World Map Physical Features The World Eurasia India Sitar Northern India Sitar playing position Sitar close up of frets Sitar multiple views Vina or Veena Southern India Vina playing position Tabla North Indian Tabla playing position Mridangam South Indian Mridangam playing position Pakhavaj North Indian Sarod North Indian Sarod Sarod playing position Tampura Tanpura Tambura Tampura playing position Santoor Bansuri Indian Classical Performance Improvisation not pre composed Pitch based on Raga scales but more Rhythm based on Tala meters but more Process of unfolding the Raga movement from low to high rhythmic movement from slow to fast Roles of the Performers Veena south or Sitar north leader soloist Tambura drone primary pitches Tabla north or Mridangam south rhythm and secondary soloist Other secondary soloists Sarod etc may be added Organization of the Improvisation Alap opening section free rhythm no drums establishes the Raga Jor Jod drums enter regular rhythm Tala established Jahla fast virtuosic concluding section Gat fixed pre composed tune featured in last section Two Classical Improvisations YouTube Ravi Shankar on the Dick Cavett S how 4 46 YouTube Ustad Shahid Parvez 6 03 Pitch Emphasis on the melodic single notes in time Asthagi emphasis on home Antara moving upward Abhog home again Octave divides into 22 steps West uses 12 RAGA Like a western scale but MORE Not just pitch but HOW one moves through them May include specific melodic patterns May ascend and descend in different ways Usually 5 7 notes ordered hierarchically Raga cont d SA home Vadi King drone MA 4th or PA 5th second level Samvadi Minister drone Anuvadi Svaras third level Servants define the raga Vivadi svaras foreign notes Enemies not to be used Classification of Ragas Over 120 000 ragas claimed Better described as a few hundred families Most performers know only a few dozen Associated and controlled by externals season of year time of day mood evoked Some Classical Improvisations YouTube Ustad Amjad Ali Khan Vol 2 Live At Pune 47 02 Sarod YouTube Live at Pune Pt Shiv Kumar Shar ma and Ustad Zakir Hussein 1 00 Santur RHYTHM Based on Rhythmic cycles similar to Meter but much MORE Division of time by regular beats MATRA 1st beat of cycle most important SAM One group of beats measure VIBHAG not all cycles of equal weight Complete cycle AVARTAN Each cycle a unique pattern TAL or TALA SOME DIFFERENT TALA Teental 16 4 4 4 4 most common Adachautal 14 2 4 4 4 Adi Tal 8 4 2 2 Dadra tal 6 3 3 Ektal 12 2 2 2 2 2 2 Jhaptal 10 2 3 2 3 Rupak Tal 7 3 2 2 Sultal 10 2 3 2 3 COUNTING TALA Not all Matra beats are equal 1st beat of cycle most important SAM Not all Vibhag measures are equal Tali clap strong beginning to Vibhag Khali wave weak beginning to Vibhag Remainder of Matra in Vibhag counted on fingers begin w little finger COUNTING TEENTAL CLAP 2 3 4 CLAP 2 3 4 WAVE 2 3 4 CLAP 2 3 4 COUNTING ADI TAL CLAP 2 3 4 WAVE 2 WAVE 2 COUNTING DADRA TAL CLAP 2 3 WAVE 2 3 COUNTING JHAPTAL CLAP 2 CLAP 2 3 WAVE 2 CLAP 2 3 COUNTING RUPAK TAL WAVE 2 3 CLAP 2 CLAP 2 Tabla playing position TABLA Tabla on the right Duggi on the left Modern Tabla bolt tuned List price 418 on sale 313 plus S H Learning Playing Tabla Taught by rote no written music used Variety of strokes area of drum head struck finger s used manner of stroke Taught Mnenomically with Bols Ex Dha Din Ga Ta Na Ti Ka Tin Tu etc YouTube video Web Video Examples of Tala Website Basic Technique of Tabla YouTube Zakir Hussain lecture and demonstration of tabla YouTube 1 Tabla Basics Basic sound Na YouTube 2 Tabla Basics Basic sound Tha YouTube 3 Tabla Basics Basic sound Thun YouTube 4 Tabla Basics Basic sound Thi YouTube 5 Tabla Basics Basic sound ghe YouTube Ustad Zakir Hussain Vintage Teental Solo David Courtney Videos YouTube Introduction to the Tabla Part 1 Bol and Gharana skip to about 1 25 to begin YouTube Introduction to the Tabla Part 2Parts and Tuning YouTube Introduction to the Tabla Part 3 Sitting Hand Position Learning Music in India Master pupil one to one relationship Emphasis on Rote learning perfection of technique Master North Ustad Master South Guru YouTube George Harrison s sitar lesson with Ravi Shankar Reflects history of India