GCSE music: Rag Desh

Version 1:

by anoushka shankar

background infomation-

• traditionally played at night
• also known as the rainy season or the moonsoon raga
• the is a romantic mood
• the sitar and the tabla are mainly used.

tonality-

• the piece is based on the notes of the raga

structure-

• alap
• gat 1
• gat 2

• this version is based on a 10 beat cycle (2+3+2+3)

The Alap-

• the music starts slowly with no sence of pulse
• rymthms are free and inprovised
• there is some decoration of the notes

Gat 1-

• tempo- medium speed
• more decoration is added to the notes
• tabla entres in the final section of the Gat
• this adds decoration to the basic pattern. this gives us rythmic and melodic improvisation.
• tabla improvises triplets

Gat 2

• this is faster than the previous and uses a 16 beat cycle (4+4+4+4)

instuments: bansuri (indian flute), tambura, tabla, esraj (bowed intrument)

structure:

-alap

-Gat 1

<--- tambura

Version 2-

'Mhara Janam Maran'- tanwar

background infomation-

• this song tells us of the tender waiting in longing anticipation for the arival of lord Krishna in the morning
• devotion/ romantic theme

Instruments-

• voice
• sarangi
• 
• sarod
• 

slow and unmesured (free tempo)

drone is established by tambura

bansuri then comes in taking up the notes from the rag

the music develops into short fragments

<--bansuri

• tabla

tonality-

• based on the notes of the rag

structure

• alap
• bhajan ( A Bhajan is any type of Indian devotional song. It has no fixed form)

slow tempo

the tal (rythmic cycle) here is RUPACK TAL (7 beats) this is played by the tabla

bansuri and tabla do lots of improvisation in this section

  music becomes more agitated as the piece goes on as improvisation takes over from the gat while the tabla player embelishs origional tala pattern (tala= rythm)

instuments: bansuri (indian flute), tambura, tabla, esraj (bowed intrument)

structure:

-alap

-Gat 1

<--- tambura

slow and unmesured (free tempo)

drone is established by tambura

bansuri then comes in taking up the notes from the rag

the music develops into short fragments

<--bansuri

keywords-

sam- the first beat of the rythmic cycle

jhalla- a striking rythmic effect created when the drone strings are strummed on the sitar

chand- improvised in triplets

madhyalaya- medium speed tempo

instuments: bansuri (indian flute), tambura, tabla, esraj (bowed intrument)

structure:

-alap

-Gat 1

<--- tambura

• pakhawaj

slow tempo

the tal (rythmic cycle) here is RUPACK TAL (7 beats) this is played by the tabla

bansuri and tabla do lots of improvisation in this section

  music becomes more agitated as the piece goes on as improvisation takes over from the gat while the tabla player embelishs origional tala pattern (tala= rythm)

Rythm, metre and tempo

• this is an eight beat cycle (2+2+2+2)

Alap-

• short intro
• sarod player and singer perform a melody in free time based on the notes of the rag

bhajan-

• this is a FIXED composition
• verse/ chorus form
• tabla joins in
• solos by sarod and sarangi
• the dynamics and tempo increace and music becomes more exiting