Technical Vocabulary, Bols and Life Sketches
This domain tests precise definitions of technical terms and accurate biographical facts about eminent players.
Terms and bols
- Varna: a sound unit or bol; classified as khula (open, resonant - dha, dhin) or band (closed, damped - ta, tin, kat).
- Kriya: hand action; distinguish mukh kriya (oral recitation of bols) from hasta kriya (playing action).
- Jati: the class of a taal's internal division - trisra (3), chaturasra (4), khanda (5), mishra (7), sankirna (9).
- Upaj: spontaneous, improvised creation; the peshkar is its main vehicle.
- Peshkar: the improvised opening piece in vilambit that establishes the taal.
- Mohra: a short piece resolving on sam, used to return after a gat or within accompaniment.
Life sketches
- Ahmed Jan Thirakwa (c. 1892–1976), Farrukhabad; titled Aftab-e-Mausiqi; celebrated for upaj and breadth of repertoire.
- Alla Rakha (1919–2000), Punjab gharana; carried tabla to global audiences with Ravi Shankar; father of Zakir Hussain.
- Kishan Maharaj (1923–2008), Banaras; open-hand baaj and powerful naad.
- Habibuddin Khan (1899–1974), Ajrada; master of bayan and ghe work.
- Amir Hussain Khan (1899–1969), Farrukhabad; parans and pakhawaj idiom.
- Latif Ahmed Khan (1942–1989), Delhi; noted for peshkar and clean bol-banao.
Worked example
Distinguish mohra from tukda. Both are short and resolve on sam. The mohra is functional - used to return to sam after a gat or during accompaniment - while the tukda is a fixed solo composition. Reasoning: the difference lies in function and context, not in length.
Traps that cost marks
- Calling upaj a fixed composed piece.
- Assigning Thirakwa to Delhi or Alla Rakha to Farrukhabad.
- Mixing varna (sound unit) with jati (division class).