Indian Music

Question 1

How long has classical music of north India been around for

Answer 1

2000 years

Question 2

What is classical music of north India accosciated with

Answer 2

Hindu religions, special spiritual significance

Question 3

What is Indian music based on

Answer 3

A combination of raga( melodic form) , tala( rythmic form) , and drone (sustained note)

Question 4

How many people usually perform Indian music

Answer 4

3 people. The solo singer/instrumentalist, the drummer and the drone player

Question 5

What do instruments sound like and what type of areas are these instruments played

Answer 5

Soft sounding and usually played in small Areas

Question 6

What are the most important aspects of Indian music

Answer 6

Melodic and rhythmic improvisations

Question 7

What is melodic improvisation

Answer 7

Based on scales, called ragas

Question 8

What is rhythmic improvisation

Answer 8

Based upon Cycles of beats called talas

Question 9

What is a raga

Answer 9

Series of notes (5-8) combined to create particular mood

Question 10

What kind of pattern is raga music and what is it associated with

Answer 10

Particular ascending and descending pattern associated with different times of the day, season mood or special occasion

Question 11

What are the notes of a raga scale and are all the notes always used

Answer 11

No. SA RI GA MA PA DHA NI

Question 12

Instead of raga being played on the sitar what is the other alternative

Answer 12

Melody part can be sung

Question 13

Where are ragas traditionally played and where do these performances take place

Answer 13

Traditionally played at Hindu religious events. Performances take place in temples or festivals that occur all day and night

Question 14

What are ragas based on and how are they performed

Answer 14

Performances improvised, based on traditional tunes and rythyms

Question 15

What do students do to learn raga

Answer 15

Join a school of players called gharana

Question 16

What does a gharana have

Answer 16

Each gharana has its own teacher or master and each gharana has its own traditions and own methods about how to play

Question 17

Is raga notated , why not

Answer 17

No, Students learn by listening to their teacher and then imitating what is played and memorizing it

Question 18

What is the order of notes in a raga

Answer 18

C , Db, e, f#, a , then downwards

Question 19

What is a tala

Answer 19

Rhythmic pattern usually played by the tabla (small drums )

Question 20

What do tabla players do

Answer 20

Play a rythem called a Tala with a set number of beats ( mantras)

Question 21

What is the first beat of the tala and what is its name

Answer 21

Most important. Called Sam

Question 22

What is each tala split into and what are these called

Answer 22

Into groups called vibhangs (like a bar)

Question 23

What is a vibhang

Answer 23

Like a bar in western music and can have different numbers of beats in each vibhang

Question 24

What is a drone

Answer 24

Continual or repeated note held throughout a passage of music

It is usually the sound heard first, starting on tonic note SA

Question 25

What is the drone traditionally played on

Answer 25

Tambura

Question 26

What is a summary of Indian music

Answer 26

Music based around improvisation 
Raga is music based on group of notes (scale)
Tabla plays rhythmic improvisations 
Tala is a cycle of rhythmic beats 
Sitar plays the melody

Question 27

What are traditional Indian instruments

Answer 27

Sitar, tambura and tabla

Question 28

What is a sitar

Answer 28

Large, long necked string instrument
Has between four to seven metal strings. 4 used for melody, rest used for the drone bass
Classical Indian ensemble the sitar plays melody

Question 29

What is a tambura

Answer 29

Similar shape to sitar, but has4 metal strings
Used more as backing instrument
Often described as a drone which plays a simple repeated rhythmic pattern based on 2 notes of the raga

Question 30

What is the tabla

Answer 30

Pair of drums
The smaller right side drum is called a tabla
The larger lower sounding drum is called the baya
Main rythem played on the tabla

Question 31

What are the different traditions of Indian music

Answer 31

Classical, folk, religious and popular music