Rag Desh (Anoushka Shankar)

Question 1

Melody

Answer 1

• Played by Shankar on sitar
• Alap - intricate decoration improvised to melody line, explores notes of raga
• Gats - fixed composition but improvised flourishes and ornaments
• Sitar uses triplet phrasing called ‘chand’

Question 2

Harmony

Answer 2

• Based on raga - (scale/mode that ascends or descends but pitches and number of notes vary in each direction)
• Rag Desh raga has more notes descending and one is flattened

Question 3

Tonality

Answer 3

*Tonal centre is note C

Question 4

Structure

Answer 4

• Begins with alap - slow introductory section
• Gat is introduced - fixed composition but varied
• Tabla enters in jhaptal - dialogue with tihai
• Second gat - tabla in tintal tala
• Ends with sitar drone strings to create jhalla and then a final tihai

Question 5

Instrumentation/Timbre

Answer 5

• Sitar (long-necked string - strum, pluck and bend notes)
• Tabla - plays jhaptal with decoration, then tintal
• Dialogue in middle - alternate melody
• Sitar - drone strings - striking rhythmic effect called jhalla

Question 6

Texture

Answer 6

• Melody and drone
• Alap - no tabla - thinner but drone and decoration make it sound thick
• Melody with one instrument at a time - alternate improvisations

Question 7

Rhythm

Answer 7

• Begins free before tabla comes in
• Repetitive cyclic rhythm pattern called tala on tabla drums
• Competition between instrument and drum - copy each others rhythmic ideas while still keeping within cycle of tala
• Jhaptal (10 beats), tintal (16 beats)

Question 8

Tempo

Answer 8

• Alap - slow and unmetered - free rhythm, irregular pulse
• Gat 1 - medium tempo
• Gat 2 - faster - indicates change of gat, tintal introduced

Question 9

Mood

Answer 9

• Nighttime, rainy season

* Romance and devotion