Alap
Non-pulsatile melodic introduction in Indian music
Alapana
Non-pulsatile melodic introduction in Indian music
Anga
Beat grouping in South Indian Meter
Anupallavi
Contrasting section in South Indian vocal forms
Arohana/Avarohana
Ascending/Descending Scale in India
Avarta
Tala cycle in North Indian meter
Avritti
Tala cycle in South Indian meter
Bansuri
Indian transverse bamboo flute
Baul
Religion/Ethnic group in Bengal and Bangladesh
Bhajan
Composes South Indian devotional songs
Bin
North Indian classical stick zither
Bols
Indian Drumming Syllables
Caranam
section in South Indian vocal forms
Carnatic
The main style of classical music in southern India
Chalan
Melodic synopsis of Raga
Cinna Melm
Folk ensemble from Kerala, India
Desh
Either:
-A major chord with a descending bassline
-Sanskrit for nation or country
Dha
An Indian drumming syllable
Dhin
An Indian drumming syllable
Dhrupad
Long classical North Indian vocal form
Dhrupad
Long classical North Indian vocal form
Drone
Long, unchanging tone essential to Indian music
Drone
Long, unchanging tone essential to Indian music
Filmi
Songs originating in popular films
Gamak(a)
Characteristic ornamentation in Indian raga performance
Gat
Metered part of North Indian instrumental performance
Gharana
Music teaching tradition in India
Hindustani
Tradition of North Indian music
Hindustani Khyal
A form of vocal Hindustani music in which there is a strong focus on emotion and improvisation
Improvisation
Extemporaneous decisions in musical performance
Jhala
Indian technique of interpolating drone pitches between melody notes
Jor
Quasi-pulsatile section in Hindustani music.
Karnatic
The main style of classical music in southern India
Khali
Deemphasized beat in Indian tala cycle
Khamaj
-One of the ten parent scales (Thaats)
-Specific Raga in Khamaj Thaat
Khamak
Baul string drum
Khyal
A style of Hindustani classical singing in which there is much improvisation.
Kirtana
South Indian vocal form
Komal
Lowered Indian scale step
Kriti
South Indian vocal form
Ma
Japanese aesthetic principle; Refers to open space
Mantras
Repeated spiritual textual formula
Melakarta
-South Indian scale system
-Seven-note scale used in Ragas
Mrdangam
Double-headed cylindrical drum of South India
Natyasastra
Ancient Indian text of music and drama theory
Ni
Seventh scale degree in Indian music
Ni Komal
The seventh scale degree lowered one semitone
Niraval
South Indian vocal improvisational style
Ni Shuddh
The seventh scale degree in indian music
Pakar
Characteristic motive in Indian raga
Pakhavaj
Double-headed cylindrical classical drum of North India
Pallavi
South Indian vocal refrain
Pallavi-Anupallavi
A section of music containing the refrain (Pallavi) and a contrasting section (Anupallavi)
Pallavi-Caranam
A section of music containing the refrain (Pavalli) and verse (Caranam)
Rag
Basis of melodic improvisation in India
Raga
Basis of melodic improvisation in India
Raga Khamaj
A specific improvisational scale based on the Khamaj Thaat
Ragam
The first section of a Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi piece
Ragamala
Collection of paintings symbolically illustrating Indian raga
Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi
A long South Indian vocal form
Rasa
Indian aesthetic emotion
Re
The second scale degree in Indian music
Ri
Term for the second scale degree in South India
Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni
Solfege syllables in Indian music
Sam
First beat of the Indian tala cycle
Samvadi
Secondary stressed pitch in Indian raga
Sarangi
Indian bowed lute
Sarod
Indian plucked lute
Shahnai
Indian double-reed instrument
Shuddh
Notation symbol that indicates that a pitch should be lowered one semitone
Sitar
Indian fretted plucked lute
Sokattu
Pattern of South Indian drumming syllables
Sruti
Microtone or step in Indian tuning system
Sruti Box
South Indian reed organ used as a drone instrument
Svara
Scale steps in Indian music
Svara Kalpana
South Indian vocal improvisation on solfege
Ta
Indian drumming syllable
Tabla
Pair of Indian hand drums
Tala
Indian metrical system
Tali
The first beat of Vibhag (Section of a Tala) that are neither Sam (First, emphasized beat) or Khali (Unemphasized beat)
Tambura
Fretless lute for playing drones in India (North India)
Tanpura
Fretless lute for playing drones in India (South India)
Tanam
Quasi-pulsatile section which follows the Ragam in the Ragam-Tanam-Pallavi format
Taraf
Indian sympathetic strings
Tarana
North Indian vocal form
That
North Indian scale
Theka
Pattern of North Indian drumming syllables
Thumri
North Indian light classical romantic songs
Tillana
South Indian vocal form to accompany dance
Tin
Indian drumming syllable