rag desh

rag desh

1. Anoushka Shankar

   • 2001
   • sitar player
     • plucked string instrument. it has 7 main strings which play the melody and 12 sympathetic strings which resonate.
   • tabla
     • pair of drums. the right one is called the dayan. it is the smallest of the pair so is of a higher pitch and is made of wood. the left on is called a bayan. it is larger, made of metal and lower in pitch
   • two tals
     • jhaptal- 10 beat cycle (2,3,2,3)
     • tintal- 16 beat cycle- (4,4,4,4)
   • structure
     • 1) alap
       • sitar only
       • slow and no regular pulse
       • introduces mood
       • decorated with pitch bends (meends)
     • 2) Gat
       • tabla and sitar
       • the sitar improvises around the gat and the tabla improvises around the tal
         • the improvisations end with a tihai- short melody of rhythm played 3 times, ending on the sam.
       • tempo begins as moderate but increases by the end.
     • 3) Jhalla
       • fast
       • sitar strings are strummed

2. Mhara janam maran by Chiranji Lal Tanwar

   • bhajan
     • hindu devotional song
   • 2004
   • singer
   • sarod
     • plucked string instrument
   • sarangi
     • bowed string instrument
   • pakhawaj
     • long drum with head at each end
   • tabla
     • drums
   • small cymbals
   • 8 beat cycle- keherwa tal (2,2,2,2,2)
   • structure
     • alap
       • sarangi and voice
       • slow with no regular pulse
     • bhajan
       • tabla joins in
       • sung verse followed by short solos for sarangi and sarod- repeated.
       • important words have melismas and ornaments.

3. Steve gorn and benjy wertheimer

   • steve gorn- bansuri
     • bamboo flute with holes rather than keys.
   • benjy Wertheimer- esraj and tabla
     • esraj- bowed string instrument
     • tabla-drums
   • 2004
   • shruti box- electronic drone.
   • swarmandel- plucked string instrument.
   • 2 tals
     • rupak tal- 7 beat cycle (3,2,2)
     • ektal- 12 eat cycle (2,2,2,2,2,2)
   • structure
     • 1) alap
       • drone on D and A
       • bansuri introduces notes and mood
         • esraj takes over
           • instruments then alternate improvised phrases
       • tempo is slow with no regular pulse
     • 2) gat 1
       • rupak tal
       • bansuri solo
         • bansuri then plays composed gat
           • bansuri and tabla improvise around the gat and tal
       • tabla enters
       • finishes with tihai
     • 3) gat 2
       • fast in ektal
       • starts with tabla solo
       • bansuri plays tans- fast scales
       • ends with 3 tihais

4. rag desh is an example of Indian classical music from north India.

   • melodic line on solo instrument
   • rhythmic pattern on drums
   • drone on stringed instrument