BSEH Secondary Music Instrumental flashcards

32 cards. Read the term and the definition here. The deck at the top of this page is optional.

Saptak

The seven-note register of Hindustani music (Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni), existing in three octaves: mandra (lower), madhya (middle), and taar (upper).

Shuddha and Vikrit Svara

Shuddha svaras are the natural notes Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni; vikrit svaras are altered: komal Re Ga Dha Ni (lowered) and tivra Ma (raised). Sa and Pa are never altered.

Shruti

A microtonal pitch unit; classical theory divides the saptak into 22 shrutis. Shrutis are the smallest perceptible intervals used to place the twelve practical svaras.

Vadi and Samvadi

Vadi is the principal (sonant) note of a raga; samvadi is the second most important note. Anuvadi notes support, and vivadi notes are avoided. Vadi and samvadi are usually four or five semitones apart.

Aroha and Avaroha

Aroha is the ascending line of a raga and avaroha the descending line. They may use different note counts, giving combined jatis such as audav-sampurna or shadav-sampurna.

Raga Jati

Classification by note count: audav (5), shadav (6), sampurna (7). A raga's jati is stated as aroha-avaroha, e.g. Bhoopali is audav-sampurna.

Raga Bhoopali

An evening raga using only shuddha Sa Re Ga Pa Dha (no Ma or Ni). Aroha: Sa Re Ga Pa Dha Sa'. Vadi Ga, samvadi Dha; jati audav-sampurna.

Raga Yaman

An evening raga with tivra Ma and all other svaras shuddha. Aroha: Sa Re Ga Ma(t) Pa Dha Ni Sa'. Vadi Ga, samvadi Ni; sampurna-sampurna.

Raga Bhairav

A morning raga with komal Re and komal Dha. Aroha: Sa Re(k) Ga Ma Pa Dha(k) Ni Sa'. Vadi Dha, samvadi Re; sampurna jati.

Raga Malkauns

A late-night raga using komal Ga, Ma, Dha, Ni and omitting Re and Pa. Vadi Ma, samvadi Sa; audav-audav jati; deeply meditative character.

Matra and Vibhag

Matra is a single beat-count unit; vibhag is a bar or division of the tala containing a fixed number of matras. Talis are clapped vibhags and khali is the empty, waved vibhag.

Sam

The first matra of a tala cycle, marked by a clap and serving as the point of resolution. Compositions, tihais, and taans must land on sam.

Teentaal

A 16-matra tala in four vibhags of 4 (4+4+4+4). Tali on matras 1, 5, 13 and khali on 9. Theka: Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Tin Tin Ta | Ta Dhin Dhin Dha.

Jhaptaal

A 10-matra tala in vibhags of 2+3+2+3. Tali on matras 1, 3, 8 and khali on 6. Commonly used for madhya-laya khayal and for thumri.

Laya and Layakari

Laya is tempo (vilambit, madhya, drut). Layakari is systematic speed variation within the cycle: barabar (1x), dugun (2x), tigun (3x), chaugun (4x), and adi laya (3/2).

Tihai

A phrase repeated three times so that its final matra falls on sam. The total length (3 × phrase) must equal a whole number of matras or vibhags.

Bhatkhande Notation

A notation system using Devanagari svaras with komal marked by a line below and tivra Ma by a line above. Dots indicate octave; vertical bars separate vibhags; sam is marked x.

Paluskar Notation

Vishnu Digambar Paluskar's notation, used in Gandharva Mahavidyalaya publications. It uses its own glyphs for komal and tivra svaras and marks sam and khali for tala.

Octave Marks in Notation

A dot below a svara indicates mandra saptak; a dot above indicates taar saptak; no dot means madhya saptak. This convention is shared by both major notation systems.

Khayal

The dominant Hindustani vocal form, with sthayi and antara sections, elaborated by alap, bol-alap, taan, and bol-taan. Bada khayal is vilambit; chhota khayal is drut.

Dhrupad

The oldest surviving Hindustani vocal form, in four parts: sthayi, antara, sanchari, abhog. Sung in chautal or dhamar with pakhawaj accompaniment and nom-tom alap.

Tarana

A fast vocal or instrumental form using meaningless syllables such as nom, tom, ta, na, dir, and dara, set to a raga and tala. It has sthayi and antara but no meaningful text.

Bhajan

A devotional song form in Hindi or a regional language, set to simple ragas and talas such as Keherwa or Dadra. Types include nirgun and sagun bhajans.

Thumri

A semi-classical romantic vocal form in ragas such as Khamaj, Pilu, and Bhairavi, usually in Dadra or Deepchandi tala, emphasizing expressive bol-banao rather than extended alap.

Tata and Sushira Vadya

Tata are stringed instruments (sitar, sarod, tanpura, sarangi); sushira are wind instruments (bansuri, shehnai). These are two of the four classical instrument families.

Avanaddha and Ghana Vadya

Avanaddha are membrane-covered percussion instruments (tabla, pakhawaj, dholak); ghana are solid struck instruments (jaltarang, manjira, ghatam). Together with tata and sushira they form the four families.

Tanpura Tuning

A four-stringed fretless drone instrument, usually tuned Pa-Sa-Sa-Sa or Ma-Sa-Sa-Sa to the performer's tonic. Its jawari bridge shapes the rich overtone spectrum.

Tabla Structure

The dayan (right, treble) is tuned to Sa or Pa; the bayan (left, bass) is tuned by adjusting the gatta and syahi. Heel pressure on the bayan bends pitch for meend.

Sitar and Sarod

Sitar is fretted with movable curved frets and sympathetic tarab strings; sarod is fretless with a metal fingerboard and skin-covered resonator, played with a plectrum.

Alankar

A systematic melodic exercise (also called palta) built on sequential svara patterns such as Sa Re Ga Ma, Re Ga Ma Pa, practiced in all three saptaks to build accuracy and flexibility.

Tala-Keeping

Marking sam and talis with a clap and khali with a wave while counting matras silently. Teentaal pattern: clap (1), clap (5), wave (9), clap (13).

Khayal Performance Order

Alap → sthayi with theka → antara → bol-alap → taan or bol-taan → tihai → resolution on sam. The tabla enters after the unmetred alap.