PSEB SS Music Vocal key terms

A melodic framework in Hindustani music defined by a specific set of ascending and descending notes, characteristic phrases, a dominant note, and a mood, used as the basis for improvisation and composition.

The ascending order of notes in a raga, showing which swaras are used when the melody rises and which are skipped or approached directly.

The descending order of notes in a raga, often differing from the ascent in the notes used and in the way phrases are shaped.

A short, recognisable phrase or set of phrases that captures the essential identity of a raga and is used to identify it and to guide improvisation.

The characteristic movement pattern of a raga, describing how phrases travel through its notes in performance rather than just listing the scale.

The most important or dominant note of a raga, around which the melody is centred and which is given the greatest emphasis in performance.

The second most important note of a raga, usually a fourth or fifth from the vadi, which supports it and receives the next greatest emphasis.

A supporting note in a raga that is neither the dominant vadi nor the sub-dominant samvadi, used to connect phrases and fill out the melodic line.

A note that is present in the scale but treated as dissonant or foreign to the raga's character, used sparingly or avoided in melodic phrasing.

The classification of a raga by how many notes it uses in ascent and descent, such as audav (five), shadav (six), or sampurna (seven).

A parent scale system of ten basic scales, associated with Bhatkhande, used to classify ragas by the notes they share.

A single musical note in Hindustani music, named Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, and placed relative to the tonic.

The practice of singing or writing notes using their syllable names, also used for exercises and fast passages built on note patterns.

A set of seven notes spanning an octave, divided into mandra (lower), madhya (middle), and taar (upper) registers in performance.

Komal denotes a flattened note and teevra a raised note relative to the natural scale, giving the altered pitches used in many ragas.

A systematic exercise or ornamented pattern of notes, such as ascending and descending runs, used to build voice control and fluency in sargam.

A practice pattern that moves a fixed phrase through successive notes of the scale, training the voice to negotiate intervals evenly.

The lower or bass register of the voice, developed through sustained practice so that the singer can hold and move notes below the middle octave.

The opening, unmetred and unmetered exposition of a raga, unfolding its notes slowly and without tabla accompaniment before the composition begins.

A fixed composition in a raga set to a tala, with lyrics and a melodic structure, serving as the frame for improvisation in performance.

The two main sections of a bandish: the sthayi presents the opening line in the lower register, and the antara continues in the upper register.

A rhythmic cycle in Hindustani music made of a fixed number of beats, organised into groups and marked by claps and waves.

A single beat or count within a tala cycle, the basic unit by which the rhythmic framework is measured.

The first and most important beat of a tala cycle, where phrases resolve and which is marked by a clap in the traditional hand count.

A group of beats within a tala cycle, separated by claps or waves, such as the four groups of four in a sixteen-beat cycle.

The tempo or speed of a performance, ranging from slow to fast, and also the proportional relationship between the composition and the rhythmic cycle.

A rhythmic phrase repeated three times so that its final note lands exactly on sam, used to close a section or a performance.

A written notation of melody in which note names and their register marks record the pitch movement of a composition or exercise.

A written notation of rhythm that shows the tala, its beats, divisions, and the placement of syllables or strokes against each count.

A school or lineage of Hindustani music that transmits a distinctive style, repertoire, and teaching tradition from master to disciple.

An older, austere vocal form with a slow, unmetered opening and a metred composition, known for its dignified style and use of the pakhawaj.

The dominant vocal form of modern Hindustani music, built around a short composition in a tala, with improvised elaboration and ornamentation.

A long-necked drone instrument whose four strings are tuned to the tonic and related notes, providing the continuous reference pitch for a singer.

A pair of hand drums used as the main rhythmic accompaniment in Hindustani music, with the smaller drum tuned to the tonic.

A reed keyboard instrument used to accompany vocalists, to sound the tonic, and to play melodic lines in teaching and practice.

A fast, ornamented vocal form with quick, rolling phrases, associated with the Punjab region and with singers such as Shori Miyan.

The text or lyric of a folk song, often in a Punjabi dialect, and in folk traditions also the spoken rhythmic syllables that set the beat.

A single-stringed Punjabi folk instrument with a gourd body, used to accompany folk songs and to provide a rhythmic drone.

An opening melodic phrase sung without metre to establish a folk tune or raga, common in Punjabi folk singing before the main song begins.