Karnataka II PUC Hindustani Music (KSEAB) cheat sheet
Karnataka II PUC Hindustani Music (KSEAB) · Keep the key ideas within reach.
Technical Terminology of Hindustani Music
Nada is sound; ahata nada is struck (perceived) sound, anahata nada is unstruck (metaphysical) sound.
Shruti: 22 microtonal positions in an octave; swara: seven shuddha (natural) degrees Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni.
Vikrit swara: komal (flattened) Re Ga Dha Ni and tivra (sharpened) Ma; Sa and Pa are achala (immovable).
Saptak: mandra (lower), madhya (middle), tar (upper) octaves; ati-mandra and ati-tar extend beyond.
Vadi: most important swara (king); samvadi: second most important (queen); anuvadi: helper; vivadi: dissonant.
Alankar: ornamentation; kan (grace), meend (glide), gamak (shake), murki (turn), khatka (cluster).
Sthayi: first half of composition (Sa to Pa); antara: second half (upper register); sanchari and abhog follow in Dhrupad.
Gharana: stylistic school; gayaki: vocal style; baaj: instrumental style; tali: clap; khali: empty beat.
Raga and Its Classification (Thaat, Ragang, Jati)
Thaat: ten parent scales by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande: Bilawal, Khamaj, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi, Bhairav, Kalyan, Marwa, Purvi, Todi.
Raga is defined by aroha (ascent), avaroha (descent), vadi/samvadi, and characteristic phrases (pakad); thaat alone does not define raga.
Jati (raga type): audav (5 notes), shadav (6), sampurna (7); ascent/descent may differ, e.g., Audav-Sampurna.
Ragang: family resemblance from characteristic phrases; e.g., Kanhada ang, Malhar ang, Bhairav ang.
Poorvang (Sa–Pa) and uttarang (Pa–Sa) define register emphasis; e.g., Todi emphasizes poorvang.
Raga classification by time (samay): morning (Bhairav, Todi), evening (Yaman, Bhimpalasi), night (Bageshri, Malkauns).
Ashraya raga: raga from which a thaat derives its name; e.g., Bilawal thaat from Bilawal raga.
Vivadi swara is used sparingly and only in specific phrases; its presence distinguishes some raganga.
Tala and Its Notation System
Tala: rhythmic cycle defined by matra (beats), vibhag (divisions), tali (claps), khali (empty), and sam (first beat).
Matra counting: sam is beat 1; tali marked by clap (x, 2, 3...), khali by wave (0).
Theka: spoken mnemonic syllables (bol) that identify each tala; e.g., Teental: Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Tin Tin Ta | Ta Dhin Dhin Dha.
Jhaptal (10 matra, 2+3+2+3): Dhi Na | Dhi Dhi Na | Ti Na | Dhi Dhi Na.
Rupak (7 matra, 3+2+2): Tin Tin Na | Dhin Na | Dhin Na; khali on sam.
Ektal (12 matra, 2+2+2+2+2+2): Dhin Dhin | Dha Ge | Tirakita | Tu Na | Kat Ta | Dha Ge | Dhin Na.
Layakari: lay (tempo) divisions-barabar (equal), dugun (double), tigun (triple), chaugun (quadruple); derived by subdividing matra.
Prescribed Ragas: Structure, Aroha-Avaroha, and Characteristic Phrases
Yaman (Kalyan thaat): S R G tM P D N S; avaroha S N D P tM G R S; vadi G, samvadi N; evening; tivra Ma.
Bhairav (Bhairav thaat): S r G M P d N S; komal Re and Dha; vadi Dha, samvadi Re; morning; andolan on Re and Dha.
Bhoopali (Bilawal thaat, audav): S R G P D S; avaroha S D P G R S; vadi G, samvadi D; evening.
Bhimpalasi (Kafi thaat): S g M P n S; avaroha S n D P M g R S; vadi M, samvadi S; afternoon; komal Ga and Ni.
Todi (Todi thaat): S r g M P d N S; komal Re, Ga, Dha; tivra Ma; vadi Dha, samvadi Ga; late morning.
Malkauns (Bhairavi thaat, audav): S g M d n S; avaroha S n d M g S; vadi M, samvadi S; late night; komal Ga, Dha, Ni.
Kafi (Kafi thaat): S R g M P D n S; komal Ga and Ni; vadi P, samvadi R; night; characteristic phrase R g M P.
Bageshri (Kafi thaat): S R g M P D n S; avaroha S n D P M g R S; vadi M, samvadi S; late night; komal Ga and Ni.
Prescribed Talas: Theka, Bol, and Layakari
Teental: 16 matra, vibhag 4+4+4+4; tali on 1,5,13; khali on 9; theka Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Tin Tin Ta | Ta Dhin Dhin Dha.
Jhaptal: 10 matra, 2+3+2+3; tali on 1,3,8; khali on 6; theka Dhi Na | Dhi Dhi Na | Ti Na | Dhi Dhi Na.
Ektal: 12 matra, 2+2+2+2+2+2; tali on 1,5,9,11; khali on 3,7; theka Dhin Dhin | Dha Ge | Tirakita | Tu Na | Kat Ta | Dha Ge | Dhin Na.
Rupak: 7 matra, 3+2+2; khali on sam (1); tali on 4 and 6; theka Tin Tin Na | Dhin Na | Dhin Na.
Keherwa: 8 matra, 4+4; tali on 1, khali on 5; theka Dha Ge Na Ti | Na Ka Dhi Na.
Layakari: barabar (1x), dugun (2x), tigun (3x), chaugun (4x); e.g., in Teental dugun fills 16 matra with 32 bols.
Sam: first beat and point of resolution; khali: empty beat marked by wave, not clap.
Notation Writing and Reading (Swaralipi and Talalipi)
Swaralipi: notation of notes; shuddha swaras written plain (S R G M P D N), komal with underline, tivra Ma with vertical line above.
Octave marks: mandra saptak with dot below, tar saptak with dot above; madhya unmarked.
Talalipi: notation of rhythm; matra numbers written above, bol below, tali (x) and khali (0) marked at vibhag starts.
Bar lines (|) separate vibhag; double bar (||) marks end of cycle; sam marked with ×.
Meend indicated by a curved line between notes; kan by a small note before the main note; murki by a cluster.
Sthayi and antara sections are labeled; antara often begins in upper register (tar saptak).
Layakari notation: dugun shown by two bols per matra, tigun by three, chaugun by four.
History of Hindustani Music and Gharanas
Vedic period: Samagana chants; Natyashastra (Bharata, c. 200 BCE–200 CE) codifies nada, shruti, and raga.
Medieval: Amir Khusrau (13th c.) credited with sitar/tabla innovations and forms like qawwali; Sangita Ratnakara (Sarngadeva, 13th c.) systematizes music.
Mughal era: Tansen (16th c.) in Akbar's court; dhrupad peak; ragas like Miyan ki Malhar and Darbari Kanada attributed to him.
19th–20th c.: Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936) created the ten-thaat system and wrote Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati; V. D. Paluskar founded Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (1901).
Gharanas: Gwalior (khayal, founded by Hassu Khan), Kirana (Sawai Gandharva, Abdul Karim Khan), Agra, Jaipur-Atrauli, Patiala, Rampur-Sahaswan.
Dhrupad gharanas: Dagar (Dagar brothers), Darbhanga, Bettiah.
Post-independence: All India Radio and Sangeet Natak Akademi standardized teaching; Kumar Gandharva, Bhimsen Joshi, Ravi Shankar popularized globally.
Musical Forms: Dhrupad, Khayal, Tarana, Sadra, and Others
Dhrupad: oldest extant vocal form; four sections-sthayi, antara, sanchari, abhog; accompanied by pakhawaj; tempo slow, alap in free rhythm.
Khayal: most prominent modern vocal form; two sections-sthayi and antara; improvisation through alap, taan, bol-taan; accompanied by tabla.
Tarana: rhythmic vocal form using syllables like nom, tom, dere, na; usually in fast tempo; no meaningful text.
Sadra: lighter classical form, often in Khamaj or Bhairavi; text devotional; between dhrupad and khayal in weight.
Thumri: romantic/light classical; text in Braj; emphasis on expression (bhava); associated with Lucknow and Banaras gharanas.
Tappa: fast, intricate form from Punjab; text in Punjabi; rapid taans and bol-baant.
Other forms: chaiti, kajri, hori (seasonal), bhajan, ghazal, qawwali (devotional/light).
Life and Contribution of Prescribed Musicians
Tansen (c. 1500–1586): court musician of Akbar; credited with Miyan ki Malhar, Darbari Kanada, Miyan ki Todi; nine gems (navaratna) of Akbar's court.
Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936): systematized ten-thaat classification; authored Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati; founded Marris College (now Bhatkhande Music Institute), Lucknow.
Vishnu Digambar Paluskar (1872–1931): founded Gandharva Mahavidyalaya (1901); wrote Sangeet Bal Prakash; pioneered public music education.
Abdul Karim Khan (1872–1937): Kirana gharana; known for slow, meditative khayal and emphasis on sur.
Bhimsen Joshi (1922–2011): Kirana gharana; popularized khayal and abhangs; Bharat Ratna (2008).
Ravi Shankar (1920–2012): sitar maestro; introduced Indian music to the West; collaborated with George Harrison; founded National Orchestra.
Amir Khusrau (1253–1325): poet-musician; credited with qawwali and early forms; associated with Nizamuddin Auliya.
Music and Society: Aesthetics, Rasa, and Modern Context
Rasa theory (Natyashastra): nine rasas-shringara (love), hasya (comic), karuna (compassion), raudra (anger), veera (heroic), bhayanaka (fear), bibhatsa (disgust), adbhuta (wonder), shanta (peace).
Bhava: emotional state; rasa is the aesthetic experience evoked in the listener.
Aesthetics: raga-time association (samay) links music to daily and seasonal cycles.
Modern context: amplification, studio recording, and digital distribution have changed concert format and audience reach.
Institutional support: Sangeet Natak Akademi, All India Radio, and state academies award and preserve traditions.
Fusion and global influence: Ravi Shankar–Beatles, jazz collaborations; Indian music in world music markets.
Pedagogy: guru-shishya parampara persists alongside university degrees and online lessons.
Copyright and digital rights: recordings and compositions are protected; artists negotiate streaming royalties.