'Rag desh' North Indian Classical Music Flashcards
What three pieces are we studying
Instrumental raga by authentic Indian performers
Instrumental raga by Americans
A vocal raga
Genre
North Indian classical music- Raga
Passed on through oral tradition
Meaning of rag Desh
Played in the evening
Mood is monsoon season
Rhythm
Tala- a rhythmic cycle
Sam- first beat of each cycle
Bol- rhythms played around the main beat of the Tal
Structure
Alap
Jhor
Jhalla
Gat (vocal- Bandish)
Alap- Tempo
Slow and thoughtful
Alap- Metre/Rhythm
No sense of beat
Free time
Alap- Features
Improvised
Soloist explores the notes of the rag
Drone throughout (tambura)
Jhor- Tempo
Steady/ medium
Jhor- Metre/Rhythm
A clear, regular sense of pulse
Jhor- Features
More rhythmic
More elaborate
Tempo is increased
Jhalla- Tempo
Fast/ lively
Jhalla- Metre/ Rhythm
Fast pulse
Exciting and complex rhythms
Jhalla- Features
High point in piece
Virtuoso playing
Climax of the whole piece
Gat or Bandish- Tempo
Moderate or fast
Gat or Bandish- Metre/ Rhythm
Tabla introduces tala
Gat or Bandish- Features
Fixed composition introduced (song or prepared solo)
Conversation between drummer and soloist
Prepared melodic line has improvised flourishes
Harmony/ Tonality
No sense of harmony
Melody is the most important thing
Harmony is linear- melody+ drone
Melody
Improvised using the notes of the chosen rag
Each rag represents a different mood (rasa)
Sung/Sitar/Sarod
Texture
Melody
Drone- (1-2 notes, tambura)
Rhythm- (Tala, tabla)
Instrumentation
Tambura Tabla Sitar Sarangi Sarod Bansuri Shenhai
Most important instrument
Voice
Instruments ranked in order to how close they sound to the voice
Tambura
4 strings, playes the drone, helps sitar stay in tune, adds to the texture
Tabla
Two small drums: Byan (big, ceramic and copper) Dyan (small, wood and tuning pegs)
Sitar
Sitar- plucked strings, hollowed out gourd (resonator) moveable frets, 7 metal strings, 2-3 are drones, 12 sympathetic strings vibrate
Sarangi
like a violin, fretless, accompanies the singers
Sarod
plucked strings, fretless, use of meen
Bansuri
Flute without keys
Shenhai
Oboe- double reed
