India

Question 1

What are the two principle styles of music in India? Which regions are they characteristic to?

Answer 1

Hindustani - north - originally court music
Carnatic - south - often devotional

Question 2

Define rāga.

Answer 2

musical architecture used as the basis for melodic improvisation in India; used in both Hindustani and Carnatic styles

Question 3

Define swara.

Answer 3

“note”; ambiguity between transition of notes

Question 4

Define gamaka.

Answer 4

“ornamentation”; involves oscillating or gliding between a variation of pitches of a note

Question 5

Define tāla.

Answer 5

“time cycle”; comprable to meters; the theoretical background determining how rhythms appear in performance; Hindustani and Carnatic styles

Question 6

Describe the basic texture of music in India.

Answer 6

composed of melody, percussion, and shruti (drone)

Question 7

Identify and describe this instrument.

Answer 7

Sitar - Hindustani instrument; plucked chordophone in the lute family with melody strings, drone string, and sympathetic strings

Question 8

Identify and describe this instrument.

Answer 8

Sarod - Hindustani instrument; plucked chordophone in the lute family with melody strings, drone string, and sympathetic strings; somewhat weightier, deeper, and more resonant than the sitar

Question 9

Identify and describe this instrument.

Answer 9

Tanpura in Hindustani and Tampura in Carnatic; a plucked chordophone in the lute family that creates the shruti, or drone layer; usually played by a student

Question 10

Identify and describe this instrument.

Answer 10

Tabla - a pair of membranophones; one drum has a definite higher pitch and other drum has a low indefinite pitch; created by cutting the Mridangam in half

Question 11

Define alap.

Answer 11

improvised music exploring the raga; does not have a consistent or defined tempo

Question 12

Define gat.

Answer 12

music containing a tabla that has a firm pulse and a consistent defined tempo

Question 13

Define melisma.

Answer 13

when a single syllable is stretched over a long period of time.

Question 14

Identify and describe this instrument.

Answer 14

Veena - Carnatic instrument; plucked chordophone in the lute family with melody strings, drone string, and sympathetic strings; cousin to the sitar

Question 15

Identify and describe this instrument.

Answer 15

Mridangam - Carnatic instrument; membranophone

Question 16

Identify and describe this instrument.

Answer 16

The Shruti Box - Carnatic instrument; aerophone that creates the shruti, or drone layer

Question 17

Compare Carnatic and Hindustani membranophones.

Answer 17

Carnatic - Mridangam
Hindustani - Tabla; created by cutting the Mridangam in half; two drums, one with a definite higher pitch and the other with an indefinite lower pitch; sharper sound that Mridangam

Question 18

Compare Carnatic and Hindustani melodic instruments.

Answer 18

Carnatic - Veena
Hindustani - Sitar & Sarad
all are plucked chordophone in the lute family with melody strings, drone string, and sympathetic strings

Question 19

Compare Carnatic and Hindustani drone instruments.

Answer 19

Carnatic - Tampura & the Shruti Box
Hindustani - Tenpura
Tampura and Tenpura are different names for the same instrument, which is a plucked chordophone
the Shruti Box, in contrast, is an aerophone