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.
ma – The fourth note of the Indian scale (madhyam). (more info.)
madan tal – An obscure tal of three or 12 beats.
madanti – In the 22 shruti system Madanti is the first shruti of Dhaivat.
madar – A folk drum of central India of the mridang class. (more info.)
maddal – A folk drum of central India of the mridang class. (more info.)
madhmad sarang – See “Madmat Sarang”.
madhmat sarang – A rag.
madmat sarang ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Madhmat Sarang. (more info.)
madhukant – A rare rag.
madhukauns – A rag of Kafi that.
madhumalati tal – An obscure tal of 16 beats.
madhumadhavi Sarang – See “Madhmat Sarang”.
madhura – The first shruti of Rishabh in the old 22 shruti system.
madhura dhwani – Another name for Rag Durga. (more info.)
madhuri – A rare rag of Khammaj that.
madhuvanti – A rag.
madhuvanti ke filmi git – film songs in rag madhuvanti. (more info.)
madhya lay – Medium tempo. (more info.)
madhya saptak – The middle octave. (more info.)
madhyam – The fourth note of the scale (Ma). (more info.)
madhyamad sarang – See “Madhmat Sarang”.
madhyamagrama – (archaic) A parent scale from which numerous jatis (modal forms) were derived.
magadi vina – A simple stick zither. (more info.)
magadh tal – An obscure tal of 23 beats.
magudhi – Another name for the pungi (snake charmer’s instrument.)(more info.)
maha tal – A non-standard name for Tintal. (more info.)
mahaadi lay – Double tempo of adi lay. (i.e., tigun) (more info.)
mahabiadi lay – Double tempo of biadi lay. (more info.)
mahakuadi lay – Double tempo of kuadi lay. (more info.)
mahalingam, t.r. – (1926-1966) Affectionately known as “mali”, he was a very famous artist on the South Indian flute known as venu.
mahanat tal – An obscure tal of 14 or 16 beats.
maharashtra – A state in western India
mahasen tal – An obscure tal of 20 beats.
mahavraj tal – An obscure tal variously considered to be of 8, 12 or 20 beats.
mahesh tal – An obscure tal of nine beats.
mahfil – A gathering, usually for poetry or music.
maidan – The main resonating membrane of tabla or pakhawaj. (more info.)
maihar gharana – An illustrious gharana of instrumentalists that include such greats as Ravi Shankar, Ali Akbar Khan, and Baba Allaudin Khan.
major fourth – An interval of two-and-half steps corresponding to the interval between Sa and shuddha Ma. In Western music it is fixed at 500 cents but in Indian music it is variable. (more info.)
major scale – The shuddha-swar-saptak of Hindustani sangit (i.e., Bilawal that)
major second – see “whole-tone”. (more info.)
major sixth – An interval of four-and-half steps corresponding to the interval between Sa and shuddha Dha. In Western music it is fixed at 900 cents but in Indian music it is variable. (more info.)
major seventh – An interval of five-and-half-steps corresponding to the interval between Sa and shuddha Ni. In Western music it is fixed at 1100 cents but in Indian music it is variable. (more info.)
major third – An interval of 2-steps corresponding to the interval between Sa and shuddha Ga. In Western music it is fixed at 400 cents, but in Indian music it is variable. (more info.)
makarandakirti tal – An obscure tal of 17 beats.
makta – See “maqta”.
malarani – A rare rag.
malayalam – A Dravidian language found in the South Indian state of Kerala.
malgunji – A rag from Kafi that.
malgunji ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Malgunji. (more info.)
mali – The nickname for the late venu player T.R. Mahalingam.
maligaura – A rare rag.
malin – A rare rag.
malkauns – A very common pentatonic rag. (more info.)
malkauns ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Malgunji. (more info.)
| Are you interested in a secular approach to teaching Indian music. |
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Indian music is traditional taught in a fashion that is linked to Hindu world views. But there are situations, often in schools, where this approach may not be the best. In such situations The Music of South Asia may be the best resource for you. |
malkaush – See “Malkauns”
malla tal – An obscure tal, some say of 21 beats, others say 13.
mallikatamode tal – An obscure tal of 16 beats.
malshree – A rare rag.
malvi – A rare rag.
manarang – The pen name for Bhupat Khan of the Gwalior gharana.
mand – A popular rag of Bilawal that.
mand ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Mand. (more info.)
mandra – The name of the lowest pitched string of a tanpura.
mandra sadhana – Vocal exercises designed to increase the range and clarity of the lower octave.
mandra saptak – The lower octave. (more info.)
mangalam – In Carnatic performances, it is a concluding item.
mangeshkar, lata – Noted playback singer of the late 20th century. (more info.)
mani tal – An obscure 11 beat tal.
manipuri – A classical dance style from the North-Eastern state of Manipur. (more info.)
manj khammaj – A popular rag.
manj khammaj ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Manj Khammaj. (more info.)
manjira – Small cymbals. (more info.)
manjh – A popular raga.
manna dey – See “Dey, Manna”.
manohar – A rare rag.
manqabat – A song in praise of Imam Ali or some saint.
manmath tal – An obscure tal of 20 beats.
mansij tal – An obscure tal of 21 beats.
mansij tal ki laharen – Laharas in Masij tal. (more info.)
manthika tal – An obscure tal of 13 beats.
mantra – A short phrase or syllables which is repeated over long periods, said to have certain spirtitual benefits.
maqta – The final couplet in a ghazal, which contains the poet’s nom de plume. (more info.)
marathi – An Indo-European language common in the state of Maharashtra.
marg – (Archaic) 1) Describing the music of the gandharvas or celestial beings. (more info.) 2) An ancient concept regarding the pauses between the beats. (more info.) There were four types of marg: dhruva marg, chitra marg, vartik marg, and dakshan marg. marg nishabd kriya – An ancient concept regarding timekeeping with the hands, performed so that sound was not produced. This was specifically used in the marg sangeet.
marg sashabd kriya -(Archaic) An ancient concept regarding timekeeping with the hands, performed so that sound was produced (e.g., snapping of fingers, clapping of hands etc.). This was specifically used in the marg sangeet.
marg tal – (Archaic) A tal of the celestial beings, opposite of deshi tal.
marg todi – A rare rag.
marichi tal – An obscure tal of 26 beats.
marsiya – A qawwali lamenting the death of Imam Hussain.
maru bihag – A common rag.
maru bihag ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Maru Bihag. (more info.)
marwa – A common rag. (more info.)
marwa ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Marwa. (more info.)
marwa that – A mode composed of Sa Re Ga Má Pa Dha Ni Så. (more info.)
masit khan – Grand-son of Tansen.
masitkhani gat – A slow form played by sitar, sarod, santur and other instruments. (more info.)
matang – The author of the Brihaddeshi, the first to mention the term “rag”. (more info.)
mathuri – A folk dance of Andhra Pradesh.
mathya tal – An obscure tal variously considered to be 8, 10, or 16 beats.
matka – A small earthen-ware pot played in Punjabi folk music, comparable to the south Indian ghatam.
matla – The first couplet of a ghazal. (more info.)
matra – The beat. (more info.)
matta gayand tal – An obscure tal of 19 beats.
matta tal – An obscure tal of nine or 18 beats.
matta tal ki lahren – Laharas in Matta tal. (more info.)
mattavijay tal – An obscure tal of 13 beats.
mattha – A particular school of thought, usually in reference to particular approaches to Hinduism.
mawaloti – A tribal drum of Central India. (more info.)
mayur tal – An obscure tal of 17 beats.
mayuri vina – See “Taus”.
meend – A slide. (more info.)
meera – See “Mira”.
megh – A rag.
megh ke filmi git – Film songs in rag megh. (more info.)
megh malhar – A rag which is associated with the rainy season.
megh malhar ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Megh Malhar. (more info.)
meghranjani – A rare rag.
mehafil – A small gathering of connoisseurs for a musical performance.
mehmood, talat – Noted playback singer of the 20th century. (more info.)
mela – 1) A fair. 2) The south Indian equivalent of That.
melakarta – The south Indian system of organising ragas into 72 modes.
melam – The frets on the south Indian vina. (more info.)
membranophone – Drums that have skin or other membranes. (e.g., tabla, mridangam, dholak, daf). (more info.)
mian ki – An expression prepended to a raga name to indicate that it was originated by Mian Tansen. (e.g., mian ki todi, mian ki malhar.) (more info.)
mian ki malhar – A rainy season rag.
mian ki malhar ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Mian ki Malhar. (more info.)
mian ki sarang – A Hindustani rag.
mian ki todi – A morning rag of todi that. (more info.)
mian ki todi ke filmi git – Film songs in Mian ki Todi. (more info.)
mind – See “meend”.
minor scale – In Western music, any of a variety of scales not corresponding to the major scale (i.e., anything other than bilawal that)
minor second – See “semi-tone”.
minor seventh – An interval of 5 whole steps corresponding to the interval between Sa and komal Ni. In Western music it is fixed at 1000 cents but in Indian music it is variable. (more info.)
minor sixth – An interval of 4 whole steps corresponding to the interval between Sa and komal Dha. In Western music it is fixed at 800 cents but in Indian music it is variable. (more info.)
minor third – An interval of one-and-half steps corresponding to the interval between Sa and komal Ga. In Western music it is fixed at 300 cents but in Indian music it is variable. (more info.)
mira – A great woman saint. (more info.)
mira malhar – A rare rag.
miras – Inheritance or heritage.
mirasi – A low caste Muslim community of hereditary musicians.
miravu – See “mizhavu”.
mishra – See “misra”.
misra – (lit. “mixed”) The performance of a rag that has other rags mixed in for effect.
misra jati – Any rhythm based upon 1 3/4, 3 1/2, 7, 14, etc. beats. (more info.)
mithilesh tal – An obscure tal of 20 beats.
mitti bayan – A tabla’s left hand drum made of clay.
miyan ki malhar – A rag.
miyan ki sarang – A rare rag.
miyan ki todi – a common rag.
mizhavu – A pot drum of Kerala. (more info.)
mizrab – A pick worn on the finger to play sitar.
mnemonic syllables – See “bol”.
mode – That (thaat). (more info.)
modulation -1) The bending of pitch that occurs on the left hand of the tabla, used for artistic effect. 2) In Western music, it is the sudden shift of the tonic within a performance. 3) murcchana. (more info.)
mohan tal – An obscure tal of 12 beats.
mokti – A very rare rag.
mohammad rafi – See “Rafi, Mohammad”.
mohammad shah rangila – (1702-1748) 13th moghul emperor who was a great lover of the arts.
mohani tal – An obscure tal of three beats.
mohara – In tabla, a short composition with a tihai which ends on sam. (more info.)
mohini attam – The feminine dance form of Kerala.
moran sarkar – Noted female entertainer who became the queen of Punjab. (more info.)
mouth harp – A jew’s harp. In India this would be either a gagona of Assam or more commonly the murchang found in South India.
mridang – Any two-headed barrel shaped drum of the pakhawaj variety.
mridanga yati – An ancient rhythmic form which begins slow, becomes fast towards the middle and again becomes slow towards the end.
mridangam – A south Indian mridang. (more info.)
mridangam peti – An electronic aid for South Indian music students. (more info.)
mudra – (lit. “stamp”) 1) Hand gestures which refer to definite things (e.g., flags, the moon, lion’s head), often used in dance as an aid to narration. 2) The insertion of an author’s pen-name in a composition.
mukesh – Noted playback singer of the 20th century. (more info.)
mukhada – in tabla and vocal, a very small phrase or composition ending on sam. For the tabla, it may or may not have a tihai. (more info.)
mukhavina – A smaller version of the nadaswaram. (more info.)
mukheda – See “mukhada”.
mulha kedar – A rare rag.
multani – 1) A common rag. 2) A community from the city of Multan.
multani ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Multani. (more info.)
munajaat – A type of qawwali.
mundi – A term use by Banarasi musicians to indicate khali.
murali – A flute.
murcchana – Modulation, or the process of deriving a new melodic mode by shifting the tonic of an existing mode. (more info.)
murchang – A jew’s harp. (more info.)
murki – A small ornamentation of the notes.
mushtaq hussain khan – (1878-1964) A noted performer of the Rampur gharana.
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