Music Vocabulary

in Carnatic music, 72 "parent" ragas; comprised of 7 notes; permutations of 12 svaras

Urdu for "gathering"; a session or assembly for listening to music or poetry

in Hindustani music, the first beat of the tala cycle and central focal point of melodic lines

in Hindustani music, the first section of an instrumental and dhrupad performance, non-composed

dominant language family of South India

a genre of Hindustani music of the "semi-classical" type - based on love poetry

a prominent Carnatic tala with eight beats in the cycle

an important genre of Urdu poetry it is metered, rhyming composed in a series of coupletes

Dholaks, Djuns, and bongos are examples of

the most common drum type in South Asia - includes dholak, dhol, and mridangam

in Hindustani music, fast running improvisations, especially in khyal and instrumental music

a barrel-drum used in the dhrupad genre of Hindustani music; it pre-dates the tabla

in Indian music theory, microtonal divisions of scale; subtle nuance of a pitch

rod-shaped metal clappers common in rural music in South Asia

the classical music system of India

a large barrel-drum usually played with sticks, especially associated with Punjab

melody in which a number of pitches are sounded over a single syllable or instrumental stroke

a concert instrument of Carnatic music; fretless plucked instrument played like a slide guitar

a bowed instrument associated with Manganiar musicians of Western Rajasthan

a genre of music performed by hereditary specialists - originally in Sufi ritual contexts

in Hindustani music, "household" - the stylistic lineage in which one has learned

the pitch from which a scale is build; in Indian classical music, Sa

the string drone instrument of classical Indian music

a plucked, fretless string instrument played by Baul musicians

a hereditary group of music professionals of Western Rajasthan

a fourteen-beat tala cycle of Hindustani music, used in the dhrupad genre

a genre of Hindustani music of the "semi-classical" type - based on love poetry

Sanskrit epic of ancient India, main story of a great war, told in theater/dance/song

a single-stringed drone instrument of rural music

the Tamil-language film industry, named after a neighborhood in Chennai

Tubas, clarinets, and saxophones are all examples of

a hereditary group of music professionals of Western Rajasthan

A genre of Hindustani classical music traceable to the sixteenth century

a Sanskrit text on theater, dance, and music, dating from as early as the 1st century BCE

religion founded in Punjab in the 15th century

a Hindu devotional song

ornaments, such as slides/turns, used in a raga - particularly in Hindustani music

in Carnatic music, the term for groupings of beats in a tala cycle, marked by hand actions

in Hindustani music, "face" - the phrase that begins the composition; serves as anchor also

Keyboards, cellos, and harps are examples of

Bells, clappers, and cymbals are all examples of

the preeminent drum of Carnatic concert music

in Carnatic music, a long improvised genre in a raga performance

the classical music system of South India

the Hindi-language film industry, largely based in Mumbai

the melodies and the melodic system of Indian classical music

a dance and music genre that originated in rural Punjab; later diaspora S.Asian youth culture

a complete cycle of a tala

most common drum, a small barrel drum held horizontally, played with both hands, north India

item of tabla repertoire, meaning "foundation"; pattern with fixed set of strokes

this is an example of Dravidian language

teacher and disciple, from the Sanskrit language

this is an example of Indo-Aryan language

a drum of Kerala, played in groups in temple and processional contexts

pitch intervals smaller than half-steps

a term for Hindu devotional songs or chants - meaning "praising"

music performed in a Sufi ritual context

a small hand-pumped organ used throughout South Asia and the diaspora

from Urdu, a couplet; a sequence of these make up a ghazal

sect centered in Bengal, draws from bhakti & Sufi thought, practice ecstatic song and dance

the predominant vocal genre of Hindustani music today

in Carnatic music, a small frame drum, like a tambourine, held in left hand, played with right

"music technical works"; field of Indian music theory, preserved in Sanskrit text

a tone sounding continually as a background to a performance

plucked string instrument, a wide neck without frets, prominent Hindustani concert instrument

"spicy", refers to films in which various types of plots are mixed for mass appeal

an honorific term or title from the Sanskrit language, denoting scholar or master

hour-glass-shaped "pressure drum" played by specialists in Kerala, largely in temple contexts

in Hindustani music, fixed sequence of drum strokes express a tala cycle; spoken as syllables

dominant language family of northern regions of South Asia, branch of Indo-European language

a 14th century Sanskrit music theory text, the premier text of the medieval period

plucked string instrument, long fretted neck, prominent concert instrument of Hindustani music

two-piece hand drum, predominant drum of North Indian classical music

a bowed instrument associated with Langa musicians of Western Rajasthan

the three sections of a kriti composition; in Carnatic music

pitch; musical tone in Indian classical music

a performance venue and promotional organization for Indian rock & alternative music in Mumbai

the oldest scriptures of Hinduism; four canonical texts, composed in Sanskrit in Vedic era

a single-stringed instrument associated with bhangra music

Islamic mysticism; the Chishti order is known for using sama' listening to music

"consisting of seven"; an octave

a bowed instrument of North India

in Hindustani music, the term for singing while using svara names

a method to teach pitch, "do re mi fa sol la ti" are spoken as pitches are sung

a rhythm played on the dhol and performed in the Sufi ritual contexts

a major genre of the Carnatic concert repertoire, many composed by the "Trinity" composers

the term for a beat in the tala system

in Hindustani music, the composed section of an instrumental performance

rhythmic cycles and the system of rhythmic cycles in Indian classical music

devotion to a deity who is "without characteristics", beyond description