Rag Desh

Question 1

How is this type of music learned?

Answer 1

Oral Tradition

Question 2

Which section of this performance features the fixed composition?

Answer 2

Bhajan or Gat

Question 3

What is unique about the rag scale?

Answer 3

There are 6 ascending notes and 8 descending notes

Question 4

What instrument plays the drone?

Answer 4

Tambura

Question 5

Does Anoushka Shankar’s piece use a drone?

Answer 5

No, the sympathetic strings on her sitar do this by being strummed

Question 6

What is a tala?

Answer 6

A rhythmic cycle of 6,8,10,12 or 16 beats. A clap on string beats, a wave on weak beats.

Question 7

Name the instruments used in Tanwar’s performance

Answer 7

Cymbals
Voice
Tabla
Sarod
Pakhawaj
Sarangi

Question 8

Name the instruments used in Gorn’s version

Answer 8

Esraj
Tabla
Tambura
Bansuri

Question 9

What is a Tihai?

Answer 9

Marks the end of a section with 3 repeated phrases

Question 10

each raga is meant for a specific time of day during a specific season. when is rag desh meant to be played?

Answer 10

at night during the monsoon season

Question 11

what feeling is rag desh meant to give off?

Answer 11

a feeling of romance and devotion

Question 12

what instrument is the melody played on?

Answer 12

sitar or other pitched instrument (e.g. sarod or esraj) or sung.

Question 13

what are the notes of the rag - in order?

Answer 13

C, D, F ,G , B, C, Bb, A , G, F, E, D, C

Question 14

what is the drone and what instrument is it typically played on?

Answer 14

drone - can be one or two notes

traditionally played on a tambura/tempura (but often electronic nowadays)

Question 15

what is the rhythm like in rag desh and what it is played on?

Answer 15

a repetitive, cyclic rhythmic pattern called a tala

played on the tabla

Question 16

what is the typical structure of a rag desh? and what happens in each section typically?

Answer 16

Alap - metreless, no table, improvised using the rag

Gat (1&2) - tabla plays tala, pulse introduced, increased tempo. The melody in this section is usually composed.

Question 17

How does the vocal version of Rag Desh’s structure vary from the typical structure?

Answer 17

It has an Alap and then a Bhajan

(no Gat)

Question 18

what instruments are used in anoushka Shankars live version of Rag Desh?

Answer 18

sitar
2 table
drone (tempura/tambura)

Question 19

What happens in each section of Anoushka Shankars version of Rag Desh?

Answer 19

Alap - slow, no pulse (drone and sitar only), sitar improvises
Gat 1 - steady pulse, faster, table comes in & melody is composed
Gat 2 - a bit faster

Question 20

What happens in each section of the vocal version of Rag Desh?

Answer 20

Alap -sarod plays and singer improvises a melody in free time (based on the rag)
Bhajan (like gat but with singer) - tabla joins in, tempo increases. Fixed composition section.

Question 21

What happens in each section of the studio version of Rag Desh?

Answer 21

Alap - slow, no pulse, tambura drone and bansuri and esraj improvises
Gat 1 - steady pulse, faster, tabla comes in & melody is fixed composition
Gat 2 - lots faster

Question 22

what 3 techniques can you hear in the alap on the sitar in the live version? (Anoushka Shankar)

Answer 22

• strumming
• plucking
• bending of notes

Question 23

what 2 vocal techniques can you hear in the vocal version in the alap?

Answer 23

• vibrato
• scoops up to notes
• vocal slides (portamento)

Question 24

what 2 vocal techniques can you hear in the vocal version in the Bhajan

Answer 24

• lots of trills
• lots of portamentos
• more elaborate in vocal part

Question 25

In the studio version, name 2 things that are different in Gat 2.

Answer 25

- tabla plays a more complicated rhythm - melody is more structured - melody made up of runs of the raga