Practical Performance (Vocal/Instrumental) and Viva Voce
The practical paper tests presentation of a raga (vilambit and drut khayal, chhota khayal, tarana, or dhrupad/dhamar), tala recitation, and a viva on terms, ragas and instrument parts. Odisha centres may also ask for an Odissi pad or a bhajan.
What is actually marked
- Swara sthana: Sa taken from the tanpura and held without drift; komal and tivra swaras clean, especially in Bhairav and Todi.
- Bandish: correct bol and pronunciation, sam on the first beat of the sthayi, an antara that does not collapse back into the sthayi.
- Vistaar and tans: pattern-based (sapat, palta, aakar) and inside the raga's grammar, not scale-running.
- Laya: steady vilambit before speed; layakari only after the composition is secure.
- Tala: theka by hand with correct tali and khali, khali shown by a wave, not a clap.
Viva expectations
Define vadi and pakad and then apply them to the raga you just sang; identify a raga from a sung phrase and name its thaat; recite a theka on request; compare two ragas; name tabla parts; state Tansen's or Bhatkhande's contribution; identify Odissi ragas and talas in the regional repertoire.
Worked example
Examiner sings a phrase with komal ga, komal ni, strong Ma and Pa, then asks for the raga and thaat. Reasoning: komal ga + komal ni → Kafi thaat family; the absence of Pa would suggest Bageshri, but Pa is prominent and Ma is vadi, so the raga is Bhimpalasi; thaat Kafi. Answer given with the reasoning, not just the name.
Traps
Choosing a raga you cannot sustain for a full avartan; speeding up to hide weak tans (examiners mark laya stability); defining vadi as 'the main note' without naming the vadi of your own piece; ignoring the tanpura and drifting off Sa; failing to demonstrate khali correctly during tala recitation.