Principles Of Hindustani Music

The rhythmic organization is based on rhithmic patterns called 'Taal'. The melodic foundations are "melodic modes", or " parent Scales", known as 'Thaats'. Thaats are part of "musical personalities" called 'Ragas or Raags'. Thaats- and so Raags- may consist of up seven scale degrees, or 'Swara'. Hindustani musicians name these pitches using a system called 'Sargam', the equivalent of Western movable do solfege:

• Sa = Do
• Re = Re
• Ga = Mi
• Ma = Fa
• Pa = Sol
• Dha = La
• Ni = Ti
• Sa = Do

Both system repeat at the octave. The three primary of Indian Classical music are 'Mandra, Madya, and Tara'. A typical redention of Hindustani Raga involves two stages:

• Alap : a rhythmically free improvisation on the rules for Raags in order to give life to the raga and shape out its characteristics. The Alap can be further divided into the Alap, Jod and Jhala.
• Bandish or gat : a fixed, melodic composition set in specific raga, performed with rhithmic accompaniment by 'tabla or pakhavaj'. There are different ways of systematizing the parts of composition. For example :

1. Sthaayi : the initial, Rondo phrase or line of fixed, melodic composition 2. Antara : the first body phrase or line of fixed, melodic composition 3. Sanchaari : the third body phrase or line fixed, melodic composition 4. Aabhog : the fourth and concluding body phrase or line fixed, melodic composition. The are three variations of Bandish, regarding tempo : 1. Vilambit Bandish : a slow and steady melodic composition, usually in largo to adagio speeds 2. Madhyalaya Bandish : a medium tempo melodic composition, usually in adante to allegretto speeds 3. Drut Bandish : a fast tempo melodic composition, usually set to allegretto speeds and onwards.