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.
taa – Fundamental tabla bol of the right hand. (more info.)
taali – See “tali”.
taan – See “tan”.
taar – See “tar”.
taasha – See “tasha”.
tabaliya – A respectful term for a tabla player.
tabalchi – See “tabalji”.
tabalji – A slightly derogatory term for a tabla player.
tabla – 1) The pair of Indian hand drums. (more info.) 2) The right hand drum of the pair. 3) The Arabic word for any drum.
tabla peti – An electronic aid that provides the theka of various tals. (more info.)
tabla tarang – A musical instrument composed of numerous wooden tabla tuned to different pitches. (more info.)
tagore, rabindranath – A scholar and artist who was central to the cultural renaissance in Bengal in the early 20th century. (more info.)
tak – A fundamental bol of the tabla. (more info.)
takhallus – The pen name of a poet in a ghazal. (more info.)
tal – 1) The Indian system of rhythm. (more info) 2) A particular rhythmic cycle (e.g., tintal, rupak tal, etc.) (more info.) 3) Clapping of hands. (more info) 4) (Archaic) A style of timekeeping in the marg sashabd kriya characterized by the striking of the stationary left hand with the right hand. (more info)
tal-lipi – Percussion notation.
tal paddhati – A theoretical framework of rhythm.
tal-vadhya – A rhythmic instrument.
tal-vadhya-kachari – A percussion ensemble.
tala – See “tal”.
talat mehamood – See “Mehmood, Talat”
tali – Clapped. (more info.)
talim – 1) Education, training. 2) A body of pedagogic material.
talwandi – A Punjabi gharana of musicians.
tamak – An Indian folk drum. (more info.)
tamasha – A street performance.
tamboura – See “tanpura”.
tamil – A Dravidian language found in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu and part of Sri Lanka.
tamir tal – An obscure tal of 14 beats.
tamrakarni tal – An obscure tal of nine beats.
tan – A run of musical notes (i.e., a melodic lick). It may be used by vocalists (more info.) or instrumentalists.
tana mishra – An earlier name for Tansen. (more info.)
tandava – The aggressive masculine approach to dance, as opposed to lasya.
tanpura – A long necked, stringed instrument for providing the drone. (more info.)
tansen – A great musician in the court of the Emperor Akbar. (more info.)
tappa – A Punjabi style of semi-classical singing. (more Info.)
tappa tal – A 16 beat tal.
tar – A string or wire of a musical instrument.
tar saptak – The higher octave. (more info.)
tar shehnai – A bowed instrument based upon a gramophone sound box. (more info.)
tarab – See “tarafdar”.
taraf – See “tarafdar”.
tarafdar – The sympathetic strings strings of a stringed instrument. So-called because their pegs are usually located on the side of the neck rather than at the head.
tarana – A style of singing, originally of Persian origin, today characterized by meaningless syllables. (more info.)
tarpa (tarpha) – A hornpipe, similar to a large pungi, used in the folk music of Western India. (more info.)
tasa – See “tasha”.
tasha – A small drum which is beaten with sticks. (more info.)
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tasma – The rawhide lacing of the tabla.
tat – 1) A tabla bol. 2) A plucked string instrument (e.g., sitar, sarod, etc.)(more info.)
tatkar – Basic steps for a Kathak dancer.
taus – (lit. “peacock”) A large bowed instrument whose form resembles a peacock. (more info.)
tawaif – 1) A female entertainer. (more info.) 2) A prostitute.
tavil – A large drum used in south Indian temples. (more info.)
tee – A tabla bol. (more info.)
teental – See “tintal”.
teesra – See “tisra”.
teesra-prahar – (lit. “third period”) See also “din-teesra-prahar” and “ratri-teesra-prahar”.
teevra – See “tivra”.
telugu – A major language of South India.
terahtali – A folk dance of Rajasthan. It is performed by women while they are seated.
therukoothu – A folk theatre from the south Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
tetrachord – See “ang”.
tevra tal – See “tivra tal”.
thah – See “thanh”
thah dun – A term used by Benares musicians to indicate a composition played twice, the second time being twice the speed of the first.
thalam – The drone strings on the side of a south Indian veena.
thanh – 1) Vilambit. 2) Single time. (more info.)
thanki – A rare rag.
thanthi panai – A pot drum of India. (more info.)
thappi – An accompaniment pattern of pakhawaj similar to prakar or theka. (more info.)
that – A mode. (more info.)
theka – 1) The fundamental rhythmic pattern used for timekeeping. (more info.) 2) A type of theme and variation, similar to peshkar, used by musicians of the Benares gharana.
three – According to the South Indian nomenclature of pitch, this represents D. It is so called because it represents the third white key of the octave of the harmonium.
thu – A tabla bol.
thumri – A semi-classical style of singing. (more info.)
thumri tal – A 16-beat tal used in the accompaniment of thumri singing.
thun – A tabla bol.
thyagaraja – (1767-1847) One of the most revered musicians and composers among Carnatic musicians.
tigun – A layakari of 3:1 (i.e., triple-time.) (more info.)
tihai – 1)A cadential device composed of three identical sections. It is used by tabla players (more info.) 2) A triadic form used by vocalists (more info.)
tilak kamod – A common rag. (more info.)
tilak kamod ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Tilak Kamod. (more info.)
tilak shyam – A rare rag
tilak shyam ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Tilak Shyam. (more info.)
tilang – A common rag. (more info.)
tilang ke filmi git – Film songs in rag Tilang. (more info.)
tilwara tal – A 16 beat tal similar to tintal. (more info.)
timekeeping – The process of maintaining the rhythm in a performance. (more info.)
timir tal – See “tamir tal”.
timki – A small folk drum. (more info.)
tin – Fundamental tabla bol. (more info.)
tingtelia – See “pena”.
tintal – A very common tal of 16 beats. (more info.)
tintal ki lahren – Laharas in Tintal. (more info.)
tipalli – A type of tihai where each phrase is in a different tempo. (more info.)
tirakita – Fundamental tabla bol. (more info.)
tirvat – A fast style of singing, similar to Tarana which also contains the bols of pakhawaj and tabla.
tisra – Third. See also “teesra”.
tisra jati – Triplets. (more info.)
tisri tali – Third clap.
tita – A fundamental bol of the tabla. (more info.)
tivra – (literally “strong”) a note which is sharpened. (more info.)
tivra ma – Augmented 5th.
tivra tal – An old pakhawaj tal of seven beats.
tiya – See “tihai”.
toda – A tihai
todi – The major rag in Todi that. Usually used to refer to either Gujari Todi or Mian ki Todi (more info)
todi that – A mode corresponding to Sa Re Ga Má Pa Dha Ni Så. (more info.)
tonic – 1) The base or Sa. 2) Sa and Pa collectively. (more info.)
too – A fundamental bol of the tabla. (more info.)
top – (lit. “cannon”) A loud paran which characterizes thunder, battles, or similar moods.
trital – See “tintal”.
two – According to the South Indian nomenclature of pitch, this represents D. It is so called because it represents the second white key of the octave of the harmonium.
two-and-half – According to the South Indian nomenclature of pitch, this represents D# (Eb). It is so called because it represents a half-step higher than the second white key of the octave of the harmonium.
tra – A tabla bol of the right hand.
tripalli – See “tipalli”.
triputa tal – An obscure tal of 8, 9, 11, or 13 beats.
trital – Tintal, a common 16 beat tal.
tritone – The interval of 3 whole steps (i.e., the interval between Sa and tivra Ma), also known as the “devil’s interval”.
triveni – (lit. “A confluence of three rivers”) A rare rag.
triveni tal – An obscure tal of 19 beats.
tryastra jati – Any rhythm composed of 3, 6, 12, etc. beats. (more info.)
tu – A tabla bol. (more info.)
tukada – A small composition containing a small body and a tihai, very similar to paran except that the bols do not show a pakhawaj influence. (more info.)
tukaram – 17th century Marathi saint/ musician.
tukheda – See “tukada”.
tulsidas – A musician / poet / saint of the 16th century. (more info.)
tulu – A language found in the South Indian state of Karnatica.
tumbak – An India version of a doumbek. (more info.)
tun – A tabla bol.
tungana – A dramyen. (more info.)
tuntuna – A one stringed folk instrument of Western India. (more info.)
turanglila tal – An obscure tal of 10 beats.
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