a rhythm cycle that measures musical time in Indian music

a spoken syllable used to recite the rhythm (from ‘bolna’, the Hindi word for ‘speak’)

a set of two drums on which the taal is played with the hands

1,  1,2,1

Hi Lo Chickalo

Samir introduces the components of Hindustani classical music

Hear the taal, raag and drone together

A drone played on the tanpura

Raag Bhimpalasi played on a sitar

Taal Ektaal played on the tabla drums

Raag Bhimpilasi audio clip

Taal on tabla audio clip

Jeevan explains how the bols represent the sounds the tabla drums make.

Samir introduces saying the bol using Rupak Taal

Practising Rupak Taal with Samir

Adding the wave and the claps to Rupak Taal

Samir introduces Teentaal

Counting and speaking the bols for Teentaal with Samir

Samir adds the claps and the wave to speaking the bols in Teentaal

Adding the claps and the wave to speaking the bols in Teentaal

Clapping or chanting to a tabla playing a 16 beat cycle

Playing taals and speaking bols

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

a stringed instrument from India on which the raag is commonly played

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

the seven notes in Indian classical music - Sa, Re, Ga, ma, Pa, Dha, Ni

VIDEO 1 - Jasdeep Singh Degun and the sitar

VIDEO 2 What is a raag? Using a combination of notes

AUDIO 1 - Jasdeep singing the saptak

VIDEO 3 - Teacher student tradition - Introducing SARGAM

AUDIO 2 - Sing the saptak along to the sitar

VIDEO 5 - Playing the saptak on a glockenspiel - and singing

VIDEO 6 - Raag Bhupali - Explaining the aaroh and avroh

VIDEO 7 - Raag Bhupali on a glockenspiel - the aaroh and avroh

VIDEO 4 - Playing the saptak on a glockenspiel - ascending and descending

AUDIO - 1, 1,2,1

VIDEO - Hi Lo Chickalo

Singing and playing raags

the name for the singing notes in Hindustani classical music

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

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

AUDIO 1 - Raag Bhupali aaroh and avaro

VIDEO 2 - Jasdeep teaches us a sung melody in Raag Bhupali

VIDEO 1 - Singing and playing aaroh and avroh using glockenspiel

AUDIO 2 - Jasdeep sings a melody in Raag Bhupali

Example B - playing and singing the melody

First phrase of the melody - on glockenspiel

Second phrase of the melody - on glockenspiel

Example A - playing and singing the melody

Audio - 1, 1,2,1

Singing and playing a melody in a five note raag

creative, in-the-moment musical composition

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

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

Improvising using a five note raag

a series of notes that inspire a composition (from Sanskrit language meaning ‘to colour’)

a spoken syllable used to recite the rhythm (from 'bolna', the Hindi word for 'speak'.

the combination of different layers of sounds

Compose and Create: improvising within Hindustani classical music

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These lessons will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.