Indian music glossary
Be wary: transliterations vary wildly.
| term | definition |
|---|---|
| alap | introductory opening section of performance (unaccompanied, unmetered) |
| antara | second phrase of a fixed composition, emphasizing upper notes (Carnatic: anupallavi) |
| arohana | ascending notes of raga |
| audava | pentatonic |
| avrohana | descending notes of raga |
| baj | style, esp. instrumental style |
| bandish | fixed melodic composition (gat) |
| bansuri | bamboo flute |
| bayan | left-hand lower-pitched drum of tablas (literally 'left') |
| bhajan | Hindu devotional song |
| bols | phoenetic syllables for drum strokes |
| Carnatic | South Indian |
| chiz | fixed composition in khayal |
| dadra | 6 beat tal; light classical piece in dadra tala |
| dhammar | 14 beat tal; dhrupad vocal piece in dhammar tala |
| dhrupad | old, austere vocal style |
| dhun | folk song |
| drut | fast tempo |
| gamaka | ornamentation of notes (embellishment) |
| gat | fixed composition section with rhythmic accompaniment |
| gayaki | vocal style (literally 'thing') |
| gharana | family; clan; musical school; tradition; often named by city (Agra, Indore, Jaipur, ...) |
| ghazal | light classical vocal genre based on Persian/Urdu poetry |
| guru | teacher |
| harmonium | small hand-pumped organ (primarily accompanying vocal performance) |
| Hindustani | North Indian |
| jati | number of notes in raga ascent/descent (5/6/7: audava/shadava/sampurna) |
| jhala | fast performance section with repeated rhythmic figures |
| jor | unmetered performance section (following alap) (jod) |
| jugalbandi | duet (literally 'entwined twins') |
| kaida | theme and limited variations for tabla |
| khali | empty beat of tala (wave of hand) |
| khayal | modern classical vocal form |
| komal | flat |
| kriti | Carnatic vocal form |
| madhya | medium tempo; middle pitch register |
| mandra | low pitch register |
| matra | beat (within a tala) |
| mridangam | two-headed drum used in Carnatic music |
| murki | ornamentation technique |
| pakad | musical phrase encapsulating essence of a raga (pakar) |
| pakhawaj | two-headed drum used in dhrupad |
| Pandit | honorific 'master' (Hindu) |
| parampara | tradition (notably: guru/shishya parampara) |
| prahar | time of day (3 hour time period) associated with raga |
| purvang | raga with vadi in lower tetrachord (Sa to Ma) |
| raga | melodic form (rag) |
| ragini | female rag in old classification system |
| ragmala | light classical form using mixed ragas |
| rasa | essence; aesthetic flavor (literally 'juice') |
| sam | first beat of tala (typically most important beat) |
| sampurna | heptatonic |
| samvadi | second most important note of raga (typically, 4th or 5th from vadi) |
| sangeet | music or musical celebration (sangita) |
| santoor | hammer-struck stringed instrument (hammer dulcimer) |
| saptak | pitch register (low/medium/high: mandra/madhya/tara) |
| sarangi | bowed string instrument (like violin) |
| sarod | plucked fretless string instrument |
| sargam | solfege (notes of the scale); also singing of names of notes (Sa Re Ga Ma...) |
| shadava | hexatonic |
| shenai | double reed instrument |
| shishya | student |
| shruti | microtonal pitch variation |
| shuddha | natural (i.e., not sharp or flat) |
| sitar | plucked fretted string instrument |
| sthayi | initial phrase of a fixed composition, emphasizing lower notes (asthai; Carnatic: pallavi) |
| surbahar | bass sitar |
| swara | pitch (of a raga note) |
| taan | fast vocal passage technique |
| tabla | pair of drums; also the smaller right-hand drum (tuned) of tablas |
| tala | rhythmic form (tal, taal); literally 'clap' |
| tanpura | drone string instrument |
| tara | high pitch register |
| thata | melodic classification (thaat) |
| theka | basic rhythmic phrase of a tala |
| thumri | modern light classical vocal style |
| tivra | sharp |
| Ustad | honorific 'master' (Moslem) |
| uttarang | raga with vadi in upper tetrachord (Pa to Sa) |
| vadi | most important note of raga |
| veena | plucked fretted string instrument; predecessor of sitar; many variations |
| vibhoga | subdivision of tala |
| vilambit | slow tempo |
| vivadi | forbidden note of raga (dissonant) |
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