by The Beatles is extremely influential in the development of raga rock and psychedelic rock. Music is constantly evolving through experimentation, and rock music is a great example of this. The beginning of rock music and rock music during The Beatles era is completely different, and artists keep incorporating new ideas and cultures into their music.