Glossary

addha tintal - name of a tala of sixteen counts (4+4+4+4)

akar - vocal improvisations using the long vowel 'a'

alankara - 'ornamentation, elaboration' ; a particular melodic figuration used as an exercise

alap - the introductory, non-metrical part of a performance in which the raga is slowly and systematically unfolded

andolan - a slow and delicate oscillation on a single tone

ang - 'limb, part'; a characteristic phrase or movement of a raga; part of an octave; a particular style

antara - 'intermediary'; the second section of a composition, usually including and emphasising the upper tonic

aroha - ascent

ati komal - very flat

auchar - a brief non-metrical melodic introduction preceding the section in meter

audav - pentatonic

avaroha - descent

bada khyal - 'big' khyal; the first composition or part of a khyal performance in slow tempo

badhat - elaboration of the raga, also rendered in the context of the compositional section in meter

baj - style of playing

bandish - a fixed composition, usually with two parts corresponding to the sthayi and antara

bansuri - bamboo flute

bhajan - Hindu devotional poem set to music

bin - a fretted stick zither with two gourd resonators, also referred to as rudra vina

binkar - a bin player

bol - 'word'; lyrics of a song; also a mnemonic by which drum strokes and right-hand strokes of plucked instruments are taught

bol alap - alap movements using the words of the composition

bol tana - a fast melodic passage which is articulated with the words of the song

Braj bhasha - a dialect of Hindi which was the most prominent literary language for song lyrics and Krishnaite devotional poetry

chalan - 'movement'; a melodic outline of a raga usually containing a number of characteristic ascending and descending movements

chiz - a vocal composition, usually with two parts corresponding to the sthayi and antara

chota khyal - 'small' khyal; a composition in medium lo fast tempo that usually follows the bada khyal

chautal - name of a tala of twelve counts (2+2+2+2+2+2) which is mainly used in dhrupad compositions

dadra - name of a tala of six counts (3+3); a light-classical vocal genre and type of song set to dadra

darbar - the royal court

deshi - ' regional, provincial'; in music history this term is used to refer to regional musical traditions and ragas

dhaivat (Dha) - name of the sixth scale degree

dhamar - name of a tala of fourteen counts (5+2+3+4); a vocal genre and type of song which is set to dhamar tala and related to dhrupad

dhrupad - the oldest surviving vocal genre in Hindustani music and a type of composition which usually has four parts corresponding to four musical sections

dhun - a type of song or instrumental genre which is based on folk and popular music

dhyana - 'contemplation'; a short pictorial description of a raga in the form of a contemplative poem

dipchandi - name of a tala of fourteen counts (3+4+3+4), mainly used in thumri

drut - fast

ektal - name of a tala of twelve counts (2+2+2+2+2+2)

gamak - any ornament; more specifically referred to as a heavy shake on a single tone

gandhar (Ga) - name of the third scale degree

gat - 'gait'; a fixed composition used in kathak dance, tabla, sitar and sarod, in which the melodic or rhythmic patterns are defined by bols

gharana - the tradition and lineage of a musical family; a stylistic school

ghazal - a Persian or Urdu poetic genre; in music it is a type of song which expresses both spiritual and worldly love

grama - a basic scale in ancient Indian music

grama raga - an ancient mode

Hindustani - pertaining to northern India

hori - a vocal genre in dhramar tala; the lyrics express the love-pranks of Radha and Krishna during the Hindu spring and colour-festival of holi

jati - 'class, species, genus'; an ancient category of modes

jhala - the fastest section of an instrumental alap or gal in which the melody played on the main strings is accompanied by rapid strumming of the drone-strings

jhaptal - name of a tala of ten counts (2+3+2+3)

jod - 'joining'; usually the second section of an instrumental alap in which a clear pulse is introduced

kaharva - name of a tala of eight counts (4+4)

kan - a single grace note or inflection before or after an articulated tone

kathak - 'story teller'; a caste of professional musician and dancers in eastern Uttar Pradesh; also the main form of North Indian classical dance.

khali - the 'empty' unstressed beat of a tala which is indicated by a silent wave of the hand and usually serves as a counterbalance to the first beat, sam

khyal - the prevalent vocal genre in Hindustani classical music

komal - 'soft'; flat, a note lowered by a semitone

laya - tempo

layakari - 'playing with rhythm'; rhythmic; variation and improvisation

madhya - 'medium, middle'

madhyam (Ma) - name of the fourth scale degree

mandra - 'low'; usually referring to the lower register

marga - 'path, way'; the ancient musical system