UPMSP High School Instrumental Music key terms

Instrumental music, the branch of music produced by instruments rather than voice; it includes solo playing, accompaniment, and percussion and is judged by tone, technique, and command of raga and tala.

Stringed instruments whose sound comes from vibrating stretched strings, plucked like sitar or sarod, bowed like violin, or struck like santoor; tuning and string tension control pitch.

Wind instruments in which an air column vibrates, such as bansuri, shehnai, and harmonium; pitch depends on the length of the vibrating air column and the size of the holes.

Membranophone instruments covered with skin, such as tabla, dholak, and pakhawaj; the stretched membrane vibrates when struck, and tension and strokes fix the pitch and timbre.

Solid, non-membrane idiophones struck to sound, such as jaltarang, manjira, and ghungroo; the body of the instrument itself vibrates, and the material and shape determine the tone.

A melodic framework of Indian music defined by a fixed ascending and descending movement, characteristic phrases, a predominant note, and a mood; performers improvise within its rules rather than follow a written tune.

The ascending order of notes in a raga, showing which swaras are used going upward; some ragas omit notes in ascent or use a different order from the descent.

The descending order of notes in a raga; in many ragas the descent uses more notes or a different pattern than the ascent, and this difference helps identify the raga.

A short, characteristic phrase or set of phrases that catches the essential shape of a raga; hearing it lets a listener identify the raga quickly and guides the performer's improvisation.

The predominant or principal note of a raga, the swara given the most emphasis and around which phrases centre; it is sometimes called the king note of the raga.

The second most important note of a raga, supporting the vadi and usually a fourth or fifth away from it; together the two notes shape the raga's character.

A supporting or assonant note in a raga that is neither the vadi nor the samvadi; it is used in phrases but is not given the main emphasis.

A dissonant note in a raga, used sparingly or only in specific phrases; in some ragas such a note appears in descent or in a fixed pattern and is not freely used.

The rhythmic cycle of Indian music, built from a fixed number of beats divided into groups and marked by claps and waves; the soloist and percussionist keep the cycle while improvising.

A single beat or unit of the tala cycle; the matra count tells how many beats the cycle contains, and each matra can be divided into smaller parts for layakari.

A division or group of matras within a tala, marked in notation by a vertical line; the grouping shapes the feel of the cycle and the placement of tali and khali.

A clap marking a stressed division of the tala, shown by a number or symbol in notation; talis fall on important beats and are sounded on the drum to show the cycle.

A wave of the hand marking an unstressed division of the tala, shown by a zero or other symbol; the khali beat is kept empty or light on the drum and contrasts with the tali.

The standard set of bols or syllables that expresses a tala on the tabla, such as dha dhin dhin dha; it is the reference pattern by which the cycle is recognised and recited.

The speed or tempo of the rhythmic cycle, commonly slow, medium, or fast; laya is measured against the matra and can be kept steady or varied deliberately in a performance.

The art of playing or singing rhythmic patterns at multiples or fractions of the basic tempo, such as two notes or four notes per beat, or three against two, while keeping the cycle intact.

A musical note or tone in Indian music; the seven shuddha swaras are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni, and each can be altered to form komal or tivra notes.

A minute interval of pitch, traditionally twenty-two in an octave; shruti theory explains the fine placement of notes, and a performer's intonation is judged by closeness to these positions.

An octave, the set of seven notes from Sa to the next Sa; the three registers are mandra, madhya, and tar saptak, low, middle, and high.

Written notation of Indian music, using symbols and letters for notes, octave marks, and rhythmic divisions; it records a composition or exercise so another performer can reproduce it.

A syllable used in reciting or playing rhythm, such as dha, dhin, ta, or tin; bols form the language of the tabla and also name the strokes played on the drum.

The first and most important beat of the tala cycle, where phrases resolve and the soloist returns to the starting point; it is marked by a clap and is the reference for all rhythmic movement.

A melodic exercise or ornament pattern, such as a sequence of notes in a fixed order, used to train the voice or instrument and to build fluency in ragas and talas.

A practice pattern in which a short phrase is varied systematically, for example by changing the starting note; paltas train accuracy of swara and control of the instrument.

Slow tempo, in which each matra lasts longer and there is room for ornament and elaboration; it is used for the opening, expansive part of a performance.

Fast tempo, where matras pass quickly and the music becomes dense with strokes or notes; it usually closes a performance and demands high technical control.

A smooth glide from one note to another, produced on stringed and wind instruments by sliding or bending; it is a key expressive device in instrumental raga playing.

A heavy, forceful ornament in which a note is struck or approached with weight and a slight oscillation; it gives ragas a strong, characteristic colour.

The rich, resonant quality of tone produced by a well-set instrument, especially the sympathetic ringing of strings; good jawari is a mark of fine tuning and adjustment.

The physical sound or tone from which music is made; nada is described as the basis of all musical sound and is studied through its pitch, intensity, and quality.

A school or lineage of musicians sharing a style, repertoire, and teaching tradition; gharanas preserve characteristic techniques and are named after places or founding musicians.

An honorific title for a master musician, especially in the Hindustani tradition; it marks long training, technical mastery, and the ability to transmit the art to students.

A respectful title for a learned master musician, particularly in vocal and instrumental traditions; like ustad, it recognises achievement and standing as a teacher and performer.

A long-necked drone instrument with four strings, plucked continuously to give a steady reference pitch; its overtones help the soloist tune and hold the tonic.