Classical music of the Indian subcontinent is based on two central principles, ‘sur’ (musical note) and ‘lai’ (rhythm). The systematic organisation of musical notes into a scale is known as a ‘raag’. Each raag is distinguished from the other by a variety of features including the number of notes it consists of, the ascent and descent of the scale, and special emphasis on particular notes. Music is heavily dependent on feeling and emotion and Indian classical music is no different. Each individual raag has its own character and personality, in order for the true feeling or ethos to be conveyed to the listener, a particular time is ascribed to each raag whilst some raags are even suited to a particular season.

The arrangement of rhythm (lai) in a cycle is known as ‘taal’. Each composition is set to a rhythmic cycle, the first beat of each rhythm cycle is known as the 'sum' and great stress is placed upon it. Over the years, the importance of the rhythm accompanists has increased and they are encouraged to improvise and undertake short solo pieces during the performance. The main rhythm instrument used for accompaniment is the tabla. The likes of Ustad Ahmedjan Thirakwa, Ustad Alla Rakha and his genius son, Ustad Zakir Hussain have been responsible for transforming the tabla into a popular solo instrument.

Improvisation plays a major role during a performance. The success of a performance depends on how creative and imaginative the performing artiste is. The artiste has to continuously develop and improvise the performance and yet be careful that the overall mood and structure of the performance is not spoilt. A competent vocalist will always make sure that the correct structure of the raag is maintained whilst improvising in order to retain the purity of the scale.

The major genres of classical music in the sub-continent are dhrupad and khayal. Dhrupad is sadly approaching extinction in Pakistan despite the tenacity of vocalists Ustad Hafeez Khan and Ustad Afzal Khan who have managed to keep this art form alive. Khayal is by far the most popular genre of classical music in North India and Pakistan. The majority of classical musicians are from hereditary families and belong to a 'gharana'. A gharana can be considered to be a school of thought by which a musical style is preserved, taught and propagated to subsequent generations. A gharana’s success depends on how strongly it retains its distinct style, repertoire and techniques whilst incorporating fresh ideas without altering the authenticity. The gharanas flourished during the rule of nawabs and maharajahs who actively patronised the arts. The major gharanas of khayal are Qawwal Baccha, Gwalior, Agra, Kirana, Rampur, Patiala, Delhi, Kirana and Shamchaurasi. The gharana system and indeed classical music are in a process of decay in Pakistan. The lack of patronage and the decline of hereditary musicians taking up classical music has led to classical music becoming a static art form. The situation in neighboring India is faring better, mainly because of active promotion of classical music to the masses. Over the years this has resulted in a growing number of musicians from educated and prominently middle class backgrounds outnumbering hereditary musicians as professional musicians.

Light classical music genres are thumri, ghazal, tappa and kafi. Very often performers conclude their recitals with a light classical piece. Ghazal is very popular in both India and Pakistan, mainly due to the fact that it combines romantic Urdu poetry with music. Artistes such as Ustad Barkat Ali Khan, Mehdi Hassan, Begum Akhtar, Farida Khanum and Ghulam Ali have been responsible for raising the status of ghazal singing to be bracketed as a light classical genre.