Indian music and Rag Desh

Indian music and Rag Desh

1. Rag Desh is Indian classical music from North India

   • Indian classical music has a long history
   • Is is an improvised form of music
   • Improvisations take place within well defined structures and conventions
   • Performed by highly skilled musicians who have learned for years from a respected teacher

2. Key features of Indian Classical music

   • Indian classical music is built up of 3 layers
     • 1) A melodic line played on a solo instrument
     • 2) A rhythmic pattern played on the drums
     • 3) A drone played on a stringed instrument
   • Melody
     • Based on a rag
       • (A pattern of notes, similar to a scale)
       • Different rags are associated with different themes (times of the day/year, weather etc)
     • This set work is based on rag desh
       • Associated with late evening and monsoon season
   • Rhythm
     • The rhythmic pattern played by the drums is based on a tal
       • A cycle of beats that is repeated and improvised during a performance
       • First beat of a tap is called the sam, often stressed by the musicians
   • Structure
     • Performances of a rag are often in 3 parts, progressing from a slow to fast tempo
       • 1) Alap
         • Slow introductory section
         • Notes and mood of the rag are introduced against a drone
         • There is no regular pulse and no percussion
       • 2. Gat
         • A fixed composition that is improvised on by the solo instrument
         • Percussion enters
         • A clear pulse is introduced
       • 3) Jhalla
         • A fast final section
         • Music becomes more virtuosic and decorative

3. Rag Desh is performed by Anoushka Shankar

   • She plays the sitar
   • Daughter of famous Indian musician, Ravi Shankar
   • This version of Rag dish was recorded in 2001 at a concert in New York

4. Rag Desh instrumentation

   • Sitar
     • String instrument
     • Plucked
     • Very long neck
     • 7 main strings, used to plays the melody
     • 12 sympathetic strings, that resonate with other strings to create a shimmering sound
   • Tabla
     • Pair of drums
       • Right one is called the dayan
         • Smaller, therefore higher pitched and made of wood
       • Left one is called the bayan
         • Larger, lower pitched and made of metal
     • Mostly played with the fingers

5. Rhythm of Rag Desh

   • This version of Rag Desh uses 2 tals
     • 1) Jhaptal
       • 10 beat cycle (2+3+2+3)
     • 2) Tintal
       • 16 beat cycle (4+4+4+4)

6. Structure of Rag Desh

Images and files in the map