Rag Desh

Rag Desh

1. Composer/Artist

   • Version 1: Anoushka Shankar
   • Version 2: Chiranji Lal Tanwar
   • Version 3: Benjy Wertheimer & Steve Gorn

2. Date: Over 2000 years old

   • Rainy season
     • Nocturnal

3. Melody

   • Improvised
     • Based on notes from alap section
   • Played by sitar in 1 & 2
     • Bansuri in 3
   • Other sections fixed composition
     • Still improvisation
     • And decoration

4. Style: Indian Classical

5. Harmony

   • Drone (tambura or sarangi)
     • Simple rhythm based on two notes from rag

6. Structure

   • Version 1
     • Alap, Gat 1, Gat 2
   • Version 2
     • Alap, Bhajan (song)
   • Version 3
     • Alap, Gat 1, Gat 2

7. Texture

   • Alap
     • Thin
     • Just sitar and drone playing
   • Tabla & other instruments thicken texture

8. Tonality

   • No fixed key
   • Drone can be dominant and tonic

9. Tempo

   • Alap
     • Slow
   • Tempo increased in other sections
     • Regular beat

10. Rhythm

    • Tabla play rhythmic cycle (tala)
      • Version 1
        • 10 beat, 16 beat
      • Version 2
        • 8 beat
      • Version 3
        • 3 beat, 10 beat

11. Dynamics

    • Grow with instrument addition
    • All start quietly

12. Instrumentation

    • Version 1
      • Sitar & tabla
    • Version 2
      • Voice, sarangi, sarod, pakhawaj, cymbals & tambura
    • Version 3
      • Bansuri, esraj, tambura & tabla