Asian and Middle Eastern Music Unit powerpoint and video clips

5. • Ragas- A raga, very basically, is the equivalent to
what Western music would call a scale. However,
in ragas, the actual tonal distance between the
notes may be completely different than
"Do, Re, Mi".

6.  Talas- A Tala is a rhythmic pattern, generally kept
on the Indian drums known as the Tabla. Some
talas are very simple, some are extremely complex.
Talas are all cyclical, and hold down the rhythm of
the piece while the melodic instruments improvise.
Tabla Drums

7.  The Sitar- Perhaps the best-known Indian classical
instrument is the Sitar, which is a stringed instrument
with moveable frets (allowing for tuning to different
ragas).
 Ravi Shankar is the best-known sitar player in the
West
http://youtu.be/4gWCiLexilY http://youtu.be/igDsu5QWhpo

8. • Long hollow neck
• ”Sympathetic” Strings
• Gourd resonating chamber -
like a guitar

9.  Bollywood Films- These movies, often
called masala films, are three hours long,
containing multiple melodramatic plotlines, glitzy
costumes and scenery, and over-the-top song
and dance numbers.
 They are primarily produced in Mumbai, India,
and have become one of the most popular and
lucrative film genres around the world.

10. http://youtu.be/thiQia6jbyY

11. • Quite melodramatic
• Lyrics are beautiful and literary
• Draws from classic and modern poetry

12.  Gamelans are tuned to specific scales, and can
be played only in that scale.
 The musicians each play a specific instrument,
and they play in an almost cyclical (circle)
rhythm, giving the gamelan an intense and highly
active sound --- sometimes hard to listen to!

13. • Xylophones
• Gongs
• Bells
• Drums
• Primarily percussion only. Using mostly
metal sounds, except drumheads. Seldom
use wooden or bamboo instruments or
choral and strings sections.

14. 
http://youtu.be/kN5WO4s6vW0

15. • Bhangra is believed to date back to the 14th or
15th century, though it may be even older
• “Bhangra" eventually referred not only to the
dance itself, but also the music, characterized by
the intense beating of a drum called adhol.

16. http://youtu.be/YnqxJ8I3pqk
http://youtu.be/z-oMO6_6zYM

17. • Tuvan “throat singers” are able to, through
shaping their throat, lips and mouth, produce a
number of tones at once.
• This ability to create a range of notes, including
a melody and several harmonic overtones, is
used to imitate sounds of nature.

18. http://youtu.be/TVyyhHFKI8E
• Comes from small region in Central Asia
• Traditionally use soloist
• Some use percussion section and jaw harp