Indian Music

Question 1

Instruments

Answer 1

• Tabla:
  - Drums: Tala cycle
• Sitar:
  - Like guitar
• Bansuri:
  - Wooden flute
• Esraj:
  - Harsher sound than sarangi
• Tambura:
  - Plays drone throughout
• Sarangi:
  - Similar to the esraj
  - Fretless = sliding between notes
• Sarod:
  - Similar to Sitar
  - Mellower in sound however
  - Fretless

Question 2

Raga structure

Answer 2

• Raga:
  - Scale of notes
  - Over 200 types
  - For different times of day/season
  - Can mean scale or Indian classical music in general
• Tala:
  - Rhythmic cycle
  - Many different talas
  - Different lengths
  - Played by Tabla
• Alap:
  - Opening section of raga
  - Free metre, slow tempo
  - Improvised based on raga scale
  - Tambura plays drone
  - No tala cycle (tabla)
• Gat:
  - Middle Section
  - Composed
  - Oral tradition
  - Two or more instrumentalists
  - Tala cycle
• Jhalla:
  - Final section
  - Fast tempo
  - Improvised
  - Virtuosic
  - Sitar: Drone strings hit repeatedly