Lets Sing Along With shakira WAKA WAKA
You're a good soldier
Choosing your battles
Pick yourself up
And dust yourself off
And back in the saddle
You're on the frontline
Everyone's watching
You know it's serious
We're getting closer
This isnt over
The pressure is on
You feel it
But you've got it all
Believe it
When you fall get up
Oh oh...
And if you fall get up
Oh oh...
Tsamina mina
Zangalewa
Cuz this is Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa
Listen to your god
Shakira Waka Waka lyrics found on http://www.directlyrics.com.com/shakira-waka-waka-lyrics.html
This is our motto
Your time to shine
Dont wait in line
Y vamos por Todo
People are raising
Their Expectations
Go on and feed them
This is your moment
No hesitations
Today's your day
I feel it
You paved the way
Believe it
If you get down
Get up Oh oh...
When you get down
Get up eh eh...
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
This time for Africa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
Anawa aa
Tsamina mina eh eh
Waka Waka eh eh
Tsamina mina zangalewa
This time for Africa
Wednesday, July 14, 2010
Saturday, July 10, 2010
Popular Vocal Music
GHAZAL (GAZAL) - URDU POETIC SONGS
Introduction
The ghazal is a common form in Indian and Pakistan. Strictly speaking, it is not a musical form at all but a poetic recitation. However, today it is commonly conceived of as an Urdu song whose prime importance is given to the lyrics.
History of the Ghazal
It is said that we must turn to Arabia to find the origins of the ghazal. The word ghazal is an Arabic word that literally means a "discourse" or more correctly a "talk to women". There was an Arabic form of poetry called qasida which came to Iran in about the 10th century. It dealt with the themes of the greatness of kings.
The qasida was at times unmanageably long. It was often 100 couplets or more. Therefore, a portion of the qasida, known as the tashib was detached and this became the ghazal. The ghazal soon became the most popular form of poetry in Iran.
Ghazal's introduction into India from the 12th century, was part of an ongoing revolution in North Indian society. India considered herself to be culturally inferior to greater Persia. Thus Persian culture became a great inspiration for India. The ghazal, along with many other cultural desiderata, were imported into India from the 12th to the 18th centuries. These forms were given a local colour by many Indian artists such as Amir Khusru, and continued to enjoy widespread popularity among Indian Muslims for many centuries.
Although the ghazal was introduced first in the north, the south is responsible for its Urdu character. The North Indian principalities were very much oriented toward Persian, but it was in the south that Urdu was beginning to be used for literary purposes. It was in the courts of Golkonda, and Bijapur that this revolution occurred. Such leaders as, Nusrati, Wajhi, Hashmi, Mohammad Quli Qutab Shah, and Wali are notable in their patronage and contributions. Northern India began to embrace Urdu as a poetic language only in about the 19th century.
The process of converting this poetic form into a musical form was a slow one. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the ghazal became associated the courtesan. The courtesans, known as tawaif, were considered the mavens of art, literature, dance, music, etiquette, and in short, all of the high culture. They were widely acclaimed for their musical abilities and did not hesitate to demonstrate these abilities when they performed the ghazal.
The decline in the feudal society at the end of the 19th and early 20th century brought with it a decline in the tawaif tradition. This change in culture also saw a change in the performance of ghazal. It continued to build upon its musical component, and began to be heard more and more in the concert hall.
The job of converting ghazal to a musical form was finished in the 20th century. The development of the recording and film industries created a mass media that was well suited to the musical ghazal. They also created an environment where it was convenient to treat the ghazal as though it were a mere git. All of this had tremendous economic advantages for performers and producers alike. Unfortunately, it also created economic pressures to lower the standards for the lyrical content.
Structure of the Ghazal
The poetic structure of the ghazal is precise. It is based upon a series of couplets which are woven together by a precise rhyming structure. The overall form uses an introductory couplet, the body of couplets, and then an concluding couplet. We will look at these in greater detail.
The first couplet is always the most important, this is known as the matla. The matla is important because it establishes the overall form and mood of the entire ghazal. Occasionally there are two matlas, in which case the second one is referred to as the matla-e-sani.
Each subsequent couplet is linked to the matla in a well defined fashion. The second verse of each couplet must rhyme with this. Therefore, if the rhyming structure of the matla is AA, then the subsequent couplets have the form BA, CA, DA, etc.
There is a convention in the ghazal known as the radif. This is a characteristic way that a portion of the first line (usually just two or three words) is maintained throughout the ghazal. However, it is not always executed consistently. For instance if there is no radif, the form is said to be ghair-muraddaf, this form is very rare. If the exact same words are used in the radif, then it is said to be ham-radif.
The last couplet of the ghazal is very important, this is called the maqta. It usually contains the pen name (takhallus) of the poet. The maqta is usually a personal statement which may be very different in tone from the rest of the ghazal. Today it is becoming more common to leave off the maqta.
There are a few common themes in the ghazal. Typically they revolve around unrequited love, madness, mystical ruminations, and even social commentaries ridiculing religious orthodoxy. Certainly the most common is unrequited love. However, within each ghazal the theme of each couplet need not be consistent. Each couplet may be thought of as a thematic vignette that need not relate to it adjacent couplets.
Although the themes of each couplet in a ghazal are usually distinct, there are some occasions where there is consistency. The Nazm is an example of a style that exhibits remarkable consistency in its thematic approach. A more common type of thematic connection is known as qita. Still, the norm is for each couplet to stand alone thematically.
Musical Form
The musical form of the ghazal is variable. The older more traditional ghazals were very similar to other Hindustani light classical forms such as the dadra or, thumri. One often finds forms that are similar to qawwali. They are typically in a variety of light classical rags. However today, the ghazal usually has a form which is not too dissimilar to many film songs. Such forms are usually decried by the purists because they usually display a bastardisation of the lyrics and a careless disregard of the forms.
The rhythmic forms (tal) of the modern ghazal are invariably of the lighter forms. One typically finds rupak (7 beats), dadra (6 beats) and kaherava 8 beats being used to the near exclusion of everything else.
Conclusion
The story of the ghazal is an interesting one. It is a story that begins in Arabia and continues over to Persia and on to India. It involves an evolution from a long involved Persian poetic discourse into modern Urdu poetry. It shows how a form of poetry may be converted into a form of song. This is an extreme evolution, but one which occupies an important position in Indian music.
Musical Instruments Used In Ghazal
Harmonium
Santur
Sarangi
Sitar
Tabla
Rabab (Kabuli Rabab)
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Geet
Qawwali
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshangit
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
OVERVIEW OF FILMI SANGEET - THE INDIAN FILM SONG
Filmi sangeet is the music from the Indian film industry. It is a commercial genre comparable to the Western "Top 40". The term "Film Song" is today somewhat of a misnomer because there are many songs of this genre that have never been in any film.
There may be questions concerning the artistic quality of the film song but there is no questioning its popular appeal. It is heard from every loudspeaker in India for every function imaginable. Its biggest appeal is to the youth and lower classes.
Sound stage in Madras
History of the Indian Film Song
The birth of the Indian film song may be traced to the advent of India's first sound motion picture in 1931. This film was entitled "Alam Ara" and heralded in a new era in Indian motion pictures. At the same time, it sewed the seeds for a new musical genre.
In the 30's three major film centres developed. These were based in Bombay (AKA Mumbai), Calcutta, and Madras (AKA Chenai). Of theses centres, Bombay was known for the making of films geared for national distribution, while Madras, and Calcutta were known for their regional films.
The early years of this industry were very fruitful. Between 1931 and 1940 India produced 931 Hindi feature films with an average of 10 songs per films. The numbers for the regional films from Madras and Calcutta, were much lower, but the orientation towards music was similar.
This period is notable for a number of major artists. Music directors such as Pankaj Mullick, Keshavrao Bhole, and Anil Biswas are a few who spring to mind. It is interesting to note that this early period did not favor "playback" singers. Many of the original actors and actresses sang their own songs. Many times, actors were chosen specifically for their singing abilities, Bal Gandharva, and Baburao Pendharkar are two examples.
In the 1940's and 1950's, the business began to shift away from the big motion picture studios to the independent producers. Although this opened the doors to many new musicians and music directors, the influence on whole was not positive. The distribution networks began to rely heavily on the "formulas" (i.e., "X" number of big name actors, "Y" numbers of songs, and "Z" number of dances, etc.). These formula films are known in Hindi as "masaala films". These formulas were determined by commercial and not artistic considerations. From that time on formula music became the norm. The number and variety of the film songs was solidly locked into place. The artistic results of making music by formula rather than inspiration is obvious.
This period is also significant for the introduction of the "playback" singer. Whereas the earlier artists acted and sang, the movies of this period introduced the custom of having actors who did not sing their own songs but instead had other singers do this for them. This is the playback singer.
Many notable playback singers came to prominence during this period. The most notable are, Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt, and Asha Bhosle. Major music directors are Naushad, C. Ramchandra, S. D. Burman, Shankar - Jaikishan, and Madan Mohan.
Lata Mangeshkar (circa 1990)
The 60's and 70's represented a time of relative stability. It is true that there was an ever increasing standard of recording quality as technical advances were made. It is also true that a few artists would come and go. But for the most part, the playback singers such as Lata, Hemant, Asha and others of the previous decade had locked themselves into such a secure position that there was very little room for others to enter.
However there were a few new music directors to make it big. Kalyanji Anandji, R.D. Burman and Lakshmikant-Pyarelal are a few who would make their way into the business in a big way during this period.
Indian Recording Studio
The Shakeup
The film industry was again shaken in the 80's and 90's. Many new developments would both adversely effect traditional businesses, yet present new opportunities for others.
The television has had a tremendous effect on this genre. In the 1970's the Indian Government began a project to introduce the TV throughout India. Unlike many other countries, the TV (known as "Doordarshan") is owned by the Government. The widespread introduction was originally for "educational purposes" (i.e., propaganda) and was not very inspiring. The original programming was not a commercial threat to the Indian film industry. However during the 80's and 90's, under political and economic pressure, the television began to open up to private productions. Such independent productions proved to be very popular and began to adversely effect cinema attendance. It also gave the music producers an alternative outlet for their musical productions.
Other factors effecting Indian film songs were the problems within the Bombay film world. For many decades, Bombay monopolized the Hindi film industry and therefore controlled the lion's share of India's film music. However, increased cost of production, rising trade unionism and organized extortion rackets working under the ruling Siv Sena Party have decimated this industry. (Although the Siv Sena Party is no longer in power, the effects of racketeering still remain.) Today a large number of Hindi films and film songs are being produced in Madras where conditions are more favorable. This shift has given a major boost to Madras based music directors such as A. R. Rahman and playback singers such as S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.
The introduction of the VCR and the satellite / cable networks has also impacted the film Industry. Unlike the standard TV, the satellite / cable networks are all private sector undertakings. Curiously enough the introduction of the satellite has had the effect of internationalizing both the production and consumption of film style commercial music.
There are other factors that have shaken the industry. Overproduction of cinema houses in the 70's and 80's coupled with ever increasing entertainment taxes have made it difficult for many theatre owners to survive. This has shaken the distribution networks.
The result is that the nature of "filmi sangeet" is not as well defined as it once was. The creation of alternative media along with the decimation of the traditional Indian film industry has produced an interesting business and artistic environment. It appears that film music is in the process of spawning a number of new and related genre. However their definition is not yet clear.
Musical Characteristics
It is impossible to make any statement about the musical aspects of film music. Classical and traditional elements may be found, yet it is more likely to be dominated by Western jazz, rap, disco or whatever styles may be in vogue. It is even common to mix all of the various elements together.
For an excellent treatment of the subject check out "Hindi Filmi Git" by Alison E. Arnold.
Indian Instruments Used in the Films
(note - Western instruments may not be included in this list)
Bansuri
Daf (Duf, Daphu, Daffali)
Dholak
Harmonium
Jal Tarang
Khol (Mridang)
Manjira
Rabab (Kabuli Rabab)
Santur
Sarangi
Sarod
Shehnai
Sitar
Tabla
Tabla Tarang
Tanpura
Violin
Traditional Indian Genre Used In The Films
(note - Western genre may not be included in this list)
Bhajan
Dhun
Folk Music
Kathak Dance
Qawwali
Thumri
BHAJAN - THE HINDU DEVOTIONAL SONG
The bhajan has a special place in Indian society. Most bhajans were written between the 14th through 17th centuries. They are simple songs sung in the praise of God. Complex spiritual truths are portrayed in the simple language of the farmers, merchants, and other common people of the time.
Bhajan is an important part of a Hindu revivalist movement which swept through India during the Mogul period; this movement was known as the Bhakti movement. The crux of this movement was simple; spiritual salvation was attainable to anyone who had a pure and selfless love of God. This salvation was not predicated upon formalised yagnas, pujas, knowledge of Sanskrit, or any of the characteristics of the older forms of Hinduism. This was a spiritual empowerment of the masses.
Bhajan is difficult to describe musically because it is not defined by any musical characteristics; it is defined by a sense of devotion (bhakti). Bhajans cover a broad spectrum of musical styles from the simple musical chant (dhun) to highly developed versions comparable to thumri.
The poetic content of the bhajan also covers a broad spectrum. The more traditional ones by great saint musicians such as Mira, or Kabir are considered to be of the highest literary quality. Many modern ones, although more easily understood by the masses, usually have a literary value no greater than a typical film song (a popular form of music generated for the masses). The lowest poetic form is the dhun, which is actually nothing more than a musical version of a chant.
The structure of bhajan is very conventional. It contains a single sthai and numerous antara. The last antara has special significance because it contains the nom de plume of the author.
There are a number of musician/ saints who are famous for their bhajans. The names Tulsidas, Surdas, Mira Bai, and Kabir are particularly well known.
Streaming Audio Bhajans by Chandra and David
Chando Langar - A Mira bhajan performed in a thumri style.
Tumak Chalat Ram Chandra - A bhajan by Tulsidas on Lord Ram
Tu Dayal - A Tulsidas bhajan
Guru Hamare - A dhun in praise of the spiritual guru.
Gaiye Ganapati - A Tulsidas bhajan in Praise of Lord Ganesh.
Mohe Lage Lagan - A Mira bhajan in praise of the guru.
Omkar Rupini - A bhajan in praise of Shakti.
Om Jaya Jagadish Hare - Famous dhun used in Aratis.
Payoji Maine - A Mira bhajan in praise of lord Ram.
Ram Sumira - A Nanak bhajan in praise of Lord Ram.
Shiva Shankar - Dhun in praise of lord Shiva.
Darashan Dena - This is a famous Mira bhajan.
Sri Ram Chandra - A Tulsidas bhajan in praise of Lord Ram.
Niru Bal Ke Balram - A Hindu bhajan by Surdas
Tu Sumiran Kar Le - A bhajan by Guru Nanak.
Chalo Mana - A Mira bhajan.
Hari Name Sumar Sukha Dham - A Bhrahmananda bhajan
Instruments Used in Bhajan
Kartal
Ektar
Dotar #1
Harmonium
Manjira
Sitar
Dholak
Dholki (Nal)
Tabla
Surpeti / Electronic Tanpura
Tanpura
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
GEET (GIT) - THE HINDI SONG
The geet may, or may not be considered a distinct style of song. The word "geet" actually means "song". However, there is a tendency to use the term for many of the lighter styles which do not fit the rigid classification of the more classical forms. The geet need not be based upon a rag. It is usually set to the lighter tals.
COMMON INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE GEET
Tabla
Harmonium
Sarangi
Dholak
Sitar
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
BHANGRA: MUSIC AND DANCE FROM THE PUNJAB
Bhangra was originally a Punjabi folk dance which has expanded in several ways. As far as dance is concerned, the term bhangra has expanded to include the style of music used to accompany bhangra dance. In terms of its reach, it has expanded beyond rural Punjab to become an internationally recognised style of song and dance.
History
Originally, the bhangra was just a folk dance that was confined to the Punjab during the harvest festival of Baisakhi. This was performed only by men, while the women would perform the giddha. Over the centuries, bhangra grew to encompass not only the giddha but a number of rural Punjabi folk dances. It grew in popularity, and expanded its range to the point where bhangra was then found over much of Northwest India and Pakistan. Furthermore, it could be performed on any festive occasion, and not just during the harvest festival.
The seeds of bhangra's growth as an international artform began not in India, but in Great Britain. The Indo-Pakistan expatriate community was lacking a clear symbol of its own ethnic identity. This community was starting to be comprised of second and third generation South Asians. They could no longer easily relate to a changed India or Pakistan, but were also unable to completely assimilate into traditional British society. They were struggling to have a clear symbol of their own identity. In this cultural vacuum, the bhangra grew to become an important symbol of their self identity.
Bhangra first began to make its mark internationally during the 1970's. At this time, artists such as A.S. Kang and Kuldip Manak began to make a commercial success out of it. It was also in this period that bhangra began to be widely accepted as a genre of music rather than simply a dance form. In the next few decades bhangra grew into a truly international phenomenon. It is to be found wherever there is a large expatriate Indian community.
We have seen bhangra expand further until now it is almost a subculture. Implicit in the bhangra are not just the music and dance, but also a lifestyle. At first, this might be hard to conceive, but it certainly is not a unique occurrence. Perhaps the most well known example of this sort of thing was the disco movement in the late 70s; disco too encompassed music, dance, as well as a whole lifestyle.
Sub-Genres of Bhangra Dance
Bhangra is not a single dance but is actually composed of several sub-genera. Generally these are daankara, dhamal, gatka, giddha, jhumar, julli, kikli, luddi, and the saami. A brief description follows:
Daankara - The term "daankara", is derived from the word "daan", which means "stick". As the name implies, this dance is performed with sticks. This dance tends to be done at weddings. It has a certain similarity to the dandiya raas of Gujarat.
Dhamal - The dhamal is a particularly energetic form of folk dance. This dance is done by the participants forming a circle. In this the dancers hold their hands in the air as they dance about, there are many interjections and much shouting.
Gatka - The gatka is dance that is performed with swords, daggers, or sticks. It is said that this dance was started after the martyrdom of the fifth Guru Arjun Dev.
Giddha - This is primarily a women's dance.
Jhumar - The term "jhumar", means to "swing". The jhumar is a men's dance that is performed at weddings and other festive events. It developed in the Sandalbar, and Balochistan area of Pakistan. It is characterised by a particular rhythm which is substantially slower than that which is normally used in bhangra.
Julli - Where most of the forms of bhangra are done by groups of people, julli may be done by a single person. It has its origins in the dance of the Muslim holy men and may be done from a sitting posture.
Kikli - The kikli is generally performed by women. For this, women lock there hands and swing about in circles. These are usually pairs of girls, but on occasion four girls may perform this move.
Luddi - The luddi is a dance that contains a vary characteristic posture of the bhangra. In this, the dancer has one hand behind their head and the other hand outstretched.
Saami - This is usually considered a women's dance.
The Music of Bhangra
Today, bhangra is not just a dance but is also a musical style. As this music has become internationalised, it has undergone quite an evolution. Where it was once a purely folk music of Punjab, today elements of rap, hip-hop, and other commercial Western forms may be found enfolded within it.
Melodically the bhangra uses an extremely small number of notes. The range seldom extends an octave. Still, even with the limited number of notes used, the bhangra may be extremely expressive, due in great part to the lyrical nature of the songs.
The rhythms of bhangra tend to be very lively. They are usually based upon a very fast kaherava tal of eight beats. However this eight beat pattern is almost never performed straight, but usually incorporates a strong syncopation (i.e,. a heavy "swing"). The jhumar tends to be much slower, and at times utilises a half cycle version of punjabi theka (i.,e based upon eight beats rather than 16). At other times, the jhumar may be based upon a hemeola in a manner somewhat similar to the Gujarati raas music.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN BHANGRA
Ektar (tumbi)
Sarangi
Chimpta
Dhol
Daf (Duf, Daphu, Daffali)
Dholak
Dhad
Kirtan Or Dhun - Hindu Musical Chants
The Kirtan or Dhun is related to the bhajan. The major difference is that bhajan is usually performed by a soloist, while kirtan and dhun usually involve the audience in a "call-and-responce". The musical quality is consequently much simpler to accommodate the uncertain musical abilities of the participants. The term Kirtan is used by Hindus and Sikhs, while the term Dhun seems to be used only by Hindus, especially Gujuratis.
INSTRUMENTS USED IN KIRTAN
Chimpta
Dholak
Harmonium
Kartal
Kasht Tarang
Khol (Mridang)
Manjira
Shankh
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
QAWWALI PAGE
INTRODUCTION
Qawwali is the traditional form of Islamic song found in India and Pakistan. The word qawwali is derived from the Arabic word Qaol which means "axiom" or "dictum". A Qawwal is one who sings qawwali, or the dictums of the prophets and praises of God. The Qawwali is closely linked to the spiritual and artistic life of northern India and Pakistan.
SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF QAWWALI
The qawwali is inextricably linked to the Sufi tradition; Sufism is a mystical school of Islamic thought which strives to attain truth and divine love by direct personal experience. In Arabic, this mysticism is known as tasawwuf. The difference between Sufism and mainstream Islam is simple. All Muslims believe that man is on a path to God (tariqah). However, where the mainstream Muslim believes that it is only possible to reach God after death at the final judgement, the Sufi believes that it is possible to reach God during ones life. To this end there are a number of different techniques and methods.
The Koran instructs man to remember God. This remembrance, known as dhikr, may be either silent of vocal. The qawwali may be viewed as an extension of the vocal form of this remembrance. The use of music as a spiritual force was discussed in great length by al-Gazali (1085-1111).
By the end of the 11th century, there arose the tradition of the sama. The sama was often a spiritual concert, which included a vocalist, and instrumentalists. These samas took place under the direction of a spiritually respected man (shaikh).
There is a very specific psychological process which a qawwali follows. One starts with the singing of the song. In this psychological state the song is received in a manner that is not unlike standard forms of musical expression. The words are sung, quite repeatedly with variations intended to bring out deeper means of the lyrics. After awhile there is a repetition to the extent that the words cease to have a meaning. It is the goal here to lead the listener and performer alike into a trance (hal). In the ideal situation the participant is moved to a state of spiritual enlightenment (fana).
HISTORY OF THE QAWWALI
The origins of qawwali probably predate the birth of Muhammad. The earliest Islamic scholars discussed the spiritual effects of music, but it was only in the time of al-Gazali (1085-1111) that these principles were refined and codified.
These principles were then expanded by the Chisti school of Sufism. It is this order that has been responsible for the propagation of the qawwali in India and Pakistan for then last few centuries. The origin of the Chisti school is unclear. Most believe that it was established by Khwaj Moinuddin Hasan Chisti (1143-1234). However there are a some who hold that the originator was Abu Ishaq Shami Chisti who died in Damascus in 940 C.E.
Khwaj Moinuddin Hasan Chisti was undoubtedly responsible for the widespread propagation of this school of Sufism. It is said that he was born in Sijistan. At a young age, he was influenced by several saintly men, including Ibrahim Qahandazi, and Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilli. He immigrated to Delhi and became a very respected saint. He later grew tired of the life in Delhi and withdrew to the peace and quite of Ajmer (Rajasthan) where he lived the remainder of his days.
One of the followers of the Chisti school was a man by the name of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya (1236-1325). He was born in Budaun, but at the age of 20 he moved to Ajodhan and became a disciple of Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakkar. It is said that it was here that he received the key to inner illumination. He was then sent to Delhi to instruct the populous. Here he acquired a reputation for using music in his devotional gatherings. This created a great amount of friction with the more orthodox Islamic elements in Delhi.
Nizamuddin Auliya was, and still is, a source of inspiration for countless people. Even today there is an annual gathering at his tomb.
One man who was inspired by the Hazrat Nizamuddin was Amir Khusru (1254-1324). He was born in Mominpur (Patiala). His father was originally from Turkey, this gave the young boy a broader exposure to the rest of the Islamic world. His father died when he was eight years old, whereupon the job of raising him fell to his maternal grandfather. Amir Khusru was a legendary musician, statesman and philosopher. It is said that he was the advisor to 11 rulers of Delhi, particularly the rulers of the Khilji Dynasty (Deva 1973:76).
Amir Khusru is so important to the development of qawwali that he is often (erroneously) said to be the inventor of it. It is said that he mixed the various musical elements from Turkey, greater Persia and India together. Even today, we find the curious mixture of Persian moqquams with Indian rags.
The development of the qawwali up to the latter part of the Mogul empire closely parallels the development of the Hindu religious song known as bhajan. We find parallels in musical form and social settings. The degree of cross influence is so great that some musician / saints such as Kabir (circa 1440-1518) are to this day revered by Hindus and Muslims alike.
The tradition of qawwali has had numerous ups and downs. One particularly hard time was during the reign of Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb is known for his Islamic fundamentalism. The liberal traditions of the Sufis were not well received by this emperor. He took the fundamentalist injunction against music very seriously.
Aurangzeb's dislike of music is well illustrated in a common story. It appears that during his administration a group of musicians, disheartened with their lack of patronage, took some musical instruments and wrapped them in the manner of a corpse and held a funeral procession in protest. Aurangzeb enquires about the procession and is told it is a burial to signify the death of music. Whereupon it is said that the emperor declares, "Good! bury it so deep that never a sound should be heard again."
The collapse of the Mogul empire and political fragmentation under the British was both good and bad for the qawwals. On one hand the political disarray meant that a major suppression of their artform was impossible, yet it also meant that their patronage was also uneven.
The rising film industry in the middle of the 20th century was a major vehicle for the rise in popularity of the qawwali. There was a period when a qawwali was a mandatory part of the formula Hindi films.
The film industry influenced the development of the qawwali in several ways. It is interesting to note that since the environment of the cinema house precluded the artist /audience interaction, it set the precedent for the more detached quality that characterises modern performances. The filmi qawwali also set the precedent for the "showy" quality that one finds in modern performances. Another effect of the filmi qawwali was the downgrading of the religious / devotional aspect. A typical example of a filmi qawwali is "Sharam ke Kyun Sab" from the film "Chaudvin ka Chand".
The secularisation of the qawwali is an interesting phenomenon. One can see that the seeds of its secularisation are inherent in the qawwali itself. Themes of qawwali have traditionally revolved around very mundane or even coarse occurrences. However, the coarseness of the situations have always been interpreted as the coarse spiritual existence of our daily lives. The modern secular qawwali tends to strip the themes of their metaphorical and allegorical character thus producing a shallow, yet commercially marketable entity.
Recent years have seen the qawwali thrust into the international arena by such musicians as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His fusion of traditional Indo-Pakistani influences with Western music has created quite a stir in the music world.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
The performance of a qawwali is typically a group situation. This is different from a classical performance which revolves around one person. Within this group situation, there is one main vocalist or qawwal, and a group of supporting vocalist. The audience too is considered a participant in this event
The musical accompaniment is varied; harmonium, tabla, dholak, sarangi, saringda, and rabab, are common instruments. Furthermore, a simple clapping of the hands is a ubiquitous rhythmic support.
There are several tals in common use in the qawwali. The most common is the fast dadra tal of 6 beats or the fast kaherava of four or eight beats. Unlike the more cerebral, classical forms these tals are played in such a way that they produce a driving hypnotic beat.
Although the qawwali is not a classical form of singing, it does have some common elements. One finds fast taans, meend gamaks and the other forms of ornamentation which are typical of Hindustani performances.
The structure of the qawwali is also similar to the classical forms. It typically starts with the alap. This portion has no rhythm and is intended to create the right environment. One then moves into the main portion of the performance; this is usually in a medium tempo. The pace slowly increases until a state of extreme excitement is produced.
It is very common for audience members, moved by their state of ecstasy to give money to the performers. This is known as vel. The performance continues without stopping.
The most common rags used in qawwalis today are bilawal, khammaj, kafi, and kalyan. However one often finds rags which are more in common with the modal forms of Persia or Afghanistan.
CONCLUSION
The qawwali is a very old form of Islamic devotional song. For centuries it has been inspired and propagated by the Chisti school, of Sufism. Although it is of Indo-Pakistan origin it is today enjoyed all over the world.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN QAWWALI
Bulbul Tarang
Dholak
Harmonium
Kartal
Rabab
Santur
Sarangi
Saringda
Tabla
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
Introduction
The ghazal is a common form in Indian and Pakistan. Strictly speaking, it is not a musical form at all but a poetic recitation. However, today it is commonly conceived of as an Urdu song whose prime importance is given to the lyrics.
History of the Ghazal
It is said that we must turn to Arabia to find the origins of the ghazal. The word ghazal is an Arabic word that literally means a "discourse" or more correctly a "talk to women". There was an Arabic form of poetry called qasida which came to Iran in about the 10th century. It dealt with the themes of the greatness of kings.
The qasida was at times unmanageably long. It was often 100 couplets or more. Therefore, a portion of the qasida, known as the tashib was detached and this became the ghazal. The ghazal soon became the most popular form of poetry in Iran.
Ghazal's introduction into India from the 12th century, was part of an ongoing revolution in North Indian society. India considered herself to be culturally inferior to greater Persia. Thus Persian culture became a great inspiration for India. The ghazal, along with many other cultural desiderata, were imported into India from the 12th to the 18th centuries. These forms were given a local colour by many Indian artists such as Amir Khusru, and continued to enjoy widespread popularity among Indian Muslims for many centuries.
Although the ghazal was introduced first in the north, the south is responsible for its Urdu character. The North Indian principalities were very much oriented toward Persian, but it was in the south that Urdu was beginning to be used for literary purposes. It was in the courts of Golkonda, and Bijapur that this revolution occurred. Such leaders as, Nusrati, Wajhi, Hashmi, Mohammad Quli Qutab Shah, and Wali are notable in their patronage and contributions. Northern India began to embrace Urdu as a poetic language only in about the 19th century.
The process of converting this poetic form into a musical form was a slow one. In the 18th and 19th centuries, the ghazal became associated the courtesan. The courtesans, known as tawaif, were considered the mavens of art, literature, dance, music, etiquette, and in short, all of the high culture. They were widely acclaimed for their musical abilities and did not hesitate to demonstrate these abilities when they performed the ghazal.
The decline in the feudal society at the end of the 19th and early 20th century brought with it a decline in the tawaif tradition. This change in culture also saw a change in the performance of ghazal. It continued to build upon its musical component, and began to be heard more and more in the concert hall.
The job of converting ghazal to a musical form was finished in the 20th century. The development of the recording and film industries created a mass media that was well suited to the musical ghazal. They also created an environment where it was convenient to treat the ghazal as though it were a mere git. All of this had tremendous economic advantages for performers and producers alike. Unfortunately, it also created economic pressures to lower the standards for the lyrical content.
Structure of the Ghazal
The poetic structure of the ghazal is precise. It is based upon a series of couplets which are woven together by a precise rhyming structure. The overall form uses an introductory couplet, the body of couplets, and then an concluding couplet. We will look at these in greater detail.
The first couplet is always the most important, this is known as the matla. The matla is important because it establishes the overall form and mood of the entire ghazal. Occasionally there are two matlas, in which case the second one is referred to as the matla-e-sani.
Each subsequent couplet is linked to the matla in a well defined fashion. The second verse of each couplet must rhyme with this. Therefore, if the rhyming structure of the matla is AA, then the subsequent couplets have the form BA, CA, DA, etc.
There is a convention in the ghazal known as the radif. This is a characteristic way that a portion of the first line (usually just two or three words) is maintained throughout the ghazal. However, it is not always executed consistently. For instance if there is no radif, the form is said to be ghair-muraddaf, this form is very rare. If the exact same words are used in the radif, then it is said to be ham-radif.
The last couplet of the ghazal is very important, this is called the maqta. It usually contains the pen name (takhallus) of the poet. The maqta is usually a personal statement which may be very different in tone from the rest of the ghazal. Today it is becoming more common to leave off the maqta.
There are a few common themes in the ghazal. Typically they revolve around unrequited love, madness, mystical ruminations, and even social commentaries ridiculing religious orthodoxy. Certainly the most common is unrequited love. However, within each ghazal the theme of each couplet need not be consistent. Each couplet may be thought of as a thematic vignette that need not relate to it adjacent couplets.
Although the themes of each couplet in a ghazal are usually distinct, there are some occasions where there is consistency. The Nazm is an example of a style that exhibits remarkable consistency in its thematic approach. A more common type of thematic connection is known as qita. Still, the norm is for each couplet to stand alone thematically.
Musical Form
The musical form of the ghazal is variable. The older more traditional ghazals were very similar to other Hindustani light classical forms such as the dadra or, thumri. One often finds forms that are similar to qawwali. They are typically in a variety of light classical rags. However today, the ghazal usually has a form which is not too dissimilar to many film songs. Such forms are usually decried by the purists because they usually display a bastardisation of the lyrics and a careless disregard of the forms.
The rhythmic forms (tal) of the modern ghazal are invariably of the lighter forms. One typically finds rupak (7 beats), dadra (6 beats) and kaherava 8 beats being used to the near exclusion of everything else.
Conclusion
The story of the ghazal is an interesting one. It is a story that begins in Arabia and continues over to Persia and on to India. It involves an evolution from a long involved Persian poetic discourse into modern Urdu poetry. It shows how a form of poetry may be converted into a form of song. This is an extreme evolution, but one which occupies an important position in Indian music.
Musical Instruments Used In Ghazal
Harmonium
Santur
Sarangi
Sitar
Tabla
Rabab (Kabuli Rabab)
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Geet
Qawwali
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshangit
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
OVERVIEW OF FILMI SANGEET - THE INDIAN FILM SONG
Filmi sangeet is the music from the Indian film industry. It is a commercial genre comparable to the Western "Top 40". The term "Film Song" is today somewhat of a misnomer because there are many songs of this genre that have never been in any film.
There may be questions concerning the artistic quality of the film song but there is no questioning its popular appeal. It is heard from every loudspeaker in India for every function imaginable. Its biggest appeal is to the youth and lower classes.
Sound stage in Madras
History of the Indian Film Song
The birth of the Indian film song may be traced to the advent of India's first sound motion picture in 1931. This film was entitled "Alam Ara" and heralded in a new era in Indian motion pictures. At the same time, it sewed the seeds for a new musical genre.
In the 30's three major film centres developed. These were based in Bombay (AKA Mumbai), Calcutta, and Madras (AKA Chenai). Of theses centres, Bombay was known for the making of films geared for national distribution, while Madras, and Calcutta were known for their regional films.
The early years of this industry were very fruitful. Between 1931 and 1940 India produced 931 Hindi feature films with an average of 10 songs per films. The numbers for the regional films from Madras and Calcutta, were much lower, but the orientation towards music was similar.
This period is notable for a number of major artists. Music directors such as Pankaj Mullick, Keshavrao Bhole, and Anil Biswas are a few who spring to mind. It is interesting to note that this early period did not favor "playback" singers. Many of the original actors and actresses sang their own songs. Many times, actors were chosen specifically for their singing abilities, Bal Gandharva, and Baburao Pendharkar are two examples.
In the 1940's and 1950's, the business began to shift away from the big motion picture studios to the independent producers. Although this opened the doors to many new musicians and music directors, the influence on whole was not positive. The distribution networks began to rely heavily on the "formulas" (i.e., "X" number of big name actors, "Y" numbers of songs, and "Z" number of dances, etc.). These formula films are known in Hindi as "masaala films". These formulas were determined by commercial and not artistic considerations. From that time on formula music became the norm. The number and variety of the film songs was solidly locked into place. The artistic results of making music by formula rather than inspiration is obvious.
This period is also significant for the introduction of the "playback" singer. Whereas the earlier artists acted and sang, the movies of this period introduced the custom of having actors who did not sing their own songs but instead had other singers do this for them. This is the playback singer.
Many notable playback singers came to prominence during this period. The most notable are, Lata Mangeshkar, Hemant Kumar, Mohammed Rafi, Geeta Dutt, and Asha Bhosle. Major music directors are Naushad, C. Ramchandra, S. D. Burman, Shankar - Jaikishan, and Madan Mohan.
Lata Mangeshkar (circa 1990)
The 60's and 70's represented a time of relative stability. It is true that there was an ever increasing standard of recording quality as technical advances were made. It is also true that a few artists would come and go. But for the most part, the playback singers such as Lata, Hemant, Asha and others of the previous decade had locked themselves into such a secure position that there was very little room for others to enter.
However there were a few new music directors to make it big. Kalyanji Anandji, R.D. Burman and Lakshmikant-Pyarelal are a few who would make their way into the business in a big way during this period.
Indian Recording Studio
The Shakeup
The film industry was again shaken in the 80's and 90's. Many new developments would both adversely effect traditional businesses, yet present new opportunities for others.
The television has had a tremendous effect on this genre. In the 1970's the Indian Government began a project to introduce the TV throughout India. Unlike many other countries, the TV (known as "Doordarshan") is owned by the Government. The widespread introduction was originally for "educational purposes" (i.e., propaganda) and was not very inspiring. The original programming was not a commercial threat to the Indian film industry. However during the 80's and 90's, under political and economic pressure, the television began to open up to private productions. Such independent productions proved to be very popular and began to adversely effect cinema attendance. It also gave the music producers an alternative outlet for their musical productions.
Other factors effecting Indian film songs were the problems within the Bombay film world. For many decades, Bombay monopolized the Hindi film industry and therefore controlled the lion's share of India's film music. However, increased cost of production, rising trade unionism and organized extortion rackets working under the ruling Siv Sena Party have decimated this industry. (Although the Siv Sena Party is no longer in power, the effects of racketeering still remain.) Today a large number of Hindi films and film songs are being produced in Madras where conditions are more favorable. This shift has given a major boost to Madras based music directors such as A. R. Rahman and playback singers such as S. P. Balasubrahmanyam.
The introduction of the VCR and the satellite / cable networks has also impacted the film Industry. Unlike the standard TV, the satellite / cable networks are all private sector undertakings. Curiously enough the introduction of the satellite has had the effect of internationalizing both the production and consumption of film style commercial music.
There are other factors that have shaken the industry. Overproduction of cinema houses in the 70's and 80's coupled with ever increasing entertainment taxes have made it difficult for many theatre owners to survive. This has shaken the distribution networks.
The result is that the nature of "filmi sangeet" is not as well defined as it once was. The creation of alternative media along with the decimation of the traditional Indian film industry has produced an interesting business and artistic environment. It appears that film music is in the process of spawning a number of new and related genre. However their definition is not yet clear.
Musical Characteristics
It is impossible to make any statement about the musical aspects of film music. Classical and traditional elements may be found, yet it is more likely to be dominated by Western jazz, rap, disco or whatever styles may be in vogue. It is even common to mix all of the various elements together.
For an excellent treatment of the subject check out "Hindi Filmi Git" by Alison E. Arnold.
Indian Instruments Used in the Films
(note - Western instruments may not be included in this list)
Bansuri
Daf (Duf, Daphu, Daffali)
Dholak
Harmonium
Jal Tarang
Khol (Mridang)
Manjira
Rabab (Kabuli Rabab)
Santur
Sarangi
Sarod
Shehnai
Sitar
Tabla
Tabla Tarang
Tanpura
Violin
Traditional Indian Genre Used In The Films
(note - Western genre may not be included in this list)
Bhajan
Dhun
Folk Music
Kathak Dance
Qawwali
Thumri
BHAJAN - THE HINDU DEVOTIONAL SONG
The bhajan has a special place in Indian society. Most bhajans were written between the 14th through 17th centuries. They are simple songs sung in the praise of God. Complex spiritual truths are portrayed in the simple language of the farmers, merchants, and other common people of the time.
Bhajan is an important part of a Hindu revivalist movement which swept through India during the Mogul period; this movement was known as the Bhakti movement. The crux of this movement was simple; spiritual salvation was attainable to anyone who had a pure and selfless love of God. This salvation was not predicated upon formalised yagnas, pujas, knowledge of Sanskrit, or any of the characteristics of the older forms of Hinduism. This was a spiritual empowerment of the masses.
Bhajan is difficult to describe musically because it is not defined by any musical characteristics; it is defined by a sense of devotion (bhakti). Bhajans cover a broad spectrum of musical styles from the simple musical chant (dhun) to highly developed versions comparable to thumri.
The poetic content of the bhajan also covers a broad spectrum. The more traditional ones by great saint musicians such as Mira, or Kabir are considered to be of the highest literary quality. Many modern ones, although more easily understood by the masses, usually have a literary value no greater than a typical film song (a popular form of music generated for the masses). The lowest poetic form is the dhun, which is actually nothing more than a musical version of a chant.
The structure of bhajan is very conventional. It contains a single sthai and numerous antara. The last antara has special significance because it contains the nom de plume of the author.
There are a number of musician/ saints who are famous for their bhajans. The names Tulsidas, Surdas, Mira Bai, and Kabir are particularly well known.
Streaming Audio Bhajans by Chandra and David
Chando Langar - A Mira bhajan performed in a thumri style.
Tumak Chalat Ram Chandra - A bhajan by Tulsidas on Lord Ram
Tu Dayal - A Tulsidas bhajan
Guru Hamare - A dhun in praise of the spiritual guru.
Gaiye Ganapati - A Tulsidas bhajan in Praise of Lord Ganesh.
Mohe Lage Lagan - A Mira bhajan in praise of the guru.
Omkar Rupini - A bhajan in praise of Shakti.
Om Jaya Jagadish Hare - Famous dhun used in Aratis.
Payoji Maine - A Mira bhajan in praise of lord Ram.
Ram Sumira - A Nanak bhajan in praise of Lord Ram.
Shiva Shankar - Dhun in praise of lord Shiva.
Darashan Dena - This is a famous Mira bhajan.
Sri Ram Chandra - A Tulsidas bhajan in praise of Lord Ram.
Niru Bal Ke Balram - A Hindu bhajan by Surdas
Tu Sumiran Kar Le - A bhajan by Guru Nanak.
Chalo Mana - A Mira bhajan.
Hari Name Sumar Sukha Dham - A Bhrahmananda bhajan
Instruments Used in Bhajan
Kartal
Ektar
Dotar #1
Harmonium
Manjira
Sitar
Dholak
Dholki (Nal)
Tabla
Surpeti / Electronic Tanpura
Tanpura
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
GEET (GIT) - THE HINDI SONG
The geet may, or may not be considered a distinct style of song. The word "geet" actually means "song". However, there is a tendency to use the term for many of the lighter styles which do not fit the rigid classification of the more classical forms. The geet need not be based upon a rag. It is usually set to the lighter tals.
COMMON INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE GEET
Tabla
Harmonium
Sarangi
Dholak
Sitar
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
BHANGRA: MUSIC AND DANCE FROM THE PUNJAB
Bhangra was originally a Punjabi folk dance which has expanded in several ways. As far as dance is concerned, the term bhangra has expanded to include the style of music used to accompany bhangra dance. In terms of its reach, it has expanded beyond rural Punjab to become an internationally recognised style of song and dance.
History
Originally, the bhangra was just a folk dance that was confined to the Punjab during the harvest festival of Baisakhi. This was performed only by men, while the women would perform the giddha. Over the centuries, bhangra grew to encompass not only the giddha but a number of rural Punjabi folk dances. It grew in popularity, and expanded its range to the point where bhangra was then found over much of Northwest India and Pakistan. Furthermore, it could be performed on any festive occasion, and not just during the harvest festival.
The seeds of bhangra's growth as an international artform began not in India, but in Great Britain. The Indo-Pakistan expatriate community was lacking a clear symbol of its own ethnic identity. This community was starting to be comprised of second and third generation South Asians. They could no longer easily relate to a changed India or Pakistan, but were also unable to completely assimilate into traditional British society. They were struggling to have a clear symbol of their own identity. In this cultural vacuum, the bhangra grew to become an important symbol of their self identity.
Bhangra first began to make its mark internationally during the 1970's. At this time, artists such as A.S. Kang and Kuldip Manak began to make a commercial success out of it. It was also in this period that bhangra began to be widely accepted as a genre of music rather than simply a dance form. In the next few decades bhangra grew into a truly international phenomenon. It is to be found wherever there is a large expatriate Indian community.
We have seen bhangra expand further until now it is almost a subculture. Implicit in the bhangra are not just the music and dance, but also a lifestyle. At first, this might be hard to conceive, but it certainly is not a unique occurrence. Perhaps the most well known example of this sort of thing was the disco movement in the late 70s; disco too encompassed music, dance, as well as a whole lifestyle.
Sub-Genres of Bhangra Dance
Bhangra is not a single dance but is actually composed of several sub-genera. Generally these are daankara, dhamal, gatka, giddha, jhumar, julli, kikli, luddi, and the saami. A brief description follows:
Daankara - The term "daankara", is derived from the word "daan", which means "stick". As the name implies, this dance is performed with sticks. This dance tends to be done at weddings. It has a certain similarity to the dandiya raas of Gujarat.
Dhamal - The dhamal is a particularly energetic form of folk dance. This dance is done by the participants forming a circle. In this the dancers hold their hands in the air as they dance about, there are many interjections and much shouting.
Gatka - The gatka is dance that is performed with swords, daggers, or sticks. It is said that this dance was started after the martyrdom of the fifth Guru Arjun Dev.
Giddha - This is primarily a women's dance.
Jhumar - The term "jhumar", means to "swing". The jhumar is a men's dance that is performed at weddings and other festive events. It developed in the Sandalbar, and Balochistan area of Pakistan. It is characterised by a particular rhythm which is substantially slower than that which is normally used in bhangra.
Julli - Where most of the forms of bhangra are done by groups of people, julli may be done by a single person. It has its origins in the dance of the Muslim holy men and may be done from a sitting posture.
Kikli - The kikli is generally performed by women. For this, women lock there hands and swing about in circles. These are usually pairs of girls, but on occasion four girls may perform this move.
Luddi - The luddi is a dance that contains a vary characteristic posture of the bhangra. In this, the dancer has one hand behind their head and the other hand outstretched.
Saami - This is usually considered a women's dance.
The Music of Bhangra
Today, bhangra is not just a dance but is also a musical style. As this music has become internationalised, it has undergone quite an evolution. Where it was once a purely folk music of Punjab, today elements of rap, hip-hop, and other commercial Western forms may be found enfolded within it.
Melodically the bhangra uses an extremely small number of notes. The range seldom extends an octave. Still, even with the limited number of notes used, the bhangra may be extremely expressive, due in great part to the lyrical nature of the songs.
The rhythms of bhangra tend to be very lively. They are usually based upon a very fast kaherava tal of eight beats. However this eight beat pattern is almost never performed straight, but usually incorporates a strong syncopation (i.e,. a heavy "swing"). The jhumar tends to be much slower, and at times utilises a half cycle version of punjabi theka (i.,e based upon eight beats rather than 16). At other times, the jhumar may be based upon a hemeola in a manner somewhat similar to the Gujarati raas music.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN BHANGRA
Ektar (tumbi)
Sarangi
Chimpta
Dhol
Daf (Duf, Daphu, Daffali)
Dholak
Dhad
Kirtan Or Dhun - Hindu Musical Chants
The Kirtan or Dhun is related to the bhajan. The major difference is that bhajan is usually performed by a soloist, while kirtan and dhun usually involve the audience in a "call-and-responce". The musical quality is consequently much simpler to accommodate the uncertain musical abilities of the participants. The term Kirtan is used by Hindus and Sikhs, while the term Dhun seems to be used only by Hindus, especially Gujuratis.
INSTRUMENTS USED IN KIRTAN
Chimpta
Dholak
Harmonium
Kartal
Kasht Tarang
Khol (Mridang)
Manjira
Shankh
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
QAWWALI PAGE
INTRODUCTION
Qawwali is the traditional form of Islamic song found in India and Pakistan. The word qawwali is derived from the Arabic word Qaol which means "axiom" or "dictum". A Qawwal is one who sings qawwali, or the dictums of the prophets and praises of God. The Qawwali is closely linked to the spiritual and artistic life of northern India and Pakistan.
SPIRITUAL ASPECT OF QAWWALI
The qawwali is inextricably linked to the Sufi tradition; Sufism is a mystical school of Islamic thought which strives to attain truth and divine love by direct personal experience. In Arabic, this mysticism is known as tasawwuf. The difference between Sufism and mainstream Islam is simple. All Muslims believe that man is on a path to God (tariqah). However, where the mainstream Muslim believes that it is only possible to reach God after death at the final judgement, the Sufi believes that it is possible to reach God during ones life. To this end there are a number of different techniques and methods.
The Koran instructs man to remember God. This remembrance, known as dhikr, may be either silent of vocal. The qawwali may be viewed as an extension of the vocal form of this remembrance. The use of music as a spiritual force was discussed in great length by al-Gazali (1085-1111).
By the end of the 11th century, there arose the tradition of the sama. The sama was often a spiritual concert, which included a vocalist, and instrumentalists. These samas took place under the direction of a spiritually respected man (shaikh).
There is a very specific psychological process which a qawwali follows. One starts with the singing of the song. In this psychological state the song is received in a manner that is not unlike standard forms of musical expression. The words are sung, quite repeatedly with variations intended to bring out deeper means of the lyrics. After awhile there is a repetition to the extent that the words cease to have a meaning. It is the goal here to lead the listener and performer alike into a trance (hal). In the ideal situation the participant is moved to a state of spiritual enlightenment (fana).
HISTORY OF THE QAWWALI
The origins of qawwali probably predate the birth of Muhammad. The earliest Islamic scholars discussed the spiritual effects of music, but it was only in the time of al-Gazali (1085-1111) that these principles were refined and codified.
These principles were then expanded by the Chisti school of Sufism. It is this order that has been responsible for the propagation of the qawwali in India and Pakistan for then last few centuries. The origin of the Chisti school is unclear. Most believe that it was established by Khwaj Moinuddin Hasan Chisti (1143-1234). However there are a some who hold that the originator was Abu Ishaq Shami Chisti who died in Damascus in 940 C.E.
Khwaj Moinuddin Hasan Chisti was undoubtedly responsible for the widespread propagation of this school of Sufism. It is said that he was born in Sijistan. At a young age, he was influenced by several saintly men, including Ibrahim Qahandazi, and Shaikh Abdul Qadir Jilli. He immigrated to Delhi and became a very respected saint. He later grew tired of the life in Delhi and withdrew to the peace and quite of Ajmer (Rajasthan) where he lived the remainder of his days.
One of the followers of the Chisti school was a man by the name of Shaikh Nizamuddin Auliya (1236-1325). He was born in Budaun, but at the age of 20 he moved to Ajodhan and became a disciple of Fariduddin Ganj-i-Shakkar. It is said that it was here that he received the key to inner illumination. He was then sent to Delhi to instruct the populous. Here he acquired a reputation for using music in his devotional gatherings. This created a great amount of friction with the more orthodox Islamic elements in Delhi.
Nizamuddin Auliya was, and still is, a source of inspiration for countless people. Even today there is an annual gathering at his tomb.
One man who was inspired by the Hazrat Nizamuddin was Amir Khusru (1254-1324). He was born in Mominpur (Patiala). His father was originally from Turkey, this gave the young boy a broader exposure to the rest of the Islamic world. His father died when he was eight years old, whereupon the job of raising him fell to his maternal grandfather. Amir Khusru was a legendary musician, statesman and philosopher. It is said that he was the advisor to 11 rulers of Delhi, particularly the rulers of the Khilji Dynasty (Deva 1973:76).
Amir Khusru is so important to the development of qawwali that he is often (erroneously) said to be the inventor of it. It is said that he mixed the various musical elements from Turkey, greater Persia and India together. Even today, we find the curious mixture of Persian moqquams with Indian rags.
The development of the qawwali up to the latter part of the Mogul empire closely parallels the development of the Hindu religious song known as bhajan. We find parallels in musical form and social settings. The degree of cross influence is so great that some musician / saints such as Kabir (circa 1440-1518) are to this day revered by Hindus and Muslims alike.
The tradition of qawwali has had numerous ups and downs. One particularly hard time was during the reign of Aurangzeb. Aurangzeb is known for his Islamic fundamentalism. The liberal traditions of the Sufis were not well received by this emperor. He took the fundamentalist injunction against music very seriously.
Aurangzeb's dislike of music is well illustrated in a common story. It appears that during his administration a group of musicians, disheartened with their lack of patronage, took some musical instruments and wrapped them in the manner of a corpse and held a funeral procession in protest. Aurangzeb enquires about the procession and is told it is a burial to signify the death of music. Whereupon it is said that the emperor declares, "Good! bury it so deep that never a sound should be heard again."
The collapse of the Mogul empire and political fragmentation under the British was both good and bad for the qawwals. On one hand the political disarray meant that a major suppression of their artform was impossible, yet it also meant that their patronage was also uneven.
The rising film industry in the middle of the 20th century was a major vehicle for the rise in popularity of the qawwali. There was a period when a qawwali was a mandatory part of the formula Hindi films.
The film industry influenced the development of the qawwali in several ways. It is interesting to note that since the environment of the cinema house precluded the artist /audience interaction, it set the precedent for the more detached quality that characterises modern performances. The filmi qawwali also set the precedent for the "showy" quality that one finds in modern performances. Another effect of the filmi qawwali was the downgrading of the religious / devotional aspect. A typical example of a filmi qawwali is "Sharam ke Kyun Sab" from the film "Chaudvin ka Chand".
The secularisation of the qawwali is an interesting phenomenon. One can see that the seeds of its secularisation are inherent in the qawwali itself. Themes of qawwali have traditionally revolved around very mundane or even coarse occurrences. However, the coarseness of the situations have always been interpreted as the coarse spiritual existence of our daily lives. The modern secular qawwali tends to strip the themes of their metaphorical and allegorical character thus producing a shallow, yet commercially marketable entity.
Recent years have seen the qawwali thrust into the international arena by such musicians as Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan. His fusion of traditional Indo-Pakistani influences with Western music has created quite a stir in the music world.
PERFORMANCE CHARACTERISTICS
The performance of a qawwali is typically a group situation. This is different from a classical performance which revolves around one person. Within this group situation, there is one main vocalist or qawwal, and a group of supporting vocalist. The audience too is considered a participant in this event
The musical accompaniment is varied; harmonium, tabla, dholak, sarangi, saringda, and rabab, are common instruments. Furthermore, a simple clapping of the hands is a ubiquitous rhythmic support.
There are several tals in common use in the qawwali. The most common is the fast dadra tal of 6 beats or the fast kaherava of four or eight beats. Unlike the more cerebral, classical forms these tals are played in such a way that they produce a driving hypnotic beat.
Although the qawwali is not a classical form of singing, it does have some common elements. One finds fast taans, meend gamaks and the other forms of ornamentation which are typical of Hindustani performances.
The structure of the qawwali is also similar to the classical forms. It typically starts with the alap. This portion has no rhythm and is intended to create the right environment. One then moves into the main portion of the performance; this is usually in a medium tempo. The pace slowly increases until a state of extreme excitement is produced.
It is very common for audience members, moved by their state of ecstasy to give money to the performers. This is known as vel. The performance continues without stopping.
The most common rags used in qawwalis today are bilawal, khammaj, kafi, and kalyan. However one often finds rags which are more in common with the modal forms of Persia or Afghanistan.
CONCLUSION
The qawwali is a very old form of Islamic devotional song. For centuries it has been inspired and propagated by the Chisti school, of Sufism. Although it is of Indo-Pakistan origin it is today enjoyed all over the world.
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS USED IN QAWWALI
Bulbul Tarang
Dholak
Harmonium
Kartal
Rabab
Santur
Sarangi
Saringda
Tabla
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
CARNATIC SANGEET- THE SOUTH INDIAN SYSTEM OF MUSIC
INTRODUCTION
Carnatic sangeet, (Karnatik Sangit) is the south Indian system of music. It has a rich history and a very sophisticated theoretical system. The performers and composers have, gained a world class reputation by singing and playing instruments such as veena (vina), gottuvadyam, violin, and mridangam.
In the West, Carnatic Sangeet is not as well known as Hindustani Sangeet (north Indian music). Whenever Westerners think of Indian music, they immediately think of Ravi Shankar and the sitar. Although South Indian music is extremely sophisticated, there has not emerged an artist with the worldwide recognition that North Indians, like Ravi Shankar, have been able to generate.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Carnatic Sangeet is found in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Carnatica. These states are known for their strong presentation of Dravidian culture.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HINDUSTANI AND CARNATIC SANGEET
The reasons for the differentiation between North, and South Indian music is not clear. The generally held belief is that North Indian music evolved along different lines due to an increased exposure to the Islamic world. This results from nearly 800 years of Islamic rule over northern India.
Unfortunately, evidence suggests that this answer is a gross over-simplification. For instance, Kerala has an extremely large Muslim population, but virtually no identification with north Indian music. By the same token, the Islamic influence over Orissa was negligible, yet the artistic forms are clearly identifiable as Hindustani. Although there is a poor correlation between the geographical distribution of Hindus / Muslims and the two musical systems; there is an almost exact correlation between the Indo-European/Dravidian cultures and the two musical systems.
Therefore, we come to the politically uncomfortable, yet inescapable conclusion that the differences between North and South Indian music does not represent a differentiation caused by Islamic influence, but instead represents a continuation of fundamental cultural differences.
HISTORY OF CARNATIC SANGEET
We can begin our discussion of the history of Carnatic Sangeet with Purandardas (1480-1564). He is considered to be the father of Carnatic Sangeet. He is given credit for the codification of the method of education, and is also credited with several thousand songs.
Venkat Mukhi Swami (17th century) is the grand theorist of Carnatic music. He was the one who developed the melakarta system. This is the system for classifying south Indian rags.
Carnatic music really acquired its present form in the 18th century. It was during this period that the "trinity" of Carnatic music, Thyagaraja, Shamashastri, and Muthuswami Dikshitar composed their famous compositions. In addition to our "trinity". Numerous other musicians and composers enriched this tradition. Some notable personalities were; Papanasam Shivan, Gopala Krishna Bharati, Swati Tirunal, Mysore Vasudevachar, Narayan Tirtha, Uttukadu Venkatasubbair, Arunagiri Nathar, and Annamacharya.
CARNATIC MUSIC THEORY
Carnatic music has a very highly developed theoretical system. It is based upon a complex system of ragam (rag) and thalam (tal). These describe the intricacies of the melodic and rhythmic forms respectively.
The melodic foundation is the ragam (rag). Ragam (rag) is basically the scale. The seven notes of the scale are Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha and Ni. However, unlike a simple scale there are certain melodic restrictions and obligations. Each ragam (rag) has a particular way that it moves from note to note.
The ragams are categorised into various modes. These are referred to as mela, and there are 72 in number. The mela are conceptually similar to the thats of North Indian music. There is however, a major difference. South Indian scales allow chromatic forms that are not allowed in Hindustani sangeet. For instance it is perfectly acceptable for the first three notes (i.e., Sa Re Ga to all be roughly one semitone apart. It is these permissible forms which allow there to be so many mela.
The tal (thalam) is the rhythmic foundation to the system. The south Indian tals are defined by a system of clapping and waving, while this is much less important in the north. North Indian musicians define their tals by their theka.
Nomenclature is one of the biggest differences between North and South Indian music. It is normal for a particular rag or tal to be called one thing in the North and something totally different in the South. It is also common for the same name to be applied to very different rags and tals. It is theses differences in nomenclature that have made any theoretical reconciliation difficult.
PERFORMANCE
Vocal music forms the basis of South Indian music. Although there is a rich instrumental tradition that uses vina, venu and violin, they revolve around instrumental renditions of vocal forms.
There are a number of sections to the Carnatic performance. Varanam is a form used to begin many south Indian performances. The word varanam literal means a description and this section is used to unfold the various important features of the ragam. The kritis are a fixed compositions in the rag. They have well identified composers and do not allow much scope for variation. However such compositions are often preceded by alapana. The alapana offers a way to unfold the ragam to the audience, and at the same time, allow the artist considerable scope for improvisation. The niruval and the kalpana swara also provide opportunities to improvise. Another common structure is the ragam, thanam, and, pallavi
South Indian performances are based upon three major sections. These are the pallavi anupallavi and charanam. These roughly correspond to the sthai, antara and the abhog in Hindustani sangeet.
CONCLUSION
The rich tradition of South Indian music is one of the worlds gems. The high performance standards and the well organised theoretical foundation put it on par with anything that world has seen, either East or West.
INSTRUMENTS USED IN SOUTH INDIAN MUSIC
Manjira
Ghatam
Murchang
Bansuri
Nadaswaram
Saraswati Vina (South Indian Vina)
Gotuvadyam
Tanpura
Getchu Vadyam (Gettuvadyam)
Violin
Mridangam
Tavil
Ottu
Carnatic sangeet, (Karnatik Sangit) is the south Indian system of music. It has a rich history and a very sophisticated theoretical system. The performers and composers have, gained a world class reputation by singing and playing instruments such as veena (vina), gottuvadyam, violin, and mridangam.
In the West, Carnatic Sangeet is not as well known as Hindustani Sangeet (north Indian music). Whenever Westerners think of Indian music, they immediately think of Ravi Shankar and the sitar. Although South Indian music is extremely sophisticated, there has not emerged an artist with the worldwide recognition that North Indians, like Ravi Shankar, have been able to generate.
GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION
Carnatic Sangeet is found in the south Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Carnatica. These states are known for their strong presentation of Dravidian culture.
RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN HINDUSTANI AND CARNATIC SANGEET
The reasons for the differentiation between North, and South Indian music is not clear. The generally held belief is that North Indian music evolved along different lines due to an increased exposure to the Islamic world. This results from nearly 800 years of Islamic rule over northern India.
Unfortunately, evidence suggests that this answer is a gross over-simplification. For instance, Kerala has an extremely large Muslim population, but virtually no identification with north Indian music. By the same token, the Islamic influence over Orissa was negligible, yet the artistic forms are clearly identifiable as Hindustani. Although there is a poor correlation between the geographical distribution of Hindus / Muslims and the two musical systems; there is an almost exact correlation between the Indo-European/Dravidian cultures and the two musical systems.
Therefore, we come to the politically uncomfortable, yet inescapable conclusion that the differences between North and South Indian music does not represent a differentiation caused by Islamic influence, but instead represents a continuation of fundamental cultural differences.
HISTORY OF CARNATIC SANGEET
We can begin our discussion of the history of Carnatic Sangeet with Purandardas (1480-1564). He is considered to be the father of Carnatic Sangeet. He is given credit for the codification of the method of education, and is also credited with several thousand songs.
Venkat Mukhi Swami (17th century) is the grand theorist of Carnatic music. He was the one who developed the melakarta system. This is the system for classifying south Indian rags.
Carnatic music really acquired its present form in the 18th century. It was during this period that the "trinity" of Carnatic music, Thyagaraja, Shamashastri, and Muthuswami Dikshitar composed their famous compositions. In addition to our "trinity". Numerous other musicians and composers enriched this tradition. Some notable personalities were; Papanasam Shivan, Gopala Krishna Bharati, Swati Tirunal, Mysore Vasudevachar, Narayan Tirtha, Uttukadu Venkatasubbair, Arunagiri Nathar, and Annamacharya.
CARNATIC MUSIC THEORY
Carnatic music has a very highly developed theoretical system. It is based upon a complex system of ragam (rag) and thalam (tal). These describe the intricacies of the melodic and rhythmic forms respectively.
The melodic foundation is the ragam (rag). Ragam (rag) is basically the scale. The seven notes of the scale are Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha and Ni. However, unlike a simple scale there are certain melodic restrictions and obligations. Each ragam (rag) has a particular way that it moves from note to note.
The ragams are categorised into various modes. These are referred to as mela, and there are 72 in number. The mela are conceptually similar to the thats of North Indian music. There is however, a major difference. South Indian scales allow chromatic forms that are not allowed in Hindustani sangeet. For instance it is perfectly acceptable for the first three notes (i.e., Sa Re Ga to all be roughly one semitone apart. It is these permissible forms which allow there to be so many mela.
The tal (thalam) is the rhythmic foundation to the system. The south Indian tals are defined by a system of clapping and waving, while this is much less important in the north. North Indian musicians define their tals by their theka.
Nomenclature is one of the biggest differences between North and South Indian music. It is normal for a particular rag or tal to be called one thing in the North and something totally different in the South. It is also common for the same name to be applied to very different rags and tals. It is theses differences in nomenclature that have made any theoretical reconciliation difficult.
PERFORMANCE
Vocal music forms the basis of South Indian music. Although there is a rich instrumental tradition that uses vina, venu and violin, they revolve around instrumental renditions of vocal forms.
There are a number of sections to the Carnatic performance. Varanam is a form used to begin many south Indian performances. The word varanam literal means a description and this section is used to unfold the various important features of the ragam. The kritis are a fixed compositions in the rag. They have well identified composers and do not allow much scope for variation. However such compositions are often preceded by alapana. The alapana offers a way to unfold the ragam to the audience, and at the same time, allow the artist considerable scope for improvisation. The niruval and the kalpana swara also provide opportunities to improvise. Another common structure is the ragam, thanam, and, pallavi
South Indian performances are based upon three major sections. These are the pallavi anupallavi and charanam. These roughly correspond to the sthai, antara and the abhog in Hindustani sangeet.
CONCLUSION
The rich tradition of South Indian music is one of the worlds gems. The high performance standards and the well organised theoretical foundation put it on par with anything that world has seen, either East or West.
INSTRUMENTS USED IN SOUTH INDIAN MUSIC
Manjira
Ghatam
Murchang
Bansuri
Nadaswaram
Saraswati Vina (South Indian Vina)
Gotuvadyam
Tanpura
Getchu Vadyam (Gettuvadyam)
Violin
Mridangam
Tavil
Ottu
TAPPA - PUNJABI CLASSICAL MUSIC
Tappa is a light classical style which is declining in popularity. It is basically a classical style of music from the Punjab.
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tarana
Thumri
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tarana
Thumri
LAKSHAN GEET (LAXANGIT)- SONGS FOR INSTRUCTION
Lakshan Geet is probably the most typical fixed composition used for vocal instruction. This is a style of singing where the lyrics of the song actually describe the features of the rag. If the lakshangit is memorized, one will never forget the rag. Throughout ones life, whenever the rag is heard the words keep coming back.
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Shabad
Qawwali
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Shabad
Qawwali
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
DADRA - SEMICLASSICAL INDIAN SONG
Dadra is a light classical style which is very similar to thumri. Although it resembles thumri it is much looser and allows more freedom for the artist. The tals used are dadra of 6 beats, kaherava of 8 beats, or any other light tal. It is commonly performed in light rags such as mand, pilu or pahadi
INSTRUMENTS USED TO ACCOMPANY DADRA
Tabla
Sarangi
Harmonium
Tanpura
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
INSTRUMENTS USED TO ACCOMPANY DADRA
Tabla
Sarangi
Harmonium
Tanpura
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
SHABAD - SIKH DEVOTIONAL SONGS
Shabad is a style similar to bhajan. However, these songs are popular among the Sikhs, while the bhajan is found among the Hindus.
The word "shabad" literally means "word". As such it represents the verbal description of the nature of God. This is generally from the Guru Granth Sahib which is the holy book of the Sikhs. The shabad is also referred to as "Gurbani" which literally means "Message of the Teacher".
The philosophy of the shabad and its relationship to spiritual growth is extremely sophisticated. It is said that it takes a tremendous amount of study, devotion, and meditation to truly understand the significance of the Gurbani. This is because, by its very nature, it embraces the infinite qualities of God.
The shabad has historically been performed in very traditional styles. The Guru Granth Sahib, is very specific in the rags that the various shabads are to be sung in. These are very typical of the more classical rags of north Indian music (Hindustani Sangeet). The traditional shabads are also in the more classical tals, such as tintal and ektal.
There is a special class of performers whose duties are to sing the shabads; these are known as raagis. It is a very difficult task to be a good raagi because it requires a rare combination of musical training, raw talent, years of study of the scriptures, and a high level of spiritual development. It is obvious that such a combination is a rare.
In recent times, there was a tendency to perform the shabad in lighter forms. The latitude that was sometimes taken was very great. Some merely performed the shabad in rags different from those specified in the Guru Granth Sahib. However other performers, either due to ignorance or commercial considerations, performed the shabad in very light styles. Sometimes these forms resembled more the film song, or the folk song, rather than the austere and meditative rags specified in the Guru Granth Sahib.
However in the last few years there has been a rising "Gurmat Sangeet" movement. This movement represents an artistic "return to the roots". This movement strives to to reproduce the instrumentation, rags and musical styles of the period in which a piece was composed. This movement has had profound repercussions throughout the field of north Indian classical music, one which extends beyond the Sikh community.
The result of the Gurmat Sangeet movement is significant. Today their are fewer liberties taken with the performance of the shabads. Furthermore instruments which were declining in popularity (e.g., dilruba, seni rabab, tar shehanai) are readily available in most Indian music stores, where just a few years ago they would have been considered speciality items.
Musical Instruments Used in Shabad
Chimpta
Dhad
Dholak
Dilruba
Harmonium
Rabab (Kabuli Rabab)
Santur
Sarangi
Sarod
Seni Rabab
Tabla
Taus (Mayuri Vina)
Esraj
Tar Shehnai
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
The word "shabad" literally means "word". As such it represents the verbal description of the nature of God. This is generally from the Guru Granth Sahib which is the holy book of the Sikhs. The shabad is also referred to as "Gurbani" which literally means "Message of the Teacher".
The philosophy of the shabad and its relationship to spiritual growth is extremely sophisticated. It is said that it takes a tremendous amount of study, devotion, and meditation to truly understand the significance of the Gurbani. This is because, by its very nature, it embraces the infinite qualities of God.
The shabad has historically been performed in very traditional styles. The Guru Granth Sahib, is very specific in the rags that the various shabads are to be sung in. These are very typical of the more classical rags of north Indian music (Hindustani Sangeet). The traditional shabads are also in the more classical tals, such as tintal and ektal.
There is a special class of performers whose duties are to sing the shabads; these are known as raagis. It is a very difficult task to be a good raagi because it requires a rare combination of musical training, raw talent, years of study of the scriptures, and a high level of spiritual development. It is obvious that such a combination is a rare.
In recent times, there was a tendency to perform the shabad in lighter forms. The latitude that was sometimes taken was very great. Some merely performed the shabad in rags different from those specified in the Guru Granth Sahib. However other performers, either due to ignorance or commercial considerations, performed the shabad in very light styles. Sometimes these forms resembled more the film song, or the folk song, rather than the austere and meditative rags specified in the Guru Granth Sahib.
However in the last few years there has been a rising "Gurmat Sangeet" movement. This movement represents an artistic "return to the roots". This movement strives to to reproduce the instrumentation, rags and musical styles of the period in which a piece was composed. This movement has had profound repercussions throughout the field of north Indian classical music, one which extends beyond the Sikh community.
The result of the Gurmat Sangeet movement is significant. Today their are fewer liberties taken with the performance of the shabads. Furthermore instruments which were declining in popularity (e.g., dilruba, seni rabab, tar shehanai) are readily available in most Indian music stores, where just a few years ago they would have been considered speciality items.
Musical Instruments Used in Shabad
Chimpta
Dhad
Dholak
Dilruba
Harmonium
Rabab (Kabuli Rabab)
Santur
Sarangi
Sarod
Seni Rabab
Tabla
Taus (Mayuri Vina)
Esraj
Tar Shehnai
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
TARANA - INDIAN VOCAL FORM
Tarana is based upon the use of meaningless syllables in a very fast rendition. There is an interesting legend concerning its origin:
The story refers to a music competition during the time of Allaudin Khilji. It had come down to two finalists; a Hindu by the name of Gopal Nayak, and a Muslim named Amir Khusru. Gopal Nayak was well aware that he was up against a formidable opponent. He therefore sang a very fast song in Sanskrit, knowing quite well that Amir Khusru did not know the language. Amir Khusru then sang the same song, note for note, but substituting Persian words for the Sanskrit. The resulting performance was thrilling even though it was unintelligible. In this way Amir Khusru won the competition and invented tarana.
This legend is entertaining but highly unlikely. It is likely that the transformation from intelligible Persian lyrics to the present unintelligible syllables took a long time.
Tarana is found all over India. In south Indian music it is called tillana or thillana and is commonly used in dance performances.
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Thumri
Streaming Video
Bageshri Tarana - A tarana in Bhageshri
Streaming Audio
Tilana - by Chandrakantha Courtney.
Kedar Tarana - A tarana based upon Rag Kedar by Chandrakantha Courtney
Fast Tarana - A drut (fast) tarana in rag Bhairagi Bhairav. It is set to tintal of 16 beats. This is by Chandrakantha Courtney
Durga Tarana - by Aswini Bhide
The story refers to a music competition during the time of Allaudin Khilji. It had come down to two finalists; a Hindu by the name of Gopal Nayak, and a Muslim named Amir Khusru. Gopal Nayak was well aware that he was up against a formidable opponent. He therefore sang a very fast song in Sanskrit, knowing quite well that Amir Khusru did not know the language. Amir Khusru then sang the same song, note for note, but substituting Persian words for the Sanskrit. The resulting performance was thrilling even though it was unintelligible. In this way Amir Khusru won the competition and invented tarana.
This legend is entertaining but highly unlikely. It is likely that the transformation from intelligible Persian lyrics to the present unintelligible syllables took a long time.
Tarana is found all over India. In south Indian music it is called tillana or thillana and is commonly used in dance performances.
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Thumri
Streaming Video
Bageshri Tarana - A tarana in Bhageshri
Streaming Audio
Tilana - by Chandrakantha Courtney.
Kedar Tarana - A tarana based upon Rag Kedar by Chandrakantha Courtney
Fast Tarana - A drut (fast) tarana in rag Bhairagi Bhairav. It is set to tintal of 16 beats. This is by Chandrakantha Courtney
Durga Tarana - by Aswini Bhide
THUMRI (THUMREE) - SEMICLASSICAL SONG
Thumri is a common style of light classical music. The text is romantic and devotional in nature, and usually revolves around a girl's love for Krishna. The language is a dialect of Hindi called Brij bhasha. This style is characterized by a greater flexibility with the rag. The compositions are usually set to kaherava of 8 beats, addha tal of 16 beats, or dipchandi of 14 beats. It arose in popularity during the 19th century.
Streaming Audio
Chando Langar - A bhajan performed in a thumri style by Chandrakantha Courtney.
Bhanwara Re, Hum Pardesi Log - By Begum Achtar
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Streaming Audio
Chando Langar - A bhajan performed in a thumri style by Chandrakantha Courtney.
Bhanwara Re, Hum Pardesi Log - By Begum Achtar
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
KHEYAL (KHYAL) - INDIAN VOCAL FORM
Kheyal (a.k.a. "Khyal) has a special place in Indian music. The word "kheyal" in Urdu means "idea" or "imagination". This term is indicative of its highly improvisational nature. It is generally an abstract and complete presentation of the rag; It is probably the most improvised of the Indian styles.
There are two major movements of kheyal. There is an extremely slow section which is called vilambit, or bada kheyal: and a fast section called drut or chotta kheyal. The vilambit section is extremely slow and usually played in ektal of 12 beats. Occasionally, other tals such as jhumra of 14 beats are heard but this is most rare. The fast section is usually played in drut tintal or drut ektal.
History
The history of the kheyal (khyal) is pivotal to the development of the modern style of Hindustani classical music. Previously, the common styles were the dhrupad, and dhammar. These earlier styles were more somber and generally associated with the royal court.
The early development of the kheyal reflected a system of sexual segregation; this is known as "pardah". In this system, men and women were kept in separate places in the royal palaces. The men's activities were commonly held in the royal courts, these are known as "durbar", while the women were relegated to their quarters, which is known as "zanaana".
Architecture played a surprising role in the development of both the kheyal as well as the dhammar and dhrupad. The men commonly sang in the royal courts. These were big, and had no sound systems, therefore the masculine forms (e.g., dhrupad, dhammar) became very loud and devoid of delicacy. The kheyal was sung in much smaller women's quarters so there was not the necessity to sing so loudly; consequently, the kheyal was able to develop much more delicacy. Men singing in the royal courts had to deal with very reverberant environments, so any attempt to sing very fast material would simply be washed out in the echoes of the durbar. In contrast, women singing in the smaller zanaanas could explore the full range from slow to fast material.
It is no surprise that kheyal, unfettered by the acoustic constraints of the royal court, should become very popular. However, there were social obstacles which hampered its formal acceptance into the larger system of North Indian music. These obstacles were reflected in the gender roles that were part of Indian society in that period.
These gender roles were reflected in a guild system known as "gharana". From the collapse of the Mogul empire (18th century) to the time of Independence (1947) these gharanas were important for such activities as the allocation of royal patronage, the definition of artistic styles, and the education of new musicians to replace those who were lost through sickness and death. These gharanas maintained a formalized syllabus that musicians would use for both performance as well as educational purposes. Such a body of educational material is known as "taleem". The gender roles were reflected in a simple way. Until the turn of the 20th century the teachers were almost exclusively male, therefore the feminine artforms were excluded from the formal taleem.
A very significant shift occurred in the 18th century. In this period, men began to sing the kheyal. This movement was spearheaded by two great musicians. One of them was Sadarang (1670-1748) and another was Adarang (18th century). The collapse of the gender obstacles heralded the mass acceptance of the kheyal in northern India.
Over the next few centuries, a number of gharanas of kheyal would develop. These were the Gwalior, Agra, Kirana, Jaipur, Rampur, Delhi, Mewati, Bhendi Bazaar, Benares, and Patiyala gharanas. Each would have its own style and repertoire.
Today, the kheyal is considered to be the benchmark for North Indian Classical music.
Radio Special on the Kheyal
Radio Special
Streaming Audio
Darbari Kanada (Part 1 - Alap) - Alap in rag Darbari Kanada by Chandrakantha Courtney
Darbari Kanada (Part 2 - Vilambit) - Vilambit Kheyal in Darbari Kanada by Chandrakantha Courtney
Darbari Kanada (Part 3 - Drut) - Drut Kheyal in Darbari Kanada by Chandrakantha Courtney
Kheyal in Maru Bihag - A fast kheyal in a strict rendition of Rag Maru Bihag by Chandrakantha Courtney
Bhairagi Bhairav (slow kheyal) - This is a vilambit (slow) kheyal based upon rag Bhairagi Bhairav by Chandrakantha Courtney. It is set to Chartal Ki Sawari of 11 beats.
Kheyal in Rag Durga - By Aswini Bhide
Drut Kheyal in Rag Deshkar - by Abdul Rashid Khan
Kheyal in Lalit - by Abdul Karim Khan
Kheyal in Bihag - by Rashid Khan
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
There are two major movements of kheyal. There is an extremely slow section which is called vilambit, or bada kheyal: and a fast section called drut or chotta kheyal. The vilambit section is extremely slow and usually played in ektal of 12 beats. Occasionally, other tals such as jhumra of 14 beats are heard but this is most rare. The fast section is usually played in drut tintal or drut ektal.
History
The history of the kheyal (khyal) is pivotal to the development of the modern style of Hindustani classical music. Previously, the common styles were the dhrupad, and dhammar. These earlier styles were more somber and generally associated with the royal court.
The early development of the kheyal reflected a system of sexual segregation; this is known as "pardah". In this system, men and women were kept in separate places in the royal palaces. The men's activities were commonly held in the royal courts, these are known as "durbar", while the women were relegated to their quarters, which is known as "zanaana".
Architecture played a surprising role in the development of both the kheyal as well as the dhammar and dhrupad. The men commonly sang in the royal courts. These were big, and had no sound systems, therefore the masculine forms (e.g., dhrupad, dhammar) became very loud and devoid of delicacy. The kheyal was sung in much smaller women's quarters so there was not the necessity to sing so loudly; consequently, the kheyal was able to develop much more delicacy. Men singing in the royal courts had to deal with very reverberant environments, so any attempt to sing very fast material would simply be washed out in the echoes of the durbar. In contrast, women singing in the smaller zanaanas could explore the full range from slow to fast material.
It is no surprise that kheyal, unfettered by the acoustic constraints of the royal court, should become very popular. However, there were social obstacles which hampered its formal acceptance into the larger system of North Indian music. These obstacles were reflected in the gender roles that were part of Indian society in that period.
These gender roles were reflected in a guild system known as "gharana". From the collapse of the Mogul empire (18th century) to the time of Independence (1947) these gharanas were important for such activities as the allocation of royal patronage, the definition of artistic styles, and the education of new musicians to replace those who were lost through sickness and death. These gharanas maintained a formalized syllabus that musicians would use for both performance as well as educational purposes. Such a body of educational material is known as "taleem". The gender roles were reflected in a simple way. Until the turn of the 20th century the teachers were almost exclusively male, therefore the feminine artforms were excluded from the formal taleem.
A very significant shift occurred in the 18th century. In this period, men began to sing the kheyal. This movement was spearheaded by two great musicians. One of them was Sadarang (1670-1748) and another was Adarang (18th century). The collapse of the gender obstacles heralded the mass acceptance of the kheyal in northern India.
Over the next few centuries, a number of gharanas of kheyal would develop. These were the Gwalior, Agra, Kirana, Jaipur, Rampur, Delhi, Mewati, Bhendi Bazaar, Benares, and Patiyala gharanas. Each would have its own style and repertoire.
Today, the kheyal is considered to be the benchmark for North Indian Classical music.
Radio Special on the Kheyal
Radio Special
Streaming Audio
Darbari Kanada (Part 1 - Alap) - Alap in rag Darbari Kanada by Chandrakantha Courtney
Darbari Kanada (Part 2 - Vilambit) - Vilambit Kheyal in Darbari Kanada by Chandrakantha Courtney
Darbari Kanada (Part 3 - Drut) - Drut Kheyal in Darbari Kanada by Chandrakantha Courtney
Kheyal in Maru Bihag - A fast kheyal in a strict rendition of Rag Maru Bihag by Chandrakantha Courtney
Bhairagi Bhairav (slow kheyal) - This is a vilambit (slow) kheyal based upon rag Bhairagi Bhairav by Chandrakantha Courtney. It is set to Chartal Ki Sawari of 11 beats.
Kheyal in Rag Durga - By Aswini Bhide
Drut Kheyal in Rag Deshkar - by Abdul Rashid Khan
Kheyal in Lalit - by Abdul Karim Khan
Kheyal in Bihag - by Rashid Khan
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
DHAMMAR
OLD FORM OF SINGING
Dhammar is a very old style of singing. The name is also applied to instrumental renditions of the same. It has many similarities to dhrupad. The major difference is that it is slightly more romantic. Themes of dhammar typically revolve around Krishna and the Holi festival. In fact the dhammar is often called "hori" (holi). It is typically performed in dhammar tal of 14 beats. Dhammar, like its cousin the dhrupad, is rarely heard today.
INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE DHAMMAR
Tanpura
Pakhawaj
Rudra Vina
Seni Rabab
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
Dhammar is a very old style of singing. The name is also applied to instrumental renditions of the same. It has many similarities to dhrupad. The major difference is that it is slightly more romantic. Themes of dhammar typically revolve around Krishna and the Holi festival. In fact the dhammar is often called "hori" (holi). It is typically performed in dhammar tal of 14 beats. Dhammar, like its cousin the dhrupad, is rarely heard today.
INSTRUMENTS USED IN THE DHAMMAR
Tanpura
Pakhawaj
Rudra Vina
Seni Rabab
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhrupad
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
DHRUPAD
ANCIENT NORTH INDIAN CLASSICAL VOCAL
Dhrupad is perhaps the oldest style of classical singing in north Indian music today. The heyday of this style was in the time of Tansen. It is a very heavy, masculine style performed to the accompaniment of the pakhawaj (an ancient mridang). It is known for its austere quality and strict adherence to the tal. The moods of dhrupad may vary, but themes revolving around the victories of great kings and mythological stories are common. Devotional themes are also very common.
The dhrupad usually adheres to a four-part structure of sthai, antara, abhog, and sanchari. It is usually set to chautal of 12 beats, tivra of 7 beats, or sulfak of 10 beats. Occasionally one hears matt of 9 beats, or farodast of 14 beats. Its formal structure makes it a very difficult style to master. Unfortunately, this rigidity has also made it very difficult for the average person to appreciate. Today this style is almost extinct.
Dhrupad is also an instrumental form. However as an instrumental form, it is a mere imitation of the vocal dhrupad
Instruments Used In Dhrupad
Tanpura
Pakhawaj
Rudra Vina
Seni Rabab
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
Dhrupad is perhaps the oldest style of classical singing in north Indian music today. The heyday of this style was in the time of Tansen. It is a very heavy, masculine style performed to the accompaniment of the pakhawaj (an ancient mridang). It is known for its austere quality and strict adherence to the tal. The moods of dhrupad may vary, but themes revolving around the victories of great kings and mythological stories are common. Devotional themes are also very common.
The dhrupad usually adheres to a four-part structure of sthai, antara, abhog, and sanchari. It is usually set to chautal of 12 beats, tivra of 7 beats, or sulfak of 10 beats. Occasionally one hears matt of 9 beats, or farodast of 14 beats. Its formal structure makes it a very difficult style to master. Unfortunately, this rigidity has also made it very difficult for the average person to appreciate. Today this style is almost extinct.
Dhrupad is also an instrumental form. However as an instrumental form, it is a mere imitation of the vocal dhrupad
Instruments Used In Dhrupad
Tanpura
Pakhawaj
Rudra Vina
Seni Rabab
Other Indian Vocal Forms
Bhajan
Dadra
Dhammar
Film Music
Folk Music
Gazal
Geet
Kheyal
Kirtan / Dhun
Lakshan Geet
Qawwali
Shabad
Tappa
Tarana
Thumri
(HINDUSTANI SANGEET)
THE NORTH INDIAN SYSTEM OF MUSIC
The north Indian system of music is known as Hindustani Sangeet or sometimes Hindusthani Sangit. It covers an area that extends roughly from Bangladesh through northern and central India into Pakistan and as far as Afghanistan.
The usual interpretation states that theHindustani system may be thought of as a mixture of traditional Hindu musical concepts and Persian performance practice. The advent of Islamic rule over northern India caused the musicians to seek patronage in the courts of the new rulers. These rulers, often of foreign extraction, had strong cultural and religious sentiments focused outside of India; yet they lived in, and administered kingdoms which retained their traditional Hindu culture. Several centuries of this arrangement caused the Hindu music to absorb musical influences from the Islamic world, primarily greater Persia.
Although this is the usual view, there are reasons to think that this is an over-simplification. This view gives excessive weight to the religious differences between the Hindus of South Asia and the Muslims of the greater Persian empire (present day Iran, Afghanistan, and portions of the former Soviet Union.) At the same time it ignores long standing linguistic, economic, and cultural ties which existed between the areas of present day northern Indian and the greater Persian world.
There are a number of musical instruments that we associate with Hindustani sangeet. The most famous is the sitar and tabla. Other less well known instruments are the sarod, sarangi and a host of others.
Some of the major vocal forms associated with Hindustani Sangeet are the kheyal, gazal, and thumri. Other styles which are also important are the dhrupad, dhammar, and tarana. This is just a small sampling for there are many other vocal styles that we will have to discuss elsewhere.
North Indian Musical Instruments
Sitar
Sarod
Surbahar
Vichitra Vina
Tanpura
Santur
Seni Rabab
Surmandal
Bansuri
Shehnai
Harmonium
Manjira
Ghungharu
Sarangi
Dilruba
Esraj
Mayuri Vina (Taus)
Tabla
Tabla Tarang
Pakhawaj
North Indian Vocal Styles
Kheyal
Bhajan
Tarana
Dhrupad
Dhammar
Dadra
Gazal
Geet
Thumri
qawwali
Kirtan or Dhun
Shabad
Lakshangeet
Film Songs
Folk Music
Swarmalika
North Indian Instrumental Styles
Alap
Jor
Gat
Jhala
Dhun
The north Indian system of music is known as Hindustani Sangeet or sometimes Hindusthani Sangit. It covers an area that extends roughly from Bangladesh through northern and central India into Pakistan and as far as Afghanistan.
The usual interpretation states that theHindustani system may be thought of as a mixture of traditional Hindu musical concepts and Persian performance practice. The advent of Islamic rule over northern India caused the musicians to seek patronage in the courts of the new rulers. These rulers, often of foreign extraction, had strong cultural and religious sentiments focused outside of India; yet they lived in, and administered kingdoms which retained their traditional Hindu culture. Several centuries of this arrangement caused the Hindu music to absorb musical influences from the Islamic world, primarily greater Persia.
Although this is the usual view, there are reasons to think that this is an over-simplification. This view gives excessive weight to the religious differences between the Hindus of South Asia and the Muslims of the greater Persian empire (present day Iran, Afghanistan, and portions of the former Soviet Union.) At the same time it ignores long standing linguistic, economic, and cultural ties which existed between the areas of present day northern Indian and the greater Persian world.
There are a number of musical instruments that we associate with Hindustani sangeet. The most famous is the sitar and tabla. Other less well known instruments are the sarod, sarangi and a host of others.
Some of the major vocal forms associated with Hindustani Sangeet are the kheyal, gazal, and thumri. Other styles which are also important are the dhrupad, dhammar, and tarana. This is just a small sampling for there are many other vocal styles that we will have to discuss elsewhere.
North Indian Musical Instruments
Sitar
Sarod
Surbahar
Vichitra Vina
Tanpura
Santur
Seni Rabab
Surmandal
Bansuri
Shehnai
Harmonium
Manjira
Ghungharu
Sarangi
Dilruba
Esraj
Mayuri Vina (Taus)
Tabla
Tabla Tarang
Pakhawaj
North Indian Vocal Styles
Kheyal
Bhajan
Tarana
Dhrupad
Dhammar
Dadra
Gazal
Geet
Thumri
qawwali
Kirtan or Dhun
Shabad
Lakshangeet
Film Songs
Folk Music
Swarmalika
North Indian Instrumental Styles
Alap
Jor
Gat
Jhala
Dhun
VOCAL MUSIC
GAYAKI - NORTH INDIAN VOCAL MUSIC
The vocal tradition is especially strong in Indian music. It goes without saying that the song is probably the most ancient form of music. Vocal music occupies a considerable part of the Natya Shastra.
One may argue that the Vedas, especially the Samaveda, is the oldest musical text in India. It is true that the Samaveda is written in a crude musical notation. However, it is probably more appropriate for us to look at contemporary music.
Contemporary musical forms are built up from very well defined structures. These structures such as a primary theme, a secondary theme and other elements form a structured framework in which a largely improvised system of music can work.
There are many genres, some old and some new. Dhrupad and dhammar are some of the oldest in use today; they go back to the Mogul era (circa 16th century). Equally old, but stylistically quite different, is the tarana; this is based upon meaningless syllables. More modern (by Indian standards) are the highly improvised kheyal, dadra, and thumri. Another classical style is the tappa of Punjab.
Most of the classical songs of north India are devotional in nature, but there are a few genre which are especially oriented toward religion. Most notable is the bhajan, dhun or kirtan for Hindus, the kawali (qawali) for Muslims, and the shabad for Sikhs.
Not all the music is serious, for there are also many popular genres. The gazal is one style which is known for it rich poetic, and romantic content. the Hindi geet is basically just a song. Undoubtedly, the most popular is the film song.
There are also a few genres which are oriented specifically toward musical education. The most notable example is the lakshan geet. In this style the words of the song actually describe the rag which is being performed. Another genre which is used for pedagogic purposes is the swarmalika. This style uses the sargam of the piece instead of words.
India also has a rich tradition of folk music. These will vary from region to region.
Vocal Forms
Kheyal
Bhajan
Tarana
Dhrupad
Dhammar
Dadra
Gazal
Geet
Thumri
qawwali
Kirtan or Dhun
Shabad
Lakshangeet
Film Songs
Folk Music
Swarmalika
The vocal tradition is especially strong in Indian music. It goes without saying that the song is probably the most ancient form of music. Vocal music occupies a considerable part of the Natya Shastra.
One may argue that the Vedas, especially the Samaveda, is the oldest musical text in India. It is true that the Samaveda is written in a crude musical notation. However, it is probably more appropriate for us to look at contemporary music.
Contemporary musical forms are built up from very well defined structures. These structures such as a primary theme, a secondary theme and other elements form a structured framework in which a largely improvised system of music can work.
There are many genres, some old and some new. Dhrupad and dhammar are some of the oldest in use today; they go back to the Mogul era (circa 16th century). Equally old, but stylistically quite different, is the tarana; this is based upon meaningless syllables. More modern (by Indian standards) are the highly improvised kheyal, dadra, and thumri. Another classical style is the tappa of Punjab.
Most of the classical songs of north India are devotional in nature, but there are a few genre which are especially oriented toward religion. Most notable is the bhajan, dhun or kirtan for Hindus, the kawali (qawali) for Muslims, and the shabad for Sikhs.
Not all the music is serious, for there are also many popular genres. The gazal is one style which is known for it rich poetic, and romantic content. the Hindi geet is basically just a song. Undoubtedly, the most popular is the film song.
There are also a few genres which are oriented specifically toward musical education. The most notable example is the lakshan geet. In this style the words of the song actually describe the rag which is being performed. Another genre which is used for pedagogic purposes is the swarmalika. This style uses the sargam of the piece instead of words.
India also has a rich tradition of folk music. These will vary from region to region.
Vocal Forms
Kheyal
Bhajan
Tarana
Dhrupad
Dhammar
Dadra
Gazal
Geet
Thumri
qawwali
Kirtan or Dhun
Shabad
Lakshangeet
Film Songs
Folk Music
Swarmalika
GENRE
Vocal Music
Classical Vocal Music
Hindustani Sangeet - Vocal of The North Indian System of Music
Dhrupad
Alap
Nomtom
Sthai
Antara
Abhog
Sanchari
Dhammar
Alap
Nomtom
Sthai
Antara
Abhog
Sanchari
Kheyal
Short vocal Alap
Bada Kheyal - With two themes (Sthai and Antara)
Chota Kheyal - with two themes (Sthai and Antara)
Thumri
Short vocal Alap
Sthai
Antara
Tarana
Shabad
Dadra
Lakshan Geet
Tappa
Carnatic Sangeet - Vocal From The South Indian System of Music
Popular Vocal Music
Ghazal
Filmi Sangeet (e.g., Bollywood)
Bhajan
Sthai
Several Antaras
Geet
Sthai
Several Antaras
Bhangra
Kirtan / Dhun
Qawwali (Islamic devotional songs)
Folk Songs
Vaoiayan (bhawaia)
Instrumental Music
Classical Instrumental Music
Hindustani Instrumental Forms
Traditional Instrumental Form
Alap
Jor
Jhala
Masitkhani Gat
Razakhani Gat
Dhun
Lahara (Naghma)
Carnatic Instrumental Music
Popular - There may be any number or style of popular instrumental pieces, most of which follow the filmi style.
Folk Instrumental Music
Dance
Classical Dance
Bharat Nathyam
Kathak
Kathakali
Manipuri
Kuchipudi
Odissi
Popular Dance
Bhangra
Bollywood Dance
Folk and Traditional Dance Forms
Andhra Natyam
Mohini Attam
Classical Vocal Music
Hindustani Sangeet - Vocal of The North Indian System of Music
Dhrupad
Alap
Nomtom
Sthai
Antara
Abhog
Sanchari
Dhammar
Alap
Nomtom
Sthai
Antara
Abhog
Sanchari
Kheyal
Short vocal Alap
Bada Kheyal - With two themes (Sthai and Antara)
Chota Kheyal - with two themes (Sthai and Antara)
Thumri
Short vocal Alap
Sthai
Antara
Tarana
Shabad
Dadra
Lakshan Geet
Tappa
Carnatic Sangeet - Vocal From The South Indian System of Music
Popular Vocal Music
Ghazal
Filmi Sangeet (e.g., Bollywood)
Bhajan
Sthai
Several Antaras
Geet
Sthai
Several Antaras
Bhangra
Kirtan / Dhun
Qawwali (Islamic devotional songs)
Folk Songs
Vaoiayan (bhawaia)
Instrumental Music
Classical Instrumental Music
Hindustani Instrumental Forms
Traditional Instrumental Form
Alap
Jor
Jhala
Masitkhani Gat
Razakhani Gat
Dhun
Lahara (Naghma)
Carnatic Instrumental Music
Popular - There may be any number or style of popular instrumental pieces, most of which follow the filmi style.
Folk Instrumental Music
Dance
Classical Dance
Bharat Nathyam
Kathak
Kathakali
Manipuri
Kuchipudi
Odissi
Popular Dance
Bhangra
Bollywood Dance
Folk and Traditional Dance Forms
Andhra Natyam
Mohini Attam
INDEX OF TALS (TALA)
CHAUTAL (CHOWTAL)
Description
Chautal, variously referred to as Chartal, Chowtal, and even occasionally as Dhrupad tal, was a very common tal in the past. The names Chautal, Chowtal, and Chartal all mean "four claps"; this is a reference to the four claps of its vibhag structure. A few musicians refer to this tal as Dhrupad tal. Although this is a considerably less common name, it clearly refers to its strong usage in the dhrupad tradition.
Chautal has 12 matras. But this is the only thing that we can say with absolute certainty about its structure.
There seems to be some disagreement as to the vibhag arrangement. One school of thought contends that it consists of four vibhags of 4, 4, 2, and 2 matras respectively. According to this school, Chautal has only claps and no waves of the hand. Therefore, each of the four claps corresponds to a vibhag. This is the version that is shown below. There is another school which suggests that the structure of Chautal is the same as Ektal. Therefore, it would be viewed as six vibhags of two matras each. According to this school, the vibhags are clap, wave, clap, wave, clap, clap.
Chautal is strongly linked to the pakhawaj tradition; this has profound practical and theoretical implications. It is performed in a very heavy, powerful manner which is in sharp contrast to the more delicate style of the tabla. Furthermore, there are difficulties when we speak of the theka. Where modern tabla players use the theka as the defining characteristic of the tal, pakhawaj players of old used the clapping / waving arrangement. Many suggest that the term "thapi" should be used instead of "theka" as an indication of this fundamental conceptual difference.
The fact that there is not really a "theka", but instead a "thapi" has tremendous practical importance. It is very normal for pakhawaj players to freely improvise in the middle of accompaniment. There is not the pressure to constantly play a simple "theka". This constant free improvisation may be at times disorienting to the modern concert goer who is used to the theka for the accompaniment of kheyal, dadra, thumri and other contemporary classical forms.
Chautal tends to be played in the medium tempos only. One almost never hears extremely fast (ati-drut) or extremely slow (vilambit) perfomances.
Below are the characteristics of Chautal:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, clap (disputed)
Number of Beats
12
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
DADRA TAL
Description
Dadra tal is six or three beat tal which is extremely common in the the lighter forms of music. It is is commonly found in qawwalis, film songs, bhajans, gazals, and folk music throughout India.
The name is derived from its association with the dadra style of singing. This is a semiclassical form that is somewhat similar to thumri. The dadra style of singing in turn, derives its name from the place where it began.
There are a number of reasons for Dadra's extreme popularity. One reason is the ease in performing in three and six beats; it is very symmetrical and posses no great challenge. Another reason for it being so common lies in the Indian taxonomy of tals. Virtually any tal of three, six, and 12-matras of folk origins, is routinely lumped under the title of Dadra. Even though they may have no cultural connections, traditional Indian musicology considers them to be the same tal. Therefore, the large number of musical tributaries contributes greatly to the variety of prakars, its popularity, and the geographical distribution of Dadra.
The "textbook case" is simple. It is a six-beat tal that is divided into two vibhags of three matras each. The first vibhag is clapped and the second vibhag iswaved.
Dadra may be played in a variety of tempos. It may be heard anywhere from moderately slow to extremely fast speeds. Only the extremely slow (vilambit) performances are conspicuously absent.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, 3
Number of Beats
6
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Dadra Tal
Baul Song - A song based upon the music of the wandering minstrels of Bengal known as the Baul. (CD)
Mi Andara Ki Sai Ram (streaming MP3) - A Telugu song in praise of Sai Baba from the film "Sudha Binduvulu" lyrics by Raojee music by B. Chitibabu
Kavita o Kavita (part 3) - Third part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
DIPCHANDI TAL (DEEPCHANDI, CHANCHAR, CHOCHAR)
Description
Dipchandi also known as Chanchar or Chochar and is a moderately popular 14 beat tal in northern India. It may roughly be translated to mean "lamplight". This tal is divided into four vibhags (measures) of 3, 4, 3 and 4 matras. These vibhags are denoted by a clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively.
Today, there are two common prakars of dipchandi. There is one which is used in film songs and light music and another which is used in semiclassical forms such as the thumri. The one which is used in thumri is general considered the "official" version, and is the one which is shown here.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
14
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
DHAMMAR TAL
Description
Dhammar tal is a very old tal of the pakhawaj tradition. As such it is played in a heavy handed style which is more appropriate to the dhammar and dhrupad style of singing than the contemporary styles such as kheyal, or thumri. It is conspicuously absent in the popular styles such as filmi sangeet, gazal, and the like.
There are differences of opinion concerning its structure. Most musicians consider dhammar to be divided into four vibhags of 5, 2, 3, and 4 matras. These vibhags are denoted with a clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively. However, there is a different school of thought which suggests that the division should be 3, 4, 3, and 4 matras; this approach is definitely not the most common one, therefore we will adhere to the former approach.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, 5, Clap, 2, Wave, 2, 3, Clap, 2, 3, 4 (disputed)
Number of Beats
14
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
EKTAL
Description
Ektal is a very popular tal. It is is common in classical music such as the kheyal, and semiclassical forms such as Rabindra Sangeet.
The structure of ektal is simple. It is 12 matras divided into of six vibhags of two matras each. Its clapping arrangement is clap, wave, clap, wave, clap, clap.
It is most associated with the kheyal style of singing. A particular movement known as bada kheyal or vilambit kheyal is performed almost exclusively in very slow ektal. However, ektal is also performed in fast kheyal as well.
The name "ektal" literally means "one-clap". How the name came is a mystery since it has four claps
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
12
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio In In Ektal
Darbari Kanada (Vilambit) - Vilambit Kheyal in Darbari Kanada. (CD)
Darbari Kanada (Drut) - Drut Kheyal in Darbari Kanada. (CD)
JHAPTAL
Description
Jhaptal is the most common 10 beat tal in northern India. It is composed of four vibhags of 2, 3, 2, and 3 matras. These vibhags are denoted by clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively. Jhaptal shows up in a variety of classical and semiclassical settings. It may be found in the kheyal, tarana, bhajan, and Rabindra sangeet.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
Clap, 2, Clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, clap, 2, 3
Number of Beats
10
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio In Jhaptal
Omkar Rupini - A bhajan in praise of Shakti. (CD)
JHUMRA TAL (JHOOMRA)
Description
Jhumra is is a 14 matra tal that was once popular for slow kheyals. This has almost entirely been replaced by Ektal. It is divided into four vibhags of 3, 4, 3, and 4 matras (beats). These vibhags are denote by a clap, clap, wave and clap respectively.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
14
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
KAHERAVA (A.K.A. KHERVA KAHERAWA OR KHERAWA)
Description
Kaherava may be considered to be the most popular tal in Northern India. It is an eight-beat tal of the non-classical traditions. It is widely used in folk music, filmi sangeet, qawwali, rabindra sangeet, and gazal. It is not found in the classical traditions such as kheyal, tarana, dhrupad, and dhammar.
The structure of kaherava is simple. It is composed of two vibhags of four matras each. The first vibhag is denoted by a clap, while the second vibhag is denoted by a wave of the hand.
The broad popularity of kaherava tal is a bit misleading. Its popularity is skewed by the fact that the term kaherava is applied to a broad number of unrelated tals; therefore, virtually any four, eight, or sixteen matra tal of the non-classical traditions may be called kaherava. It should be no surprise that there are countless prakars (variations).
The "official" theka is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
8
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Kaherva Tal
Chando Langar - A bhajan performed in a thumri style. (CD)
Guru Hamare - A dhun in praise of the spiritual guru. (CD)
Darashan Dena - This is a famous Mira bhajan. (CD)
Tu Sumiran Kar Le - A bhajan by Guru Nanak. (CD)
Hari Name Sumar Sukha Dham - Bhajan. (CD)
Om Jaya Jagadish Hare - Famous dhun used in Aratis. (CD)
Niru Bal Ke Balram - A Hindu bhajan by Surdas. (CD)
Chalo Mana - A Mira bhajan. (CD)
Payoji Maine - Bhajan in praise of Lord Ram. (CD)
Nedu Komaku (streaming MP3) - A Telugu love song from the film "Manamahatmudu", music by Chataranjan, lyrics by P. E. Vidyasagar
Nava Kavita - Sri Sri's philosophy of modern poetry. (CD)
Makara Sankranti - A Telugu song in praise of the Indian winter festival of Makara Sankranti. Lyrics are by A.V. Murali
Kavita o Kavita (part 1) The first section of Sri Sri's "Kavita o Kavita". (CD)
Kavita o Kavita (part 4) - Fourth part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
Kavita o Kavita (part 5) - Fifth part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
Kavita o Kavita (part 6) - Sixth part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
Shiva Shankar - Bhajan in praise of lord Shiva. (CD)
KHEMPTA TAL (KEMPTA)
Description
Khempta, also referred to as kemp, kempta, kemptal, or khemptal, is an extremely common 6 beat tal. It is debatable whether this is really a separate tal or merely a prakar of dadra. It is probably better to NOT consider this to be a separate tal, yet this prakar is so common that it deserves special consideration.
The structure of khempta is indistinguishable from dadra tal. It is composed of two vibhags of three matras each. The first vibhag is clapped while the second vibhag is designated by a wave of the hand. Although the structure is indistinguishable from dadra, the theka is different.
The characteristics of kempta are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, 3
Number of Beats
6
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Kempta (Dadra)
Ram Sumira - Bhajan in praise of Lord Ram. (CD)
Tumak Chalat Ram Chandra - A bhajan by Tulsidas on Lord Ram. (CD)
Tu Dayal - A Tulsidas bhajan. (CD)
PASHTU TAL (PASHTOO TAAL)
Description
Pashtu, also transliterated as pashtoo, is an interesting variation upon rupak tal. Its characteristics, definition, and even its very existence are the subject of much debate.
I believe that the story of Pashtu goes something like this:
There was a major effort to codify Indian music in the early part of the 20th century. There were numerous reasons for this codification. The most obvious one was that the ancient texts that had been around for some centuries were clearly irrelevant to contemporary practice.
However, the process of codifying the music had political overtones. We must remember that this was a time of rising nationalistic sentiments and the concept of an Independent India (i.e. "Azad-i-Hind) was predicated upon a basic concept of "Indian-ness". Although this may seem strange today, we must remember that there was not a clear sense of Indian self identity at that time. South Asia in the early 20th century was populated by peoples with drastically different individual cultures who were struggling in their search for commonality.
Indian classical music became a part of this emerging sense of self identity. The works of scholars and musicians such as V.D. Paluskar and V.N. Bhatkhande were important in creating, codifying, and spreading "Indian" music.
The desire to unify theses disparate regional and communal cultures of India were reflected in the desire to codify the disparate interpretations of rags and tals into a single cohesive whole. In most cases these attempts were successful. However, in the case of pashtu / rupak tal they failed.
It is not clear why pashtu failed to be amalgamated under the heading of rupak tal. Perhaps it was because the usage of pashtu was geographically too far from the present boundaries of India; the name "pashtu" implies the area on the Pakistan / Afghanistan border. Perhaps it was political; it is possible that in the last century that pashtu had become associated with a song or particular style of Pakistani music. Perhaps the amalgamation failed because of some inherent musical interpretation; remember, many consider pashto to be consisting entirely of claps while rupak tal begins with a khali.
Regardless of what the issues were, pashtu failed to be amalgamated into rupak tal. This leaves an interesting question. Why do people not talk of this failure in amalgamation?
Amalgamation as a cultural process is not consistent with traditional Hindu world views. Traditional Hindu world views, and by extension Indian political correctness, are strongly biased toward the process of cultural differentiation. For example, it is the Vedas which are considered the fountain-head of ALL culture; therefore, all modern cultures are belived to have been derived from these. In a similar fashion, Sanskrit is considered to be the mother of ALL languages; therefore, all of today's vernacular languages (i.e. Prakrit), are belived to have been derived by a process of differentiation.
It is this basic bias toward cultural differentiation that blinds most Indians to the twists and turns of cultural amalgamation. I believe that this is why the failure to amalgamate pashtu into rupak tal is not full appreciated.
This is all very interesting, but I am sure that most readers are more interested in the musical characteristics of pashtu than the cultural issues surrounding its creation.
The musical characteristics of pashtu are simple. It is usually considered to be three vibhags of three, two, and two matras. All three vibhags are clapped and there is no khali. There are some who consider the structure to be wave, clap, clap; this however does not seem to be the most common view.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, clap, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
7
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
SITARKHANI (PUNJABI THEKA)
Description
Punjabi theka is a common tal of 16 beats. Some suggest that it is not really a separate tal, but is merely a prakar of tintal. There are different views as to its name. Some call it Punjabi theka and others call it sitarkhani.
Vocalists usually refer to this as punjabi theka; presumably, at some time in the past, this was a variation of tintal that was popularised by musicians from the Punjab. The Punjab is a border area between Pakistan and India. Lahore and Amritsar are two important cities in the Punjab.
Instrumentalists tend to call this tal sitarkhani. Presumably, this is a corruption from the phrase "Siddhar-Khan-e-theka" which literally translates to "Siddhar Khan's Groove". Siddhar Khan was a great musician who is sometimes credited with the invention of the tabla. In spite of the name, there seems to be no evidence that Siddhar Khan ever played this theka. (Still absence of evidence is NOT evidence of absence.)
Sitarkhani has a very distinctive movement. It is just tintal where the two Dhins in the middle of each measure (vibhag) have been replaced by a single Dhin that rests on the off-beat. It is this distinctive syncopation that gives this tal its pleasant effect.
Sitarkhani's (punjabi theka) characteristics are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Description
Punjabi theka is a common tal of 16 beats. Some suggest that it is not really a separate tal, but is merely a prakar of tintal. There are different views as to its name. Some call it Punjabi theka and others call it sitarkhani.
Vocalists usually refer to this as punjabi theka; presumably, at some time in the past, this was a variation of tintal that was popularised by musicians from the Punjab. The Punjab is a border area between Pakistan and India. Lahore and Amritsar are two important cities in the Punjab.
Instrumentalists tend to call this tal sitarkhani. Presumably, this is a corruption from the phrase "Siddhar-Khan-e-theka" which literally translates to "Siddhar Khan's Groove". Siddhar Khan was a great musician who is sometimes credited with the invention of the tabla. In spite of the name, there seems to be no evidence that Siddhar Khan ever played this theka. (Still absence of evidence is NOT evidence of absence.)
Sitarkhani has a very distinctive movement. It is just tintal where the two Dhins in the middle of each measure (vibhag) have been replaced by a single Dhin that rests on the off-beat. It is this distinctive syncopation that gives this tal its pleasant effect.
Sitarkhani's (punjabi theka) characteristics are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
RUPAK TAL (A.K.A. ROOPAK TAL, ROOPAKTAL, RUPAKTAL)
Description
Rupak tal is a common seven beat tal in Northern India.
Rupak tal may be found in almost any musical style. It is found in film songs, kheyal, gazal, instrumental pieces; virtually any north Indian form. The only forms where it is absent are the dhrupad and dhammar styles of singing; it is only absent in these styles because tivra tal serves the same function.
Rupak is unique among the tals in that the first beat ( i.e., the sam) is khali (i.e., represented by a wave of the hand).
The theka of rupak is uncomfortably similar to pashtu tal. The only difference is that many musicians prefer to think of pashtu as consisting entirely of claps; while rupak tal begins with a wave of the hand.
The form of rupak is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
7
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Rupak Tal
Sri Ram Chandra - A Tulsidas bhajan in praise of Lord Ram. (CD)
Nijamgane - Song of Sri Sri. (CD)
Jayabheri - This is a Telugu song in praise of the small. (CD)
SULTAL (A.K.A. SOOLTAL, SULFAK, SHULTAL SOOLFAK)
Description
Sultal (variously know as shultal, shooltal, sulfak, or soolfaktal) is a tal of the pakhawaj tradition. It is composed of 10 beats and was very commonly used to accompany dhrupad singers.
There is a lack of agreement concerning virtually everything about sultal. It has already been pointed out that there is a lack of aggreement concerning the pronunciation and transliteration: this however, is normal for almost everything in Indian music. Furthermore, there are dissagreements concerning the number of beats; some suggest that sultal should be considered to be of 5 beats instead of 10 beats. There are a variety of views concerning its vibhag structure and their corresponding claps and waves. There is not even any agreement as to what the theka should be. This last disagreement stems from the fact that pakhawaj players of old did not have thekas as we think of them today; instead they used something known as a thapi.
The fact that there is not really a "theka", but instead a "thapi" has tremendous practical importance. It is very normal for pakhawaj players to freely improvise in the middle of accompaniment. There is not the pressure to constantly play a simple "theka". This constant free improvisation may be at times disorienting to the modern concert goer who is used to the theka for the accompaniment of kheyal, dadra, thumri and other contemporary classical forms.
A common version of sultal is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2 (disputed)
Number of Beats
10 (disputed)
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
Streaming Audio in in Sultal
Kavita o Kavita (part 2) - Second part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
TINTAL (TEENTAL)
Description
Tintal is without any doubt the most common tal in the north Indian classical system of music. It is variously referred to as teental or trital. These names all reflect the three claps of its vibhags structure.
The structure of tintal is so amazingly symmetrical that it presents a very simple rhythmic structure against which a performance can be laid. It is composed of four vibhags of four matras each. These vibhags are represented by a clap, clap, wave, and a clap.
The structure of tintal is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Tintal
Gaiye Ganapati - A bhajan in Praise of Lord Ganesh. (CD)
Fast tarana - A drut (fast) tarana in rag Bhairagi Bhaairav. (CD)
Mohe Lage Lagan - A bhajan in praise of the guru. (CD)
Kedar Tarana - A tarana based upon Rag Kedar. (CD)
Tilana - A lively form of song using meaningless syllables.
Kheyal in Maru Bihag - A fast kheyal in a strict rendition of Rag Maru Bihag. (CD)
TIVRA TAL (A.K.A. TEEVRA, TIVRATAL, TEEVRATAL)
Description
Tivra tal, variously referred to as tivratal, teevra, or teevra tal, was once a common 7-matra tal of northern India. It was used in the dhrupad style of singing.
Tivra is part of the pakhawaj tradition. This traditon did not have a single theka as we think of it today, but instead used a series of simple accompaniment patterns known as thapi.
Tivra tal began to fall out of fashion as the dhrupad fell out of fashion. This was in the 20th century. Just as the kheyal replaced dhrupad, rupak tal replaced tivra.
Its characteristics are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
7
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
TILWADA (TILWARA)
Description
Tilwada is a variant of tintal. The number of beats, the vibhag structure, the clapping, waving, all are identical to tintal. Even the bols of the theka are so similar that it could be declared a prakar rather than a separate tal. However, we will bow to common usage and consider tilwada to be a distinct tal.
Tilwada is occasionally used in Kheyal. However, its use has almost been entirely replaced by tintal and ektal.
The structure of tilawada is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
Description
Chautal, variously referred to as Chartal, Chowtal, and even occasionally as Dhrupad tal, was a very common tal in the past. The names Chautal, Chowtal, and Chartal all mean "four claps"; this is a reference to the four claps of its vibhag structure. A few musicians refer to this tal as Dhrupad tal. Although this is a considerably less common name, it clearly refers to its strong usage in the dhrupad tradition.
Chautal has 12 matras. But this is the only thing that we can say with absolute certainty about its structure.
There seems to be some disagreement as to the vibhag arrangement. One school of thought contends that it consists of four vibhags of 4, 4, 2, and 2 matras respectively. According to this school, Chautal has only claps and no waves of the hand. Therefore, each of the four claps corresponds to a vibhag. This is the version that is shown below. There is another school which suggests that the structure of Chautal is the same as Ektal. Therefore, it would be viewed as six vibhags of two matras each. According to this school, the vibhags are clap, wave, clap, wave, clap, clap.
Chautal is strongly linked to the pakhawaj tradition; this has profound practical and theoretical implications. It is performed in a very heavy, powerful manner which is in sharp contrast to the more delicate style of the tabla. Furthermore, there are difficulties when we speak of the theka. Where modern tabla players use the theka as the defining characteristic of the tal, pakhawaj players of old used the clapping / waving arrangement. Many suggest that the term "thapi" should be used instead of "theka" as an indication of this fundamental conceptual difference.
The fact that there is not really a "theka", but instead a "thapi" has tremendous practical importance. It is very normal for pakhawaj players to freely improvise in the middle of accompaniment. There is not the pressure to constantly play a simple "theka". This constant free improvisation may be at times disorienting to the modern concert goer who is used to the theka for the accompaniment of kheyal, dadra, thumri and other contemporary classical forms.
Chautal tends to be played in the medium tempos only. One almost never hears extremely fast (ati-drut) or extremely slow (vilambit) perfomances.
Below are the characteristics of Chautal:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, clap (disputed)
Number of Beats
12
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
DADRA TAL
Description
Dadra tal is six or three beat tal which is extremely common in the the lighter forms of music. It is is commonly found in qawwalis, film songs, bhajans, gazals, and folk music throughout India.
The name is derived from its association with the dadra style of singing. This is a semiclassical form that is somewhat similar to thumri. The dadra style of singing in turn, derives its name from the place where it began.
There are a number of reasons for Dadra's extreme popularity. One reason is the ease in performing in three and six beats; it is very symmetrical and posses no great challenge. Another reason for it being so common lies in the Indian taxonomy of tals. Virtually any tal of three, six, and 12-matras of folk origins, is routinely lumped under the title of Dadra. Even though they may have no cultural connections, traditional Indian musicology considers them to be the same tal. Therefore, the large number of musical tributaries contributes greatly to the variety of prakars, its popularity, and the geographical distribution of Dadra.
The "textbook case" is simple. It is a six-beat tal that is divided into two vibhags of three matras each. The first vibhag is clapped and the second vibhag iswaved.
Dadra may be played in a variety of tempos. It may be heard anywhere from moderately slow to extremely fast speeds. Only the extremely slow (vilambit) performances are conspicuously absent.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, 3
Number of Beats
6
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Dadra Tal
Baul Song - A song based upon the music of the wandering minstrels of Bengal known as the Baul. (CD)
Mi Andara Ki Sai Ram (streaming MP3) - A Telugu song in praise of Sai Baba from the film "Sudha Binduvulu" lyrics by Raojee music by B. Chitibabu
Kavita o Kavita (part 3) - Third part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
DIPCHANDI TAL (DEEPCHANDI, CHANCHAR, CHOCHAR)
Description
Dipchandi also known as Chanchar or Chochar and is a moderately popular 14 beat tal in northern India. It may roughly be translated to mean "lamplight". This tal is divided into four vibhags (measures) of 3, 4, 3 and 4 matras. These vibhags are denoted by a clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively.
Today, there are two common prakars of dipchandi. There is one which is used in film songs and light music and another which is used in semiclassical forms such as the thumri. The one which is used in thumri is general considered the "official" version, and is the one which is shown here.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
14
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
DHAMMAR TAL
Description
Dhammar tal is a very old tal of the pakhawaj tradition. As such it is played in a heavy handed style which is more appropriate to the dhammar and dhrupad style of singing than the contemporary styles such as kheyal, or thumri. It is conspicuously absent in the popular styles such as filmi sangeet, gazal, and the like.
There are differences of opinion concerning its structure. Most musicians consider dhammar to be divided into four vibhags of 5, 2, 3, and 4 matras. These vibhags are denoted with a clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively. However, there is a different school of thought which suggests that the division should be 3, 4, 3, and 4 matras; this approach is definitely not the most common one, therefore we will adhere to the former approach.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, 5, Clap, 2, Wave, 2, 3, Clap, 2, 3, 4 (disputed)
Number of Beats
14
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
EKTAL
Description
Ektal is a very popular tal. It is is common in classical music such as the kheyal, and semiclassical forms such as Rabindra Sangeet.
The structure of ektal is simple. It is 12 matras divided into of six vibhags of two matras each. Its clapping arrangement is clap, wave, clap, wave, clap, clap.
It is most associated with the kheyal style of singing. A particular movement known as bada kheyal or vilambit kheyal is performed almost exclusively in very slow ektal. However, ektal is also performed in fast kheyal as well.
The name "ektal" literally means "one-clap". How the name came is a mystery since it has four claps
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
12
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio In In Ektal
Darbari Kanada (Vilambit) - Vilambit Kheyal in Darbari Kanada. (CD)
Darbari Kanada (Drut) - Drut Kheyal in Darbari Kanada. (CD)
JHAPTAL
Description
Jhaptal is the most common 10 beat tal in northern India. It is composed of four vibhags of 2, 3, 2, and 3 matras. These vibhags are denoted by clap, clap, wave, and clap respectively. Jhaptal shows up in a variety of classical and semiclassical settings. It may be found in the kheyal, tarana, bhajan, and Rabindra sangeet.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
Clap, 2, Clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, clap, 2, 3
Number of Beats
10
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio In Jhaptal
Omkar Rupini - A bhajan in praise of Shakti. (CD)
JHUMRA TAL (JHOOMRA)
Description
Jhumra is is a 14 matra tal that was once popular for slow kheyals. This has almost entirely been replaced by Ektal. It is divided into four vibhags of 3, 4, 3, and 4 matras (beats). These vibhags are denote by a clap, clap, wave and clap respectively.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
14
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
KAHERAVA (A.K.A. KHERVA KAHERAWA OR KHERAWA)
Description
Kaherava may be considered to be the most popular tal in Northern India. It is an eight-beat tal of the non-classical traditions. It is widely used in folk music, filmi sangeet, qawwali, rabindra sangeet, and gazal. It is not found in the classical traditions such as kheyal, tarana, dhrupad, and dhammar.
The structure of kaherava is simple. It is composed of two vibhags of four matras each. The first vibhag is denoted by a clap, while the second vibhag is denoted by a wave of the hand.
The broad popularity of kaherava tal is a bit misleading. Its popularity is skewed by the fact that the term kaherava is applied to a broad number of unrelated tals; therefore, virtually any four, eight, or sixteen matra tal of the non-classical traditions may be called kaherava. It should be no surprise that there are countless prakars (variations).
The "official" theka is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
8
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Kaherva Tal
Chando Langar - A bhajan performed in a thumri style. (CD)
Guru Hamare - A dhun in praise of the spiritual guru. (CD)
Darashan Dena - This is a famous Mira bhajan. (CD)
Tu Sumiran Kar Le - A bhajan by Guru Nanak. (CD)
Hari Name Sumar Sukha Dham - Bhajan. (CD)
Om Jaya Jagadish Hare - Famous dhun used in Aratis. (CD)
Niru Bal Ke Balram - A Hindu bhajan by Surdas. (CD)
Chalo Mana - A Mira bhajan. (CD)
Payoji Maine - Bhajan in praise of Lord Ram. (CD)
Nedu Komaku (streaming MP3) - A Telugu love song from the film "Manamahatmudu", music by Chataranjan, lyrics by P. E. Vidyasagar
Nava Kavita - Sri Sri's philosophy of modern poetry. (CD)
Makara Sankranti - A Telugu song in praise of the Indian winter festival of Makara Sankranti. Lyrics are by A.V. Murali
Kavita o Kavita (part 1) The first section of Sri Sri's "Kavita o Kavita". (CD)
Kavita o Kavita (part 4) - Fourth part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
Kavita o Kavita (part 5) - Fifth part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
Kavita o Kavita (part 6) - Sixth part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
Shiva Shankar - Bhajan in praise of lord Shiva. (CD)
KHEMPTA TAL (KEMPTA)
Description
Khempta, also referred to as kemp, kempta, kemptal, or khemptal, is an extremely common 6 beat tal. It is debatable whether this is really a separate tal or merely a prakar of dadra. It is probably better to NOT consider this to be a separate tal, yet this prakar is so common that it deserves special consideration.
The structure of khempta is indistinguishable from dadra tal. It is composed of two vibhags of three matras each. The first vibhag is clapped while the second vibhag is designated by a wave of the hand. Although the structure is indistinguishable from dadra, the theka is different.
The characteristics of kempta are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, 3
Number of Beats
6
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Kempta (Dadra)
Ram Sumira - Bhajan in praise of Lord Ram. (CD)
Tumak Chalat Ram Chandra - A bhajan by Tulsidas on Lord Ram. (CD)
Tu Dayal - A Tulsidas bhajan. (CD)
PASHTU TAL (PASHTOO TAAL)
Description
Pashtu, also transliterated as pashtoo, is an interesting variation upon rupak tal. Its characteristics, definition, and even its very existence are the subject of much debate.
I believe that the story of Pashtu goes something like this:
There was a major effort to codify Indian music in the early part of the 20th century. There were numerous reasons for this codification. The most obvious one was that the ancient texts that had been around for some centuries were clearly irrelevant to contemporary practice.
However, the process of codifying the music had political overtones. We must remember that this was a time of rising nationalistic sentiments and the concept of an Independent India (i.e. "Azad-i-Hind) was predicated upon a basic concept of "Indian-ness". Although this may seem strange today, we must remember that there was not a clear sense of Indian self identity at that time. South Asia in the early 20th century was populated by peoples with drastically different individual cultures who were struggling in their search for commonality.
Indian classical music became a part of this emerging sense of self identity. The works of scholars and musicians such as V.D. Paluskar and V.N. Bhatkhande were important in creating, codifying, and spreading "Indian" music.
The desire to unify theses disparate regional and communal cultures of India were reflected in the desire to codify the disparate interpretations of rags and tals into a single cohesive whole. In most cases these attempts were successful. However, in the case of pashtu / rupak tal they failed.
It is not clear why pashtu failed to be amalgamated under the heading of rupak tal. Perhaps it was because the usage of pashtu was geographically too far from the present boundaries of India; the name "pashtu" implies the area on the Pakistan / Afghanistan border. Perhaps it was political; it is possible that in the last century that pashtu had become associated with a song or particular style of Pakistani music. Perhaps the amalgamation failed because of some inherent musical interpretation; remember, many consider pashto to be consisting entirely of claps while rupak tal begins with a khali.
Regardless of what the issues were, pashtu failed to be amalgamated into rupak tal. This leaves an interesting question. Why do people not talk of this failure in amalgamation?
Amalgamation as a cultural process is not consistent with traditional Hindu world views. Traditional Hindu world views, and by extension Indian political correctness, are strongly biased toward the process of cultural differentiation. For example, it is the Vedas which are considered the fountain-head of ALL culture; therefore, all modern cultures are belived to have been derived from these. In a similar fashion, Sanskrit is considered to be the mother of ALL languages; therefore, all of today's vernacular languages (i.e. Prakrit), are belived to have been derived by a process of differentiation.
It is this basic bias toward cultural differentiation that blinds most Indians to the twists and turns of cultural amalgamation. I believe that this is why the failure to amalgamate pashtu into rupak tal is not full appreciated.
This is all very interesting, but I am sure that most readers are more interested in the musical characteristics of pashtu than the cultural issues surrounding its creation.
The musical characteristics of pashtu are simple. It is usually considered to be three vibhags of three, two, and two matras. All three vibhags are clapped and there is no khali. There are some who consider the structure to be wave, clap, clap; this however does not seem to be the most common view.
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, clap, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
7
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
SITARKHANI (PUNJABI THEKA)
Description
Punjabi theka is a common tal of 16 beats. Some suggest that it is not really a separate tal, but is merely a prakar of tintal. There are different views as to its name. Some call it Punjabi theka and others call it sitarkhani.
Vocalists usually refer to this as punjabi theka; presumably, at some time in the past, this was a variation of tintal that was popularised by musicians from the Punjab. The Punjab is a border area between Pakistan and India. Lahore and Amritsar are two important cities in the Punjab.
Instrumentalists tend to call this tal sitarkhani. Presumably, this is a corruption from the phrase "Siddhar-Khan-e-theka" which literally translates to "Siddhar Khan's Groove". Siddhar Khan was a great musician who is sometimes credited with the invention of the tabla. In spite of the name, there seems to be no evidence that Siddhar Khan ever played this theka. (Still absence of evidence is NOT evidence of absence.)
Sitarkhani has a very distinctive movement. It is just tintal where the two Dhins in the middle of each measure (vibhag) have been replaced by a single Dhin that rests on the off-beat. It is this distinctive syncopation that gives this tal its pleasant effect.
Sitarkhani's (punjabi theka) characteristics are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Description
Punjabi theka is a common tal of 16 beats. Some suggest that it is not really a separate tal, but is merely a prakar of tintal. There are different views as to its name. Some call it Punjabi theka and others call it sitarkhani.
Vocalists usually refer to this as punjabi theka; presumably, at some time in the past, this was a variation of tintal that was popularised by musicians from the Punjab. The Punjab is a border area between Pakistan and India. Lahore and Amritsar are two important cities in the Punjab.
Instrumentalists tend to call this tal sitarkhani. Presumably, this is a corruption from the phrase "Siddhar-Khan-e-theka" which literally translates to "Siddhar Khan's Groove". Siddhar Khan was a great musician who is sometimes credited with the invention of the tabla. In spite of the name, there seems to be no evidence that Siddhar Khan ever played this theka. (Still absence of evidence is NOT evidence of absence.)
Sitarkhani has a very distinctive movement. It is just tintal where the two Dhins in the middle of each measure (vibhag) have been replaced by a single Dhin that rests on the off-beat. It is this distinctive syncopation that gives this tal its pleasant effect.
Sitarkhani's (punjabi theka) characteristics are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
RUPAK TAL (A.K.A. ROOPAK TAL, ROOPAKTAL, RUPAKTAL)
Description
Rupak tal is a common seven beat tal in Northern India.
Rupak tal may be found in almost any musical style. It is found in film songs, kheyal, gazal, instrumental pieces; virtually any north Indian form. The only forms where it is absent are the dhrupad and dhammar styles of singing; it is only absent in these styles because tivra tal serves the same function.
Rupak is unique among the tals in that the first beat ( i.e., the sam) is khali (i.e., represented by a wave of the hand).
The theka of rupak is uncomfortably similar to pashtu tal. The only difference is that many musicians prefer to think of pashtu as consisting entirely of claps; while rupak tal begins with a wave of the hand.
The form of rupak is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
wave, 2, 3, clap, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
7
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Rupak Tal
Sri Ram Chandra - A Tulsidas bhajan in praise of Lord Ram. (CD)
Nijamgane - Song of Sri Sri. (CD)
Jayabheri - This is a Telugu song in praise of the small. (CD)
SULTAL (A.K.A. SOOLTAL, SULFAK, SHULTAL SOOLFAK)
Description
Sultal (variously know as shultal, shooltal, sulfak, or soolfaktal) is a tal of the pakhawaj tradition. It is composed of 10 beats and was very commonly used to accompany dhrupad singers.
There is a lack of agreement concerning virtually everything about sultal. It has already been pointed out that there is a lack of aggreement concerning the pronunciation and transliteration: this however, is normal for almost everything in Indian music. Furthermore, there are dissagreements concerning the number of beats; some suggest that sultal should be considered to be of 5 beats instead of 10 beats. There are a variety of views concerning its vibhag structure and their corresponding claps and waves. There is not even any agreement as to what the theka should be. This last disagreement stems from the fact that pakhawaj players of old did not have thekas as we think of them today; instead they used something known as a thapi.
The fact that there is not really a "theka", but instead a "thapi" has tremendous practical importance. It is very normal for pakhawaj players to freely improvise in the middle of accompaniment. There is not the pressure to constantly play a simple "theka". This constant free improvisation may be at times disorienting to the modern concert goer who is used to the theka for the accompaniment of kheyal, dadra, thumri and other contemporary classical forms.
A common version of sultal is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2, wave, 2, clap, 2 (disputed)
Number of Beats
10 (disputed)
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
Streaming Audio in in Sultal
Kavita o Kavita (part 2) - Second part of Sri Sri's Kavita o Kavita. (CD)
TINTAL (TEENTAL)
Description
Tintal is without any doubt the most common tal in the north Indian classical system of music. It is variously referred to as teental or trital. These names all reflect the three claps of its vibhags structure.
The structure of tintal is so amazingly symmetrical that it presents a very simple rhythmic structure against which a performance can be laid. It is composed of four vibhags of four matras each. These vibhags are represented by a clap, clap, wave, and a clap.
The structure of tintal is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
Note - This excerpt has been taken from "Learning the Tabla"
(general discussion of theka)
For more information check out "Learning the Tabla"
Streaming Audio in Tintal
Gaiye Ganapati - A bhajan in Praise of Lord Ganesh. (CD)
Fast tarana - A drut (fast) tarana in rag Bhairagi Bhaairav. (CD)
Mohe Lage Lagan - A bhajan in praise of the guru. (CD)
Kedar Tarana - A tarana based upon Rag Kedar. (CD)
Tilana - A lively form of song using meaningless syllables.
Kheyal in Maru Bihag - A fast kheyal in a strict rendition of Rag Maru Bihag. (CD)
TIVRA TAL (A.K.A. TEEVRA, TIVRATAL, TEEVRATAL)
Description
Tivra tal, variously referred to as tivratal, teevra, or teevra tal, was once a common 7-matra tal of northern India. It was used in the dhrupad style of singing.
Tivra is part of the pakhawaj tradition. This traditon did not have a single theka as we think of it today, but instead used a series of simple accompaniment patterns known as thapi.
Tivra tal began to fall out of fashion as the dhrupad fell out of fashion. This was in the 20th century. Just as the kheyal replaced dhrupad, rupak tal replaced tivra.
Its characteristics are shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, wave, 2, clap, 2
Number of Beats
7
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
TILWADA (TILWARA)
Description
Tilwada is a variant of tintal. The number of beats, the vibhag structure, the clapping, waving, all are identical to tintal. Even the bols of the theka are so similar that it could be declared a prakar rather than a separate tal. However, we will bow to common usage and consider tilwada to be a distinct tal.
Tilwada is occasionally used in Kheyal. However, its use has almost been entirely replaced by tintal and ektal.
The structure of tilawada is shown below:
Clapping/ Waving Arrangement
clap, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4, wave, 2, 3, 4, clap, 2, 3, 4
Number of Beats
16
Theka
(general discussion of theka)
This is excerpted from the upcoming "Learning the Tabla -2"
FUNDAMENTALS OF TAL
Tal, (variously transliterated as "tala", "taal" or "taala") is the Indian system of rhythm. It has been argued that rhythm is fundamental to the creation of any musical system. Certainly from a historic standpoint, rhythm existed many centuries before the word rag was ever used. Given this historical preeminence, it is not surprising that rhythm occupies an important position in the Indian system of music.
The word tal. Tal literally means "clap". Today, the tabla has replaced the clap in the performance, but the term still reflects the origin. The basic concepts of tal are: tali or bhari, khali, vibhag or (ang), matra , bol, theka, lay, sam and avartan. We will now discuss these concepts.
Tali -
Tali is the pattern of clapping. Each tal is characterized by a particular pattern and number of claps.
Khali -
Khali is the wave of the hands. These have a characteristic relationship to the claps.
Vibhag (Ang) -
Vibhag is the measure. Each clap or wave specifies a particular section or measure. These measures may be of any number of beats, yet most commonly 2, 3, 4, or 5 beats are used.
Matra -
Matra is the beat. It may be subdivided if required.
Bol -
Bol is the mnemonic system where each stroke of the drum has a syllable attached to it. These syllables are known as bol. It is common to consider the bol to be synonymous to the stroke itself.
Theka -
Theka is a conventionally established pattern of bols and vibhag (tali, khali) which define the tal.
Lay -
Laya is the tempo. The tempo may be either slow (vilambit), medium (madhya), or fast (drut). Additionally ultra-slow may be referred to as ati-vilambit or ultra-fast may be referred to as ati-drut.
Sam -
Sam is the biginning of the cycle. The first beat of any cycle is usually stressed.
Avartan -
Avartan is the basic cycle.
The word tal. Tal literally means "clap". Today, the tabla has replaced the clap in the performance, but the term still reflects the origin. The basic concepts of tal are: tali or bhari, khali, vibhag or (ang), matra , bol, theka, lay, sam and avartan. We will now discuss these concepts.
Tali -
Tali is the pattern of clapping. Each tal is characterized by a particular pattern and number of claps.
Khali -
Khali is the wave of the hands. These have a characteristic relationship to the claps.
Vibhag (Ang) -
Vibhag is the measure. Each clap or wave specifies a particular section or measure. These measures may be of any number of beats, yet most commonly 2, 3, 4, or 5 beats are used.
Matra -
Matra is the beat. It may be subdivided if required.
Bol -
Bol is the mnemonic system where each stroke of the drum has a syllable attached to it. These syllables are known as bol. It is common to consider the bol to be synonymous to the stroke itself.
Theka -
Theka is a conventionally established pattern of bols and vibhag (tali, khali) which define the tal.
Lay -
Laya is the tempo. The tempo may be either slow (vilambit), medium (madhya), or fast (drut). Additionally ultra-slow may be referred to as ati-vilambit or ultra-fast may be referred to as ati-drut.
Sam -
Sam is the biginning of the cycle. The first beat of any cycle is usually stressed.
Avartan -
Avartan is the basic cycle.
THE LAHARA
The lahara (literally "a wave") is the repetitive melody used to accompany the tabla and pakhawaj solo. It is also used to accompany the kathak performance.
The lahara is curious, because it represents a reversal of the usual roles of the musicians. Normally the tabla player plays a repetitive pattern which allows the main musician to improvise. However in the tabla solo, it is the tabla player that becomes the main artist and while the sitarist, harmonium player, sarangi player or some other instrumentalist assumes a supportive roll. The lahara is what these artist play in order to accompany the tabla player.
Although it would appear that playing the lahara is a trivial task; it is not. One must have a very well developed sense of rhythm, as well as an understanding of tabla or kathak. Furthermore, one must be sensitive as to when there are tempo changes. Failure to keep up with any of these things can cause the entire performance to come crumbling down.
There is occasionally confusion regarding terminology. Some parts of India refer to the lahara as "nagma". Furthermore, the term Lahara is sometimes (incorrectly) used to refer to the entire tabla solo in its broad sense, and not just the acompaniment melody.
It is extremely important to emphasise the subjective and artistic component of the lahara. That is to say that if a lahara sounds good to you, that is all that it takes to make it effective. Therefore, the laharas that are mentioned in the next pages have a certain latitude. For instance, a Chautal Lahara may work just fine for Ektal; do not feel constrained to use the laharas ONLY in the tal to which they are ascribed. There are of course natural limits to the degree to which laharas may be used; obviously you would not wish to use a Jhaptal lahara for Rupak tal unless you make some very significant structural changes.
Laharas
Three and Six Beat Laharas (e.g. Dadra Tal)
Four and Eight Beat Laharas (e.g. Kaherava Tal)
Seven Beat Laharas (e.g. Rupak Tal)
10-Beat Laharas (e.g. Jhaptal)
11-Beat Laharas (e.g. Chartal-ki-Savari)
12-Beat Laharas (e.g. Ektal)
13-Beat Laharas (e.g. Chandrachautal)
14-Beat Laharas (e.g. Dipchandi)
15 Beat Laharas (e.g. Pancham Savari)
16-Beat Laharas (e.g. Tintal)
17-Beat Laharas (e.g. Vishnu Tal)
18-Beat Laharas (e.g. Matta Tal)
19-beat Laharas (e.g. Purna Tal)
21-Beat laharas (e.g. Mansij Tal)
The lahara is curious, because it represents a reversal of the usual roles of the musicians. Normally the tabla player plays a repetitive pattern which allows the main musician to improvise. However in the tabla solo, it is the tabla player that becomes the main artist and while the sitarist, harmonium player, sarangi player or some other instrumentalist assumes a supportive roll. The lahara is what these artist play in order to accompany the tabla player.
Although it would appear that playing the lahara is a trivial task; it is not. One must have a very well developed sense of rhythm, as well as an understanding of tabla or kathak. Furthermore, one must be sensitive as to when there are tempo changes. Failure to keep up with any of these things can cause the entire performance to come crumbling down.
There is occasionally confusion regarding terminology. Some parts of India refer to the lahara as "nagma". Furthermore, the term Lahara is sometimes (incorrectly) used to refer to the entire tabla solo in its broad sense, and not just the acompaniment melody.
It is extremely important to emphasise the subjective and artistic component of the lahara. That is to say that if a lahara sounds good to you, that is all that it takes to make it effective. Therefore, the laharas that are mentioned in the next pages have a certain latitude. For instance, a Chautal Lahara may work just fine for Ektal; do not feel constrained to use the laharas ONLY in the tal to which they are ascribed. There are of course natural limits to the degree to which laharas may be used; obviously you would not wish to use a Jhaptal lahara for Rupak tal unless you make some very significant structural changes.
Laharas
Three and Six Beat Laharas (e.g. Dadra Tal)
Four and Eight Beat Laharas (e.g. Kaherava Tal)
Seven Beat Laharas (e.g. Rupak Tal)
10-Beat Laharas (e.g. Jhaptal)
11-Beat Laharas (e.g. Chartal-ki-Savari)
12-Beat Laharas (e.g. Ektal)
13-Beat Laharas (e.g. Chandrachautal)
14-Beat Laharas (e.g. Dipchandi)
15 Beat Laharas (e.g. Pancham Savari)
16-Beat Laharas (e.g. Tintal)
17-Beat Laharas (e.g. Vishnu Tal)
18-Beat Laharas (e.g. Matta Tal)
19-beat Laharas (e.g. Purna Tal)
21-Beat laharas (e.g. Mansij Tal)
INDEX OF RAGS
RAG AHIR BHAIRAV (CHAKRAVAKA)
Description
This is an old rag. It is characterized by the use of Komal Re and Komal Ni. This mode does not belong to any of the 10 thats put forward by Bhatkhande; however for some inexplicable reason, he ascribed this rag to Bhairav That. Often times, this rag is referred to by its south Indian name of Chakravaka. This is an early morning rag. For those who are still inclined towords the Vadi / Savadi theory it has been suggested that Ma is its vadi and Sa as its samvadi.
Ahir Bhairav is very well known through old film songs such as "Pucho Na Kaise" and "Meri Bina Tum Bin Roye Sajana". There are actually so many film songs in Ahir Bhairav that it is not really possible to go over them here.
There are two approaches to this rag (Rao 1980). The first type omits Ni in the arohana: it is therefore shadav - sampurna. The second approach does not omit any note; therefore it is sampurna - sampurna. However, since no other rag shares the same modality, one need not worry too much about impinging upon a differnt rag.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna (disputed) - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Early Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Chakravaka Mela (not one of Bhatkhande's thats) - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG ASAWARI (ASAVARI)
Description
Rag Asawari is considered to be the fundamental rag in Asawari that. There are several film songs in Asavari; one common one is "Mujhe Gale Se Laga Lo Bahut Udas Hun Main ". Asawvari is a morning rag. It is Audav - Sampurna due to the ommission of the Ga and Ni in the ascending structure. For those who still adhere to the Vadi/ Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that the vadi is Dha and the samvadi is Ga.
There are several rags which share the same that. Jaunpuri and Darbari Kanada are two of the most common examples. Therfore, it is important to pay attention to the pakad to keep from impinging upon them.
There is considerable disagreement concerning the Re. It seems that there are three schools of thought. The predominant view is that only shuddha Re is used. There is another school, which suggests that both shauddha and komal can be used. Finally, there are those that contend that only the komal Re be used. For the purposes of this website we will consider the first two to be within the bounds of Asavari, while the last one we will define to be "Komal Re Asavari"
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav / Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Asawari that - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHAIRAV
Description
Rag Bhairav is a very common rag. According to mythology, it was the first rag. It is belived that it emanated directly from the face of Mahadev (Shiva). It is a very well known rag but it is seldom heard because it is a morning rag and most performances are in the evening. Kalingada is very similar and is more likely to be heard by most concert goers.
The use of Bharav in film music is much more flexible. The informal treatment means that there is a lot of overlap with Kalingada. This leads to lively discussions as to whether particular songs are in Kalingada or in Bhairav. Furthermore, there is no adherence to particular times with most film songs. Pehaps the most famous example is "Mohe Bhul Gaye Sanvariyan" from the film "Baiju Bawara". For a larger list of film songs in Bhairav, check "Rags Used in the Films" (Bhairav).
Bhairav has a very simple structure. It is sampurna - sampurna. For those who still adhere to the Vadi / Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that Dha is the vadi and Re is the samvadi. Re and Dha should have a heavy undolan (slow shake) to define its character. Bhairav's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairav That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BAHAR
Description
Bahar is a very popular springtime rag. During the spring, it may be sung at any time of the day. There are a number of film songs which use this rag; "Chham Chham Nachat Ayi Bahar" and "Sakal Bana Gagan Chalat Puravai" are two examples (more examples). However during any other season, it is a night time rag. Bahar has a very distinctive character. It uses both Nishads; it uses shuddha Ni (natural 7th) in the arohana and the komal Ni in the avarohana. For those who are still inclined towards the Vadi / Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that Ma is the vadi and Sa is the samvadi. This rag cannot be performed straight but must be executed in a vakra fashion; for it is the characteristic twists which give this rag its form. The pakad is therefore extremely important.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Spring - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHAIRAVI
Description
This rag is the main representative of Bhairavi That. It has traditionally been performed in the early morning hours. However, due to the fact that performances lasted all night, it has now become common to consider Bhairavi to be the finale. Today this rag is performed at any time provided it is the concluding piece. A few common songs in this rag are, "Babul Mora Naihar Chutohe Jai", "Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo", and "Laga Chunari Me Dag Chupaun Kaise". Please check Film Songs in Rags (Bhairavi).
There are two approaches to the performance of Bhairavi: Shuddha Bhairavi and Sindhi (Sindhu) Bhairavi. In Shuddha Bhairavi, only the notes of Bhairavi That are used. In Sindhu Bhairavi, all of the swar, both komal and tivra are used. These are opposite extremes in philosophy. Contemporary practice tends to flow somewhere in between these two approaches, although the degree seems to be a question of individual artistic interpretation.
The Vadi / Samvadi system is generally discounted by modern musicologists; those who still adhere to this theory find Bhairavi to be particularly problematic. The vadi is usually considered to be Ma and the samvadi is usually considered to be Sa. However, Ga, Dha, and Pa have also been suggested as important notes.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Early morning or conclusion of performance - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairavi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHIMPALASI
Description
Bhimpalasi (a.k.a., Bhimpilasi or Bheempalasi) is a rag which is very much associated with a hot Indian afternoon. It has five notes ascending and seven notes descending.
Bhimpalasi is derived from Kafi that. This that is very crowded with numerous similar rags, so it is very important to pay attention to their pakads, otherwise one may inadvertently impinge upon them, and thus spoil the performance.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Vadi
Ma - (general discussion of vadi)
Samvadi
Sa - (general discussion of samvadi)
Time
Afternoon - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
RAG BHUPALI (BHOOPALI)
Description
Bhupali is a a very common rag. Other transliterations are Bhoopali or Bhoopaali. In South Indian music, this is refered to as Mohanam.
This rag appears to be very ancient. It is based upon a pentatonic structure that is found in many parts of the world. It is believed by many scholars that the pentatonic scales; of which Bhupali is one, were prevalent in the middle and far-East by the first millennium B.C. This scale has been in China for many centuries; it is also found in the folk music of northern Britain. Yet, it is not clear whether the scale developed independently or spread through cultural interchange. Either way, it has been around for a long time and is very popular. Common songs based upon this rag include "Jyoti Kalash Chalke" or "Pankha Hoti To Ud Ati Re".
There is a fair degree of confusion and difficulty concerning this rag. The same notes of Bhupali are also used in rag Deshakar, Jait Kalyan, and Audav Devgiri. Obviously performing these rags, and maintaining their purity by not impinging upon the related rags, is extremely difficult. It is very much like changing your shirt without removing your sweater. It is parlour game which is amusing, but clearly impractical. In a similar manner, attempting to perform any of these rags in a "pure" fashion is more of an exercise than a productive artistic endeavour. This obvious problem is generally handled in a very pragmatic fashion. This involves reserving the performance for the lighter portion of the program, and mixing them all together with abandon. One simply declares that one is performing "Bhupali" in a semi-classical style; bas - finished - finito - no one can say anything! Since this has been the practice for such a long time, we are finding that Deshkar, Jait Kalyan and Audave Devgiri have essentially been subsumed into Bhupali. One may even argue that this subsumation has rendered them irrelevant, dated, and anachronistic.
The numerous rags with the same modality, underscores a curious weakness in the system of thats. Bhupali is classified under Kalyan that; however, madhyam is totally absent. Deshkar which has the same scale, yet Deshkar is classified under Bilawal that. This means that the missing madhyam of Bhupali is tivra (i.e., augmented 4th) while the missing madhyam in Deshkar is shuddha (i.e., natural 4th). In a similar fashion, Jait-Kalyan is also classed under Kalyan That, while Audav Devgiri is classed under Bilawal that. This is interesting, but totally insupportable by any objective musical criteria.
The methodology for determining the character of Bhupali's missing notes is not clear. It may be an extension of an earlier tradition. Bhatkhande stated that some musicians consider this rag to be synonymous with Bhup Kalyan (Bhatkhande 1985a). However, most musicians consider Bhup Kalyan to be synonymous with Shuddha Kalyan, and not Bhupali (Rao 1980). It may be that Bhatkhande's decision was partly based upon a desire to support his theory on the timings of the rags.
Such discussions are interesting but not of very great practical value. Regardless of the reasons for the classification, there is a conventional acceptance of Bhupali's inclusion in Kalyan that. We may question the methodology, but we really have nothing to gain by trying to ascribe it to a different that.
The Vadi / Samvadi system is generally discounted by modern musicologists. Among those who still try to adhere to this it has been suggested that Ga is the vadi and Dha is the samvadi.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
First part of night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kalyan That - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Rag Bhupeshwari (a.k.a. Bhoopeshree, Bhupashri, Bhoopeswari, Bhoopeshwari, Bupeshwari, Bhupkali, Bhoopeshri)
Description
Bhupeshwari is a truly remarkable rag. It is found in the background music of films, in qawwalis, and other light musical forms. It is also beginning to be performed in classical styles. It is of recent invention, but in a short period of time it has spread throughout India and Pakistan. Common examples are Aziz Nazan's "Chadta Suraj Dhere Dhere" and Mehdi Hassan's "Ab Ke Hum Bichray".
It is a rag which appears to be developing before our eyes (or ears). It is a rare event to witness the birth of a rag. Because it has developed only within the last few decades, it tantalises us into thinking that perhaps we can actually document the birth of this rag. Unfortunately the details are still remain beyond our reach.
Many feel that we can ascribe this rag invention to a particular person. According to some, it was developed by Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur Gharana. However, we must remember that Alladiya Khan died in 1946. If this is so, then why is it that Bhupeshwari appears to be unknown until several decades after his death. According to others, Bhupeshwari was invented by Pandit Mani Prasad of the Kirana school. This time-scale seems to make sense, but serious questions arise as to whether this was a completely organic creation or was he "inspired" by some pre-existing work. Whether any of these claims are true is difficult to say.
There is some inconsistency in the nomenclature for this rag. In India, three names arose. The major school, and possibly the oldest was to call it Bupeshwari. This is an obvious inspiration from "Bhupali", which is its closest North Indian relative. There was another school that came up with the term Bhupkali. Again this is an obvious link to Bhupali. Today only Hari Prasad Chaurasiya seems to use this name; it appears that the name "Bhupkali" never gained many supporters. To make the situation more complicated, as the rag was enfolded into the corpus of South Indian rags it acquired the name Vasanthi. The South Indians do not seem at all inclined to adopted the name Bhupeshwari, so it is unlikely that the name Vasanthi will go away; but it is likely that this name will remain permanently relegated to the south, and not have a generalised acceptance.
Even though Bhupeshwari seems to be emerging as the dominant name, there are still linguistic pressures at work. Variations such as "Bhupeshri" are also starting to emerge. These variations are the result of long understood linguistic processes, and are certainly no surprise. Equally unsurprising is the lack of a commonly accepted spelling; therefore Bhupeshwari, Bhoopeswaree, Bhoopeshree, Bhoopeswari, etc. are all to be found.
But the origin of the rag and its nomenclature are not the only problems, for there are more thornier issues; particularly the problem of it's parent modality. The fact that this is an audav rag (only five notes) brings up many practical issues. We are are left to try and deduce the pitches of non-existent notes. (If this sounds crazy, it is! This is like trying to determine the hair colour of a man who is absolutely bald.) In the south, some suggest that this rag is derived from the 16th mela Chakravakam, but others hold that it is 25th mela Mararanjani, the 26th mela Charukesi, or even the 27th mela Sarasangi. The situation is not much better in the north; this rag does not fit into any of Bhatkhande's 10 thats.
So this is what is so amazing. By all the "rules", of north Indian music, this rag is absolutely crazy, but it works! It is an amazingly powerful rag which has all off the pathos of Shivaranjani. This is itself amazing, because it is markedly dissimilar to Shivaranjani in it's harmonic structure. But the sheer power of the rag has quickly propelled Bhupeshwari into the public consciousness, where it is becoming very popular in light, classical, and filmi sangeet.
In spite of the historical and theoretical problems posed by Bhupeshwari, it is a remarkably simple rag. It is simply Bhupali / Deshkar that uses a komal Dha instead of the shuddha form. The rag is defined entirely by its modality, therefore there are not any tricky pakards that you have to navigate. This gives a lot of flexibility in its performance. However, many north Indian classical musicians feel that audav rags are inherently limited in their possibilities for full development. Bhupeshwari shares this quality with Malkauns, Chandrakauns, Kalavati and other five note rags.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
-NA- (general discussion of time and rag)
That
-NA- (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
-NA- (general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BIHAG (BEHAG)
Description
This rag is very popular. Some common songs in this rag are "Boliye Surali Boliyan", "Hamare Dil Se Na Jana Dhokna Na Khana", and "Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet". It is a late night rag (9:00pm-midnight) of audav-sampurna jati. Its strong characteristic is the use of both madhyams. Opinion differs as to which Ma should be given prominence. The orthodox approach is to give importance to the shuddha Ma. However, more modern interpretations tend to give importance to the tivra Ma. It is this emphasis on tivra Ma which causes some musicians to assign this rag to Kalyan that.
Bihag has a moderately complex structure. This is due to the large number of rags which use both madhyams. One must pay particular attention to the pakad or else one may impinge upon Hamir, Yaman Kalyan, Kedar, or any of a number of related rags. The swarup (pakad) is Pa Má Ga Ma Ga. For those who still adhere to the vadi / samvadi theory, it has been suggested that the vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. The Re and Dha are not used in the arohana but are used in the avarohana.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav-Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
general discussion of pakad
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BILAWAL
Description
Rag Bilawal is the most basic rag in Bilawal that. Indeed, the name of the that is derived from this rag. Interestingly enough, this rag has been declining in popularity over the years. This rag is sometimes referred to as Shuddha Bilawal to distinguish it from the more popular Alhiya Bilawal.
Bilawal is considerd by most to be Sampurna - Sampurna. However, some are of the opinion that it should be considered Shadav - Sampurna due to the weakness of its Ga in the arohana.
The vadi / samavadi theory is generally discounted by modern musicologists, but for those who are inclined to follow this, it has been suggested that the vadi and samavadi are Dha and Re respectively.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG CHANDRAKAUNS (a.k.a. CHANDRAKOSH)
Description
Chandrakauns is a very beautiful and striking rag. It is also surprisingly easy to perform. One should keep in mind, that there are actually two versions of Chandrakauns. There is an old obsolete version, and there is the modern version.
The name Chandrakauns is interesting. The prefix "chandra" means "moon". Although the etymology of the term "kauns" is obscure, it generally is used to represent five note rags. There are several forms of both pronunciation and spelling, Chandrakosh is the second most common pronunciation.
Old Form - This is an example of how quickly rags can change. Where a century ago, this might have been the only form that you would hear, today you will probably only hear this in old recordings. The old form as was mentioned by Bhatkhande has the structure:
This form of Chandrakauns has a strong feel of Bhageshree about it.
Modern Form - The modern and most widely accepted version of Chandrakauns is an audav rag that is essentially identical to Malkauns with one small change. In Chandrakauns the Nishad is shuddha rather than komal. At first glance, one would think that the shift from the komal Ni to the shuddha Ni would make this rag more harmonically balanced and have a much more mellow feel. However we must remember that the mind performs a musical inversion where the Madhyam is perceived to be the tonic. With such an inversion, the shift from komal Ni to shuddha Ni actually increases the feeling of tension. It is this tension that is the characteristic "massala" which makes Chandrakauns so strikingly beautiful.
For quite some time Chandrakauns has been a popular rag for the lahara. The lahara, also known as the naghma (nagma), is a repetitive melody used in the accompaniment of tabla solos and in kathak pieces. Bollywood in turn has picked up on this, and has further reinforced the association by frequently using Chandrakauns based laharas in scenes that depict traditional tawaifs (an Indian version of the geisha) and traditional kathak dances.
Here are the characteristics of Chandrakauns:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Not one of Bhatikhande's 10 thats, but some suggest that it is Kafi - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Ma - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DARBARI KANADA
Description
There can be no doubt that Darbari Kanada is one of the most popular rags in the entire North Indian system of classical music. A few common songs are "Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol Re Tohe Piya Milenge", "Jhana Jhanak Tori Baje Payaliaya", "Mujhe Tumse Kuch Bhi Na Chahiye", "O Duniya Ke Rakhwale". This rag is also known as Durbari, or Darbari Kanara and a host of other transliterations. It is said to have been invented by Tansen who sang in the durbar (royal court) of the Emperor Akbar, hence the name Darbari Kanada.
The vadi / samavadi theory is generally discounted by modern musicologists, but for those who are inclined to follow this, Darbari Kanada has been particularly problematic. Some suggest that Re and Dha are the vadi and samvadi; however, others suggest that it should be Ga and Dha.
Darbari Kanada has some interesting musical characteristics. It is a night time rag. It is said to be sampurna - sampurna, but it must be presented in a vakra (twisted) fashion to distinguish it from related rags such as Jaunpuri, Asawari, or Adana. It is especially important to emphasize the lower register (mandra saptak) and the lower tetrachord (i.e., purvang) to distinguish this rag from Adana.
Darbari Kanada has an interesting approach to its intervals. The minor 3rd (komal Ga) and the minor 6th (komal Dha) are much lower than usually found; this lower than normal flattening is often referred to in Indian music as ati-komal. Therefore, ati-komal Ga is just ever-so-slightly higher than a natural 2nd (shuddha Re) and the ati-komal Dha is just ever so slightly higher than a natural 5th (Pa). It is this extreme alteration of the intervals that helps give Darbari Kanada its distinctive character.
Here are Darbari Kanada's overall characteristics:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Asawari That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DESH (a.k.a. DES)
Description
Desh is a very beautiful and romantic night-time rag.
This rag presents major problems for anyone attempting to perform it in a pure fashion. The major difficulty arises from its modality. It uses all seven notes and allows for there to be two nishads. This forces Desh to impinge upon a number of other rags such as Khammaj, Tilak Kamod, and Sorat. Attempting to perform Desh without impinging upon these other rags is like trying to move around in a crowded second class train compartment. It is NOT an easy task.
This obvious difficulty is addressed in a delightful fashion. There is a strong tendency to perform Desh in lighter styles, such as dadra, or thumree, where impinging upon other rags is not only acceptable, it is de rigueur. Therefore, if performing Desh is like a crowded second class compartment, then it is a second class compartment where everyone there is your relative and you are going to a wedding function.
There are a number of famous film songs based upon Desh. Probably the most famous is Vande Matram (the old version), but a number of other popular film songs are there. A few examples are: "Gori Tore Naina, Nainava Kajar Bin Kare Kare" (Main Suhagan Hun), or "Dukh Ke Ab Din Bitat Nahi" (Devdas).
Arohana
Ascending Structure
Alternative Ascending Structure
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav / Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DESHKAR
Description
Deshkar is a rag which is quickly disappearing. It is being merged into Bhupali and in the process, it is loosing its identity. Therefore whatever you read in this page must be taken with the understanding that Deshkar's relevance is somewhat suspect. It is entirely up to you as to whether you wish to go "old school" and consider Deshkar and Bhupali to be separate, or whether you wish to follow contemporary usage which merges them together. (I know that there are "old school" readers right now who are mad at me for even bringing this up, but remember, I am only describing the present state of affairs. I did not create it.)
Deshkar is considered to be a a morning rag. It has the exact same notes as Bhupali. According to the old school, Deshkar tends to remain in the upper tetrachord revolving very heavily around the Dha. Even though Ga is considered to be the samvadhi, it should not be rested upon for too long; otherwise Deshkar impinges upon Bhupali.
To make matters even more tricky, one should be careful about using meeds to slide down from Sa to Dha or from Pa to Ma. Excessive use of these meeds, causes Deshkar to impinge upon Shuddha Kalyan.
But Shuddha Kalyan and Bhupali are not the only rags vying for this mode. There are also Jait Kalyan and Audav Devgiri. Although these are much less common rags, they still must be attended to.
It is this impingement of rags which seems to be partly responsible for its subsumation into Bhupali. Many classical musicians are not particularly excited about developing any 5 note rag (audav rag) to begin with. It is correctly noted that that audav jati rags have a somewhat limited scope for development. In the case of these rags, it is even more confining because there is the added requirement of not mixing them together.
The result is that many classical musicians abandoned both Deshkar as well as Bhupali for classical performances; but still use ikt for semiclassical songs. In the semi-classical and lighter styles things are different. For quite a long time, we have heard Bhupali in bhajans, film songs, geets and whatnot. Remember, in the lighter interpretations, one is free to explore every aspect of Bhupali's modality without fear of being accused of improperly mixing rags.
But why is Bhupali absorbing Deshkar, and not the other way around? This is probably a reflections of North Indian musicians tendency to follow the timings of the rags. Remember that Bhupali is a night time rag while Deshkar is a morning rag. Most concerts are held in the night; this creates many more opportunities to perform Bhupali.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DURGA
Description
Durga is a very popular late evening rag. However there is sometimes confusion. The confusion stems from the fact that an unrelated rag known as Madhuradhwani is also sometimes called Durga. In this page we will only be concerning ourself with the common form, and leave any discussion of Madhuradhwani for another time.
The name Durga is derived from the name of the goddess Amba or Parvati. She is the wife of Shiva, and is associated with great power. She is also referred to as "Ma Durga" or "Durga Mata", which means "Mother Durga". She is said to represent patience and fearlessness.
The origin of rag Durga is obscure. It has been suggested that this rag is derived from the south Indian Shuddha Saveri. This is certainly possible, for it is very common for North Indians to "borrow" rags from the South. But in such cases, they usually retain their south Indian names (e.g., Charukesi, Kalavati). Why would Durga acquire a new name?
We must be open to the possibility that this scale may simply be a basic part of the larger South Asian musical culture. It could have been circulating for a long time, and when I mean long time, I mean millennia. As such, it is possible that it was only recently formalised by North Indian classical musicians. The close relationship that Durga has to other pentatonic rags (e.g., Malkauns, Bhupali), coupled with the almost world-wide presence of these scales, certainly means that it is a possibility. The structure is so simple, and the harmonic relationship is so fundamental, that scales with these intervals show up internationally, apparently with independent origins.
Rag Durga is based upon Bilaval that. From this that, the Ga and Ni are omitted, therefore this is an audav rag.
Identification of this rag in lighter songs is sometimes difficult. This is because Durga is linked to other common rags such as Malkauns and Bhupali by a process known as murchchana. Although this is not the time to go into the details of murchchanana, let it suffice to say that if you take Durga and start the scale from Ma you get Bhupali. Furthermore, if you take Durga and start the scale from Dha, you get Malkauns. The best way to keep these rags separate is with a good clear drone; this may be provided by the tanpura or a similar source. Since such drones tend to be missing in the lighter forms of music, the distinction between these rags is occasionally obscured. One well known film song in Durga is "Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne".
It is fairly easy to perform and compose in rag Durga, because it does not share its modality with any other north Indian rag. Unlike the Bhupali/ Deshakar mode which is very cramped and crowded, you do not have to worry too much about Durga spilling over into a different rag. That being said, there are some common phrases and a pakad which makes Durga's the character more identifiable.
Here is the basic form of Durga:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Rag Gujari Todi
Description
Gujari Todi is a very common morning rag in Todi That. There are a number of popular film songs in Gujari Todi, including Ik Tha Bachapan.
There are fundamental differences between Mian Ki Todi and Gujari Todi. Where Mian-ki-Todi has a Pa that is very weak, Gujari Todi has no Pa at all, therefore they sound very similar. The absence of Pa makes this rag shadav - shadav jati. As is typical of the vadi / samvadi theory there are differences of opinion concerning the vadi and samvadi; Dha, Ga, and Re have variously been declared to occupy these positions.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Todi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Komal Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KAFI
Description
Rag Kafi is the primary rag in Kafi That. There are many popular film songs in Kafi rag including "Biraj Me, Holi Khelat Nand Lal". It is a sampurna-sampurna rag that is very straightforward in its execution.
As is typical of the highly problematic vadi / samvadi theory, there is disagreement concerning the vadi and the samvadi. Some suggest that the vadi and the samvadi are Pa and Sa respectively. However, many are of the opinion that it should be Ga for the Vadi and Ni for the samvadi.
Its characteristics are shown below.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Evening - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KALINGADA
Description
Rag Kalingada is very similar to Bhairav. Unlike Bhairav, this rag is performed in the last part of the night. There has been a strong tendency over the last few decades to take lighter interpretations of both Kalingada as well as Bhairav. The result is that the two rags have begun to converge. Whenever there is such a convergence, the general tendency is for rags to asume the name of Bhairav. If this tendency continues, we can expect Kalingada to completely merge with Bhairav and to lose its identity in the process.
The structure of Kalingada is very simple. It is a sampurna - sampurna rag performed in a very straight manner.
The problems of the vadi / samvadi theory are clearly seen here. Some say that Pa and Sa are the vadi and samvadi. Unfortunately, there is no agreement on this point. Ga, Dha, and Ma have also been declared to be the vadi and samvadi (in various combinations). Kalingada's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Last part of night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairav That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KALYAN (A.K.A. YAMAN)
Description
This rag is known by several names; Kalyan, Iman, Eman, or Yaman. Strangely enough, Yaman Kalyan is a different rag. Kalyan is very popular and some commonly known examples of songs in this rag are "Ansu Bhari Hai Jai Jivan Ki Rahen", "Ja Re Badara Bairi Ja Re" and "Jiya Le Gayo Re Mora Sanvariaya". Yaman is a sampurna rag which is performed in the first part of the night. The vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. Typically Sa and Pa are weak in the arohana. However their omission is not obligatory.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
First part of the night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kalyan That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa (general discussion of drone)
SEE ALSO
Rag Yaman - An article published some years ago.
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KHAMMAJ (KHAMAJ)
Description
This rag is one of the most common in Indian music. Although it is used in the classical styles, its romantic character makes it much more appropriate to the semi-classical and lighter styles. It is traditionally ascribed to the second part of the night. "Kuch To Log Lahenge" and "Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bungal Par", are two well known examples of common songs in this rag. There are many other popular film songs in Khammaj as well.
Rag Khammaj has a clear musical structure. It is a shadav-sampurna rag due to the ommission of the Re in the arohana. Even in the avarohana, the Re is durbal (weak). The vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. Undoubtedly its method of using Nishad is one of its most defining characteristics; it is shuddha (i.e., natural 7th) in the arohana but it is komal (i.e., minor 7th) in the avarohana.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Second Part of Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG LALIT
Description
Lalit (sometimes transliterated as Lalith) is a moderately common rag. One well known song in this rag is "Tu Hai Mere Prema Devata". There is some disagreement concerning the Dha; some suggest that Lalit uses shuddha Dha and others say that it uses komal Dha. It has Pancham absent in both the ascending and the descending structures, therefore it is shadav - shadav jati.
Lalit is one of the most curious rags in the Hindustani tradition. Normally rags which use both Mas show a very strong "either / or" approach rather than a chromatic approach. That is to say that one may use tivra Ma in passage or shuddha ma, but one generally does not use both Mas together unless they are linked by a very clear pakad (e.g., bihag). Lalith is unusual in that it takes a chromatic approach to the two Mas. It treats them as though they were distinct notes. This chromatic treatment, coupled with the absence of Pa (5th) has caused some scholars to view this tivra Ma as actually being a komal Pa. (e.g., Jairazbhoy, 1971)
The concept of a komal Pa (diminished 5th) is very controversial. Present musical theory clearly rejects this position. However, komal Pa was a characteristic of the old Dhaivati jati as described in the Natya Shastra. Although there is a historical precedent to komal Pa, the conservative approach it to ignore this concept.
The rejection of komal Pa does not automatically simplify the theoretical position of Lalith. The equal weight and usage of both madhyams raises some questions. If we give importance to the tivra madhyam, lalit falls into Marwa that. However, if we give importance to the shuddha madhyam, it falls into Suriyakantha mela (note- this mode is not one of the 10 thats that by convention is taught in the music colleges in India). Since the shuddha Ma is generally considered the vadi it would make more sense to ascribe its modality to Suriyakantha mela, but for here we will bow to convention and scribe it to Marwa that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Midnight to Mid-morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa-Ma or Sa-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Description
Lalit (sometimes transliterated as Lalith) is a moderately common rag. One well known song in this rag is "Tu Hai Mere Prema Devata". There is some disagreement concerning the Dha; some suggest that Lalit uses shuddha Dha and others say that it uses komal Dha. It has Pancham absent in both the ascending and the descending structures, therefore it is shadav - shadav jati.
Lalit is one of the most curious rags in the Hindustani tradition. Normally rags which use both Mas show a very strong "either / or" approach rather than a chromatic approach. That is to say that one may use tivra Ma in passage or shuddha ma, but one generally does not use both Mas together unless they are linked by a very clear pakad (e.g., bihag). Lalith is unusual in that it takes a chromatic approach to the two Mas. It treats them as though they were distinct notes. This chromatic treatment, coupled with the absence of Pa (5th) has caused some scholars to view this tivra Ma as actually being a komal Pa. (e.g., Jairazbhoy, 1971)
The concept of a komal Pa (diminished 5th) is very controversial. Present musical theory clearly rejects this position. However, komal Pa was a characteristic of the old Dhaivati jati as described in the Natya Shastra. Although there is a historical precedent to komal Pa, the conservative approach it to ignore this concept.
The rejection of komal Pa does not automatically simplify the theoretical position of Lalith. The equal weight and usage of both madhyams raises some questions. If we give importance to the tivra madhyam, lalit falls into Marwa that. However, if we give importance to the shuddha madhyam, it falls into Suriyakantha mela (note- this mode is not one of the 10 thats that by convention is taught in the music colleges in India). Since the shuddha Ma is generally considered the vadi it would make more sense to ascribe its modality to Suriyakantha mela, but for here we will bow to convention and scribe it to Marwa that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Midnight to Mid-morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa-Ma or Sa-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG MALKAUNS
Description
Rag Malkauns (A.K.A. Malkosh) is a very popular rag in the North Indian system (Hindustani Sangeet). In the South it is known as Hindolam. It is a pentatonic rag that has has the five notes Sa, Komal Ga, Ma, Komal Dha, and Komal Ni. One would think that with so many komal (flat) notes that it would have a strong minor quality about it. However, upon close examination we see that the absence of the fifth and the strong presence of the fourth causes the mind to "invert" it. Therefore, it tends to sound surprisingly similar to Dhani to which it has a murchana relationship.
Malkauns has a long history, and it appears to have undergone numerous changes over the centuries. It is said that Malkauns is derived from Malav Kaushik. However, modern Malkauns has no resmblence to this ancient rag.
The mood is meditative, perhaps even sad. Therefore, it tends to be played in slow to medium speeds.
The modality of Malkauns is not shared with any other rags. Therefore there is really no need to go beyond the basic mode in order to define Malkauns.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Audav - (general discussion of jati)
VADI
Ma - (general discussion of vadi)
SAMVADI
Sa - (general discussion of samvadi)
Time
Midnight - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairavi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Ma - (general discussion of drone)
RAG MARWA
Description
Rag Marwa is considered to be the most fundamental rag in Marwa That. It is an evening rag that is quite popular. This rag is unusual in that the tonic is not harmonically well defined; there is no pancham (5th) and the madhyam is tivra rather than shuddha (i.e., there is no natural 4th). It is this harmonic imbalance that gives marwa its peculiar character. Considering this imbalance, rag marwa has a surprisingly simple structure. Re is the vadi and Dha is the samvadi. It is shadav - shadav due to the total exclusion of pancham (the 5th). One well known song in this rag is "Payalia Banwari Bhaje". Marwa's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Evening - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG MIAN KI TODI (A.K.A. MIAKI TODI)
Description
Todi, also known as Mian-ki-Todi (Miyan-ki-Thodi), is a very common morning rag. However, there is a certain disagreement as to its structure. According to some, all seven notes are used in both the ascending and descending structures; according to this approach, this rag is sampurna - sampurna. Others suggest that the Pa is absent in the arohana but present in the avarohana; according to this approach this rag is shadav - sampurna. Here we are presenting the sampurna - sampurna version. There is also disagreement concerning the vadi and the samvadi. Some consider the vadi to be Dha while others consider it to be Ma. Many musicians consider the samvadi to be Ga.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna (disputed) - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Todi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa-Pa or Sa-Komal-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG PURVI
Description
Purvi is considered to be the fundamental rag in Purvi That. It is performed around sunset (Sandhi Prakash). There are two philosophies concerning this rag. The first approach is to use only the swar of Purvi That. Unfortunately, this approach impinges upon Puriadhanashri. The second and more common approach is to use a touch of Shuddha Ma. We will only use the second approach here.
The structure of Purvi is a bit complex. The inclusion of shuddha Ma forces a somewhat convoluted approach. This rag is sampurna - sampurna with Ga as the vadi and Ni as the samvadi. Here are its overall characteristics:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
sampurna - sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Sunset - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Purvi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa-Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
TILAK KAMOD
Description
The structure of Tilak Kamod is quite pleasant. Some musicians maintain that the vadi is Sa and the samvadi is Pa. Others claim that Re is the vadi. It is Shadav-Sampurna due to the omission of Dha in the arohana. It is performed in the second part of the night.
This rag is usually attributed to Khammaj That. However, most subtraditions within Northern India show a conspicuous absence of any Komal Ni. Its structure places it squarely in Bilawal that. It is with great reluctance that we bow to tradition and place this in Khammaj that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Second part of the night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj That (by tradition), Bilawal That (de facto) - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Description
This is an old rag. It is characterized by the use of Komal Re and Komal Ni. This mode does not belong to any of the 10 thats put forward by Bhatkhande; however for some inexplicable reason, he ascribed this rag to Bhairav That. Often times, this rag is referred to by its south Indian name of Chakravaka. This is an early morning rag. For those who are still inclined towords the Vadi / Savadi theory it has been suggested that Ma is its vadi and Sa as its samvadi.
Ahir Bhairav is very well known through old film songs such as "Pucho Na Kaise" and "Meri Bina Tum Bin Roye Sajana". There are actually so many film songs in Ahir Bhairav that it is not really possible to go over them here.
There are two approaches to this rag (Rao 1980). The first type omits Ni in the arohana: it is therefore shadav - sampurna. The second approach does not omit any note; therefore it is sampurna - sampurna. However, since no other rag shares the same modality, one need not worry too much about impinging upon a differnt rag.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna (disputed) - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Early Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Chakravaka Mela (not one of Bhatkhande's thats) - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG ASAWARI (ASAVARI)
Description
Rag Asawari is considered to be the fundamental rag in Asawari that. There are several film songs in Asavari; one common one is "Mujhe Gale Se Laga Lo Bahut Udas Hun Main ". Asawvari is a morning rag. It is Audav - Sampurna due to the ommission of the Ga and Ni in the ascending structure. For those who still adhere to the Vadi/ Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that the vadi is Dha and the samvadi is Ga.
There are several rags which share the same that. Jaunpuri and Darbari Kanada are two of the most common examples. Therfore, it is important to pay attention to the pakad to keep from impinging upon them.
There is considerable disagreement concerning the Re. It seems that there are three schools of thought. The predominant view is that only shuddha Re is used. There is another school, which suggests that both shauddha and komal can be used. Finally, there are those that contend that only the komal Re be used. For the purposes of this website we will consider the first two to be within the bounds of Asavari, while the last one we will define to be "Komal Re Asavari"
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav / Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Asawari that - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHAIRAV
Description
Rag Bhairav is a very common rag. According to mythology, it was the first rag. It is belived that it emanated directly from the face of Mahadev (Shiva). It is a very well known rag but it is seldom heard because it is a morning rag and most performances are in the evening. Kalingada is very similar and is more likely to be heard by most concert goers.
The use of Bharav in film music is much more flexible. The informal treatment means that there is a lot of overlap with Kalingada. This leads to lively discussions as to whether particular songs are in Kalingada or in Bhairav. Furthermore, there is no adherence to particular times with most film songs. Pehaps the most famous example is "Mohe Bhul Gaye Sanvariyan" from the film "Baiju Bawara". For a larger list of film songs in Bhairav, check "Rags Used in the Films" (Bhairav).
Bhairav has a very simple structure. It is sampurna - sampurna. For those who still adhere to the Vadi / Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that Dha is the vadi and Re is the samvadi. Re and Dha should have a heavy undolan (slow shake) to define its character. Bhairav's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairav That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BAHAR
Description
Bahar is a very popular springtime rag. During the spring, it may be sung at any time of the day. There are a number of film songs which use this rag; "Chham Chham Nachat Ayi Bahar" and "Sakal Bana Gagan Chalat Puravai" are two examples (more examples). However during any other season, it is a night time rag. Bahar has a very distinctive character. It uses both Nishads; it uses shuddha Ni (natural 7th) in the arohana and the komal Ni in the avarohana. For those who are still inclined towards the Vadi / Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that Ma is the vadi and Sa is the samvadi. This rag cannot be performed straight but must be executed in a vakra fashion; for it is the characteristic twists which give this rag its form. The pakad is therefore extremely important.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Spring - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHAIRAVI
Description
This rag is the main representative of Bhairavi That. It has traditionally been performed in the early morning hours. However, due to the fact that performances lasted all night, it has now become common to consider Bhairavi to be the finale. Today this rag is performed at any time provided it is the concluding piece. A few common songs in this rag are, "Babul Mora Naihar Chutohe Jai", "Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo", and "Laga Chunari Me Dag Chupaun Kaise". Please check Film Songs in Rags (Bhairavi).
There are two approaches to the performance of Bhairavi: Shuddha Bhairavi and Sindhi (Sindhu) Bhairavi. In Shuddha Bhairavi, only the notes of Bhairavi That are used. In Sindhu Bhairavi, all of the swar, both komal and tivra are used. These are opposite extremes in philosophy. Contemporary practice tends to flow somewhere in between these two approaches, although the degree seems to be a question of individual artistic interpretation.
The Vadi / Samvadi system is generally discounted by modern musicologists; those who still adhere to this theory find Bhairavi to be particularly problematic. The vadi is usually considered to be Ma and the samvadi is usually considered to be Sa. However, Ga, Dha, and Pa have also been suggested as important notes.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Early morning or conclusion of performance - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairavi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHIMPALASI
Description
Bhimpalasi (a.k.a., Bhimpilasi or Bheempalasi) is a rag which is very much associated with a hot Indian afternoon. It has five notes ascending and seven notes descending.
Bhimpalasi is derived from Kafi that. This that is very crowded with numerous similar rags, so it is very important to pay attention to their pakads, otherwise one may inadvertently impinge upon them, and thus spoil the performance.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Vadi
Ma - (general discussion of vadi)
Samvadi
Sa - (general discussion of samvadi)
Time
Afternoon - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
RAG BHUPALI (BHOOPALI)
Description
Bhupali is a a very common rag. Other transliterations are Bhoopali or Bhoopaali. In South Indian music, this is refered to as Mohanam.
This rag appears to be very ancient. It is based upon a pentatonic structure that is found in many parts of the world. It is believed by many scholars that the pentatonic scales; of which Bhupali is one, were prevalent in the middle and far-East by the first millennium B.C. This scale has been in China for many centuries; it is also found in the folk music of northern Britain. Yet, it is not clear whether the scale developed independently or spread through cultural interchange. Either way, it has been around for a long time and is very popular. Common songs based upon this rag include "Jyoti Kalash Chalke" or "Pankha Hoti To Ud Ati Re".
There is a fair degree of confusion and difficulty concerning this rag. The same notes of Bhupali are also used in rag Deshakar, Jait Kalyan, and Audav Devgiri. Obviously performing these rags, and maintaining their purity by not impinging upon the related rags, is extremely difficult. It is very much like changing your shirt without removing your sweater. It is parlour game which is amusing, but clearly impractical. In a similar manner, attempting to perform any of these rags in a "pure" fashion is more of an exercise than a productive artistic endeavour. This obvious problem is generally handled in a very pragmatic fashion. This involves reserving the performance for the lighter portion of the program, and mixing them all together with abandon. One simply declares that one is performing "Bhupali" in a semi-classical style; bas - finished - finito - no one can say anything! Since this has been the practice for such a long time, we are finding that Deshkar, Jait Kalyan and Audave Devgiri have essentially been subsumed into Bhupali. One may even argue that this subsumation has rendered them irrelevant, dated, and anachronistic.
The numerous rags with the same modality, underscores a curious weakness in the system of thats. Bhupali is classified under Kalyan that; however, madhyam is totally absent. Deshkar which has the same scale, yet Deshkar is classified under Bilawal that. This means that the missing madhyam of Bhupali is tivra (i.e., augmented 4th) while the missing madhyam in Deshkar is shuddha (i.e., natural 4th). In a similar fashion, Jait-Kalyan is also classed under Kalyan That, while Audav Devgiri is classed under Bilawal that. This is interesting, but totally insupportable by any objective musical criteria.
The methodology for determining the character of Bhupali's missing notes is not clear. It may be an extension of an earlier tradition. Bhatkhande stated that some musicians consider this rag to be synonymous with Bhup Kalyan (Bhatkhande 1985a). However, most musicians consider Bhup Kalyan to be synonymous with Shuddha Kalyan, and not Bhupali (Rao 1980). It may be that Bhatkhande's decision was partly based upon a desire to support his theory on the timings of the rags.
Such discussions are interesting but not of very great practical value. Regardless of the reasons for the classification, there is a conventional acceptance of Bhupali's inclusion in Kalyan that. We may question the methodology, but we really have nothing to gain by trying to ascribe it to a different that.
The Vadi / Samvadi system is generally discounted by modern musicologists. Among those who still try to adhere to this it has been suggested that Ga is the vadi and Dha is the samvadi.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
First part of night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kalyan That - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Rag Bhupeshwari (a.k.a. Bhoopeshree, Bhupashri, Bhoopeswari, Bhoopeshwari, Bupeshwari, Bhupkali, Bhoopeshri)
Description
Bhupeshwari is a truly remarkable rag. It is found in the background music of films, in qawwalis, and other light musical forms. It is also beginning to be performed in classical styles. It is of recent invention, but in a short period of time it has spread throughout India and Pakistan. Common examples are Aziz Nazan's "Chadta Suraj Dhere Dhere" and Mehdi Hassan's "Ab Ke Hum Bichray".
It is a rag which appears to be developing before our eyes (or ears). It is a rare event to witness the birth of a rag. Because it has developed only within the last few decades, it tantalises us into thinking that perhaps we can actually document the birth of this rag. Unfortunately the details are still remain beyond our reach.
Many feel that we can ascribe this rag invention to a particular person. According to some, it was developed by Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur Gharana. However, we must remember that Alladiya Khan died in 1946. If this is so, then why is it that Bhupeshwari appears to be unknown until several decades after his death. According to others, Bhupeshwari was invented by Pandit Mani Prasad of the Kirana school. This time-scale seems to make sense, but serious questions arise as to whether this was a completely organic creation or was he "inspired" by some pre-existing work. Whether any of these claims are true is difficult to say.
There is some inconsistency in the nomenclature for this rag. In India, three names arose. The major school, and possibly the oldest was to call it Bupeshwari. This is an obvious inspiration from "Bhupali", which is its closest North Indian relative. There was another school that came up with the term Bhupkali. Again this is an obvious link to Bhupali. Today only Hari Prasad Chaurasiya seems to use this name; it appears that the name "Bhupkali" never gained many supporters. To make the situation more complicated, as the rag was enfolded into the corpus of South Indian rags it acquired the name Vasanthi. The South Indians do not seem at all inclined to adopted the name Bhupeshwari, so it is unlikely that the name Vasanthi will go away; but it is likely that this name will remain permanently relegated to the south, and not have a generalised acceptance.
Even though Bhupeshwari seems to be emerging as the dominant name, there are still linguistic pressures at work. Variations such as "Bhupeshri" are also starting to emerge. These variations are the result of long understood linguistic processes, and are certainly no surprise. Equally unsurprising is the lack of a commonly accepted spelling; therefore Bhupeshwari, Bhoopeswaree, Bhoopeshree, Bhoopeswari, etc. are all to be found.
But the origin of the rag and its nomenclature are not the only problems, for there are more thornier issues; particularly the problem of it's parent modality. The fact that this is an audav rag (only five notes) brings up many practical issues. We are are left to try and deduce the pitches of non-existent notes. (If this sounds crazy, it is! This is like trying to determine the hair colour of a man who is absolutely bald.) In the south, some suggest that this rag is derived from the 16th mela Chakravakam, but others hold that it is 25th mela Mararanjani, the 26th mela Charukesi, or even the 27th mela Sarasangi. The situation is not much better in the north; this rag does not fit into any of Bhatkhande's 10 thats.
So this is what is so amazing. By all the "rules", of north Indian music, this rag is absolutely crazy, but it works! It is an amazingly powerful rag which has all off the pathos of Shivaranjani. This is itself amazing, because it is markedly dissimilar to Shivaranjani in it's harmonic structure. But the sheer power of the rag has quickly propelled Bhupeshwari into the public consciousness, where it is becoming very popular in light, classical, and filmi sangeet.
In spite of the historical and theoretical problems posed by Bhupeshwari, it is a remarkably simple rag. It is simply Bhupali / Deshkar that uses a komal Dha instead of the shuddha form. The rag is defined entirely by its modality, therefore there are not any tricky pakards that you have to navigate. This gives a lot of flexibility in its performance. However, many north Indian classical musicians feel that audav rags are inherently limited in their possibilities for full development. Bhupeshwari shares this quality with Malkauns, Chandrakauns, Kalavati and other five note rags.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
-NA- (general discussion of time and rag)
That
-NA- (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
-NA- (general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BIHAG (BEHAG)
Description
This rag is very popular. Some common songs in this rag are "Boliye Surali Boliyan", "Hamare Dil Se Na Jana Dhokna Na Khana", and "Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet". It is a late night rag (9:00pm-midnight) of audav-sampurna jati. Its strong characteristic is the use of both madhyams. Opinion differs as to which Ma should be given prominence. The orthodox approach is to give importance to the shuddha Ma. However, more modern interpretations tend to give importance to the tivra Ma. It is this emphasis on tivra Ma which causes some musicians to assign this rag to Kalyan that.
Bihag has a moderately complex structure. This is due to the large number of rags which use both madhyams. One must pay particular attention to the pakad or else one may impinge upon Hamir, Yaman Kalyan, Kedar, or any of a number of related rags. The swarup (pakad) is Pa Má Ga Ma Ga. For those who still adhere to the vadi / samvadi theory, it has been suggested that the vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. The Re and Dha are not used in the arohana but are used in the avarohana.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav-Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
general discussion of pakad
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BILAWAL
Description
Rag Bilawal is the most basic rag in Bilawal that. Indeed, the name of the that is derived from this rag. Interestingly enough, this rag has been declining in popularity over the years. This rag is sometimes referred to as Shuddha Bilawal to distinguish it from the more popular Alhiya Bilawal.
Bilawal is considerd by most to be Sampurna - Sampurna. However, some are of the opinion that it should be considered Shadav - Sampurna due to the weakness of its Ga in the arohana.
The vadi / samavadi theory is generally discounted by modern musicologists, but for those who are inclined to follow this, it has been suggested that the vadi and samavadi are Dha and Re respectively.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG CHANDRAKAUNS (a.k.a. CHANDRAKOSH)
Description
Chandrakauns is a very beautiful and striking rag. It is also surprisingly easy to perform. One should keep in mind, that there are actually two versions of Chandrakauns. There is an old obsolete version, and there is the modern version.
The name Chandrakauns is interesting. The prefix "chandra" means "moon". Although the etymology of the term "kauns" is obscure, it generally is used to represent five note rags. There are several forms of both pronunciation and spelling, Chandrakosh is the second most common pronunciation.
Old Form - This is an example of how quickly rags can change. Where a century ago, this might have been the only form that you would hear, today you will probably only hear this in old recordings. The old form as was mentioned by Bhatkhande has the structure:
This form of Chandrakauns has a strong feel of Bhageshree about it.
Modern Form - The modern and most widely accepted version of Chandrakauns is an audav rag that is essentially identical to Malkauns with one small change. In Chandrakauns the Nishad is shuddha rather than komal. At first glance, one would think that the shift from the komal Ni to the shuddha Ni would make this rag more harmonically balanced and have a much more mellow feel. However we must remember that the mind performs a musical inversion where the Madhyam is perceived to be the tonic. With such an inversion, the shift from komal Ni to shuddha Ni actually increases the feeling of tension. It is this tension that is the characteristic "massala" which makes Chandrakauns so strikingly beautiful.
For quite some time Chandrakauns has been a popular rag for the lahara. The lahara, also known as the naghma (nagma), is a repetitive melody used in the accompaniment of tabla solos and in kathak pieces. Bollywood in turn has picked up on this, and has further reinforced the association by frequently using Chandrakauns based laharas in scenes that depict traditional tawaifs (an Indian version of the geisha) and traditional kathak dances.
Here are the characteristics of Chandrakauns:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Not one of Bhatikhande's 10 thats, but some suggest that it is Kafi - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Ma - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DARBARI KANADA
Description
There can be no doubt that Darbari Kanada is one of the most popular rags in the entire North Indian system of classical music. A few common songs are "Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol Re Tohe Piya Milenge", "Jhana Jhanak Tori Baje Payaliaya", "Mujhe Tumse Kuch Bhi Na Chahiye", "O Duniya Ke Rakhwale". This rag is also known as Durbari, or Darbari Kanara and a host of other transliterations. It is said to have been invented by Tansen who sang in the durbar (royal court) of the Emperor Akbar, hence the name Darbari Kanada.
The vadi / samavadi theory is generally discounted by modern musicologists, but for those who are inclined to follow this, Darbari Kanada has been particularly problematic. Some suggest that Re and Dha are the vadi and samvadi; however, others suggest that it should be Ga and Dha.
Darbari Kanada has some interesting musical characteristics. It is a night time rag. It is said to be sampurna - sampurna, but it must be presented in a vakra (twisted) fashion to distinguish it from related rags such as Jaunpuri, Asawari, or Adana. It is especially important to emphasize the lower register (mandra saptak) and the lower tetrachord (i.e., purvang) to distinguish this rag from Adana.
Darbari Kanada has an interesting approach to its intervals. The minor 3rd (komal Ga) and the minor 6th (komal Dha) are much lower than usually found; this lower than normal flattening is often referred to in Indian music as ati-komal. Therefore, ati-komal Ga is just ever-so-slightly higher than a natural 2nd (shuddha Re) and the ati-komal Dha is just ever so slightly higher than a natural 5th (Pa). It is this extreme alteration of the intervals that helps give Darbari Kanada its distinctive character.
Here are Darbari Kanada's overall characteristics:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Asawari That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DESH (a.k.a. DES)
Description
Desh is a very beautiful and romantic night-time rag.
This rag presents major problems for anyone attempting to perform it in a pure fashion. The major difficulty arises from its modality. It uses all seven notes and allows for there to be two nishads. This forces Desh to impinge upon a number of other rags such as Khammaj, Tilak Kamod, and Sorat. Attempting to perform Desh without impinging upon these other rags is like trying to move around in a crowded second class train compartment. It is NOT an easy task.
This obvious difficulty is addressed in a delightful fashion. There is a strong tendency to perform Desh in lighter styles, such as dadra, or thumree, where impinging upon other rags is not only acceptable, it is de rigueur. Therefore, if performing Desh is like a crowded second class compartment, then it is a second class compartment where everyone there is your relative and you are going to a wedding function.
There are a number of famous film songs based upon Desh. Probably the most famous is Vande Matram (the old version), but a number of other popular film songs are there. A few examples are: "Gori Tore Naina, Nainava Kajar Bin Kare Kare" (Main Suhagan Hun), or "Dukh Ke Ab Din Bitat Nahi" (Devdas).
Arohana
Ascending Structure
Alternative Ascending Structure
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav / Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DESHKAR
Description
Deshkar is a rag which is quickly disappearing. It is being merged into Bhupali and in the process, it is loosing its identity. Therefore whatever you read in this page must be taken with the understanding that Deshkar's relevance is somewhat suspect. It is entirely up to you as to whether you wish to go "old school" and consider Deshkar and Bhupali to be separate, or whether you wish to follow contemporary usage which merges them together. (I know that there are "old school" readers right now who are mad at me for even bringing this up, but remember, I am only describing the present state of affairs. I did not create it.)
Deshkar is considered to be a a morning rag. It has the exact same notes as Bhupali. According to the old school, Deshkar tends to remain in the upper tetrachord revolving very heavily around the Dha. Even though Ga is considered to be the samvadhi, it should not be rested upon for too long; otherwise Deshkar impinges upon Bhupali.
To make matters even more tricky, one should be careful about using meeds to slide down from Sa to Dha or from Pa to Ma. Excessive use of these meeds, causes Deshkar to impinge upon Shuddha Kalyan.
But Shuddha Kalyan and Bhupali are not the only rags vying for this mode. There are also Jait Kalyan and Audav Devgiri. Although these are much less common rags, they still must be attended to.
It is this impingement of rags which seems to be partly responsible for its subsumation into Bhupali. Many classical musicians are not particularly excited about developing any 5 note rag (audav rag) to begin with. It is correctly noted that that audav jati rags have a somewhat limited scope for development. In the case of these rags, it is even more confining because there is the added requirement of not mixing them together.
The result is that many classical musicians abandoned both Deshkar as well as Bhupali for classical performances; but still use ikt for semiclassical songs. In the semi-classical and lighter styles things are different. For quite a long time, we have heard Bhupali in bhajans, film songs, geets and whatnot. Remember, in the lighter interpretations, one is free to explore every aspect of Bhupali's modality without fear of being accused of improperly mixing rags.
But why is Bhupali absorbing Deshkar, and not the other way around? This is probably a reflections of North Indian musicians tendency to follow the timings of the rags. Remember that Bhupali is a night time rag while Deshkar is a morning rag. Most concerts are held in the night; this creates many more opportunities to perform Bhupali.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DURGA
Description
Durga is a very popular late evening rag. However there is sometimes confusion. The confusion stems from the fact that an unrelated rag known as Madhuradhwani is also sometimes called Durga. In this page we will only be concerning ourself with the common form, and leave any discussion of Madhuradhwani for another time.
The name Durga is derived from the name of the goddess Amba or Parvati. She is the wife of Shiva, and is associated with great power. She is also referred to as "Ma Durga" or "Durga Mata", which means "Mother Durga". She is said to represent patience and fearlessness.
The origin of rag Durga is obscure. It has been suggested that this rag is derived from the south Indian Shuddha Saveri. This is certainly possible, for it is very common for North Indians to "borrow" rags from the South. But in such cases, they usually retain their south Indian names (e.g., Charukesi, Kalavati). Why would Durga acquire a new name?
We must be open to the possibility that this scale may simply be a basic part of the larger South Asian musical culture. It could have been circulating for a long time, and when I mean long time, I mean millennia. As such, it is possible that it was only recently formalised by North Indian classical musicians. The close relationship that Durga has to other pentatonic rags (e.g., Malkauns, Bhupali), coupled with the almost world-wide presence of these scales, certainly means that it is a possibility. The structure is so simple, and the harmonic relationship is so fundamental, that scales with these intervals show up internationally, apparently with independent origins.
Rag Durga is based upon Bilaval that. From this that, the Ga and Ni are omitted, therefore this is an audav rag.
Identification of this rag in lighter songs is sometimes difficult. This is because Durga is linked to other common rags such as Malkauns and Bhupali by a process known as murchchana. Although this is not the time to go into the details of murchchanana, let it suffice to say that if you take Durga and start the scale from Ma you get Bhupali. Furthermore, if you take Durga and start the scale from Dha, you get Malkauns. The best way to keep these rags separate is with a good clear drone; this may be provided by the tanpura or a similar source. Since such drones tend to be missing in the lighter forms of music, the distinction between these rags is occasionally obscured. One well known film song in Durga is "Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne".
It is fairly easy to perform and compose in rag Durga, because it does not share its modality with any other north Indian rag. Unlike the Bhupali/ Deshakar mode which is very cramped and crowded, you do not have to worry too much about Durga spilling over into a different rag. That being said, there are some common phrases and a pakad which makes Durga's the character more identifiable.
Here is the basic form of Durga:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Rag Gujari Todi
Description
Gujari Todi is a very common morning rag in Todi That. There are a number of popular film songs in Gujari Todi, including Ik Tha Bachapan.
There are fundamental differences between Mian Ki Todi and Gujari Todi. Where Mian-ki-Todi has a Pa that is very weak, Gujari Todi has no Pa at all, therefore they sound very similar. The absence of Pa makes this rag shadav - shadav jati. As is typical of the vadi / samvadi theory there are differences of opinion concerning the vadi and samvadi; Dha, Ga, and Re have variously been declared to occupy these positions.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Todi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Komal Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KAFI
Description
Rag Kafi is the primary rag in Kafi That. There are many popular film songs in Kafi rag including "Biraj Me, Holi Khelat Nand Lal". It is a sampurna-sampurna rag that is very straightforward in its execution.
As is typical of the highly problematic vadi / samvadi theory, there is disagreement concerning the vadi and the samvadi. Some suggest that the vadi and the samvadi are Pa and Sa respectively. However, many are of the opinion that it should be Ga for the Vadi and Ni for the samvadi.
Its characteristics are shown below.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Evening - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KALINGADA
Description
Rag Kalingada is very similar to Bhairav. Unlike Bhairav, this rag is performed in the last part of the night. There has been a strong tendency over the last few decades to take lighter interpretations of both Kalingada as well as Bhairav. The result is that the two rags have begun to converge. Whenever there is such a convergence, the general tendency is for rags to asume the name of Bhairav. If this tendency continues, we can expect Kalingada to completely merge with Bhairav and to lose its identity in the process.
The structure of Kalingada is very simple. It is a sampurna - sampurna rag performed in a very straight manner.
The problems of the vadi / samvadi theory are clearly seen here. Some say that Pa and Sa are the vadi and samvadi. Unfortunately, there is no agreement on this point. Ga, Dha, and Ma have also been declared to be the vadi and samvadi (in various combinations). Kalingada's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Last part of night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairav That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KALYAN (A.K.A. YAMAN)
Description
This rag is known by several names; Kalyan, Iman, Eman, or Yaman. Strangely enough, Yaman Kalyan is a different rag. Kalyan is very popular and some commonly known examples of songs in this rag are "Ansu Bhari Hai Jai Jivan Ki Rahen", "Ja Re Badara Bairi Ja Re" and "Jiya Le Gayo Re Mora Sanvariaya". Yaman is a sampurna rag which is performed in the first part of the night. The vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. Typically Sa and Pa are weak in the arohana. However their omission is not obligatory.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
First part of the night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kalyan That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa (general discussion of drone)
SEE ALSO
Rag Yaman - An article published some years ago.
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KHAMMAJ (KHAMAJ)
Description
This rag is one of the most common in Indian music. Although it is used in the classical styles, its romantic character makes it much more appropriate to the semi-classical and lighter styles. It is traditionally ascribed to the second part of the night. "Kuch To Log Lahenge" and "Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bungal Par", are two well known examples of common songs in this rag. There are many other popular film songs in Khammaj as well.
Rag Khammaj has a clear musical structure. It is a shadav-sampurna rag due to the ommission of the Re in the arohana. Even in the avarohana, the Re is durbal (weak). The vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. Undoubtedly its method of using Nishad is one of its most defining characteristics; it is shuddha (i.e., natural 7th) in the arohana but it is komal (i.e., minor 7th) in the avarohana.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Second Part of Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG LALIT
Description
Lalit (sometimes transliterated as Lalith) is a moderately common rag. One well known song in this rag is "Tu Hai Mere Prema Devata". There is some disagreement concerning the Dha; some suggest that Lalit uses shuddha Dha and others say that it uses komal Dha. It has Pancham absent in both the ascending and the descending structures, therefore it is shadav - shadav jati.
Lalit is one of the most curious rags in the Hindustani tradition. Normally rags which use both Mas show a very strong "either / or" approach rather than a chromatic approach. That is to say that one may use tivra Ma in passage or shuddha ma, but one generally does not use both Mas together unless they are linked by a very clear pakad (e.g., bihag). Lalith is unusual in that it takes a chromatic approach to the two Mas. It treats them as though they were distinct notes. This chromatic treatment, coupled with the absence of Pa (5th) has caused some scholars to view this tivra Ma as actually being a komal Pa. (e.g., Jairazbhoy, 1971)
The concept of a komal Pa (diminished 5th) is very controversial. Present musical theory clearly rejects this position. However, komal Pa was a characteristic of the old Dhaivati jati as described in the Natya Shastra. Although there is a historical precedent to komal Pa, the conservative approach it to ignore this concept.
The rejection of komal Pa does not automatically simplify the theoretical position of Lalith. The equal weight and usage of both madhyams raises some questions. If we give importance to the tivra madhyam, lalit falls into Marwa that. However, if we give importance to the shuddha madhyam, it falls into Suriyakantha mela (note- this mode is not one of the 10 thats that by convention is taught in the music colleges in India). Since the shuddha Ma is generally considered the vadi it would make more sense to ascribe its modality to Suriyakantha mela, but for here we will bow to convention and scribe it to Marwa that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Midnight to Mid-morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa-Ma or Sa-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Description
Lalit (sometimes transliterated as Lalith) is a moderately common rag. One well known song in this rag is "Tu Hai Mere Prema Devata". There is some disagreement concerning the Dha; some suggest that Lalit uses shuddha Dha and others say that it uses komal Dha. It has Pancham absent in both the ascending and the descending structures, therefore it is shadav - shadav jati.
Lalit is one of the most curious rags in the Hindustani tradition. Normally rags which use both Mas show a very strong "either / or" approach rather than a chromatic approach. That is to say that one may use tivra Ma in passage or shuddha ma, but one generally does not use both Mas together unless they are linked by a very clear pakad (e.g., bihag). Lalith is unusual in that it takes a chromatic approach to the two Mas. It treats them as though they were distinct notes. This chromatic treatment, coupled with the absence of Pa (5th) has caused some scholars to view this tivra Ma as actually being a komal Pa. (e.g., Jairazbhoy, 1971)
The concept of a komal Pa (diminished 5th) is very controversial. Present musical theory clearly rejects this position. However, komal Pa was a characteristic of the old Dhaivati jati as described in the Natya Shastra. Although there is a historical precedent to komal Pa, the conservative approach it to ignore this concept.
The rejection of komal Pa does not automatically simplify the theoretical position of Lalith. The equal weight and usage of both madhyams raises some questions. If we give importance to the tivra madhyam, lalit falls into Marwa that. However, if we give importance to the shuddha madhyam, it falls into Suriyakantha mela (note- this mode is not one of the 10 thats that by convention is taught in the music colleges in India). Since the shuddha Ma is generally considered the vadi it would make more sense to ascribe its modality to Suriyakantha mela, but for here we will bow to convention and scribe it to Marwa that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Midnight to Mid-morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa-Ma or Sa-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG MALKAUNS
Description
Rag Malkauns (A.K.A. Malkosh) is a very popular rag in the North Indian system (Hindustani Sangeet). In the South it is known as Hindolam. It is a pentatonic rag that has has the five notes Sa, Komal Ga, Ma, Komal Dha, and Komal Ni. One would think that with so many komal (flat) notes that it would have a strong minor quality about it. However, upon close examination we see that the absence of the fifth and the strong presence of the fourth causes the mind to "invert" it. Therefore, it tends to sound surprisingly similar to Dhani to which it has a murchana relationship.
Malkauns has a long history, and it appears to have undergone numerous changes over the centuries. It is said that Malkauns is derived from Malav Kaushik. However, modern Malkauns has no resmblence to this ancient rag.
The mood is meditative, perhaps even sad. Therefore, it tends to be played in slow to medium speeds.
The modality of Malkauns is not shared with any other rags. Therefore there is really no need to go beyond the basic mode in order to define Malkauns.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Audav - (general discussion of jati)
VADI
Ma - (general discussion of vadi)
SAMVADI
Sa - (general discussion of samvadi)
Time
Midnight - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairavi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Ma - (general discussion of drone)
RAG MARWA
Description
Rag Marwa is considered to be the most fundamental rag in Marwa That. It is an evening rag that is quite popular. This rag is unusual in that the tonic is not harmonically well defined; there is no pancham (5th) and the madhyam is tivra rather than shuddha (i.e., there is no natural 4th). It is this harmonic imbalance that gives marwa its peculiar character. Considering this imbalance, rag marwa has a surprisingly simple structure. Re is the vadi and Dha is the samvadi. It is shadav - shadav due to the total exclusion of pancham (the 5th). One well known song in this rag is "Payalia Banwari Bhaje". Marwa's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Evening - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG MIAN KI TODI (A.K.A. MIAKI TODI)
Description
Todi, also known as Mian-ki-Todi (Miyan-ki-Thodi), is a very common morning rag. However, there is a certain disagreement as to its structure. According to some, all seven notes are used in both the ascending and descending structures; according to this approach, this rag is sampurna - sampurna. Others suggest that the Pa is absent in the arohana but present in the avarohana; according to this approach this rag is shadav - sampurna. Here we are presenting the sampurna - sampurna version. There is also disagreement concerning the vadi and the samvadi. Some consider the vadi to be Dha while others consider it to be Ma. Many musicians consider the samvadi to be Ga.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna (disputed) - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Todi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa-Pa or Sa-Komal-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG PURVI
Description
Purvi is considered to be the fundamental rag in Purvi That. It is performed around sunset (Sandhi Prakash). There are two philosophies concerning this rag. The first approach is to use only the swar of Purvi That. Unfortunately, this approach impinges upon Puriadhanashri. The second and more common approach is to use a touch of Shuddha Ma. We will only use the second approach here.
The structure of Purvi is a bit complex. The inclusion of shuddha Ma forces a somewhat convoluted approach. This rag is sampurna - sampurna with Ga as the vadi and Ni as the samvadi. Here are its overall characteristics:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
sampurna - sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Sunset - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Purvi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa-Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
TILAK KAMOD
Description
The structure of Tilak Kamod is quite pleasant. Some musicians maintain that the vadi is Sa and the samvadi is Pa. Others claim that Re is the vadi. It is Shadav-Sampurna due to the omission of Dha in the arohana. It is performed in the second part of the night.
This rag is usually attributed to Khammaj That. However, most subtraditions within Northern India show a conspicuous absence of any Komal Ni. Its structure places it squarely in Bilawal that. It is with great reluctance that we bow to tradition and place this in Khammaj that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Second part of the night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj That (by tradition), Bilawal That (de facto) - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
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