Aada laya A rhythmic tempo which is off beat.

Abhog The 3rd stanza of a Dhrupad.

Achala Swar A note which does not move, A note which does not leave its exact place of frequency. 'Sa' and 'Pa' are achala swar.

Ahat Naad Sound created by friction.

Alankar(Palta) Progression of a combination of notes in ascending and descending order.

Alaap An enfolding of the phrases of a raaga in a slow or a medium tempo.

Anahat Naad The sound of the cosmos, which exists by itself, and no friction is involved. (This is an Indian Philosophical concept)

Antara A stanza.

Aroha or Aaroha The ascending scale of a raga.

Anuvadi Except vadi and samvadi, all other notes of a raga.

Ashtapadi A form of devotional music composed by Jaidev.

Asthayee (Sthayee) The first section of text of the music form, usually sung in the middle octave.

Atidrut Very fast tempo.

Avaroha The descending scale of a raaga.

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Baaz Style of playing an instrument.

Barhat (Badhat) Gradual progression in a musical exposition.

Bhajan A devotional form of music which can be semi classical or of light style.

Bol-tans Musical phrases interlinked with bols (words) set to a fast tempo.

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Chakradar A tihai repeated three times. (see tihai also)

Chala Swar A note which moves, a note which leaves its exact place of frequency. �Re�, �GA�, �MA�, �Dha�, �Ni� are chala swar. They can move to form flat or sharp notes.

Chaturang A form of classical music, its text includes poetry, sargam, tarana bols and tabla bols.

Chaugun Four times the basic speed.

Cheez (Chota Khayal) It is a Khayal set to a medium or fast tempo. It is sung after the Bada Khayal in a concert and can have a duration of 5 to 20 minutes.

Chikari Drone strings of a sitar.

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Dadra 1. A taal of 6 matras. 

            2. A semi classical form of Indian Music like a Thumri set in Dadra taal.

Desi Sangeet Music for the country folks or the society in general

Dhaivat (Short form - dha) The sixth note of the scale. 'la' of the solfa notation.

Dhamar A form of art music, prevalent during the period of Dhrupad. It is set to a taal of 14 beats.

Dhrupad The Indian musical form of art music, most popular in the 16^th century A.D. It is set in a taal of 12 beats. Today, there are very few singers who sing this form of music

Dhun A light tune, usually played on an instrument in a medium or fast tempo creating a mood of ecstasy.

Dhvani Sound

Drut Fast tempo.

Dugun Double of the basic speed or tempo

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Gaan Samay The suggested time of a raaga according to the time theory of Indian Classical Music. (where Gaan = Singing and Samay = Time)

Gamak Singing a note along with the neighbouring notes in an aalap or taan, eg. Singing �ma� as �ga ma ga�, or �sa� as �sa re sa�.

Gandhar ( Short form ga) The 3rd note of the scale. 'mi' of the solfa notation

Gandharva A classical singer having full knowledge of music but sings for religious or spiritual purposes only.

Gandharva Sangeet 1.Music sung by Gandharvas 2. Spiritual or religious music

Gat A form of music used in instrumental music concerts. It is like the Khayal of vocal music.

Gayak A singer who learns from a guru but his performances have his personal improvisations.

Gayaki The style of singing of a gayak.

Gharana A school of music. Every Gharana has its typical styles of improvisations and voice productions.

Ghazal A form of poetry and music of semi classical type. They have a slow or medium tempo. The lyrics are usually in urdu or hindi, pertaining to sorrows of love of humans as well as God

Gram ( Shadja Gram, Madhya Gram, Gandhar Gram) The scales used in olden days, the notes of each gram were placed with different musical intervals, placing them on different Shrutis.

Guru-Shishya Guru- a master ; shishya- a disciple. Guru-shishya parampara is the core of Indian Culture. In olden days it was the only way of teaching and learning, where the shishya had to reside with the guru for minimum 12 years.

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Hori A form of semi classical music like the Thumri; its text contains poetry relating to the festival of holi.

Jati 1. An Indian musical form of olden days which no longer exists. 

        2. A type of scale eg. Odava jati � a scale of 5 notes.

Jhala In instrumental music It is the climax part, played after the jod, with a very fast tempo. It is not accompanied by a rhythm instrument.

Jor (Jod) In instrumental music it is played after the Aalap and before the Jhala Here the tempo is increased step by step. It is not accompanied by a rhythm instrument.

Jugalbandi A duet where two (or more) artists perform alternately, showing each ones command over the instrument or voice, it grows into a climax at the end.

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Kalavant Artist

Katthak A classical dance form of North India. It is based on Classical music of North India

Kawal (Quawal) One who sings a Kawalli

Kawalli (Quawalli) A semi classical or light form of music of North India, usually sung with a chorous. Its compositions are mostly in urdu and hindi.

Kharaj Octave below the lower octave

Khayal (Bada Khayal) The most popular classical form of Hindustani vocal music set to a very slow or slow tempo. It is sung first in a concert and can have duration of 15 minutes to 90 minutes, where a particular raaga is improvised.

Kirtan 1.A devotional musical form of Carnatak Classical Music 

            2. A typical type of preaching of writings of saints, woven with prose and music. It is prevailant in Maharashtra.

Komal Flat

Krithi A type of devotional composition in Carnatak music. It has a fixed pattern is as follows: Pallavi, Anupallavi and Charanam.

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Lakshan geet A musical pattern wherein the peculiarities of the raaga are described in its text.

Lawani A folk music and dance form of Maharashtra performed by women for values of love and ecstasy

Laya Tempo

Layakari Rhythmic movement of notes, enhancing its artistic values

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Madhya Laya Medium tempo.

Madhya Saptak The middle octave

Madhyam (Short form - ma) The 4th note of the scale. 'fa' of the solfa notation

Mandra Saptak The lower octave

Margi Sangeet Music which treads on the path of religion and spirituality

Matra A specific musical beat within the cycle of the tala. A unit for measuring the taal.

Meend Slur. Dragging the voice (usually) from a higher note to a lower note is such a way, as to sing all the shrutis on the path

Mela See Thaat

Mishra Mixed

Moorchana A scale where all 7 notes are sung ascending and descending in succession. It can be started from any note eg. �ma pa dha ni sa^. re^. ga^. ma^.; ma^. ga^. re^. sa^. ni dha pa ma. Thaats and ragas were derived from these moorchanas. Today, moorchanas are no longer sung.

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Naad A musical sound

Nayak A musician who performs exactly as he is taught, with style of imitation

Nishad (Short form - ni) The seventh note of the scale. 'ci' or 'ti' of the solfa notation.

Nomtom Singing syllables like nom, tom, ridana, tanana, etc. while singing the aalaps (specially before the rhythm instrument starts its accompanying)

Nyas Swar The last note of a musical number or song.

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Odava A scale of five notes.

Pakkad The typical formations of phrases of notes in a particular raaga by which the raaga is known.

Pallavi The first section (asthayi) of a composition in Carnatak music.

Palta Progression of a combination of notes in ascending and descending order.

Pancham (Short form - pa) The fifth note of the scale. 'so' of the solfa notation.

Pandit Learned one, a master-musician who has learned music as an art and science.

Poorvanga The first half of the scale from �sa� to �ma�.

Powada A folk form of Maharashtra, sung as patriotic songs.

Prahar one eighth part of a day i.e. 3 hours. (There are 4 prahars of the morning and 4 of the night. The morning 1st prahar starts from 4 a.m.)

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Raaga or Raga Indian Music has scales of different permutations and combinations of the 12 notes of the scale. It is bound by some rules. Each scale has aesthetic values and moods of its own. The singing style differs according to the raaga

Raagam Alaap of Carnatak music.

Raagamalika A composition in Carnatak music (Also rendered in North Indian concerts) Each stanza is woven in a different raaga. It is like a garland of raagas

Rishabh  ( Short form - re )The second note. Re of the Solfa notation

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Sampoorna A scale containing all 7 notes

Samvadi The note in a raaga, next in importance, to the vadi; concordant note in a raaga.

Sanchari The 2nd stanza of a Dhrupad

Saptak An octave

Sargam The solfa syllables

Sargamgeet A musical form, its text is made of notations (solfa type)

Shadav A scale containing 6 notes

Shadja ( Short form - sa) The keynote of Indian Music. It is like the �do� of Solfa Notation.

Shastrakar A person who has complete knowledge of the theories new and old of music. He may or may not be a performer.

Shikshak One who teaches (music)

Shloka A Sanskrit verse, devotional or philosophical.

Shruti 1. A microtone 

           2. The distance between two successive musical frequencies of an octave, a human ear can differentiate and perceive. There are 22 such shrutis in an octave.

Shuddha Swar a pure note.

Sthayi (Asthaye)The first section of text of the music form, usually sung in the middle octave.

Swar A note

Swarantar Musical interval

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Taan A rapid succession of notes.

Taar Saptak The upper octave

Tabla A rhythm instrument played solo and used for accompanying North Indian Music. It includes the tabla and dagga or otherwise known as dayan and bayan.

Tala Rhythmic cycle. The Indian, both Hindustani and Carnatic music has a very complex form of rendering rhythym

Tanpura (Tambora) A musical instrument which is a part of practically all classical musical concerts of Indian music. It is a drone instrument.

Tappa It is a semi classical rare form of music sung in fast tempo. It is improvised with a typical style of fast movements if notes.

Tarana A North Indian form of classical music. Its text includes meaningless words like tanana, dirdirdir,tadani,etc. It usually has a fast tempo.

Teevra Sharp

Thaat It is a parent musical scale with 7 notes. The raagas are derived from the thaats.

Thillana It is form of Carnatak music, resembling the tarana of North India. Many times, it also includes meaningful words and mridanga bols.

Thumri A semi-classical form of music; its text is based on love and ecstasy.

Tigun Three times the basic tempo

Tihai Short phrases played three times, ending on the first beat of the rhythm cycle.

Tora (Toda) Fast runs and repeated note passages.

Trivat A rare form of music. Its text includes words like dirdir, tanana, tadare,etc. like a tarana along with the bols of the tabla or mridang.

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Ustad A learned one, a master-musician.

Uttaranga Second half of a scale, from �pa� to the upper �sa�

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Vadi The predominant note of the raaga scale. This note has a special importance in a raaga.

Vaggeyakar One who composes the lyric and the music of a song or musical form

Vakra Swar notes with a twisted nature; which are used only with typical phrases of notes

Vakra Taan Twisted phrases of notes with a fast tempo

Varjya  or Varja Not included, excluded

Vilambit Slow tempo.

Vistara Improvisation of a raga or a particular note or phrases of notes.

Vivadi A note that is not included in a raaga

 Indian equivalents and/or meanings of some common Western musical terms