AOS 4: Indian Music and Rag Desh - Steve Gorn

Question 1

Structure of Rag Desh by Steve Gorn

Answer 1

Alap:
Improvised
Drone
Played by bansuri flute
No tal
Free tempo and longer rhythms

Gat 1:
Fixed rhythm
Introduces tabla
Moderate speed
Melody on bansuri and esraj
Short

Gat 2:
Faster fixed rhythm
New tal rhythm
Tan (scalic runs)

Question 2

Tonality and harmony of Rag Desh by Steve Gorn

Answer 2

Drone is on a D and an A

Question 3

Tempo and metre of Rag Desh by Steve Gorn

Answer 3

Alap - free tempo
Gat 1 - moderate
Gat 2 - fast

Question 4

Instrumentation of Rag Desh by Steve Gorn

Answer 4

Tabla
Bansuri flute
Esraj (bowed string instrument) 
Shruti box (electronic - plays drone)
Swarmandel (plucked string instrument - plays counter melody)

Question 5

Rhythm / tal of Rag Desh by Steve Gorn

Answer 5

There are 2:
(Alap has no tal)

Rupak tal
Gat 1: 7 (3 + 2 + 2)

Ektal tal
Gat 2: 12 (2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2 + 2)

Question 6

Melody of Rag Desh by Steve Gorn

Answer 6

Improvised
Shared between the esraj and bansuri
Tan (scalic runs)

The tambura plays the drone in the alap