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Year 10 - Music

Melody and timbre in North Indian classical music

North Indian Classical music and West African drumming

Unit Summary

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Lesson Summary

You will learn to describe some of the key features of North Indian classical music and can improvise an alap using a raga.

Key Notes

  • North Indian classical music typically involves three features - rhythm, melody and drone.
  • The sitar typically plays the melody, accompanied by rhythms on the tabla and a sustained drone on the tanpura.
  • North Indian classical music is based on raga. Each raga is a set of notes that has a specific mood associated with it.
  • Performers improvise using a raga to create the alap section.
  • This is the first section in a piece of North Indian classical music, in which there is no clear pulse.

Vocabulary To Learn

  • Tabla: A tabla is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent consisting of a small drum (dayan) and a larger drum (bayan).
  • Sitar: A sitar is a stringed instrument from the Indian subcontinent. It has up to 21 strings and a distinct, resonant timbre.
  • Tanpura: A tanpura is a stringed instrument from the Indian subcontinent that plays sustained drone sounds.
  • Alap: The alap is the introduction in North Indian Classical music, in which a performer improvises using a raga with a free tempo.
  • Raga: A raga is a set of notes used to create a composition. Each raga has a specific mood associated with it.

Common Mistakes To Avoid

  • A raga is just a scale.

3 Quick Questions (With Answers)

1. Explain the lesson in two key points.

North Indian classical music typically involves three features - rhythm, melody and drone. The sitar typically plays the melody, accompanied by rhythms on the tabla and a sustained drone on the tanpura.

2. What does this key word mean in this lesson? 'Tabla'

A tabla is a pair of hand drums from the Indian subcontinent consisting of a small drum (dayan) and a larger drum (bayan).

3. Correct this common mistake.

Mistake: A raga is just a scale. Correction: A raga is a bit more complex than being just a scale. It has specific times of day, moods and emotions associated with it, as well as rules about how it should be played.

More Lessons In This Unit

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