creative, in-the-moment musical composition

musical notes used to make a composition (from Sanskrit language meaning ‘to colour’)

how loud or quiet the music is played or sung

Sanskrit word meaning essence (of a piece of music)

VIDEO 4 - add improvisations in the gaps

VIDEO 1 - Improvisation follows a strict set of rules

British English CC

VIDEO 3 - improvisation examples

VIDEO 2 - sing Raag Bhupali melody

VIDEO 6 - slow impro 1

VIDEO 7 - slow impro 2

VIDEO 8 - impro 3

VIDEO 5 - rasa and Raag Bhimpalasi

Audio 1 1,2,1

Hi Lo Chickalo

Improvising using a five note raag

Music

This unit explores the three main components of Hindustani classical music. Pupils hear rhythmic patterns played on the tabla drums and learn how to recite a taal using the spoken mnemonic syllables (bols). They create texture by adding an improvised raag using five notes, and finally add a drone.

Compose and Create: improvising within Hindustani classical music

We can use any notes to improvise in Hindustani classical music. 

We can use any notes in a set raag to improvise in Hindustani classical music. 

We don't always know what our improvisations will sound like until we've played.

We can change tempo and change dynamics when we improvise.

Which three of the following are true statements?

creating music that hasn't been written down or played yet

Sanskrit word meaning 'juice' or 'essence', emotion felt in music/art

Ras or rasa is the Sanskrit word meaning 'essence' or emotion felt in a piece of art like our improvisations. Which two musical elements have we explored to suggest an emotion?

Use just two or three notes from the raag. 

Which piece of advice would be useful to someone starting to improvise using a raag? 

What is the name of the musical structure that is like a question and answer?

Match these musical elements to their meaning:

We can play the raag on a pitched instrument. 

the ascending notes in a raag (going up in pitch)

the descending notes in a raag (going down in pitch)

the name for the singing notes in Hindustani music - from Sa Re Ga ma

Match these Hindustani classical musical words to their meaning:

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

Improvising using a five note raag

Lesson outcome

This lesson will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.