BSEH SS Music Melodic key terms

A single musical note in Hindustani music, positioned within the seven-note octave. Shuddha, komal and tivra forms give twelve basic pitch positions used to build ragas and sargam exercises.

The smallest perceivable pitch interval, traditionally described as twenty-two per octave. Modern practice treats shruti as the microtonal shading that distinguishes komal and tivra notes from their shuddha forms.

The set of seven notes from Sa to Ni that forms one octave. Mandra, madhya and tar saptak name the lower, middle and upper registers used in performance and notation.

A patterned sequence of swaras, such as ascending or zigzag phrases, practised to build fluency, breath control and accuracy of intonation. Alankars are also called palte and are basic riyaz material.

The most prominent note of a raga, sounded often and given special emphasis. It is the raga's main anchor, and phrases usually return to it or dwell on it.

The second most important note of a raga, usually a fourth or fifth away from the vadi. It supports the raga's identity and is emphasised less often than the vadi.

A note of a raga that is neither vadi nor samvadi. It is used in passing or as filler and helps shape phrases without carrying the raga's main weight.

A note that does not belong to a raga and is normally avoided. Its accidental appearance is treated as a fault (dosh) unless a specific raga allows it as a touch note.

The classification of a raga by the number of notes used in ascent and descent: audav (five), shadav (six) and sampurna (seven). Compound labels such as audav-sampurna describe differing aroha and avaroha counts.

The ascending order of notes in which a raga is presented, from lower to higher pitch. It may omit notes used in descent and so differs from a plain scale.

The descending order of notes of a raga, from higher to lower pitch. Its shape often reveals the raga's character and may use notes absent in the ascent.

A short, characteristic phrase that instantly identifies a raga. It captures the essential movement around vadi and samvadi and is used as a test of raga recognition.

The defining characteristics of a raga: its notes, aroha, avaroha, pakad, vadi, samvadi, time of performance and mood. Lakshana geet are compositions that state these features in song form.

A melodic framework of Hindustani music defined by selected swaras, characteristic phrases, a dominant note and a prescribed mood and time. It provides material for improvisation rather than a fixed tune.

A parent scale of seven notes from which ragas are grouped, as codified by V. N. Bhatkhande in ten thats. A that is a classificatory scale, not a performing entity.

A style or manner of singing, such as dhrupad, khayal, thumri or tarana. Each shaili has its own repertoire, ornamentation, tempo range and presentation conventions.

The dominant Hindustani vocal form, built on a short composition (cheez) in a raga and tala, expanded through alap-like phrases, bol-banao and fast taans. It is sung in vilambit and drut laya.

An older, austere vocal form with a four-part structure (sthayi, antara, sanchari, abhog), sung to pakhawaj accompaniment. It emphasises gradual alap, precise bols and a steady, weighty delivery.

A light classical vocal form setting romantic or devotional text in a raga, with flexible phrasing around the tala. It favours expressive bol-banao and is often sung in sitarkhani or deepchandi.

A fast vocal form using meaningless syllables such as nom, tom, dere, na instead of text. Its rhythm-driven phrases imitate instrumental patterns and often close a khayal performance.

A school of performance tracing its style to a founding musician and transmitted through a lineage of teachers and disciples. Gharanas differ in repertoire, ornamentation, voice placement and treatment of ragas.

The rhythmic cycle that organises a composition, defined by its number of matras, its vibhags and the position of tali and khali. It is kept by hand gestures and by the percussionist's theka.

A single beat or count within a tala cycle. The total number of matras, such as sixteen in teental, defines the cycle's length.

A group of matras within a tala cycle, marked by a tali or khali. Teental has four vibhags of four matras each; jhaptal has vibhags of two, three, two and three.

A clapped division point within a tala, marking a stressed vibhag. Talis are counted and named, and the first tali is usually sam.

An unmarked or empty division of a tala, shown by a wave of the hand rather than a clap. It creates a lighter, off-balance feel and is a key marker of tala identity.

The first matra of a tala cycle and its main resolution point. Composition, improvisation and dance phrases converge on sam, and musicians often signal it with a nod or gesture.

The set of spoken syllables that expresses a tala on the tabla, such as dha dhin dhin dha in teental. The theka marks tali, khali and sam and is the reference for recitation and accompaniment.

Tempo, the speed at which matras pass. Vilambit, madhya and drut name slow, medium and fast laya, and layakari describes deliberate proportional play against the basic pulse.

A notation that writes melody with swara abbreviations (S R G M P D N) plus marks for komal, tivra and register. It shows pitch movement but leaves exact rhythm to the tala cycle.

The notation method devised by V. N. Bhatkhande, using sargam letters, a horizontal line for the octave, dots for komal and tivra notes, and vertical lines to mark vibhags. It remains standard in Hindustani teaching.

Musicologist (1860-1936) who systematised Hindustani ragas into ten thats, developed a widely used notation, and published collections such as Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati. He also helped found music colleges.

Singer and educator (1872-1931) who opened the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in 1901 and campaigned to make music education public and respectable. He also devised a notation system and trained many performers.

A thirteenth-century Sanskrit treatise on music and dance by Sharangadeva, covering svara, raga, tala and prabandha forms. It is a key source for medieval Indian music theory.

An ancient Sanskrit treatise attributed to Bharata, dealing with drama, dance and music. Its chapters on svara, grama, jati and tala are the earliest systematic Indian music theory.

The class of stringed instruments, sounded by plucking or bowing, such as sitar, sarod, sarangi and violin. In the fourfold classification they are the chordophones.

The class of wind instruments, sounded by breath, such as bansuri, shehnai and harmonium. They are the aerophones in the traditional fourfold classification.

The class of percussion instruments covered with skin, such as tabla, pakhawaj and dholak. They are the membranophones and supply the theka for talas.

The class of solid, non-membrane instruments struck to produce sound, such as jaltarang, manjira and ghungroo. They are the idiophones in the traditional classification.