Bringing together taal, raag, and drone | Music | Quizalize & Oak National Academy

Starter quiz

Which instrument most commonly plays the drone?
- tanpura ✓
- tabla
- sitar
Which three of the following can we do using a raag?
- play on tabla drums
- sing a melody ✓
- improvise a tune using the notes from the raag ✓
- play notes from the raag on pitched instruments ✓
- play on a tanpura
What is the first note of Raag Bhupali?
- 'Sa' ✓
Which of these descriptions defines 'texture' in music?
- how loud or quiet the music is
- how fast or slow the music is played
- how the layers of sound are combined ✓
- how high or low the notes are

Match the Hindustani musical concepts to the instrument most likely to play it.
- taal
  
  ⇔
  
  tabla ✓
- raag
  
  ⇔
  
  sitar ✓
- drone
  
  ⇔
  
  tanpura ✓
Nada Brahma means God is sound/ the universe is sound. How is this idea represented in Hindustani classical music?
- The raag
- The drone ✓
- The taal
- The improvisation
Match how we represented each of the three main components of Hindustani classical music.
- taal
  
  ⇔
  
  clapping and tapping the rhythm cycle ✓
- raag
  
  ⇔
  
  singing and playing a range of notes ✓
- drone
  
  ⇔
  
  singing and holding one note ✓
A tanpura will play the first note (Sa), and the higher Sa'. What other note does it often play?
- 'Pa' ✓

Loading worksheet ...

Loading presentation ...

Nada Brahma, in Indian philosophy, means God is sound or the universe is sound.
The drone is the constant sound that runs through Hindustani classical music.
The drone symbolises the idea of Nada Brahma - the fundamental constant sound.
The three main components of Hindustani classical music are taal, raag, and drone.
We can clap and tap the taal, play a melody and improvise in the raag, and sing and hold a drone note.

Using just one note as a harmony would sound boring

Using a drone as part of a Hindustani classical performance adds an effective, meaningful and symbolic layer to the music