Raga
The melodic basis of Indian classical music. Each raga has infinite possibilities of variation, and a skilful performer can extend improvised and composed material from a few minutes to well over an hour. The origin of the word, from a Sanskrit root meaning colour, suggests that a raga is more than a musical idea. Its correct rendition must instil a certain mood in its listeners, creating aesthetic delight (rasa), and ragas have been associated with paintings and poetic aphorisms in the thousand or so years of their existence. In the North Indian tradition of Hindustani music, ragas are also assigned to particular times of the day or night, and, in many cases, also to seasons of the year. Each raga must be distinguishable from all others, whether in the Hindustani or the southern tradition of Carnatic music. A minimum of five pitches must be used, up to twelve, although microtonal variations can increase this number in practice and serve as further distinguishing features. The notes are arranged into ascending and descending melodic sequences, and certain notes are emphasized more than others, so that a modal hierarchy is established. Some ragas employ obligatory embellishments of one or more notes. Attempts to classify the hundreds of ragas in existence (although a musician will probably not regularly perform more than about twenty or so) are usually according to the scale, but this should not lead to the belief that a raga is primarily a scale. Dozens of ragas may employ the same scale, while others will share other features and melodic configurations, but in completely different scales. How a raga relates to others, yet retains its unique features is one of the subtlest aspects of Indian music, and can only be learned through dedicated listening and practice.
Sitar
North Indian stringed instrument of the lute family, used widely in Hindustani classical music. The sitar is believed to have been introduced to India from Persia during the Mughal period (seh-tar, Persian “three-stringed”), and some scholars have credited its invention to Amir Khusru, a distinguished court musician of the 13th century. Somewhat smaller than the ancient vina, the other major stringed instrument of India, the sitar is usually made of teak, with a resonating chamber originally made from a seasoned gourd but in modern forms typically of jackwood. The straight neck supports a wide fingerboard with 16-20 slightly curved, movable frets of brass or silver, which are positioned by the player according to the requirements of the raga to be performed. A second smaller resonating bowl is sometimes attached under the top of the neck. There are seven strings of steel and brass, four used for the melody, three to supply a drone and rhythmic accompaniment. These are played with a wire plectrum or mizrab. A further set of 11-19 tuneable steel sympathetic strings add body and texture to the sound through their resonance, although they are occasionally plucked with the little finger. The sitar is a versatile instrument with a fine, silvery sound, able to express the slow, lyrical development of ragas as well as being suited to brilliant virtuoso playing.
Sarod
Indian stringed instrument widely used in recitals of Hindustani classical music. It may have evolved from the central Asian rabab or be a descendent of a whole variety of ancient lutes depicted in the Buddhist frescoes at Ajanta and sculptures from the 1st century AD at Amaravati. The Sarod is a squat instrument with a wooden body and bowl covered in parchment and a short neck holding a steel plate fingerboard. A small metal resonance bowl is attached under the top of the fingerboard. It is fretless and has 4 to 6 strings for the melody and several strings to carry the drone. It also has a set of sympathetic strings, like the sitar, known as tarab. These strings are not plucked but provide richness of sound by their resonance. The Sarod is plucked with a triangular wooden or ivory plectrum. It produces a powerful, vibrant sound and is usually played as a solo instrument. It was popularised in this century by the musician Allauddin Khan.
Sarangi
The main bowed instrument of north India. The term applies to a specific type which figures prominently in Hindustani music, but is also something of a generic term for fiddles in the folk traditions of the region. The classical sarangi is made from a single block of wood, usually tun wood (Cedrela toona, a kind of cedar) and is approximately 66 to 69 cm (26 to 27 in) in length. At the base of the body is a string-holder, and at the top is a double peg-box. The side of the neck also accommodates pegs for most of the metal sympathetic strings, which are a main feature of the instrument, and usually number up to 36. The resonator is covered with goatskin, and is indented on each side, more markedly on the (player's) left. The player sits cross-legged and rests the sarangi against his left shoulder. The three gut playing strings (there is sometimes a fourth, of brass) are not stopped with the tips of the fingers, but instead with the nails, so that they are pressed from the side rather than from above. This technique, although by no means confined to India, is ideally suited to the demands of Indian music, which emphasizes slides, trills, and other ornaments. The bow is held in the right hand, palm upwards. The sound of the sarangi is generally considered to come closest to that of the human voice, and its main role has been to accompany singing. It came into prominence as a classical instrument probably at around the same time as the main vocal style, known as khyal, during the 18th century. Since the 1950s it has become established as a solo instrument in its own right, mainly through the efforts of Pandit Ram Narayan, and achieved worldwide popularity (although sarangi playing is still essentially a male preserve). Its uniquely expressive and plaintive sound makes it the favourite instrument for tearful scenes in films and also for occasions of state mourning, but it also suffers from the stigma of having been associated with dancing girls and low-caste performers. Its role as an accompanying instrument has been all but usurped by the small Indian harmonium. The sheer difficulty of tuning and playing it, and the demise of the skill of making good instruments, also conspire against its survival. This has been recognized in the past few years by Indian music authorities, and some steps have been taken to prevent its extinction.
Tabla
Percussion instrument of North India, widely used in Hindustani classical music. The instrument consists of two drums, the dagga or bayan, shaped like a teacup and played with the left hand and the slightly taller, tuneable right-hand or dayan drum, to which the name Tabla formally refers. The origin of the Tabla is uncertain. It has been suggested that it developed from the Persian tabl drum, brought to India by the Mughals, and some have credited the 13th-century court musician Amir Khusru with its invention. It may, however, have derived from the ancient mridanga, as pairs of drums are represented in sculptures predating the Mughal period. The dagga is made of clay or metal, usually copper or steel; the higher-pitched Tabla of hollowed wood. Both are covered in hide stretched taut by braces and with a permanent loading on the top of black paste (syadhi) consisting of finely ground iron powder, charcoal, and wheat flour. This loading, central on the Tabla, eccentric on the dagga, is vital in dampening the unwanted tambourine-like sound of the struck leather. The right-hand Tabla drum is tuned by adjusting the position of wooden blocks between the sides and the braces that stretch the leather covering. The drums are placed erect on the ground and struck with the fingers or the full hand. The Tabla is able to provide a range of sound with light, rapid, and complex rhythmic sequences supported by the deep, expressive sound of the full-hand strike on the centre of the dagga. It is played both as a solo instrument and, more often, as an accompaniment to other instruments such as the sitar. Most performances, however, include a solo slot for the accompanist to demonstrate his or her virtuosity.
The dholak
The dholak is a double sided drum. The body of the instrument is made of one piece of wood. Hollow, the body has two opertures of different size, one, small, that will generate high pitched sounds and another, wider, for low pitched sounds.
The walls of the instrument are 2/3 centimetres thick and give it stability in the low frequencies.
The two skins are stretched together by iron clad.
The dholak is the main accompaniment instrument of the Qawwali
The Harmonium
The harmonium is a Western instrument adapted for Indian music, It is mainly used in the accompaniment of Khyal, Thumri and Qawwali. The instrument has 42 black and white keys, corresponding to the equal temperament of Western music. The musician plays it with the right hand, and the left hand activates the bellow of the instrument. This instrument poses some problem in Indian classical music, as its temper is equal, and do not match the unequal temper of Indian ragas It is however used as an accompaniment in replacement of sarangi.
