Rhythms of the World Flashcards

1
Q

How is Indian classical music performed?

A

It is learnt by ear, from memory, and through a master performer.
Performers often sit cross-legged on the floor.
Performances can last several hours and are of o determinate length.
The majority of the performance will have been improvised.

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2
Q

What are the three main parts that make up most Indian classical music?

A

Raga, drone, tala.

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3
Q

What is a raga in Indian classical music?

A

It forms the melody, and each particular one is often allotted to its own time of day, or year.

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4
Q

What kind of instrument will play the raga in Indian classical music?

A

Sitar, sarod, bansuri, shehnai.

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5
Q

What is a sitar?

A

A stringed instrument, which is usually plucked. It is mainly used to play the raga in Indian classical music.
Some strings also create a drone sound, and other strings are sympathetic, which vibrate as the instrument is played.

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6
Q

What is a sarod?

A

An instrument in Indian classical music, which is similar to a lute. It can be identified by its long glissandos.

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7
Q

What is a bansuri?

A

A bamboo flute used in Indian classical music.

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8
Q

What are key features in a raga melody?

A

Pitch bends.
Playing fast scales.
Playing glissandos.
Ornamentation.

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9
Q

What is a drone in Indian classical music?

A

A repeated, or set of, notes played throughout a piece.

It forms the harmony and is static.

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10
Q

What kind of instrument plays the drone in Indian classical music?

A

Tanpura.

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11
Q

What is the tala in Indian classical music?

A

A cycle of beats: the rhythm.

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12
Q

What is the raga, drone and tala in Indian classical music?

A

Raga - melody.
Drone - harmony.
Tala - rhythm.

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13
Q

What is the first beat of the tala killed and how is this different?

A

The ‘sam’.

It is accented.

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14
Q

What kind of instrument might play the tala in Indian classical music?

A

Tabla.

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15
Q

What is a tabla?

A

A pair of drums used to play the tala in Indian classical music.

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16
Q

What is the main structure in Indian classical music?

A

Alap - opening section.
Gat - tabla enters.
Jhala - fast and exciting final section.

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17
Q

What is the alap in Indian classical music?

A

The opening section; a slow improvised introduction, which only includes the melody and harmony.

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18
Q

What is the gat in Indian classical music?

A

When the tabla enters in the second section. There is now a clear pulse to the music, but still lots of improvisation.

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19
Q

What is jhala in Indian classical music?

A

The final section of a piece, which is very fast and exciting. The players play virtuosically.

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20
Q

What are examples of famous Indian classical music players?

A
Ravi Shankar (sitar).
Alla Rakha (tabla).
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21
Q

Where does bhangra music come from?

A

The Punjab region of India.

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22
Q

What kind of music does the term ‘chaal’ come from?

A

Bhangra.

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23
Q

What is the chaal in bhangra music?

A

The fundamental rhythm, played very quickly.

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24
Q

What instrument is the chaal played on in bhangra music?

A

Dhol, a double-headed drum played with sticks.

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25
Q

What are characteristics of the chaal rhythm?

A

It is played very quickly (140-196bpm).

A ‘hoi’ often accents beats 2 and 4.

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26
Q

What is the tumbi?

A

A single stringed instrument which played repeated riffs in bhangra music.

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27
Q

What are key features of bhangra music?

A
Repetitive melodies.
Simple diatonic chords.
Microtonal intervals.
Lyrics in Punjabi.
Melody and accompaniment.
Backing vocals.
4/4 tempo.
Chaal rhythm.
28
Q

How was modern bhangra formed?

A

A fusion formed in the UK by British Asian musicians.

29
Q

What is the difference between bhangra and modern bhangra?

A

Modern bhangra often utilises synthesisers, loops, machines, samples and guitars, whereas bhangra mainly uses Indian instruments.

30
Q

What are key features of modern bhangra?

A
(in addition to bhangra features...)
Electronic dance beats.
Drum loops.
Synthesisers.
Sampling.
31
Q

What are key features of Indian classical music?

A
Melody based on raga.
Improvisation.
Constant drone.
Slides and bends.
Free tempo to begin with.
32
Q

What are examples of bhangra artists?

A

Punjabi MC, Alaap.

33
Q

What kind of events may Greek folk music be heard at?

A

Celebration and other social events, such as cafés, restaurants and bars.

34
Q

What type of music does the bouzouki belong to?

A

Greek folk music.

35
Q

What is a bouzouki?

A

A stringed instrument, similar to a guitar, found in Greek folk music.
It is a melody instrument and can be used to play slides, tremolos.

36
Q

What type of music does the definition belong to?

A

Greek folk music.

37
Q

What is a defi?

A

A hand drum found in Greek folk music, which has bangles attached.

38
Q

What type of rhythm does Greek folk music have?

A

Irregular rhythms, such as 5/8 or 7/8.

39
Q

What are examples of rhythms found in Greek folk music?

A

5/8, 7/8.

40
Q

What is the melody like in Greek folk music?

A

Simple, with lots of ornamentation.
They move in step.
They are lyrical (easy to sing along with).

41
Q

What is the texture like in Greek folk music?

A

Melody line is prominent, with an accompaniment.

There are also off-beat chords.

42
Q

What are key features of Greek folk music?

A

Meant to be danced to and sung with.
Some irregular rhythms.
Lots of ornamentation, slides and tremolos.
Bouzouki plays melody, defi plays the rhythm.

43
Q

What kind of influences have shaped Israeli and Palestinian folk music?

A

Arabic, Jewish and Christian; North Africa, Eastern Mediterranean and the Middle East.

44
Q

To which type of music does an old belong to?

A

Israeli and Palestinian folk music.

45
Q

What is an oud?

A

Pear-shaped stringed instrument from Israeli and Palestinian folk music.
It can act as accompaniment and a melody instrument, due to its five pairs of drone strings.

46
Q

What is maqam?

A

A system of melodic modes, on which melody in Arabic music is based off.
(It is similar to a raga from Indian music.)

47
Q

What is a mode?

A

A scale.

48
Q

What are key features of an Arabic scale?

A

Microtonal.

49
Q

What is a doumbek?

A

A goblet-shaped drum found in Arabic and Middle Eastern music. It can produce a great range of sounds.

50
Q

What is a rhythmic pattern called in Arabic music?

A

Wazn.

Similar to a tala from Indian music.

51
Q

What kind of events is Israeli folk music centred around?

A

Joyful events, such as Jewish weddings and bar mitzvah ceremonies.

52
Q

What are key features of Israeli folk dances?

A
2/4 or 4/4 time signature.
A bass (usually a bass guitar).
Chords played off-beat.
Fast tempo.
Accelerando.
Melodic decoration and ornamentation.
53
Q

What instruments can melodies be played in Israeli folk dances?

A

Clarinet, violin, accordion.

54
Q

What is djembe?

A

Single-headed drum from African drumming, played by the hands.

55
Q

What kind of sounds can come out of a djembe drum?

A

A low-pitched bass sound.
A medium-pitched tone.
A high-pitched slap.

56
Q

What is a dundun?

A

A large, double-headed drum from African drumming, played with a stick; sometimes comes with a bell.

57
Q

What sounds can a dundun produce?

A

An open sound.
A muted sounds.
The bell.

58
Q

In African drumming, what is the bell called?

A

Agogô.

59
Q

What is the purpose of the agogô in African drumming?

A

The player leads the ensemble and can easily be heard amongst the drums.

60
Q

What are key concepts in African drumming?

A

Polyrhythm, cross rhythms.

61
Q

What are polyrhythms in African drumming?

A

The combination of several rhythms, which combine to make a polyrhythmic texture. This idea is very prevalent in African drumming.

62
Q

What are cross rhythms in African drumming?

A

A complex type of polyrhythm, which has ‘conflicting’ rhythms.

63
Q

What are some examples of call and response in African drumming?

A

A caller starts a rhythm, which is passed on.

Singing call and response.

64
Q

Who is the master drumming in African drumming?

A

A virtuosic musician, who acts as the ‘caller’ during a performance.
He will also play a core rhythm and improvise rhythms.

65
Q

What is the talking drum?

A

String that can be tightened and loosened change the pitch, which can imitate a human voice.

66
Q

What are the key features of African drumming?

A
Call and response.
Little harmony and tonality.
The master drummer controls the structure.
Often polyrhythmic texture.
Cyclic rhythms.
67
Q

What are the key features of African drumming?

A
Call and response.
Little harmony and tonality.
The master drummer controls the structure.
Often polyrhythmic texture.
Cyclic rhythms.