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Notation Key, Conventions and Glossary.

The seven basic swaras of the scale are: shaDaj (Sa), rishab (Re), gandhAr (Ga), madhyam (Ma), pancham (Pa), dhaivat (Dha), nishAd (Ni). It is very important to understand that in Indian music a swara is not merely a note

Note: Sometimes the shuddha Hindustani swaras R G D N are referred to as 'teevra' and the shuddha madhyam as 'komal.'

* A mandra-saptaka (lower octave) swara is denoted by ': for instance, N' d' etc

* A tAra-saptaka swara is denoted by ": eg., S" r" g"

* A kaNa-swara (grace swara) precedes the main swara and is put in parenthesis: eg., R as a grace to G will be denoted by (R)G

AlApa: slow development or elaboration of rAga or musical idea

alpatva: smallness of quantity; a traditional term, refers to the degree of usage of a swara within a rAga. For instance, in Raga Kedar, the gandhAr comes in alpatva form. There are two further qualifications of alpatva: langhan alpatva and anAbhyAsa alpatva.

Amad: arrival into the orbit of the tAla leading to the sam

Andolan/Andolita: swinging (around a swara)

anga: lit. part, body

antarA: the latter half of a kHayAl composition

anuvAdi: neutral (refers to swara)

aprachalita: not in vogue

apratim: incomparable

Aroha: ascending contour of a rAga

asthAi: the first half of a kHayAl compositioin

auDav/oDava: pentatonic

avaroha: descending contour of rAga

Avarta/Avartana: one complete cycle of a tAla

AvirbhAva: lit. appearance

baDA kHayAl: vilambit kHayAl composition

bahutva: in large amount (compare with alpatva); refers to the degree of usage of a swara within a rAga. There are further qualifications: alanghan bahutva, abhyAsa bahutva, deergha bahutva, nyAsa bahutva. The shuddha madhyam in Kedar, for instance, is found in the nyAsa bahutva mode.

bandish: that which is bound or constrained; refers to a melodic composition fixed with words to the tAla cycle; may also refer to the superstructure of the kHayAl presentation

besura: out of tune

bhajan: devotional song

bol: syllables of text or tAla compositions

bol-AlApa: AlApa done with words of text

bol-tAna: tAns with words of text

chalan: lit. gait, a tonal sentence showing movement within a rAga

chAritra: character

chatuswara: of four swaras

cheez: lit. thing, usually refers to the text of a druta composition

chhAyA: lit. shadow, refers to traces of a rAga

chhoTA kHayAl: druta kHayAl composition

dhaivat: D or d, the sixth of the scale

dhamAr: a traditional dhrupad-like form usually set in the 14-beat dhamAr tAla

dhAtu: the essential substance of a composition or rAga

dheemA: slow tempo

dhrupad: ancient Indian classical form evolved from prabandha. 'Dhrupad' derives from dhruva (fixed) and pada (word). It has a formal structure, the details of which are beyond the scope of this glossary.

dhrupadiyA: an exponent of dhrupad-dhamAr druta: quick, refers to pace of a composition

ektAla: a 12-beat tAla

gamaka: embellishment imparted to a swara; there are several types of gamakas

gandhAr: G or g, the third swara of the scale

gat: refers to a composition played on a tantuvAdya or the tabla

gharAnA: a stylistic tradition or school in Hindustani music

gHazal: a lyrical form in Urdu poetry; there are precise criteria by which a form is considered a gHazal

grAha bhedam: modulation, transfer of the base Sa (also known as murchhanA)

Gwalior, Agra, Atrauli,

Jaipur: towns in northern India after which the gharAnAs take their name

janya: born of, derived from

jhaptAla: a 10-beat tAla

joD-rAga: a rAga formed by combining two or more rAgas

kalAkAra: artiste kaNa-swara: grace swara

kharaj/kharj: bass, movement in the lower parts of the mandra saptaka

khaTkA: a quick trill around a swara

kHayAl: lit. thought, the dominant form in Hindustani music of the day

komal: flattened kshudra: refers to a rAga low in significance (not to be confused with 'shudra')

lakshaNA: distinguishing character

langhan: to step/cross over, refers to a skipped swara

laya: tempo

layakAri: the play on laya using devices such as syncopation

madhya: middle, qualifies the octave and the tempo madhyam: M or m, the fourth swara of the scale

mandra: the lower register

mAtrA: time interval between beats of a tAla

meenD: a smooth (typically descending) glide from one swara to the other

melakartA: the rAga grouping scheme found in the Karnataka paddhati comprising 72 sampoorNa scales

mukhDA: lit. face; the opening textual and melodic phrase of a composition

murchhanA: lit. swooning, same as grAha bheda

murki: a short, rapid trill

nATyageeta: a song in a Marathi musical drama

nishAd: N or n, the seventh swara of the scale

nyAsa: a rest stop; qualifies a swara

paddhati: a way, tradition

pakkad: the 'handle' (quintessence) of a rAga

pancham: P, the fifth swara of the scale

paramparA: tradition

phirata: refers to the movement of the voice

poorvAnga: the lower half (tetrachord) of the scale

prakAr: variant

prayoga: usage

rAga: lit. colour; the melodic structure basic to Hindustani and Karnataka music

rAgAnga: rAga+anga, the core feature of the rAga

rishab, rikhab: R or r, the second swara of the scale

roopaka: a 7-beat Hindustani tAla

safAie: lit. cleanliness, refers to clarity of a musical movement

sAhitya: prose, text of a composition

sampoorNa: complete, refers to a rAga employing 7 swaras samvAdi: the sub-dominant swara in a rAga

sanchAri: musical sub-movements or expansion; also a sub-part of a dhrupad composition

sankeerNa-rAga: mixed rAga, i.r. comprising elements of two or more rAgas

saptak: octave

sam: the first beat of a tAla

shabad: lit. word, also refers to the hymns in the Sikh holy book, Gurbani

shADav: of six swaras

shaDja, shaDaj: S, the tonic Sa

shAstrakAra: one versed in shAstra, the underlying body of knowledge in a field

shruti: swara; also refers to microtones

shuddha: lit. pure; in the Hindustani paddhati it refers to the 7 basic notes of the octave

sthAna: location

swara: a musical note plus its graces

swara-lagAv: manner of approach and handling of swara

swaroopa: appearance, profile

taiyyAri: preparation (in terms of training) of a musician

tAla: the rhythmic cycle with mAtrAs and bols

tAleem: training

tAna: rapid musical passage

tantuvAdya: stringed instrument tAra: the upper register

teentAla: a 16-beat tAla

teevra: augmented or sharpened, qualifies the madhyam

thAT: a group of sampoorNa scales, taxonomical scheme for Hindustani rAgas

tirobhAva: disappearance, refers to temporary evaporation of rAga chhAyA

uttarAnga: the upper tetrachord

vachanA: lit. saying, free-verses of the Veerashaiva poets

vAdi: the dominant swara in a rAga

vAggeyakAra: one adept at creating musical compositions

vakra: convoluted, crooked

varja: eliminated, banned (refers to swaras absent from a rAga)

vikrita: altered, refers to the komal and teevra swaras (as opposed to shuddha swaras)

vilambit: slow, qualifies pace of a composition or elaboration

vistAr: expansion or elaboration of a musical idea

vivAdi (dosha): a foreign swara occasionally injected into a rAga for ornamental or surprise value

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