AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C FORM AND REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC STRUCTURE MELODY AND HARMONY ALAP – unmetred/free rhythm, no beat or pulse, The melody of an Indian raga (piece) is based upon the notes of a raga RHYTHM AND METRE slow and meditative tempo, soft dynamics. A 2- (scale). Melodies are often based around a TONAL CENTRE or The Indian system of METRE is called TALA. Talas vary in terms of the part texture, often performed by the sitar (or SYSTEM TONIC (home note) and are decorated with ORNAMENTS. numer of MĀTRĀS per cycle (6, 7, 8, 12, 14 and 16 are all common; singer) taking the melody part and introducing and These often include GLISSANDOS, performed by singers. The Indian anything up to about 18 can be used). Patterns of strong beats are often exploring the notes of the raga, improvising freely words used to describe this “sliding” in pitch between notes of the melody marked with an “X”. Indian musicians sometimes use the hand gesture of and adding melodic decoration and ornaments are MEENDS or MINDS. a CLAP to signify this. Weak beats are often marked with an “O” and the including glissandos accompanied by the tambura Ornaments and MELODIC DECORATION are essential to the hand gesture of a WAVE is often used. performing the drone accompaniment performance of Indian music, particularly in the ALAP section of a raga, A typical Indian RAGA performance begins with a section called an JOR – tempo gradually speeds up, becomes more where the singer or performer gradually explores the notes of the raga, ALAP. Here, the rhythm can be described as UNMETRED or as being in rhythmic but still steady, tambura performs drone adding their own embellishments. Different traditions, genres and styles FREE RHYTHM, before the tala enters in the next section. while sitar (or singer) has a more steady beat make use of ornaments in different ways. The melody is always closely The tala is a specialised system of METRE. The tala has THREE improvising the ascending and descending related to the harmony of a raga – the tonal centre often acts as the LEVELS OF PULSE, the AVARTAN (cycle), the VIBHĀG (section) and versions of the raga scale, again a 2-part texture. DRONE NOTE providing the underlying harmony of the piece (other the MĀTRĀS (beat). Talas can be counted out with the aid of GAT – Tabla player enters performing the tala notes may be added to the drone to provide the accompaniment). conventional sequence of hand gestures or by stereotypical drum establishing a regular pulse, dynamics get louder, patterns by which the drummer not only keeps a steady beat, but also now a 3-part texture, sitar (or singer) improvises in INDIAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS indicates the point reached in the cycle. Words known as BOLS are a more VIRTUOSIC style “showing off” often used by Indian musicians and performers to help them remember JHALLA (called a BANDISH if sung) – tempo The SITAR has a long neck and has between 4 and 9 the different talas. becomes faster and more rhythmically exciting, 3 metal strings. Most of the strings are PLUCKED for Sometimes, talas don’t begin immediately but have a group of notes or part texture, dynamics build to a climax getting the melody and others create the DRONE. They beats preceding a strong down beat on which they often begin, this is louder, includes “Q&A” interplay, complex have SYMPATHETIC STRINGS underneath that called an ANACRUSIS or UPBEAT and in Indian music, this section of overlapping of parts and a thick polyphonic texture VIBRATE and create a thick, shimmery sound. A notes or beats before the tala starts is called the MUKHRA. Sitar player can pull strings to make notes bend of “distort”. Sliding a finger along a string as it is plucked giving a sliding GLISSANDO sound, called a MEEND or MIND. The Sitar plays the MELODY as RAGAS well as some of the drone notes based on a raga, The word RAGA can have two meanings in Indian music: MUSIC which is often improvised. The player sits in a 1. A group of notes, rather like a SCALE or MODE, on which the melody, crossed legs position on the floor. harmony and tonality of the piece if based OF INDIA The TAMBURA has 4 strings (sometimes 5) and is plucked, 2. The actual “piece” of Indian music, which is made up of a number of like the Sitar, only the RESONANCE is more important and different sections – ALAP, JOR, GAT, JHALLA each string is left to vibrate for a long time. The Tambura When used as a SCALE, each raga has very strict rules about which takes on the role of the DRONE part and features more as notes may be used and how they may be used. Even the an accompaniment than a solo instrument. It is large and DECORATIONS and ORNAMENTS, which are a very important part of played holding the instrument on your lap with the neck Indian music, must be played in accordance with the rules of a particular against the shoulder. raga. All ragas are associated with a particular time of day, or night, when they should be performed and many are named after gods and The TABLA are a set of two drums. The goddesses and express their temperaments and characteristics. The player uses his left hand on the larger of the mood of a raga is called its MASA. NOTATION two and different sounds are available when Some ragas vary in their ASCENDING and DESCENDING forms and are playing with the wrist, palm and fingers. The Indian musicians use a system called SARGAM to based around a TONAL CENTRE or SYSTEM TONIC. Most have an Tabla performs the TALA (rhythmic) part. write their music down. This gives names to the associated DRONE – often two notes played on instruments such as the scale: sa, ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni and sa. Dots over TAMBURA or HARMONIUM. Here’s an example of a raga: The HARMONIUM is both a wind and keyboard and under the names show the pitch of the notes instrument. Wind is pumped in by one of the player’s to be played or sung. Singers often use the hands. The Harmonium sometimes takes on the role of sargam names for vocal improvisations and performing the melody. teachers often sing a phrase in sargam for their pupils to sing or play as a way of learning, since Also used are the SAROD (like a mini-Sitar with a fretless much Indian music is passed down through the fingerboard), the SARANGI (a small, bowed, fretless string ORAL TRADITION without writing it down. instrument rather like a violin), the BANSURI (a bamboo flute) and SINGERS (male and female)
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AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C FORM AND REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC STRUCTURE MELODY AND HARMONY Make some notes about the main musical features of each of the Make some notes about how the drone (harmony) is as important as the melody, how sitar players RHYTHM AND METRE four sections in an Indian raga and singers decorate the melodic line and how this is accompanied. Make some notes about how Rhythm and Metre and used in Indian music – table, talas, mātrās, ALAP – claps and waves, unmetred/free rhythm, avartan, vibhāg, anacrusis or “upbeats”/mukhra.
JOR –
GAT –
INDIAN MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Name these instruments, their methods of sound production and their roles within a JHALLA (called a BANDISH if sung) – traditional Indian ensemble
RAGAS The word RAGA can have two meanings in Indian music: MUSIC 1. OF INDIA
2.
Make some notes on the SCALE meaning of the word raga – decorations and ornaments, mood/masa, ascending and descending, tonal centre/system tonic, drone. Give an example of a raga in staff notation, in its ascending and descending form, together with its drone and associated mood or character.
NOTATION How is Indian music written down?
How has Indian music been passed down from generation to generation? Also used are the SAROD (like a mini-Sitar with a fretless fingerboard), the SARANGI (a small, bowed, fretless string instrument rather like a violin), the BANSURI (a bamboo flute) and SINGERS (male and female)
STUDENT NAME: WWW.MUSICALCONTEXTS. CO.UK
AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC
Keyword Meaning Understood Signatures (tick) (staff, student, parent)
Accompaniment
Alap
Anacrusis
Avartan
Bansuri
Blown
Bowed
Drone
Free Rhythm
Frets
Gat
Glissando
Harmonium
Harmony
Improvisation
STUDENT NAME: WWW.MUSICALCONTEXTS. CO.UK
AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC Keyword Meaning Understood Signatures (tick) (staff, student, parent)
Irregular Rhythm
Jhalla
Jor
Mātrās
Melody
Mode
Mukhra
Notation
Ornamentation
Pentatonic
Plucked
Pulse
Raga (both meanings!)
Regular Rhythm
Rhythm Cycles
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AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC Keyword Meaning Understood Signatures (tick) (staff, student, parent)
Sarangi
Sargam
Sarod
Semitone
Singer/Voice
Sitar
Sympathetic String
System Tonic
Tabla
Tala
Tambura
Texture
Timbre
Tonal Centre
Tonality
STUDENT NAME: WWW.MUSICALCONTEXTS. CO.UK
AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC
Keyword Meaning Understood Signatures (tick) (staff, student, parent)
Tone
Unmetred
Upbeat
Vibgāg
Wind
STUDENT NAME: WWW.MUSICALCONTEXTS. CO.UK
AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC
Learning Objectives & AQA Areas of Study I feel confident I understand I do not Signatures and understand most/some understand at (staff, student, parent) it all all Learn about the basic concepts of rhythm and metre in the music of India, in particular the difference between metred and unmetred music, and the use of drum patterns to signify the metrical structure (Aos 1) Learn about the two different meanings of the word raga in Indian Music (AoS 2 & 3) Learn how a raga scale is used in Indian ragas and how ragas have different moods (AoS 2 & 3) Learn about the notes of an Indian raga scale and how Indian music notation is used (AoS 2 & 3) Learn about traditional musical instruments used in Indian music (AoS 4) Learn some basic facts about the construction, methods of sound production and the different timbres of some traditional Indian musical instruments (AoS 4) Learn about the role of different Indian musical instruments in an ensemble (AoS 4) Learn how an Indian raga is structured into four different sections and use the correct Indian terms to describe the different sections of a raga (AoS 5) Learn about the musical characteristics in each section of a raga (AoS 1-5) Attempt a GCSE-style listening question on Indian music (AoS 1-5)
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AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC
Grade Descriptor (Tick as Signatures appropriate) (staff, student, parent) Understand that Indian music is based on a rhythm cycle called a tala Can distinguish between sections in Indian music which have a unmetred/free pulse and those based on a metred tala E Understand the melody of an Indian raga is based on a raga scale (working Recognise and identify the sitar, tambura and tabla as the three most towards) common Indian musical instruments both in solo and ensemble Understand that a raga is structured into four different parts Identify the instruments used in each part of a raga Understand that there are many different talas which have different number of beats, some strong and others weaker shown by “claps” and “waves” Listen to and perform a number of different Indian talas Understand the construction of a raga scale and its drone accompaniment C and how different ragas have different moods (working Recognise and identify the sitar, tambura, tabla, singers/voices and at) harmonium describing sound production methods and their role in an ensemble performance of an Indian raga Know the correct musical vocabulary to describe the four structural elements which make up a raga Identify rhythmic and melodic features used in each part of a raga Understand that a tala can be sub-divided into cycles, sections and beats and use the correct terminology to describe these. Understand the concept of an ANACRUSIS start or UPBEAT Improvise over a tala cycle showing awareness of underlying pulse A Know the names of the different notes of an Indian scale and transcribe a (working melody from Indian notation into staff notation beyond/ Recognise and identify other Indian musical instruments such as the sarod, GAT) sanagi and bansuri both in solo and ensemble performances of an Indian raga. Identify and recognise the different musical features specific to the four different structural elements which make up a raga Correctly discriminate and distinguish between the different sections of a raga giving musical reasons for their choices
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AQA GCSE MUSIC – S T R A N D 3 – WOR L D M U S I C REVISION GUIDE SUB - S T R A N D 3 – INDIAN MUSIC
Grade Currently Grade Working Targets to meet: Signatures Date Working At : Towards: (staff, student and parents)
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