Set Work 11: Rag Desh

Focus

• Use of Rag – comparison of 3 pieces• Drone• Tala• Instrumentation• Technical playing devices• Compare and contrast (similarities as well as

differences)

Rag notesNOTES ASCENDING

C

Sa

D

Re

F

Ma

G

Pa

B

Ni

C

Sa

NOTES DESCENDING

C

Sa

Bb

Ni

A

Dha

G

Pa

F

Ma

E

Ga

D

Re

C

Sa

You do not need to be able to quote the notes of the ragBut be aware that the notes of the scale change on the way up and down

Drone

• Sound usually heard first• Stating tonic note Sa• The drone can often use 2 notes – usually tonic

and dominant notes• Drone often played these days by electronic box• Traditionally played by tanpura/tambura• This instrument has no frets and only 4-6

strings.

Drone use..Anoushka Shankar (sitar) Chiranji Lal Tanwar (voice) Steve Gorn and Benji

WertheimerNo tanpura/tambura so no drone part

Drone strings on the sitar (sympathetic strings) are strummed to give added rhythmic effect called jhalla in the last part of the piece

No Tanpura/tambura Drone at start of Part 1 (Alap) provides notes Sa and Pa (tonic and dominant)

Sa and Pa in this case are D and A at concert pitch

Tala

• Rhythmic cycles in Indian music• Tals or tala• Most common 6, 7, 8, 10 or 12 or 16 beats long• The beats are grouped into units of 2, 3 or 4 beats• Clap or wave on beats – clap on strong beats, wave

on weak beats• Beat one is called Sam• Beats are called matras• Each tala has a different name

Tala used in Gat when tabla playAnouhka Shankar Chiranji Lal Tanwar Steve Gorn and Benjy

WertheimerJhaptal tal (10 beats)

Enters 0.58

Tintal (16 beats)

Enters 5.02

Keherwa tal (8 beats)

Enters 0.50

Rupak tal (7 beats)

Enters in part 2 at 0.31

Ektal tal (12 beats)

Enters in part 3 at 0.10 – this is when the sam is heard after a tihai

Instruments in Anoushka Shankar’s version

Sitar

Tabla

Chiranji Lal Tanwar’s versionCymbals

Sarod

Voice

Pakhawaj

Tabla

Sarangi

Benjy Wertheimer and Steve Gorn’s version

Esraj

Bansuri

Tabla

Tambura

Playing Devices and Techniques

• Improvisation• Meend – sliding between notes• Tan – rapid scalic flourishes on sitar/sarod or sarangi –

virtuosic and used in later sections of Raga• Drone• Dialoguing between solo and tabla• Chand – triplets• Tihai – mark end of sections with 3 repeated phrases• Jhalla – striking rhythmic effect from strumming• Bols - Syncopated rhythm patterns independent of beat

Devices

MELODIC RHYTHMICImprovisation BolsMeend ChandTan Tihai

Jhalla (played by a stringed instrument not drums)

Dialoguing Dialoguing