Transcript Indian Classical Music AOS2m

Indian Classical Music – AOS2
L.O – to understand the musical characteristics of Indian
Classical music.
Task 1…5 minutes
 Try and answer the questions on the sheet about
Indian Classical music.
 Circle any questions or words you are unsure of.
Background
 Long history of around 3000 years.
 Learned by ear and performed from memory
 Typically a student will undergo a type of
apprenticeship with a highly regarded performer,
which as known as a master-student tradition.
Instruments
 Sitar – a type of plucked string instrument with frets.
It has sympathetic strings which vibrate to create a
distinctive shimmery sound. The sitar improvises the
melody by using a raga.
 Tanpura/tambura – a plucked string instrument with
four strings used to play the drone.
 Tabla – a pair of drums.
 Sarangi – bowed, string instrument.
 Bansuri – bamboo flute.
Melody section
 Based on a set of notes called a Raga
 Many different ragas - associated with a particular time of
day, season and mood.
 Some notes in the raga will be more important than others
and will be emphasised.
 Common techniques used in the melody – pitch bends,
glissandos, rapid scales, ornamentation.
 As pieces progress they become more complex. Before a
performance everyone will agree which raga to use and
the sitar player will then improvise a melody around the
notes of the raga.
Melody Section
 Raga you will use today is…
 ENTER RAGA
 Instrument that plays the melody = Sitar (number)
Tala - the rhythm section
 Tala – the rhythmic cycle which pieces are based on.
 There is a range of different talas, each with a set number
of beats, some of which will be accented.
 The tabla player improvises rhythms around the tala, which
gradually become more complex as the piece progresses.
 There is often dialogue between the different parts, with
the Sitar player imitating rhythms played by the tabla.
 Tala you will play today is…
Harmony
 There is no real harmony in Indian classical music
 Instead a drone is played throughout a piece.
 It is based on the most important note or notes of the
Raga.
 Tanpura – use voice number….. And play notes…..
Structure
 Made up of 4 sections:




Alap
Jor
Gat
Jhalla
Structure
Alap
Jar
Gat –
Jhalla
• Slow tempo,
improvised
introduction
in free time.
• The sitar
introduces
and explores
the notes of
the raga.
• There is a
drone played
by the
Tanpura but
no tabla
drums.
• Sitar plays
faster and
more
melodic.
• Tanpura
plays the
drone.
• Still no
tabla
drums.
• The tabla enters, • More
creating a clear
improvisation,
sense of pulse.
faster and
• This section is
more
often based on a
virtuosic
pre-composed
(which means
idea (Tala)
the
which the
performers
melody
try and show
instrument uses
off all of their
as a basis for
skills).
improvisation.
Cascades of
• The music builds
scales and
in excitement.
intricate
rhythms.
Use a different colour pen
 Now answer the same questions on the sheet that
you used in Task 1 using a different colour pen.
 What do you know now that you didn’t know at the
start of the lesson?
Listening test
 Answer the questions