GCSE Music Revision 2014

1. GCSE Music Revision 2014 Area of Study 4: Rag Desh

2. Indian Music: Context & Background • A long history lasting over 2000 years • Close links with Hinduism & Indian philosophy • Many Hindu gods are worshiped through performance of raga (Indian melody) • The god Shiva is associated with music & dance • This set work is taken from the Indian Classical Tradition of Northern India

3. Rag Desh: The Oral Tradition • Indian music is not written down – music is learnt through listening & playing by ear • Skills are passed on through generations of a family through a system known as gharana • Indian music is always learnt via a master – pupil system

4. Rag Desh: Elements of a raga • Melody – improvised from notes of a particular rag. Sung by a voice or played by instrument • Drone – a supporting “drone” usually of one or two notes provided by the tambura • Rhythm – a repetitive, cyclic rhythm pattern played by the tabla drums

5. Rag Desh: The Rag • The rag is the set melody on which the music is improvised (think of it as a cross between a selection of pitches and a scale) • There are over 200 different rags in existence, each has a particular mood • The chosen rag will be used as the musical material in a full raga performance

6. Rag Desh: Rhythm & Drone accompaniment • The rag melody is always supported by a supportive drone – usually the tonic & dominant notes • The drone adds to the texture • The rhythm is provided by small tabla drums (below • Rhythmic cycles are known as the tala, the most common is called the teental, made up of 16 matras(beats) • The first beat of a cycle is known as sam

7. Rag Desh: The Sitar • Seven principal strings • Two strings used as drone notes • Sympathetic strings are loose fretted strings which vibrate when the top strings are plucked • Meend – the technique of sliding between notes or interval • Tan – playing rapid scale like melodies

8. Rag Desh: Structure