Indian Musical Terms
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Select the first letter of the word from the list above to jump to appropriate section of the glossary.
b (B) – See also “safed saat”). A pitch of the Western scale. Depending upon which octave one is considering, it may have the frequency of: 30.87Hz, 61.74Hz, 123.47Hz, 246.94Hz, 493.88Hz, 987.77Hz, 1975.53Hz, 3951.07Hz, or 79.02.13Hz.
b# (B#) – See “B-sharp”. The same as C, so many people object to this designation.
bb (Bb) – B-flat. See also “A-sharp” or “kali panch”.
b-flat – See also “kali panch”, or A-sharp”.
b-sharp – This has a significance in Western musical theory, but is completely irrelevant to Indian music. B-sharp is just another name for C.
baaj – See “baj”.
baaz – See “baj”.
bada kheyal – (lit. “large”). The slow movement of a kheyal.
bade ghulam ali khan – (1902-1968) Famous vocalist of the Patiala gharana, famous for his thumris.
badhat – A detailed and deliberate development of the rag.
badhi – The tasma (lacing) of the tabla or pakhawaj. (more info.)
badi savari tal – An obscure tal of 16 beats.
bageshri – A Hindustani night-time rag, belonging to Kafi that. (more info.)
bageshri ke filmi git – Film songs in rag bageshwari. (more info.)
bageshwari – See “Bageshri”
bagurumba – A folk dance from Assam.
bahadur shah zafar – A great poet who was the last Mughal emperor.
bahaduri todi – A rare rag of Todi that, generally played in the morning.
bahand – See “bhand”.
bahar – A very popular spring-time rag of Kafi that. (more info.)
bahar ke filmi git – Film songs in rag bahar. (more info.)
bahr – 1) The metrte of a ghazal. 2) A ghazal in which the metre is consistent.
baiju bawara – (1486-1526) Famous Dhrupad singer in the court of the Raja Man Singh Tomar.
bairagi – See “bairagi bhairav”.
bairagi bhairav – A rag of bhairav that. (more info.)
bairagi bhairav ke filmi git – Film songs in rag bhairagi bhairav. (more info.)
baj – A style of playing an instrument such as tabla and sitar (i.e., Dilli baj, Ajrada baj, etc.).
baj ka tar – (A.K.A. “baaj taar”) The main playing string on a stringed instrument.
baja – The harmonium. (more info.)
bakshu naik – Famous singer in the court of Gwalior in the early 16th century.
bal – In tabla, a palta or permutation (variation) of rela or kaida. (more info.)
bal gandharva – See “Gandharva, Bal”.
balasaraswati – A South Indian version of a taus or mayuri veena. (more info.)
balaswami dikshitar – (1786-1858) Famous South Indian musician and composer.
banam – A bowed folk instrument of N. India and Bangladesh. (more info.)
bana – See “pena”.
banarasi baj – A style of playing tabla originating in Benares, often considered synonymous to purbi baj.
band – (lit. “closed”.) In tabla or pakhawaj, the non-resonant strokes such as Te, Ka, Kat, Tak, etc.
bandish – A composition or fixed musical piece.
bangal bhairav – A rare rag.
bani – 1) A style of singing or performing (e.g. “dhrupad bani”). 2) The hymns or songs of great saints (e.g., “Gurbani”) 3) Some intelligible resonance, message, or sound (i.e. “vani”).
banjo – See “bulbul tarang”. This instrument should not be confused with the American banjo.
bansi – Corruption of bansuri (bamboo flute). (more info.)
bansuri – A bamboo flute. (more info.)
bant – 1) Another name for kaida. (more info.) 2) A way of dividing or apportioning words or swars in a song.
banti – Another name for kaida. (more info.)
barabar lay – 1) Thah or single time. (more info.) 2) Playing in chaturstra jati (i.e., 1/2 time, single time, double time, etc.)(This second definition is subject to the context. In many situations this might be stretching the definition a bit.)
barhams sarang – a rare rag.
barkat ali – Famous singer of the 20th century, who was the younger brother of Bade Ghulam Ali Khan.
barwa – A north Indian rag similar to rag desi.
barwa ke filmi git – film songs in rag barwa. (more info.)
basant – (lit. “spring”) A common spring-time rag of Purvi that.
basant ke filmi git – Film songs in rag basant. (more info.)
basant bahar – A kafi that rag similar to malhar.
basant bahar ke filmi git – Film songs in rag basant bahar. (more info.)
basant mukhari – A rag.
basant mukhari ke filmi git – Film songs in rag basant. (more info.)
basant tal – An obscure tal of nine or 18 beats.
basant tal ki lahren – Laharas in Basant Tal. (more info.)
basant shikhir tal – An obscure tal of 26 beats.
bastani – In the old days this was a sling in which tabla, sarangi or some other instrument was placed. In this manner the instrument could be played while walking or standing. (see picture)
bathakamma – A folk dance of Andhra Pradesh.
baul – 1) A state of spiritual ecstasy practiced by a sect of wandering minstrels of Bengal. 2) A sect of wandering minstrels of Bengal.
bayalata – An open air theatre of Karnataka.
bayan – The large metal left hand drum. (more info.)
baz bahadur – A famous musician in the court of Akbar, who was the erstwhile Sultan of Malwa (16th century).
bazm – A mehafil, or small gathering for a performance.
bedum tihai – A tihai in which the three sections are not separated by a pause. (more info.)
beebhatshya – See “vibhatsa”.
been – See “bin”.
been-sitar – A very rare instrument which is a cross between a bin and a sitar.
beenkar – 1) One who plays the bin. 2) The lineage of Naubat Khan, the son-in-law- of Tansen.
begum akhtar – (1914-1974) A very great singer of the 20th century who was famous for her gazals and thumris. (more info.)
begum samru – Tawaif and former ruler of Sardhana. (more info.)
beher – The meter or poetic form of the lyrics in a song or poem.
behla – A violin (possibly a corruption of “viola”).
benares – A city in North India. A gharana from that city.
bengal – A region covering the Indian state of West Bengal and Bangladesh.
bengali – 1) An Indo-European language common to the Bengal region.
beroza – See “biroza”.
besur – (lit. “without musical pitch”) – Out of tune.
betal – (lit. “without rhythm”) To be out of rhythm, or tal.
bhadaua daadra tal – An obscure tal of six beats.
bhagavan tal – An obscure tal of 17 beats.
bhagn tal – An obscure tal of 23 beats.
bhai – (lit. “brother”) See “guru bhai”.
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bhairav – A very common morning rag of north India. In South India this scale is known as Mayamalavagaula, and is considered to be the “natural scale”. In the West it is commonly referred to as “Arabic minor”. (more info.)
bhairav ke filmi git – Film songs in rag bhairav. (more info.)
bhairav tal – An obscure pakhawaj tal of 22 beats.
bhairav that – A mode based upon Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Så. (more info.)
bhairavi – A common morning rag. (more info.)
bhairavi ke filmi git – Film songs in rag bhairavi. (more info.)
bhairavi that – A mode based upon Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Så. (more info.)
bhajan – A Hindu religious song. (more info.)
bhakti – Devotion to god.
bhand – A community in northern India, Nepal, and Bangladesh who have traditionally specialised in street theatre.
bhangra – A folk dance from the Northwest Indian state of Punjab. (more info.)
bhankhar – A rare rag.
bhanumati tal – An obscure pakhawaj tal of 11 beats.
bhayanik – The emotion of fear or terror, one of the Navaras (nine emotions) behind all art forms. (more info.)
bharan – In tabla, it is a filler. Something of little theoretical importance used to fill up a certain number of beats.
bharata – (4th BCE) Author of the Natyashastra.
bharatnatyam – A classical dance form of South India. (more info.)
bhargavi tal – An obscure tal of 22 beats.
bhari – (lit. “full”) 1) Clapped, see “tali”. 2) A section of tabla performance which is characterized by open strokes.
bharti – An inner packing which is part of the drumhead on pakhawaj and tabla. (more info.)
bhasha – 1) Language (e.g., Brijbhasha) 2) ) One of the Margi ragas described by Sarangdev in his “Sangit Ratnakar” (13th century).
bhaskar bua bhakhle – (1869-1936) Famous Hindustani vocalist at the turn of the 20th century.
bhatkhande – See “Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande”.
bhatiyar – A common rag.
bhatiyar ke filmi git – Film songs in rag bhatiyar. (more info.)
bhatkhande paddhati – The theoretical and notational system of Bhatkhande. (more info.)
bhava – Emotional content.
bhava bhatta – A musical scholar of the 17th century.
bhavani – A common rag.
bhavkauns – A rag, see “bhinashadaj”.
bhavkaush – A rag, see “bhinashadaj”.
bhendi bazaar gharana – A vocal gharana of Bombay (Mumbai).
bhimpalasi – A common afternoon rag of Kafi that. (more info.)
bhimpalasi ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Bhimpalasi. (more info.)
bhinashadaj – A rag.
bhinashadaj ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Bhinashadaj (more info.)
bhojpuri – A major dialect of Hindi.
bhoop kalyan – Another name for Shuddha Kalyan.
bhoopali – See “Bhupali”
bhoopshri – See “Bhupeshwari”
bhosle, asha – Noted playback singer of the late 20th and early 21st century. (more info.)
bhrang tal – An obscure tal of 15 beats.
bhrangi tal – An obscure tal of 16 beats.
bhumika – An opening phrase for tabla solos used in the purbi styles.
bhup kalyan – Another name for Shuddha Kalyan.
bhupal todi – A rag.
bhupal todi ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Bhupal Todi. (more info.)
bhupali – A very common pentatonic rag, said to belong to Kalyan that. (more info.)
bhupali ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Bhupali. (more info.)
bhupashri – See bhupeshwari
bhupeshwari – A rare pentatonic rag. (more info.)
bhupeshwari ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Bhupeshwari. (more info.)
bhupkali – See bhupeshwari.
biadi lay – Playing in misra jati (i.e., 1 3/4 times, 3 1/2 times, or seven times.) See also “paune duggan”. (more info.)
bihag – A common rag. (more info.)
bihag ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Bihag. (more info.)
bihagara – A rare rag.
bihu – A folk dance from Assam.
bijnor brothers – The originators of the Bhendi Bazaar gharana.
bilahairi tal – An unusual tal of 91/4 beats.
bilas khan – A famous dhrupad singer in the court of Shah Jahan (17th century).
bilaskhani todi – A rag.
bilaskhani todi ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Bilaskhani todi. (more info.)
bilawal – A common rag. (more info.)
bilawal that – A mode corresponding to the Western major scale (i.e., Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Så). (more info.)
bin – 1) A vina, specifically Rudra vina. (more info.) 2) (Incorrectly) A snake charmers instrument. (more info.)
binkar – See “beenkar”.
biradari – (lit. “brotherhood”) The relationship that exists between musicians of the same gharana.
biroza – Rosin, used to rub on the hair of a bow for sarangi, dilruba, or any other bowed instrument. (more info.)
bismillah khan – A famous artist on the shehnai.
biswas, anil – Noted music director of the 20th century. (more info.)
black five – A-sharp (B-flat), so called because it is the fifth black key of the octave on the harmonium.
black four – G-sharp (A-flat), so called because it is the fourth black key of the octave on the harmonium.
black one – C-sharp (D-flat), so called because it is the first black key of the octave on the harmonium.
black three – F-sharp (G-flat), so called because it is the third black key of the octave on the harmonium.
black two – D-sharp (E-flat), so called because it is the second black key of the octave on the harmonium.
bol – The mnemonic syllabi of tabla, sitar, or other instrument. (more info.)
bol-bant – A method of dividing the lyrics of a Dhrupad to clarify the meaning.
bol paran – A type of composition (tabla, pakhawaj or Kathak) whose syllabi are actually words.
bol tan – A tan (fast run) that is based upon the lyrics of the song.
bollywood – The culture, dance, song, or style of the Hindi film.
bombashi – A fipple flute of Bangladesh. (more info.)
brahma – The supreme creator (God).
brahma tal – An obscure tal either of 14 or 28 beats.
brahma vina – An instrument of the 14th century, believed to be similar to a tanpura.
brahmayog tal – An obscure tal of 15 or 18 beats.
braille – A system of writing used by the blind, based upon a matrix of raised bumps. It has been adapted to musical notation. (more info.)
braj bhasha – A literary dialect of Hindi originating in the Braj (Vraj) region of Northern India.
brihaddeshi – An ancient musical text written by Matang (7th century). (more info.)
brihaspathi – An ancient sage who was said to be an expert on music.
brindavani sarang – A popular rag.
brindavani sarang ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Brindavani Sarang. (more info.)
budike – See “gummeta”.
bulbul tarang – (lit. “waves of nightingales”) A plucked hurdy-gurdy. (more info.)
bundu khan – A famous sarangi player of the early 20th century.
burman, rahul dev – Noted film music director of the late 20th century. (more info.)
burman, sachin dev – Noted film music director of the 20th century. (more info.)
burra katha dimki – See “gumetta”.
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