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Chapter 34
Ravi Shankar
Raga Sindhi-Bhairavi
Chapter at a Glance
Listen to This First
Timbre: The Sound of the Sitar
Historical Context: The Sitar in Popular Music
Melody of the Sunrise
A Triple Texture
Form By Four Sections
Chapter Objectives
After reading this chapter and listening to the work, students should be able to:
34.2 Describe the sitar, an Indian stringed instrument.
34.4 Describe the nature of raga.
34.7 Define tala.
Key Concepts
virtuosity, raga, sitar, tonal pattern and mood, pulse cycles, metered versus unmetered
rhythm, improvisation
Chapter Highlight: Indian Music
Perhaps the most highly developed classical music in the world, the concert music of
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Chapter Summary
tar
melodies, while others are used for drones. There is a third set of strings that vibrate
sympathetically. Ravi Shankar is a well-known sitar virtuoso. From the court of
Emperor Akbar in Delhi, Tansen (1500 1589) introduced raga as a genre of Hindustani
Listening Guide
Students can listen for several distinct sections of Raga Sindhi-Bhairavi. Paying
attention to the instrumentation is key for the alap (sitar and tambura, no drums), and
the jor begins when the sitar establishes a rhythm, albeit unmetered. The jhala features
a repeatedly struck string. The gat tora begins when the tabla enters.
MyMusicLab Resources
Automated Listening Guide: Ravi Shankar: Raga Sindhi-Bhairavi
Chapter Audio: Chapter 34
Discussion Topics and Critical Thinking Questions
1. What part does improvisation play in this performance of Raga Sindhi-Bhairavi?
2. Besides the sitar, what other instruments are used to accompany the solo player?
Explain the function of each of these instruments.
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Activities and Exercises
1. Invite the class to define the word virtuosity. Ask students to use the agreed-upon
2. Invite students to bring recordings to class of sitar music, either Indian or another
genre in which the instrument has been incorporated.
Journaling Prompt
The sound of Indian music is more common today than it would have been when