Lesson video

Hello, my name's Ms. Rivers.

I'm glad you chose this lesson, and I'm looking forward to working with you.

I'll be helping you with your learning today.

This lesson is from the unit Spirituality.

How do music and silence express beliefs? The lesson is called "Inspiration through Music in Sikhi." By the end of the lesson, you will be able to explain how Sikhs use music in their worship.

You might already know something about how different people use music in their worship.

Today's lesson will focus on people with Sikh worldviews and we'll be listening to some of their music and learning about it.

Some of the learning will be new, but we can work hard and learn together.

The keywords for today's lesson are: Guru Granth Sahib, that's the Sikh holy scripture; kirtan, that's a Sikh song of praise to God; gurdwara, that's a Sikh place of worship; Waheguru, that's a Sikh name for God.

We'll be using these words all through the lesson, so listen out for them and see if you can spot them when they appear.

You might want to pause the video and have a look at these words and practise reading them.

In the first part of the lesson, we'll be listening to and learning about music that might be used in a Sikh place of worship.

How is music used in the gurdwara? This lesson uses theology to help us learn.

Andeep explains what we mean by theology in religious education.

He says, "Theologians are interested in stories, texts, and traditions.

We can better understand people's worldviews by examining the deeper meaning of these stories, texts, and traditions.

We can also look at the difference they make to people today." In this lesson, we'll be exploring the traditions of Sikh music and worship.

This will help us to understand more about seek worldviews.

Look carefully at this picture.

What sort of building do you think this is? What clues can you see on the picture that let you know what sort of building it is? Pause the video and look carefully at the details.

If there's someone near you, you might want to share your ideas with them.

This building is a gurdwara.

It's a Sikh place of worship.

I wonder if you spotted the dome and the orange flags.

Those are the details to let you know that this is a place where Sikhs come to worship.

Here's Mandeep.

Mandeep has a Sikh worldview.

He says, "I am a Sikh.

I pray at the gurdwara and also meet with other members of the Sikh community." People with a Sikh worldview like Mandeep come to pray at the gurdwara.

This is what the gurdwara looks like on the inside.

Look carefully at the picture.

I wonder what you can see.

What do you think the person sitting in the picture is doing? Pause the video and look at the details of the picture.

If there's someone near you, you might want to share your ideas with them.

Did you spot the big book on the stand that the man is reading? This is the Sikh sacred text.

It's called the Guru Granth Sahib and it lives in the gurdwara.

Sikhs sometimes say that the gurdwara is the home of the Guru Granth Sahib.

The word guru means teacher, so the Guru Granth Sahib is treated like a teacher at the gurdwara.

It's placed on a special platform to be read, as you can see in the picture here.

And the people who go to the gurdwara listen to the words just as though they are listening to a wise teacher.

Mandeep explains some more about the Guru Granth Sahib.

He says, "The Guru Granth Sahib is more than a holy book.

Sikhs treat it with great respect as our eternal living guru.

We believe that the wise words of the Guru Granth Sahib teach us how to live our lives.

I come to the gurdwara to listen to these words." So Mandeep is explaining how important the words of the Guru Granth Sahib are to him.

He listens to the words as though he's listening to a teacher, and he comes to the gurdwara so he can listen to these wise words from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Here's a check to see what we've learned so far.

What is the name of the Sikh sacred text? Is it A, Guru Nanak? B, Guru Granth Sahib? Or C, gurdwara? Pause the video while you think about your answer.

That's right.

The answer is B.

The name of the Sikh sacred text is the Guru Granth Sahib.

Well done if you remembered that keyword.

Here's a picture of the pages of the Guru Granth Sahib.

It's written in a language called Gurmukhi.

Mandeep tells us that at the gurdwara, they listen to and sing poems and verses from the Guru Granth Sahib.

The Guru Granth Sahib is full of lots of different poems and verses.

When Sikhs like Mandeep come to the gurdwara, they listen to these poems and verses, but they also sing them and put them to music, and that's an important part of their worship.

Music is really important for Sikhs.

It's always been part of their tradition.

This picture shows the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, and his friend who was a musician called Mardana, and you can see Mardana is holding a musical instrument.

Guru Nanak and Mardana travelled together.

Mardana would play music, while Guru Nanak spoke wise words.

There are lots of poems and verses by Guru Nanak in the Guru Granth Sahib, and many of them have been set to music so that people can sing them.

Here's another quick check.

True or false? Sikhs are not allowed to use music in their worship.

Is that true or false? Pause the video while you think about your answer.

That's right.

The answer is false.

Music is an important part of Sikh worship.

Sikhs sing verses from the Guru Granth Sahib when they worship at the gurdwara.

Well done if you chose the right answer.

Here's Ria.

Ria has a Sikh worldview.

She explains how music is used at the gurdwara.

She says, "At the gurdwara, we sing songs called kirtan.

Kirtan are poems and verses from the Guru Granth Sahib, set to traditional Indian music.

The gurus teach Sikhs that singing kirtan helps us to connect quickly to God in dark times." Did you spot that keyword kirtan? Kirtan means a Sikh song of praise to God.

And Ria has explained how Sikhs like her sing kirtan and it helps them to connect with God.

She explains that it especially helps her when times are difficult.

Look at the picture.

This picture shows Sikhs worshipping at the gurdwara.

If you look carefully, you'll be able to see the platform where some of the musicians are sitting to provide music for the people who are worshipping and singing.

Listen to the audio recording to hear these Sikhs singing kirtan at the gurdwara.

(Sikhs singing kirtan) Music is a very important part of worship at the gurdwara.

This picture shows some of the traditional instruments that you might see inside a gurdwara.

There are some drums called tabla and the other instrument is called a harmonium.

The microphones help all the people who come to worship hear the singing clearly.

Ria explains, "The traditional Indian music helps me to connect with God.

I focus on the meaning of the words as I sing and worship." Here's Ranjit.

Ranjit is in Year Four.

His family has a Sikh worldview.

He says, "I am learning to play a traditional Indian instrument called a harmonium.

The harmonium is played in the gurdwara.

I can already play a simple version of the Mool Mantar, one of Guru Nanak's most important poems in the Guru Granth Sahib." So Ranjit is learning to play some traditional kirtan on the harmonium, including the Mool Mantra.

The Mool Mantra is right at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib, and it's a song that Sikhs love to sing, and Ranjit is enjoying learning to play a simple version on the harmonium while he is learning.

Here's a picture of a harmonium.

You can see that it has a keyboard, a little bit like a small piano.

Ranjit says, "Soon, I will be able to play the harmonium to accompany Kirtan while people sing in the gurdwara." The Mool Mantar is a poem by Guru Nanak, which is found at the beginning of the Guru Granth Sahib.

The picture shows the Mool Mantar written in Gurmukhi script.

It begins with the words Ik Onkar.

The Gurmukhi letters for Ik Onkar are shown at the top of the picture, and you sometimes see these words used as patterns and decorations in a gurdwara.

Listen to the audio recording to hear the Mool Mantar being sung, accompanied by a harmonium.

(Mool Mantar playing in a harmonium) Here's a quick check for one of today's keywords.

What is the best definition of kirtan? Is it A, the Sikh holy book? B, the Sikh place of worship? Or C, the Sikh song of praise to God? Pause the video while you think about your answer.

That's right.

The answer is C.

Kirtan is a Sikh song of praise to God.

Well done if you chose the right answer.

We've learned some different things about how Sikhs use music at the gurdwara.

Mandeep explained how Sikhs like him listen to and sing poems and verses from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Ria explained that the worship songs are called kirtan.

She told us that the music helped her to connect with God.

Ranjit told us that he is learning to play the harmonium, so that he can accompany the kirtan at the gurdwara.

Now it's time for us to do a task.

Do you remember this picture of Sikhs worshipping at the gurdwara? Use this image and the sentence starters to help you to explain how music is used in the gurdwara.

Try to use at least two of today's keywords, gurdwara, kirtan, and Guru Granth Sahib.

Here are the sentence starters to help you.

Many Sikhs use music to.

They do this because.

Some Sikhs might.

Pause the video while you do your task.

How did you get on with explaining how music is used in the gurdwara? You might have said something like this.

Many Sikhs use music to sing words from the Guru Granth Sahib.

They do this because they believe music helps them to connect with God.

Some Sikhs might learn to play an instrument, such as the harmonium, so that they can accompany kirtan at the gurdwara.

Did you spot the keywords I used in my sentences? I wonder if you managed to use some keywords in your sentences too.

Well done for working hard on the task.

In the second part of the lesson, we'll be thinking more about music and how it inspires Sikhs to worship.

How might Sikhs use music in their worship? A lot of music at the gurdwara is based on Indian classical music, and there are strict rules for how the music is composed and played.

Musicians follow these strict rules when they're accompanying worship at the gurdwara.

The rules help the musicians to create different moods depending on the meaning of the text.

Some of the rules help the musicians to create music for different times of day, so there might be music for the morning or music for the evening.

Sometimes there is special music for special occasions at the gurdwara, such as a wedding or a special reading of the Guru Granth Sahib.

Here is Pradeep.

Pradeep is a Sikh priest.

He explains more about how music is used for worship at the gurdwara.

He says, "The musical rules help the worshipers and musicians to focus on worshipping God when they sing her kirtan." So Pradeep is explaining that because all the musicians and worshipers know the rules, they don't have to think about them.

They can just focus on worshipping God while they are singing.

Ranjit explains more about how he is learning to use and play music for worship.

He says, "The musical rules seem complicated at first.

There is a lot to remember.

Once I have learned the rules, I will be able to improvise and make changes.

I want my music to suit the words so that people at the gurdwara can worship as they sing kirtan." So Ranjit understands that as he gets better at playing his harmonium, he'll be able to improvise.

That means he can change the music as he is playing because he wants his music to suit the words and to suit the mood so that it helps people to worship.

Here's a quick check.

True or false? Sikhs can play music at the gurdwara however they want.

Is that true or false? Pause the video while you think about your answer.

That's right.

The answer is false.

Sikhs don't play the music in any way they like.

There are musical rules to make sure that the music helps Sikhs to worship and to focus on God.

Well done if you chose the right answer.

Here's Ria again.

She is explaining how she uses music to worship.

She says, "At the gurdwara, we have music for different times of day.

My favourite is the morning music, for singing kirtan early in the day.

It sounds like the sun rising as the darkness melts away.

It reminds me to wake up my mind towards God and be thankful for a new day." Listen to the audio recording to hear a morning kirtan.

This is music that would be played at the beginning of the day at the gurdwara.

(morning kirtan playing) Here's another quick check.

True or false? All music at the gurdwara sounds the same.

Is that true or false? Pause the video while you think about your answer.

That's right.

The answer is false.

Sikh music has many different moods and arrangements to suit the time of day and the meaning of the words.

Well done if you've got that answer right.

Here's Mandeep again.

He is explaining how he uses music to worship.

He says, "When I sing kirtan at the gurdwara, I am looking for meaning in the words.

The mood of the music helps to bring the message of the words deeply into my life." So Mandeep is explaining how important the music is to him to help him to understand the meaning of the words.

The mood of the music makes him think about what he's singing and it helps him to think deeply as he worships.

Pradeep explains more about some of the traditions Sikhs follow in their worship.

He says, "Sometimes Sikhs repeat a single word, such as Waheguru, many times.

Repetition helps us meditate and feel close to God.

Life is full of repetition.

We breathe in and out.

Repetition in worship reminds me that Waheguru is in everything." Did you spot that keyword Waheguru? It's a Sikh word for God, and Pradeep explains that sometimes Sikhs repeat this word many times and it helps them to meditate.

Pradeep explains that the repetition isn't boring, it's just a reflection of life.

Repetition is part of all our lives, such as breathing in and out, or our daily routines.

For Pradeep, the repetition in worship reminds him that God is in his life every day in all of those routines.

Here's a quick check.

Which of these is a Sikh name for God? A, Waheguru? B, Guru Granth Sahib? C, Guru Nanak? Pause the video while you think about your answer.

That's right, the answer is A Waheguru is a Sikh name for God.

Well done if you got that answer right and remembered one of our keywords.

Do you remember how Pradeep explained that sometimes Sikhs repeat the name Waheguru lots of times to help them meditate.

Listen to this audio recording to hear Waheguru being repeated during Sikh worship at the gurdwara.

(Sikhs singing and repeating Waheguru) Here's Ranjit again.

He explains how Sikhs use music for worship.

He says, "Some Sikhs use music for meditation, others like to focus on words.

I am beginning to learn about what's important to me when I worship at the gurdwara.

My mum says that as I sing and play kirtan, I will find my own way to connect with Waheguru." So Ranjit has recognised that Sikhs use music in different ways as they worship.

Some Sikhs use music to meditate and others focus on the words.

He understands that as he grows and learns, he will find the way that is best for him.

Whatever he chooses, the important thing is being able to connect with God as he worships.

Here's a quick check.

Why do some Sikhs chant Waheguru, the name of God? Is it A, to help remember a tune? B, to meditate and feel close to God? Or C, to help read the Guru Granth Sahib? Pause the video while you think about your answer.

That's right, the answer B.

Some Sikhs chant Waheguru because it helps them to meditate and to feel close to God.

Well done if you chose the right answer.

We've learned a lot about how different Sikhs use music in their worship.

Mandeep uses music to help him to focus on the meaning of the words from the Guru Granth Sahib.

Ria explained how she sings kirtan using morning music to wake up her mind to God and give thanks for a new day.

And we learned from Pradeep that he uses repetition of the word Waheguru to help him meditate and feel close to God.

Here's a task.

Andeep wants to explain how Sikhs use music for worship.

He says, "Music is very important to Sikhs.

Sikhs find many ways to include music in their worship at the gurdwara." Your task is to help Mandeep to explain how Sikhs use music in their worship.

Use examples from the Sikhs we've met, Mandeep, Ria, and Pradeep.

See if you can include some keywords from today's lesson in your explanation, Pause the video while you complete your task.

How did you get on? Did you manage to use examples from the case studies to help Andeep to explain how Sikhs use music in their worship? You might have said something like this.

Andeep could explain that Sikhs use words from the Guru Granth Sahib when they sing kirtan.

Some Sikhs, like Mandeep, like to focus on the meaning of the verses and the poems. Some Sikhs, like Ria, enjoy music at different times of day, such as morning kirtan, to give thanks for a new day.

Some Sikhs, like Pradeep, repeat words like Waheguru over and over to help them meditate and connect with God.

Maybe you had some different ideas.

I wonder if you managed to use some of the keywords in your answer.

Well done for working hard on the task.

We've learned a lot about music in Sikh worship in our lesson today.

We've learned that the Guru Granth Sahib is full of poems and verses, and that words from the Guru Granth Sahib are sung in the gurdwara.

We've learned that many Sikhs will use music to connect with God by singing sacred songs called kirtan.

We've learned that Sikhs use different moods and settings of words from the Guru Granth Sahib in their daily worship, and we've learned that many Sikhs meditate through constant repetition of the name Waheguru.

Well done for working so hard in this lesson.

I've enjoyed working with you.