BSEB Matric Music key terms

Any audible sound produced by regular vibration. In music it means the structured, pleasing sound that becomes the raw material of pitch and tone.

A microtonal unit of pitch, traditionally said to number twenty-two within an octave. It is the smallest interval used to locate and tune the notes of a raga.

A single musical note with a definite pitch, named Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. Each swara may be shuddha, komal or tivra depending on its position.

The set of seven notes from Sa to Ni within one octave. The three registers are mandra, madhya and taar saptak, low, middle and high respectively.

A patterned exercise built from swaras, such as ascending and descending sequences in a fixed order. Alankars train finger technique, voice control and awareness of scale structure.

A practice exercise that expands and contracts note patterns around the raga or scale, used to build fluency. It differs from alankar in being more varied and less fixed in shape.

The principal or king note of a raga, the swara given greatest emphasis and frequency. It is the note on which the raga's identity most strongly depends.

The second most important note of a raga, the minister to the vadi. Its relationship with the vadi shapes the raga's character and its time of performance.

A supporting note in a raga that is neither vadi nor samvadi. It appears in the phrases but does not carry the main weight of the melody.

A note that appears in a raga but is treated as discordant or foreign within it, used sparingly and with care. Its presence is a defining oddity of certain ragas.

The ascending order of notes that defines how a raga rises from its lower to its upper register. It often differs from the descending order in the notes used.

The descending order of notes of a raga, showing how it comes down. Many ragas use different notes going down than going up, which is central to their identity.

A short characteristic phrase that immediately identifies a raga. It captures the raga's essential movement and is used in teaching and in performance as a signature.

A parent scale of seven notes from which ragas are grouped, ten in the Bhatkhande system. Ragas of one thaat share the same basic scale but differ in movement and emphasis.

A melodic framework of specific notes with rules of ascent, descent, emphasis and ornament, giving a distinctive mood. It is not a fixed tune but a grammar for improvising melody.

The prescribed time of day or night for performing a raga, based on traditional associations of mood and pitch. Ragas are grouped into morning, afternoon, evening and night cycles.

A single beat or count in a tala, the basic unit of rhythmic measurement. The number of matras determines the length of the cycle.

A division or group of matras within a tala cycle, marked by a clap, wave or silent beat. Talas are named by their matra count and vibhag pattern.

A clapped beat that marks the start of a vibhag in a tala. Tali positions help performers and listeners track their place in the cycle.

A waved or empty beat in a tala, marked by a silent gesture rather than a clap. It signals a lighter position in the cycle and is shown by a specific hand movement.

The standard spoken syllable pattern of a tala, played on tabla or recited in vocal practice. It tells the drummer which strokes mark each matra and vibhag.

The tempo or speed of a rhythmic cycle, described as vilambit, madhya or drut, slow, medium or fast. It is the pace at which matras follow one another.

The first and most important beat of a tala cycle, where phrases and compositions resolve. Performers aim to land on sam together after improvisation.

A notation system using letters for swaras, with dots and lines to mark octave and rhythm, devised by V. N. Bhatkhande. It is widely used in Hindustani music teaching today.

A notation system devised by Vishnu Digambar Paluskar, using letters for notes with separate signs for octave and duration. It is an alternative to the Bhatkhande method.

Singing or writing notes using their syllable names, Sa Re Ga Ma, rather than words. It is used in notation, in practice and in improvisation within a raga.

A pioneering music educator who founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya and spread formal music teaching. He developed a notation system and trained many performers and teachers.

A scholar who systematised Hindustani ragas into ten thaats and wrote standard texts on music theory. He also devised a widely used notation system for teaching.

A major vocal form with a short composition in a raga and tala, expanded through improvised melodic passages. It is the dominant concert form of Hindustani vocal music.

The oldest surviving major vocal form, sung with a slow, serious alaap and a composed bandish in a tala. It is known for purity of note and restrained ornament.

A fast vocal composition sung to rhythmic syllables such as nom, tom, dere, na rather than meaningful words. It shows rhythmic skill and agility of voice.

A fixed composition in a raga and tala, with words set to a melodic line. It is the base from which a performer improvises in khayal and related forms.

A devotional song, usually in a simple raga or tune, sung in praise of a deity. It is a lighter form in which expression of text matters more than strict raga rules.

Regional song traditions of Bihar such as Chhath geet, Sohar, Kajari and Jhumri, sung at festivals and life events. They use local dialects and simple repeated tunes.

The class of stringed instruments, whose sound comes from vibrating strings. Sitar, sarod, tanpura and sarangi belong to this group.

The class of wind instruments, sounded by air passing through a tube or reed. Flute, shehnai and harmonium are common examples in Hindustani music.

The class of percussion instruments with a stretched skin or membrane over a hollow body. Tabla, pakhawaj and dholak are typical members.

The class of solid instruments that sound when struck, without strings, skin or a wind column. Jaltarang, manjira and ghungroo are common examples.

A long-necked drone instrument with four strings, plucked continuously to provide a steady reference pitch. Its overtones help the singer tune and sustain the raga.

The opening, unmetred section of a performance in which the raga is unfolded slowly without tabla. It introduces the notes and mood before the composition begins.