Raag : Expansion Pack

We’re still not done with the terms related to Raag. I know, I know — there are so many. Don’t blame me, I didn’t make them up…

So let’s talk about something you might’ve heard before: Taan.
A taan is basically when multiple swaras are sung or played at a fast pace within a raag. It takes more skill than most other parts of a performance. Think of it like an Alap, but in turbo mode.

Here are some common types of Taan:

Sudhha Taan – The taan follows the exact aroha–avroha of the raag.
Koot Taan – The swaras are arranged in a random, zig-zag way.
Sapat Taan – The swaras move in a clean, straight, sequential pattern.
Alankarik Taan – When the taan is sung/played using alankars.
Bol Taan – When the words of the song (bols) are sung in taan form.
Chhoot Taan – A taan sung with a little “jerk” or sudden push in the swaras.

Taal :

Beat, rhythm, metronome — call it whatever you like 👍
There are different types of taals too: Rupak, Teentaal, Kaharwa, Ektaal, etc.

Sum :

And no, it’s not the sum of anything
It’s simply the first beat (matra) of the taal, marked as [X].
Funny how “sum” is represented as a multiplication sign lol.

Matra :

Matras are basically the beats.
A group of matras makes a taal — like Kaharwa has 8 matras, Rupak has 7, and so on.
In Madhya laya (medium pace), one matra = one second.

Vibhag :

To make things easier, every taal is split into smaller sections called vibhags.
For example, Teentaal has 16 matras and 4 vibhags → so each vibhag has 4 beats.
But something like Jhaptaal also has 4 vibhags, but in the pattern 2–3–2–3.

Laya :

Just the speed/pace of the taal.
Three main types:

Vilambit – Slow → 1 matra = 2 seconds
Madhya – Medium/normal → 1 matra = 1 second
Drut – Fast → 1 matra = ½ second

Jhaala

Usually played at the end. It’s super fast, super energetic, and often on a higher pitch. Performers love doing it because it’s flashy and difficult — and honestly, it sounds amazing.

Lastly — yes, finally

Time of the Raag
One of the coolest (and most unique) things about Indian classical music is that every raag has a specific time of day during which it should be performed.
The 24 hours are divided into eight 3-hour segments called praharas.

4 praharas from 4 AM to 4 PM and 4 more from 4 PM to 4 AM (these are the night praharas)
Here’s a list of raags and the time-slots they belong to:

PEACE !  🎻  There is no Hindustani Music Emoji btw...