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| Term |
Meaning |
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|
| Meend |
Glissando, glide from one note to another, faintly going over the
intermediate notes. |
| Mishra Raga |
Mixture of two or more ragas. |
| Mridangam |
Two-faced cylindrical percussion instrument used by Carnatic (South
Indian) musicians. |
| Mukhdas |
First line of a song or composition. |
| Naqsh |
Impressive (Literally) - a feature of qawwali |
| NomTom |
Syllables employed in development of a Raga in alaap/alapchari. |
| Pakhawaj |
A cylindrical percussion drum instrument, right side having a treble face
and the left side the bass. This instrument is for solo playing and also accompanies the
Dhrupad singers. |
| Pandit |
Honorary title given to an expert. |
| Parampara |
Tradition. |
| Prabandha |
Perfectly composed piece of music. |
| Pukar |
A musical intonation using higher notes. |
| Purab ang |
Characteristics of style of music prevalent in the eastern Uttar Pradesh
e.g. Benaras |
| Raga |
Aesthetically pleasing (Literal). The basis of Indian Classical Music,
raga is a musical structure of five or more notes with an identity and mood. |
| Raga Lakshana |
Notes and other features which prominently indicate a raga. |
| Raga Vistar |
Elaboration of a raga. |
| Riyaz |
Practice. |
| Sadhana |
Practice with devotion. |
| Sadra |
Khayal composition set to slow Jhaptala. |
| Samay |
Time - period. |
| Sangeet |
Sam (together) + Geet (Song); earlier included vocal, instrumental and
dance but now used only to refer to music. |
| Sangeet Natak Academi |
A prominent body consisting of eminent people of Music, Dance and Drama. |
| Sammelan |
Conference |
| Sarangi |
A bowed string instrument without frets. |
| Sargam |
Sol -fas. |
| Sarod |
A popular stringed instrument without frets. |
| Shastriya Sangeet |
Classical music |
| Shehnai |
A wind instrument resembling clarionet. |
| Shishya |
Disciple. |
| Shruti |
Micro Notes |
| Sitar |
A popular stringed instrument with frets. |
| Soz |
Emotional appeal; a kind of composition (Qawali) sung in praise of Hasan
Hussain |
| Sufis |
Muslim saints and a community. |
| Surshree |
An honourable title given to an eminent lady musician. |
| Taan |
Musical notes rendered with speed weaving different patterns. |
| Taan Pradhan |
Prominence of taans. |
| Taan Samrat |
A title awarded to musicians who excel in the rendering of taans. |
| Tabla |
A pair of drums, the treble is played by the right hand while the left
hand plays the bass. |
| Tala |
Rhythm - cycle containing a particular number of beats. |
| Talim |
Training, process of learning / teaching. |
| Tanpura |
A drone instrument , usually of four strings and is commonly used by vocal
musicians. |
| Tap Khayal |
A blend of Khayal and Tappa. |
| Tappa |
A semi-art music developed in Punjab, created by Shori Mian - and later
evolved into an intricate semi classical style with bol and taan thickly knitted at every
possible step. |
| Tarana |
Idiom / composition using musical syllables based on Persian and Arabic
phonemes. |
| Thaat |
10 different sets of musical scales with seven primary notes in order of
ascent and in sequence only to help categorise the maximum number of Hindustani ragas
under it. |
| Thumri |
Popular semi classical idiom. |
| Trivat |
Idiom / composition with three prominent features - sargam, bols of tabla
and tarana. |
| Upanishads |
Old Hindu scriptures. |
| Urdu |
A composite Hindi-Arabic language evolved by Moghul soldiers ; mother
tongue of Muslims and popular for its lyrical beauty. |
| Ustad |
Guru, Expert, honorary title given to a learned musician. |
| Vedas |
Earliest Hindu scriptures. |
| Vedangas |
Associated with Vedas (Old Hindu scripture). |
| Vilambit |
Slow tempo. |
| Vistaar |
Elaboration of a group of notes in a particular raga. |
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