Music for Small Ensemble - India

How is the Music for Small Ensable for Indian music called?

Hindustani music

Name all of the instruments

• Sitar → plucked strings

• Sarangi → bowed strigs

• Bansuri → bamboo flute

• Tempura → plays drone, similar to sitar

• Tabla → drums played with fingers

What instrument is this?

Sitar

What instrument is this?

Sarangi

What instrument is this?

Bansuri

What instrument is this?

Tempura

What instrument is this?

Tabla

What is the texture?

Heterphonic → each musician plays same melody but adds its own ornaments

State the composition structure

Alap → Gat → Jhala

State an define the first section

• Alap

• Solo instrument introduces notes of the raga (scale)

• Slow and improvised section

• No drums

• Only accompaniment is the drone (tempura)

State and describe the second section

• Gat

• Composed section

• Regular rythmic cycle because the TABLA starts to play

• Repeated melody since it’s composed

State and describe the last section

• Jhala

• Improvised

• The performers plays fast and difficult music (to show off)

What is the tonality?

Raga

What is the rhythm?

Tala → each Tala has a set number of beats (ex. 8)

What are the features of Hindustani Music?

• Pitch bending → when strings are pulled to change the pitch of the note slightly (microtones)

• Ornaments → decorating of the melody by adding extra notes

• Instruments

• Improvistaion → ONLY for Alap and Jhala