Indian Classical Music has three main layers.  Quite often there can be just three performers in an Indian Classical Music ensemble.  Sometimes there might be more, but there will still only be three main layers.  If there are more than three performers, it just means the parts are being doubled.

The layers in Indian Classical Music are...

Raga

The Raga forms the melody in Indian Classical Music.  A Raga is very similar to a musical scale and there are 100s of them!  Each Raga will contain short musical phrases.  Large parts of the Raga are also improvised by the performer.  The Raga is usually performed on the Sitar (see further down the page for more information).  Sometimes the Raga is performed on a wind instrument, such as the Bansuri (see further down the page for more information).

A Raga will usually contain the following features...

• String bends (or pitch bends).

• Playing fast runs (scalic).

• Glissandos (slides)

• Ornamentation.

• Improvisation

Drone

A drone is a repeated note or a series of tow or three repeated notes.  It is called a drone because it sounds as if the notes are constantly droning on in the background of a piece of music.  In Indian Classical Music, the Drone creates the harmony (the accompaniment).  This means Indian Classical Music does not use chords like we would expect to hear in Western music.  The Drone is usually performed on the Tanpura (see further down the page for more information).

Tala

The Tala is the name given to the rhythmic pattern used in Indian Classical Music.  It can be very complex!  Just like with the Raga, there are 100s of different Tala's and performers will improvise around them.  The Tala is performed on the Tabla (see further down the page for more information).  Performers learn the Tala by using words and syllables associated with each beat of the Tala and different parts of the Tabla; the first beat of the Tala is know as the sam and it is the most important beat, so it is played with an accent.

These are the most common instruments used in Indian Classical Music.  If you are asked to identify the instruments used in a piece of Indian Classical Music, you will get a mark for identifying these instruments...

Sitar

The Sitar is a large string instrument, used to perform the Raga.  The sitar has approximately 20 strings!  The number of strings can vary but only 7 of them are ever plucked!  The performer will use four strings to play the improvised melody, three of them will be played as open strings (creating a drone sound) and the remaining strings are 'sympathetic' strings.  Sympathetic strings are not played, instead they are left to vibrate and resonate as the instrument is played.  This helps to create the distinctive shimmering sound of the Sitar.  Click here to see a Sitar being performed and hear what it sounds like.

Tanpura

The Tanpura is another string instrument.  It has four strings and it is used to perform the Drone.  The Drone adds harmony (accompaniment) to Indian Classical Music.  There are no chords like in Western music - just the Drone and Raga.  Click here to see a Tanpura being performed and hear what it sounds like.

Tabla

The Tabla is a set of small hand drums; there is a large drum and a small drum.  The Tabla plays the Tala (the rhythmic pattern).  Skilled Tabla players can create many different sounds, by hitting different parts of the drum with different parts of their hands.  The rhythmic patterns used in Indian Classical Music can sound very complex!  Click here to see the Tabla being performed and hear what it sounds like.  Notice how the performer 'speaks' the beat before playing it?  This is how Indian Classical Musicians learn from one performer to another.

Bansuri

Sometimes, the Raga will be performed on a wind instrument either as well as or instead of the Sitar.  If Indian Classical Music features in your exam and you can hear a wind instrument in the extract, identify the wind instrument as the Bansuri.  The Bansuri is a bamboo flue.  Click here to see the Bansuri being performed and hear what it sounds like.

Indian Classical Music is usually in three sections.  These sections can vary in length and can change from one performance to the next due to the improvised nature of Indian Classical Music.

In your exam, the extract of music you will listen to will usually be no longer than 90 seconds, so you will never hear an entire section!  However, you might be asked to identify the section you are listening to or sections if the extract features a transition from one section to another.

These are the three sections of Indian Classical Music and how to identify them...

Alap (opening section)

This section is slow and heavily improvised.  The Tala does not feature in this section, so it is free time (there is no fixed pulse or tempo).  The only parts that feature in this section is the Raga and the Drone.

Gat (the Tabla enters)

The Tabla player starts playing in this section, meaning there is now a clear sense of pulse and tempo.  Some fixed phrases will probably be played but there is still lots of improvisation.

Jhala (fast and exciting final section)

The music in this section builds in excitement.  The Raga and the Tala becomes much more complex and virtuosic.  The music builds to a climatic end.

Here are a few examples of Indian Classical performances.  Can you identify the parts being played and the instruments they are being played on?  Can you hear how the performance progresses from the Alap to the Gat and then the Jhala.