Maharashtra HSC History and Development of Indian Music key terms

One of the four Vedas; it contains melodic hymns called saman, sung with prescribed accents and extended syllables. It is the earliest surviving Indian source for sung, pitch-based ritual music.

The singing of Samaveda hymns, using prolonged vowels and fixed pitch accents. This melodic recitation is treated as a forerunner of later Indian raga-based singing and chant traditions.

A Vedic accent that marks a raised pitch on a syllable. With anudatta (low) and svarita (circumflex), it shaped the melodic contours of Vedic chant.

An ancient Sanskrit treatise attributed to Bharata, covering drama, dance, music, scales, instruments, and aesthetic theory. It is a foundational source for Indian performing arts and music.

The seven basic note positions of Indian music: Shadja, Rishabh, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhaivat, and Nishad. They form the framework for scales, ragas, and sargam notation.

Microtonal pitch units used in Indian music theory; twenty-two shrutis are traditionally described within an octave. They define the fine intervals from which swaras and ragas are tuned.

Sound understood as musical tone, especially a sustained and pleasing sound. Theory distinguishes ahat nada (produced) from anahat nada (unstruck), and treats nada as the basis of pitch.

A melodic framework with a defined scale, ascending and descending path, characteristic phrases, and mood. Ragas guide improvisation and composition, and each has a distinct identity.

A metrical cycle of beats used to organise rhythm in Indian music. Each tala has divisions marked by claps and waves, and performers resolve phrases on the sam.

The tempo or speed of rhythmic movement. Vilambit, madhya, and drut laya refer to slow, medium, and fast speeds, and laya shapes the character of a performance.

The first and most important beat of a tala cycle. Musicians aim to resolve melodic phrases on sam, making it a strong point of rhythmic arrival and structural emphasis.

A short, characteristic phrase or group of phrases that identifies a raga. Teachers and performers use pakad to make a raga's identity clear during improvisation.

A composed song in Hindustani music, set to a raga and tala and usually having sthayi and antara sections. It provides the fixed framework for khayal or dhrupad improvisation.

The dominant Hindustani vocal form, built on a bandish and expanded through alap, tan, and bol-banao. It is known for expressive ornamentation, rhythmic play, and relative flexibility.

An older, austere Hindustani vocal form with four sections-asthayi, antara, sanchari, and abhog-usually set in Chautal or Sooltal and sung with a powerful, measured voice.

A fast rhythmic composition using syllables such as ta, na, dir, and tom instead of meaningful lyrics. It is often performed after a khayal to close a concert with energy.

A semi-classical Hindustani vocal form with romantic or devotional lyrics, flexible raga treatment, and expressive bol-banao. It is associated especially with Lucknow and Banaras traditions.

A Hindustani vocal form set to Dhamar tala of fourteen beats, often using Holi-related lyrics. It has a playful, rhythmic character and is linked to dhrupad traditions.

An Urdu poetic form sung in light-classical style, made of couplets with a refrain. Its performance emphasises poetic meaning, emotion, and ornament rather than elaborate raga expansion.

A Marathi devotional song composed by sant poets such as Tukaram and Dnyaneshwar. Abhangs are central to varakari kirtan and bhajan singing in Maharashtra.

A lively Marathi folk music-and-dance form with strong rhythm and expressive lyrics, traditionally performed in tamasha theatre. Lavani often comments on social and romantic themes.

A Marathi ballad form that praises heroes and narrates historical events. It is sung with a powerful voice and accompanied by instruments such as dholki and tasha.

A Marathi folk theatre genre combining music, dance, and drama. Its performances include lavani and vag, and it remains a major regional entertainment and cultural tradition.

A devotional performance of songs and stories, usually led by a kirtankar with harmonium, cymbals, and tabla. In Maharashtra, varakari kirtan focuses on Vitthal and sant literature.

A school of Hindustani music defined by lineage, teaching tradition, and a distinctive style of raga interpretation, ornamentation, and repertoire. Well-known examples include Gwalior and Kirana.

The oldest major khayal gharana, known for clear and weighty voice production, straightforward raga presentation, and emphasis on bol-tan and bandish. It developed around the Gwalior court.

A khayal gharana known for slow, meditative vilambit singing, smooth meend, and sustained notes. It is associated with Abdul Karim Khan and Abdul Wahid Khan.

A khayal gharana famous for robust, rhythmic singing, powerful bol-banao, and complex layakari. It emphasises nom-tom and shows strong dhrupad influence.

A gharana known for a vast and rare raga repertoire and intricate, slow khayal with graceful meend and systematic raga development. It is associated with Alladiya Khan.

A musicologist and reformer who systematised Hindustani ragas into ten thats, wrote Sangeet Paddhati, and promoted institutional music education, conferences, and notation.

A vocalist and educator who founded the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya in Lahore and Mumbai. He brought music into public education and developed a notation system and devotional repertoire.

A thirteenth- and fourteenth-century poet-musician of the Delhi Sultanate, traditionally credited with innovations such as tarana, early qawwali development, and the sitar. His poetry influenced Indian music.

A celebrated musician of Akbar's court, traditionally linked with the Senia gharana. He is credited with ragas such as Miyan ki Malhar and with blending Persian and Indian musical practices.

A thirteenth-century Sanskrit treatise by Sharngadeva covering ragas, talas, instruments, and performance. It is a key medieval source for Indian music theory and practice.

A widely used notation system that writes sargam syllables with symbols for octave, komal and tivra notes, extension, and tala divisions. It made Hindustani compositions easier to teach and publish.

A smooth glide from one note to another, produced by continuous pitch movement. Meend is a central expressive ornament in Hindustani singing and on instruments such as sitar and sarod.

A melodic exercise or ornament pattern, such as sequences of ascending and descending notes. Alankars train the voice or fingers and build command over ragas and tala.

A twelve-beat tala used mainly in dhrupad, with a specific pattern of claps and waves. It gives dhrupad a dignified, structured rhythmic framework.