Ways to elaborate a Raga

Ways to elaborate a Raga

A raga can be elaborated in a number of ways. These ways are changing with the flow of time due to many factors which can be listed as-

1.The rulings of various emperors

     2.The changing mindsets of people

     3.Changing likes and dislikes of the masses.

4.    Rise and changes taking place in the technology.

At first, traditionally, the Ragas were elaborated with the help of Dhrupads. These were compositions in which more focus was concentrated on the variations in the Rhythm. Creativity was focused on rhythmatic skills. As the Moghul emperors ruled India, this style was changed into a khayal. Khayal is a composition which is sung in very slow pace and more emphasis is given on exploring the mood of the Raga. Then, the Khayal was replaced by Gat which had quite a faster tempo. This was an outcome of less availability of the time to the masses.

                           Then there was a time when there were 3 minutes records available in the market. With these three minutes records, the singing or performance became compact and very dense. Right now, middle paced compositions, called as Madhyalay Gat are in demand.

         There are many other ways to elaborate a Raga which are used depending on the mood of the Raga. They can be listed as-

1.    Thumri

2.    Tappa

3.    Dadra

4.    Tarana

5.    Trivat

6.    Kajri

7.    Hori

8.    Dhun

Etc.

Next posts will be discussing each of these terms in detail.

Basics-

Rules for a Raga

What is an Octave?