Here are a few very useful words. It is a good idea to use Indian words when playing Indian music, although I will keep using English words besides Indian words through out the blog. This post only includes melody related words. Commonly used rhythmic words were explained in an earlier post. Once again, do not spend too much time memorizing these words before hand. The following list is not in an alphabetical order. I have placed them in a logical order.

Thaat (Parent Scale): (pronounce ‘th’ as in ‘theory’): Thaat is a parent scale, from which the Raags are born. A Thaat always contains all seven notes and only exists in theory, which means a Thaat cannot be played or sung. Once you define how to sing a Thaat’s notes in a certain way, a Raag is born. There are ten Thaats in Northern Indian Music:

1. Bilaval
2. Khamaj
3. Kafi
4. Asavari
5. Bhairvi
6. Kaliaan
7. Marva
8. Poorvi
9. Todi
10. Bhairav

Raag: A Raag is a group of five (minimum) to seven (maximum) notes which sounds pleasant to the ears when sung or played on an musical instruments. Raags are derived from Thaats. There can be 484 unique Raags in every Thaat.

Svara (Note): A musical sound with minimum interval of a semitone is called a Svara. There are twelve Svaras (Notes) in an Octave and they have seven names as shown below

Jati (type): Jati is referred to the scale structure of a Raag. There are three main Jatis:

1. Sumpooran (Heptatonic or 7 notes)
2. Chhadav (Hexatonic or 6 notes) and
3. Audav (Pentatonic or 5 notes)

Vadi Svara (Dominant Note): The most important and most used note (suwar) in a Raag is called the Vadi Svara.
Sumvadi Svara (Sub-dominant Note): The next important note in a Raag is called the Sumvadi Svara. It is always a fourth or fifth from the Vadi note.
Vivadi Svara (Enemy Note): The name explains it all. Using this note will break the Raag. Although really experienced performers do use Vivadi notes in their performance just to show that how comfortable they are with their hold on a Raag. In general, stay away from it.
Verjit Svara (Forbidden Notes): The Notes, which are not used in a Raag, are called Verjit notes. Verjit notes are defined by the Jatis, i.e Heptatonic Raags have none, Hexatonic Raags have one and Pentatonic Raags have two forbidden notes.
Shudh Svara (pure, Natural Note): Notes as they appear in a major scale are assumed in their Shudh (natural) position. R, G, D and N are consider Shudh when they appear in their Tivar position and M is consider shudh when it apears in its Komal position.

Vikrat Svara (Moved Notes): Note which are played in a different position than as they appear in a major scale are called Vikrat Svaras (Sharps and Flats).
Komal Svara (Flat Note): In Northern Indian music all notes except first and fifth have two positions. The lower position is called Komal and the upper is called Tivar. When any of the notes which are Tivar in a natural scale are Vikrat (moved), they are called Komal Svaras (‘R’,’G’,’D’ and ‘N’ second, third, sixth and seventh). The Komal notes are underlined in the notation.
Tivar Svara (Sharp Note): When a note moves one step up from its Komal position that is called a Tivar Svara. Only ‘M’ (fourth) goes Tivar when it is Vikrat (moved). Ma or fourth is komal in a natural scale. A Tivar suwar is written with a standing line on it.

There is not much new to learn about note positions. Only thing to remember is that which notes go flat and which one goes sharp. here is a simple map of all 12 notes from ‘C’:

Aroh : ascending. Every Raag must have an ascending.
Avroh: Descending. Every Raag must have a descending.
Pakad (Catch phrase): The main phrase in a Raag, which gives it a distinguish characteristic, is called Pakad.
Taan: When a group of notes as a phrase is sung in a rhythm, it is called a Taan. There are two main categories of Taans: Spaat Taan and Koot Taan. These were discussed in this post.
Meend (Slur): When notes are changed without breaking the voice or the vibration of a string in a smooth up or down pull, that is a slur or Meend. Sometimes another word ‘Soote’ is used for bowed instruments.
Kun (Grace notes): When while singing or playing one note, another note is slightly touched, that is called a Kun. The Kun (grace) note is written right on top of the main note as:

This means ‘N’ (Nee) is slightly touched when the second ‘Pa’ is played.
Sthaee: The chorus of a song is called Sthaee.
Antra: The verse/s of a song is/are called Antra/s.

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