Ram Narayan - Rag Bhairav

• An example of North India music

• Similar to the chamber music of the Western classical tradition - performed to a relatively small audience

• The 'rag' is traditionally performed in the hour immediately following sunrise

• 'Rag' - the scale and melodic content used

• 'Tal' - refers to the rhythmic pattern used

The piece moves from slow, rhythmically free improvisation to a clear pulse and energetic rhythmic patterns

The rhythmically free section (alap) at 1-13

The jhor (14-18) is marked by a more dicernable pulse

The jhala (19 onwards) is distinquished by the presence of the tabla

- The tal is based on a tintal (16-beat) rhythmic cycle, subdivided into four vibhags of four beats each.

- Shorter note values

- Triplets

- 'Irregular' groupings

- Various types of dotted rhythm

• Draws on a rag with a flattened second and sixth

• A range of three octaves

• Improvisatory elaborations - underlying set of pitches associated with the rag

• Frequent grace notes

• Microtonal inflections

• Slides

• No real harmony - only drone provided by tampura

• Tonality is non-functional in Western music.

• No modulation, but a tonal gravitation is evident from the drone. The rag homes in on C, with many phrases ending on C

• The rag is characterised by augmented 2nd interval

• Opens with the alap - slow improvised section introducing the pakad/melodic cells (1-13)

• The johr is marked by a stronger sense of pulse (14-18)

• The jhala introduces the tabla to create a strongly marked 16-beat pulse/tintal (19 to end)

- The jhala is based on the gat (existing composition) and has an accelerating pulse, a wider melodic range and shorter note lengths

• Consists of a melodic line (sarangi) with drone accompaniment (tampura) and later in the music tabla providing percussion, involving contrasting timbres

• Sympathetic strings on the sarangi result in the characteristic sound of this music