Rag Desh Flashcards
How is this type of music learned?
Oral Tradition
Which section of this performance features the fixed composition?
Bhajan or Gat
What is unique about the rag scale?
There are 6 ascending notes and 8 descending notes
What instrument plays the drone?
Tambura
Does Anoushka Shankar’s piece use a drone?
No, the sympathetic strings on her sitar do this by being strummed
What is a tala?
A rhythmic cycle of 6,8,10,12 or 16 beats. A clap on string beats, a wave on weak beats.
Name the instruments used in Tanwar’s performance
Cymbals Voice Tabla Sarod Pakhawaj Sarangi
Name the instruments used in Gorn’s version
Esraj
Tabla
Tambura
Bansuri
What is a Tihai?
Marks the end of a section with 3 repeated phrases
each raga is meant for a specific time of day during a specific season. when is rag desh meant to be played?
at night during the monsoon season
what feeling is rag desh meant to give off?
a feeling of romance and devotion
what instrument is the melody played on?
sitar or other pitched instrument (e.g. sarod or esraj) or sung.
what are the notes of the rag - in order?
C, D, F ,G , B, C, Bb, A , G, F, E, D, C
what is the drone and what instrument is it typically played on?
drone - can be one or two notes
traditionally played on a tambura/tempura (but often electronic nowadays)
what is the rhythm like in rag desh and what it is played on?
a repetitive, cyclic rhythmic pattern called a tala
played on the tabla
what is the typical structure of a rag desh? and what happens in each section typically?
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.
How does the vocal version of Rag Desh’s structure vary from the typical structure?
It has an Alap and then a Bhajan
(no Gat)
what instruments are used in anoushka Shankars live version of Rag Desh?
sitar
2 table
drone (tempura/tambura)
What happens in each section of Anoushka Shankars version of Rag Desh?
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
What happens in each section of the vocal version of Rag Desh?
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.
What happens in each section of the studio version of Rag Desh?
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
what 3 techniques can you hear in the alap on the sitar in the live version? (Anoushka Shankar)
- strumming
- plucking
- bending of notes
what 2 vocal techniques can you hear in the vocal version in the alap?
- vibrato
- scoops up to notes
- vocal slides (portamento)
what 2 vocal techniques can you hear in the vocal version in the Bhajan
- lots of trills
- lots of portamentos
- more elaborate in vocal part
In the studio version, name 2 things that are different in Gat 2.
- tabla plays a more complicated rhythm
- melody is more structured
- melody made up of runs of the raga