Glossary of Indian
classical Music
N.I. = North Indian / Hindustani
S.I. = South Indian / Carnatic
A
aadhaara shadja |
S.I. |
the key note, basic swara, the fundamental note on which a
raga is built. |
aadi swaras |
S.I. |
the most ancient swaras known in the indian music. the swaras
are udaatta, anudaatta and svarita of the vedic hymns. panini
refers to these 3 notes as the aadi swaras. |
aalaapana |
S.I. |
the richest area of music and is a area where a musician
reveals his musical, intellectual and spiritual capabilities. it
is the development of a raga through improvisation in such a way
that raga's form and spirit are revealed, while observing all
the laws that govern the raga. Hindustani alap |
aasthana vidwaan |
S.I. |
state / court musician. a scholar |
abhyaas |
S.I. |
repetition and practice of music, (eg., practice of a raga so
that its bahutwa swaras are brought to perfection). Hindustani
Riyaz. |
achala swaras |
S.I. |
the notes that do not admit varieties. these have no sharps or
flats. |
achyuta shadja |
S.I. |
the tonic note - shadja. the chyuta shadja is slightly lower
in frequency when compared to the tonic shadja. |
addha tintal |
N.I. |
name of a tala of sixteen counts (4+4+4+4) |
akaarasaadhakam |
S.I. |
the practice of music using the intonation, aa. it is among
the basic vocal exercises in indian music. these exercises help
in acquiring a sweet, round, beautiful and pleasant tone and
strenghtens the voice. Hindustani akar. |
akaar |
N.I. |
vocal improvisations using the long vowel 'a' |
aksharakaala |
S.I. |
is a unit of time in music. it is relative and not an absolute
measure. |
alankaara |
S.I. |
are scale exercises illustrating the seven principal swaras and
their varieties and describes the decorative figures that adorn
a raga. |
alankara |
N.I. |
ornamentation, elaboration'; a particular melodic figuration
used as an exercise |
alaap |
N.I. |
the introductory, non-metrical part of a performance in which
the raga is slowly and systematically unfolded; it elaborates
the musical ideas on the melodic axis, in a Raga. Carnatic
Aalaapana. |
anakshara aalaapana |
S.I. |
is the aalaapana, when no words, syllables are
used. |
andolan |
N.I. |
a slow and delicate oscillation on a single tone |
ang |
N.I. |
'limb, part'; a characteristic phrase or movement of a raga;
part of an octave; a particular style |
anhad |
N.I. |
Cosmic Silence |
antara |
N.I. |
'intermediary'; the second section of a composition, usually
including and emphasislng the upper tonic |
anubandham |
S.I. |
the final and concluding section of a composition. it serves
to give a greater sense of finality. |
anuloma |
S.I. |
a term to signify the singing or performing a theme in three
degrees of speed, while keeping the basic tala constant. the
kriti is thus first sung once at its basic speed, then twice at
double its speed and at double that or four times the basic
speed in the third stage. |
anupallavi |
S.I. |
the second section of a kriti, varna, padam in carnatic music. |
anuvadi |
S.I. |
all ragas have two pivotal swaras called vadi & samvadi,
while the other swaras are neither. these are called anuvadi
swaras. |
apaswara |
S.I. |
a swara whose pitch has poor focus. it is a note that is
off-key. |
archika |
S.I. |
means singing to one note. eg., certain passages in the rig
veda where the recitation should be in one note. |
aroha |
N.I. |
ascending note pattern. Carnatic arohana |
arohana |
S.I. |
is a series of notes in the ascending order of pitch.
Hindustani aroha |
ashtakam |
S.I. |
a song consisting of eight sections and each section being
sung to the same music. |
ashtapadi |
S.I. |
is the name given to the poetry by jayadeva in the geeta
govindam consisting of 26 ashtapadis. Literally eight verses. |
ati komal |
N.I. |
very flat |
auchar |
N.I. |
a brief non-metrical melodic introduction preceding the
section in meter |
audav |
N.I. |
pentatonic |
avaroha |
N.I. |
descending note pattern. Carnatic avarohana. |
avarohana |
S.I. |
is the descending scale of notes of a raga. Hindustani avaroha. |
B
bada khyal |
N.I. |
'big' khyal; the first composition or part of a khyal
performance in slow tempo |
badhat |
N.I. |
elaboration of the raga, also rendered in the context of the
compositional section in meter |
baj |
N.I. |
style of playing an instrument |
bandish |
N.I. |
a fixed composition, usually with two parts corresponding to
the sthayi and antara |
bani |
S.I. |
the characteristic style of singing or performing associated
with a particular school, singer or performer. Similar to gayaki. |
bansuri |
N.I. |
bamboo flute |
bhaarya raaga |
N.I. |
literally, this means a wife raga. in hindustani music, ragas
are classified into ragas, raginis and putras. six male ragas
were recognised and to each of them were assigned five bharya
ragas. |
bhaava |
S.I. |
is the emotion that is portrayed while rendering a raga,
without which a raga is a mere scale. Similar to Rasa. |
bhagavata mela |
S.I. |
is a form of devotional dance and song performances in the
presence of temple deities during the temple festivals. |
bhagavatar |
S.I. |
the name given to performers of kathakalakshepam or religious
discourses to the accompaniment of music. |
bhajan |
Common |
Hindu devotional poem set to music |
bhakthi rasa |
Common |
the feeling of devotion. this is the tenth rasa. |
bin |
N.I. |
a fretted stick zither with two gourd resonators, also
referred to as rudra vina |
binkar |
N.I. |
a bin player |
bol |
N.I. |
'word'; lyrics of a song; also a mnemonic by which drum
strokes and right-hand strokes of plucked |
bol tana |
N.I. |
words of the song; Musical phrases interlinked with bols (words). |
brij bhasha |
N.I. |
a dialect of Hindi which was the most prominent literary
language for song lyrics and Krishnaite devotional poetry |
briga/birka |
S.I. |
is a musical phrase sung or played in quick tempo. |
C
chakra |
S.I. |
the chakra is the basic unit around which the 72 melakarta
raagas are arranged. there are 12 chakras or sections, with each
chakra comprising within it 6 mela ragas. |
chalan |
N.I. |
movement'; a melodic outline of a raga usually containing a
number of characteristic ascending and descending movements |
charanam |
S.I. |
is the third part (the concluding) of any composition or kriti
in the carnatic tradition. |
chaturanga |
N.I. |
(chatur-four, anga-parts) it is descriptive of the four parts
of music - khayal, tarana, sargam and tirvata. |
chaturbhaaga |
S.I. |
is a unit of time equal in duration to half of an anudrutam. |
chaturdandi |
Common |
the most ancient swaras known in the indian music. the swaras
are udaatta, anudaatta and svarita of the vedic hymns. panini
refers to these 3 notes as the aadi swaras. |
chaturdasa murchchanas |
Common |
are the 14 murchchanas or scales that are born out of what is
known as grama bheda. |
chaturdhatu prabandha |
Common |
is a musical form which had all the 4 dhatus or sections -
udgraha, melapaba, dhruva and abhoga. |
chaturmudra prabandha |
Common |
a composition containing any four of the dvaadasa mudras in
its sahitya. |
chaturtha jati |
Common |
is a kind of taan which uses four notes in a single cluster as
it moves. |
chaturtha kala |
S.I. |
fourth degree of speed. |
chaturtha raga vardhani |
S.I. |
the fourth stage of the main part or the body of a raga
aalaapana. murchchana prastara or sanchaara in quick tempo is
the main feature of this fourth part of the aalaapana. |
chaturtha vidari |
S.I. |
the concluding part of that section of the raga aalaapana
known as chaturtha raga vardhani. |
chatushpadi |
S.I. |
devotional music, consisting of four padas. |
chauka kaalam |
S.I. |
slow tempo. a chauka kaala kriti is one in slow speed. |
chaukam |
S.I. |
the style of singing raga aalaapana in slow tempo. |
chautal |
N.I. |
name of a tala of twelve counts (2+2+2+2+2+2) which is mainly
used in dhrupad compositions |
chikari |
N.I. |
drone strings In Sitar, Sarod and such instruments |
chitta swara |
S.I. |
are a series of set swaras - geometeres usually sung after the
anupallavi and the charanam in a composition. |
cheez |
N.I. |
a vocal composition, usually with two parts corresponding to
the sthayi and antara |
chota khyal |
N.I. |
'small' khyal; a composition in medium to fast tempo that
usually follows the bada khyal |
D
dadra |
N.I. |
name of a tala of six counts (3+3); a light-classical vocal
genre and type of song set to dadra |
darbar |
N.I. |
the royal court |
dardila |
N.I. |
is used to describe a voice or music touched with anguish. |
dasavidha gamaka |
S.I. |
are 10 kinds of gamakas - avaroha, dhalu, sphuritha, kampitha,
ahata, pratyahatha, tripuchcha, andola, murchchana. |
datu prayoga |
S.I. |
a musical phrase containing datu swaras. a raga admits of only
those datu swara prayogas which reveal and establish its melodic
individuality. |
datu swara |
S.I. |
a note removed from another note by some steps. |
datu swara varisai |
S.I. |
swara exercises involving datu swaras. the practice of these
exercises develops swarajnanam. |
deshi |
N.I. |
'regional, provincial'; in music history this term is used to
refer to regional musical traditions and ragas |
dhaivat (Dha) |
N.I. |
name of the sixth scale degree |
dhamar |
N.I. |
name of a tala of fourteen counts (5+2+3+4); a vocal genre and
type of song which is set to dhamar tala and related to dhrupad |
dhatu |
S.I. |
the technical term signifying the music of a composition as
distinguished from the term 'maatu', which signifies the sahitya
of the composition.. |
dheergha(long) |
S.I. |
a long note lasting atleast two units of time as opposed to a
swara which lasts only one unit beat of time. |
dhrupad |
N.I. |
the oldest surviving vocal genre in Hindustani music and a
type of composition which usually has four parts corresponding
to four musical sections |
dhruva |
S.I. |
a kind of musical composition referred to by bharatha in his
natya sastra, used in dramas. |
dhun |
N.I. |
a type of song or instrumental genre which is based on folk
and popular music; A light tune, free from the discipline of a
Raga. |
dhvani |
S.I. |
literally, means sound. |
dhyana |
N.I. |
contemplation'; a short pictorial description of a raga in the
form of a contemplative poem |
deepchandi |
N.I. |
name of a tala of fourteen counts (3+4+3+4), mainly used in
thurnri |
divya prabandham |
S.I. |
the 4000 verses of shlokas composed by vaishnava saints in
tamil. |
divyanaama kirtana |
S.I. |
literally, a song containing the names of the lord & his
praises and intended for being sung in bhajans. |
divyanaama sankirtanam |
S.I. |
practice of divyanaama kirtanaas. |
drisya gaanam |
S.I. |
singing from sight. musical passages given in notation. |
drut |
N.I. |
sast tempo or laya. It is perform and marks the climax of the
performance |
dvaadasa mudra |
S.I. |
the 12 kinds of mudras figuring in musical compositions.
mudras are names introduced into the sahitya of a musical
composition to signify facts like its composer, raga, tala, type,
etc., |
dvidhatu prabhanda |
S.I. |
a musical composition which has 2 sections; udgraaha nd dhruva.
jayadeva's ashtapadi are examples. |
dvimudrakaara |
S.I. |
a composer who has used two kinds of mudras in his
compositions. |
dvitiya ragavardhani |
S.I. |
the second section of the main part of the body of the raga
aalaapana. the sanchaaras in this section are confined to the
madhya sthayi, with occasssional flights in the other octaves.
the sanchaaras in this section in particular reveal the
individuality, creative talents and imaginative skill of the
performer. |
E
ekakaala |
S.I. |
one of the 10 elements of musical time; wherein for each taala
akshara or count, there is only one kaala. |
ekamudrakaara |
S.I. |
a composer who has used only one type of vaggeyakaara mudra in
his compositions. |
ektal |
N.I. |
name of a tala of twelve counts (2+2+2+2+2+2) |
erra jaaru |
S.I. |
ascending glide. |
G
gaana gita |
S.I. |
compositions which are the contribution of composers as
opposed to folk songs or songs of unknown authorship. |
gaana krama |
S.I. |
is the style of singing various movements in a composition.
the gitam is sung right through without repeating any line. in
the kriti each sangati is sung twice. the anupallavi is sung
after the pallavi and the charanam follows the anupallavi. |
gaana shastra |
S.I. |
the science of music. |
gamak / gamaka |
Common |
any ornament; more specifically referred to as a heavy shake
on a single tone; A tonal embellishment, a grace. A note with a
touch of the preceding or the succeeding note. It gives a
vibratory effect. |
gamaka swara |
Common |
a graced note, the opposite of shudha swara or plainly uttered
note. |
gamana geeta |
S.I. |
a march tune. |
gandhar (Ga) |
N.I. |
name of the third scale degree |
gandharva geeta |
S.I. |
the music that developed spontaneously (gandharva- heavenly
singers mentioned frequently in the indian puranas and
mythologies). |
gat |
N.I. |
gait'; a fixed composition used in kathak dance, tabla, sitar
and sarod, in which the melodic or rhythmic patterns are defined
by bols |
gayaki |
N.I. |
style of singing. |
ghana raag |
S.I. |
a raga whose melodic individuality is easily revealed through
tana style of exposition. nata, gaula, arabhi, varali and sri
are examples. |
gharana |
N.I. |
the tradition and lineage of a musical family; a stylistic
school; A school of music representing a specific musical
lineage or tradition |
ghazal |
N.I. |
a Persian or Urdu poetic genre; in music it is a type of song
which expresses both spiritual and worldly love |
geetam |
S.I. |
a musical composition learnt by students after a course in the
preliminary swara exercises and alankaaras.. |
grama |
N.I. |
a basic scale in ancient Indian music |
grama raga |
N.I. |
an ancient mode |
guru |
N.I. |
spiritual mentor, teacher. |
H
hasya rasa |
Common |
one of the nava rasas - the rasa of mirth or laughter. |
heptatonic |
N.I. |
a scale of raga with seven notes. |
hexatonic |
N.I. |
a scale of raga with six notes. |
Hindustani |
N.I. |
pertaining to northern India |
hori |
N.I. |
a vocal genre in dhamat tala; the lyrics express the
love-pranks of Radha and Krishna during the Hindu spring and
colour-festival of holi |
hunkaara |
S.I. |
a vareity of sanchari alankaara. |
J
janaka raag |
S.I. |
literally, a parent raaga. Also called melakartha. |
janaka-janya paddhati |
S.I. |
the system of classification of raagas into parent raagas and
derivative raagas. |
janta swara |
S.I. |
double notes. |
janya raaga |
S.I. |
a raaga born or derived from a janaka or parent raaga. |
jathi swaram |
S.I. |
a composition with the divisions pallavi, anupallavi and
charanam but without a sahitya. |
jati |
N.I. |
'class, species, genus'; an ancient category of modes |
javali |
S.I. |
a song of an romatic nature. |
jhala |
N.I. |
the fastest section of an instrumental alap or gat in which
the melody played on the main strings is accompanied by rapid
strumming of the drone-strings |
jhaptal |
N.I. |
name of a tala of ten counts (2+3+2+3) |
jiva swara |
S.I. |
the life note of a raaga. it is also called raaga chhaya swara. |
jod |
N.I. |
'joining'; usually the second section of an instrumental alap
in which a clear pulse is introduced |
jugalbandhi |
N.I. |
partnership of vocal or instrumental music, a duet in
performance. |
K
kaaku |
S.I. |
a song of an erotic nature. |
kachcheri |
S.I. |
the popular term for a music concert. |
kaharva |
N.I. |
name of a tala of eight counts (4+4) |
kajri |
N.I. |
folk song from Uttar Pradesh. |
kalakshepam |
S.I. |
a discourse on a sacred theme to the accompaniment of music. |
kampam |
S.I. |
a type of gamaka. |
kampita swara |
S.I. |
the note which is rendered with a shake. |
kan |
N.I. |
a single grace note or inflection before or after an
articulated tone |
kathak |
N.I. |
story teller'; a caste of professional musician and dancers in
eastern Uttar Pradesh; also the main form of North Indian
classical dance. |
keerthana |
S.I. |
a simpler form of musical composition. words are given more
importance than the musical content. |
khaali |
N.I. |
the 'empty' unstressed beat of a tala which is indicated by a
silent wave of the hand and usually serves as a counterbalance
to the first beat, sam |
khandmeru |
N.I. |
permutation and combination of notes. |
khayal |
N.I. |
the prevalent vocal genre in Hindustani classical music, has
its origin in the Persian word meaning, imagination or creative
thought. |
komal |
Common |
'soft'; flat, a note lowered by a semitone |
krama |
S.I. |
regular (as opposed to vakra). |
krama sanchaara |
S.I. |
phrases which confirm to the arohana-avarohana gati of the
raga. |
kriti |
S.I. |
said to have evolved from the keerthana where the musical
value is higher than the keerthana. it is more technical than
keerthana. |
L
lakshana |
S.I. |
the science or grammar with respect to raaga, taala or musical
form. |
lakshana gita |
S.I. |
is concerned with the enumeration of the lakshana of the raaga
in the sahitya. |
lakshya gita |
S.I. |
a geetham that is simple in tune and other technical aspects.
it is usually meant for beginners. this is an exercise for
beginners to correlate sahitya to swara passages and sing. |
laya |
Common |
rhythm or tempo; The tempo is regulated. The duration of rest
between two strokes of 'matra' is laya. |
layakari |
N.I. |
'playing with rhythm'; rhythmic variation and improvisation |
M
madakku |
S.I. |
repetition of a word or a line in a musical composition, each
time with a different meaning. |
madhya |
N.I. |
'medium, middle' |
madhyam(Ma) |
N.I. |
name of the fourth scale degree |
madhyama kaala |
S.I. |
medium speed or moderate tempo. |
mandalam |
S.I. |
a group or collection. |
mandra |
N.I. |
'low'; usually referring to the lower register |
mangalam |
S.I. |
a song of salutation, sacred that is sung at the end of a
performance. |
manodharma sangeeta |
S.I. |
creative music. |
marga |
Common |
'path, way'; the ancient musical system |
masitkhani |
N.I. |
a genre of sitar playing incorporating gats and their
extensions in slow or medium tempo, based on fixed stroke
patterns, named after the late 18th century musician composer
Masit Khan |
matra |
N.I. |
'that which measures'; the basic time or counting unit of a
tala |
mela |
N.I. |
'assembly'; a scale type used for classifying ragas |
melakarta |
S.I. |
a parent scale from which many janya raagas are derived. Also
called janaka. |
meend |
N.I. |
a gradual slide (portamento) from one tone to another |
mishra |
Common |
Mixed. When a raga is mixed with another or more of other
ragas it is called a Mishra raga. |
mukhda |
N.I. |
signature'; the cadence that punctuates each section of an
alap; the phrase of a composition that leads to the first beat
of the rhythm cycle, sam |
muktaayi |
S.I. |
the final or the concluding part of a raaga aalaapana. |
murchchana |
S.I. |
one of the ten gamakas. |
murki |
N.I. |
a fast and delicate ornament involving two or more tones,
similar to a mordent |
N
nada |
N.I. |
musical sound; cosmic energy. |
nadopaasaka |
S.I. |
one who meditates on absolute music or nada. |
nama sankirtanam |
S.I. |
sacred music involving the repeated recital of god's name. |
namita |
S.I. |
one of the gamakas - singing a part of raaga aalaapana in a
slender tone. |
natya gaana |
S.I. |
music used in dances. |
navagraha kirtanas |
S.I. |
songs on planets for the seven days of the week. |
navarasas |
S.I. |
the nine kinds of feelings or emotions. |
navaratri kirtanas |
S.I. |
nine kirtanas composed, intended for singing during the
navarathri festival. |
navavarna kirtanas |
S.I. |
the 9 compositions composed by muthuswamy dikshitar on
kamalamba (tiruvarur temple) |
naya |
S.I. |
soft |
nayak |
N.I. |
hero |
nayika |
N.I. |
heroine |
nirgit |
S.I. |
a composition without words. eg., jatiswaram. |
nishad (Ni) |
N.I. |
name of the seventh scale degree |
nokku |
S.I. |
one of the 15 classical gamakas. |
nom-tom |
N.I. |
alap using abstract syllables, sung before a dhrupad or dhamar |
O
oudhav |
N.I. |
scale of raga with five notes. |
P
pad |
N.I. |
'word'; song lyrics |
pakad |
N.I. |
'catch' or key phrase of a raga |
pallavi |
S.I. |
the opening part of a kirtana. |
pancham (Pa) |
N.I. |
name of the fifth scale degree |
pandit |
N.I. |
a person well versed (in theory of music) |
parampara |
N.I. |
Guru-Shishya Parampara. Sacred relationship between the master
and the pupil by which knowledge is transmitted to the next
generation. |
pentatonic |
N.I. |
a scale of raga with five notes. |
poorab ang |
N.I. |
the 'eastern' school, (usually of Varanasi) of singing Thumri
or playing the Tabia, |
poorvang |
N.I. |
the lower tetrachord Sa to Ma, or pentachord Sa to Pa |
prayoga |
S.I. |
a technique of expression in raaga. |
putra |
N.I. |
'son'; offspring of a raga and ragini, used in old raga
classification systems |
Q
qawwali |
N.I. |
from qual - mystical sayings of sufi saints. |
R
raag |
N.I. |
a tonal framework for composition and improvisation; melodic
type |
raagmaala |
Common |
'garland of ragas'; a set of paintings depicting the raga-
ragini images described in dhyanas; also an old genre |
ragini |
N.I. |
in which a number of ragas are unfolded a feminine counterpart
of the 'male' raga, used in old raga classification systems |
rasa |
Common |
a pervading emotional flavour or aesthetic sentiment;
Aesthetic content or emotional appeal. |
rasika |
S.I. |
a music lover. |
razakhani |
N.I. |
a genre of sitar playing incorporating gats in fast tempo
named after the mid-19th century musician-composer Raza Khan |
rishabh (Re) |
N.I. |
name of the second scale degree |
roopak |
N.I. |
name of a tala of seven counts (3+2+2) |
S
sam |
N.I. |
the first beat of a tala which is usually accentuated |
sampoornajati |
S.I. |
a raaga that has all the seven notes. |
sampoorna |
N.I. |
'complete'; heptatonic |
samvadi |
N.I. |
the consonant note which has a relationship of a perfect
fourth or fifth with the vadi; The note next in importance to
Vadi. |
sanchaara |
S.I. |
exploration of the terrain of a raaga (with a particular gait,
geometry, progression). |
sangat |
N.I. |
accompaniment; usually of the percussion instruments with the
main performer of vocal or instrumental music. Telas organise
rhythm, the Sangatia does not only maintain the laya but also
makes the concert more enjoyable by applying different
subdivisions and tala pattern |
sangeet |
Common |
music |
sankirna |
N.I. |
'combined'; in music it refers to a compound raga |
saptak |
N.I. |
'the set of seven'; the heptatonic scale |
sarangi |
N.I. |
the main bowed lute of northern India |
sargam |
N.I. |
the seven sol-fa syllables used in oral and written notation;
a composition or tana which uses the names of the notes |
sarod |
N.I. |
the main short lute of northern India |
shadav |
N.I. |
hexatonic |
shadja (Sa) |
N.I. |
name of the first scale degree |
shishya |
Common |
disciple. |
shruti |
Common |
intonation; the twenty-two divisions of the ancient Indian
octave; microtone; In Sanskrit, 'Shruti' means that which is
heard. Shruti is a microtonal interval less than a semitone and
is determined chiefly through a fine auditory sensibility. |
shudha |
N.I. |
'pure'; a natural note |
sitar |
N.I. |
the main fretted long lute of northern India |
sitarkhani |
N.I. |
name of a tala of sixteen counts (4+4+4+4) |
sthayi |
N.I. |
'standing, constant'; the first section of a composition which
is frequently repeated |
swara / svara |
N.I. |
tone; one of the seven scale degrees; Musical note, a tonal
register. |
swara bheda |
S.I. |
a technique of modal shift of the tonic note. |
swara prasthaara |
S.I. |
an exercise of phrases of notes in various rhythms and layas. |
swaramandala |
N.I. |
a harp like instrument constructed with a box and approx. 40
strings. Used by some vocalists for strumming along with their
performance |
T
tabla |
N.I. |
the main percussion instrument in Hindustani music, consisting
of a pair of tuneable hand-played drums |
tala |
Common |
'time measurement'; the rhythmic/metric system; a metric type |
tana / taan |
N.I. |
a fast melodic passage |
tanpoora / tamboora |
N.I. |
an unfretted long lute which provides the drone |
tappa |
N.I. |
a type of song and vocal genre related to khyal, featuring
rapid and complex tanas with abrupt jumps , It is devoloped from
the folk songs of camel drivers of Panjab. |
tar |
N.I. |
'high'; usually referring to the upper register |
tarana |
N.I. |
a composition in which mnemonics are used, which are
meaningless syllables that extrapolate the raaga and produce
rhythmic delight. Carnatic thillana. |
thaat |
N.I. |
framework, arrangement'; a scale type used as a basis for raga
classification; the correct fret setting (on a sitar) for each
raga |
theka |
N.I. |
the basic pattern of drum strokes which characterises a tala |
thumri |
N.I. |
the most popular light-classical genre |
tihai |
N.I. |
a rhythmic or melodic cadence in which a phrase is repeated
three times before ending on the sam or just before the mukhda |
tillaana |
S.I. |
See tarana |
teental |
N.I. |
the main Hindustani tala of sixteen counts (4+4+4+4) |
teevar |
N.I. |
sharp; a note raised by a semitone |
teevaratar |
N.I. |
very sharp |
U
uttaranga |
N.I. |
the upper tetrachord Pa to Sa, or pentachord Ma to Sa |
V
vaadi |
Common |
the sonant or strongest note which has a consonant
relatiofiship of a perfect fourth or fifth with the samvadi ;
Dominant note of a raga. |
vaadya |
S.I. |
any musical instrument. |
vaggeyakaara |
S.I. |
a composer of music. |
vakra |
Common |
'crooked'; referring to a scale or pattern that follows a
curved, zigzag path |
vilambit |
N.I. |
slow tempo. The charm of Vllambit is in grave, temperate
sweetness. After Vilambit comes Madhya laya (fast tempo). |
vistar |
Common |
extension, expansion'; Elaboration and lmprovisation upon the
notes, for development of melodic ideas in music ; see badhat |
vivadi swara |
Common |
a swara which is dissonant to the scale of a raaga. |
vrinda gaana |
S.I. |
choral singing |
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