Indian Music and 'Rag Desh'

Rag Desh
1. Indian classical music
  1. North India
2. Improvised
3. Key Features
  1. Three Layers
    1. 1. Melodic line played on the solo instrument
      1. 2. Rhythmic pattern played on the drums
        3. Drone played on the stringed instrument
  2. Melody
    1. Based on a rag
      1. Pattern of notes (like a scale)
    2. made up of pitches
      1. Different on the way down
        Assosiated with the late evening and the monsoon season
  3. Rhythm
    1. Played by drums
    2. Based on a tal
      1. Tal - cycle of beats that are repeated and improvised
      2. First beat is called a sam
        stressed by the musicians
  4. Structure
    1. Three parts
      1. Progressing from a slow to fast tempo
      2. 1. Alap
        slow introductory section
        Notes are introduced against a drone
        No regular pulse and no percussion
        2. Gat
        Fixed composition
        Percussion enters
        Clear pulse
        3. Jhalla
        Fast final section
        Virtuosic
        Decorative
'Rag Desh' performed by Anoushka Shankar
1. Instumentation
  1. 1. Sitar
    1. Plucked string instrument
    2. seven main strings
      1. Plays melody
    3. 12 sympathetic strings
      1. aren't plucked, but resonate - creates shimmering sound
  2. 2. Tabla
    1. Pair of drums
      1. Right:Dayan
        smaller (higher pitched)
        made of wood
      2. Left: Bayan
        larger (lower pitched)
        made of metal
    2. Played with fingers
2. Rhythm
  1. Two tals
    1. 1. Jhaptal - 10 beat cycle
      1. 2. Tintal - 16 beat cycle
3. Structure
  1. 1. Alap
    1. Sitar only
      1. Slow no regular pulse
      2. The sitar introduces notes and mood of the rag
      3. Melodic line is decorated with slides and pitch bends (meends)
    2. 2. Gat
      1. Tabla enters
        sitar plays fixed composition
        Moderato tempo
        Towards the end the tempo increases
      2. 3. Jhalla
        Fast
        Sitar Strummed
        Creates rhythmic exitment
      3. Sitar and Tabla imrovise
        Sitar based on the gat
        Tabla based on the tal
        Ends with a tihai - short melody played three times ends with a sam
4. Anoushka Shankar - plays the sitar
  1. Daughter of famous indian musician Ravi Shankar
  2. Recorded live in 2001 in New York
'Mhara janam' maran performed by Chiranji Lal Tanwar
1. Instrumentation
  1. Sarod - plucked string instrument
  2. Sarangi - bowed string instrument
  3. Pakhawaj - long drum
  4. Tabla
  5. A pair of Symbols
2. Rhythm
  1. Uses 8 - beat cycle called keherwa tal
3. Structure
  1. 1. Alap
    1. The sarangi and the voice introduce the notes of the rag
    2. tempo is slow
    3. no regular pulse
  2. 2. Bhajan
    1. tabla joins in playing in keherwa tap
    2. Tanwar decorates important words with melismas and ornaments
    3. sung verse
      1. hort solos for sarangi and sarod
4. Is in bhajan - Hindu dvotional song
  1. Performed by indian singer Chiranji Lal Tanwar
  2. Released 2004
'Rag Desh performed by Steve Gorn and Benjy Wetheimer
1. Instrumentation
  1. Bansuri - Bamboo flute
  2. Esraj - bowed string instrument
  3. Shruti box - electronic instrument
  4. swarmandel - plucked string instrument
  5. Tabla
2. Rhythm
  1. Uses two Tals
    1. 1. Repak tal - 7 beat cycle
    2. Ektal - 12 beat cycle
3. Structure
  1. 1. Alap
    1. starts with drone on D + A
    2. Bansuri introduces notes and mood
    3. Esraj takes over from Basuri
    4. Instruments alternate improvise phrases
    5. Tempo is slow
    6. No regular pulse
  2. 2. Gat 1
    1. 1 slow gat in rupak tal
    2. 2 Bansuri solo
    3. 3 tabla enters after 30 sec
    4. 4 bansuri plays composed gat
    5. 5 bansuri and tabla improvise
  3. 3. Gat 2
    1. fast gat in ektal
      1. tabla solo
        improvisation is elaborate
        bansuri plays tans (fast scales)
        Piece ends with three tihais
4. American musicians
  1. released: 2004

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Indian Music and 'Rag Desh'

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