Martin Clayton: Two Gat Forms For The Sit#r: A Case Study in The Rhythmic Analysis of North Indian Music
Martin Clayton: Two Gat Forms For The Sit#r: A Case Study in The Rhythmic Analysis of North Indian Music
Martin Clayton: Two Gat Forms For The Sit#r: A Case Study in The Rhythmic Analysis of North Indian Music
Indian Music
Martin Clayton
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Fri Jun 29 11:29:44 2007
BRKISH JOURNAL OF MUSICOLOGY
Martin Clavton
Rhythrmc analysis of two major composition types (the vilambit gat and madhya lay gat) as
played by the Maihar ghar-P sitIrist Deepak Choudhury, illuminates several difficult
issues. In particular this analysis clarifies the relationship between these gats and between
their performance practices, and the relationships of both to their supposed models in vocal
forms. This study suggests wide-ranging applications for rhythmic analysis, in studies of the
relationships between the various forms and styles of North Indian classical music, and of
the techniques and processes employed in performance. While dependent on an
understanding of the rhythmic principles of the music tradition, such studies can go beyond
areas traditionally considered to be the domain of rhythm.
I INTRODUCTION
All music is and must be organized in time, and yet despite this self-evident fact,
musicology (ethno- or not) has rarely concentrated on music's temporal processes.
The study of time, as the essential element within which all music is created and
perceived, has largely been neglected. There have been, of course, a few exceptions:
Sachs' Rhythm and tempo (1953) remains a classic, and in recent years writers in
various fields have begun to develop valuable analytical frameworks for the study
of musical time. The work of Lerdahl and Jackendoff (1983) on the metric structure
of Western tonal music is particularly valuable in this respect. This area has
remained largely ignored in Indian musicology however, and excepting the work of
Widdess (1981a,b) and Rowel1,l there has been little research into the rhythmic
structure of Indian music, despite several substantial studies on the repertoire of the
tablH.2
'See Rowel1 (1992) and a number of his other papers listed in the bibliography of that work.
2See e.g. Stewart (1974), Gottlieb (1977, 1993) and Kippen (1985, 1988).
76 British Journal of Ethnomusicology,vol. 2 (1993)
Rhythmic analysis, in the sense in which I use the term here, is the study of how
music works-how it is structured, organized and generated in time. It is the study
of some of the most hdamental aspects of music, and tells us not only about the
music itself but also about the culture which produces it, about the importance of
universal and culturally specific factors in its organization, and ultimately perhaps
about how it may be used to represent our knowledge of the world. If we can begin
to understand the processes by which music is conceived, performed, perceived and
understood temporally, this must add greatly to our understanding of music both as
an autonomous art form and as a product of culture in a wider sense.
This paper will introduce a few of the principles and analytical techniques
developed in the course of research into the rhythmic organization of North Indian
classical music,3 and concentrates on their application to a particular case study.
This study demonstrates the potential of rhythmic analysis in studies of areas such
as performance process and formal structure, and the historical development of and
the relationships between different forms and styles (especially those between vocal
and instrumental music). After a brief introduction to the rhythmic concepts and
terminology of North Indian music, the case study itself will be outlined.
3 ~ e my
4Unmetered music is described as anibaddh (lit.: unbound), metered as nibaddh (lit.: bound).
SAlthough the former sense is that usually intended by the term 'tempo', a number of
musicologists prefer the latter usage, largely because it provides a more objective measure for
'%he suffix kik-denotes "performance of an act or a doer"; see Chaturvedi and Tiwari (1986:132).
7For more background information on Maihar ghriinii si% style, see Slawek (1987).
8Sachs distinguishedrhythm in which time is divided into unequal parts, which he called 'additive'
(or 'quantitative'), from 'divisive' rhythm in which time is divided into equal parts (also called
'qualitative') (1953:24-6,93).
78 l Ethnomusicology, vol. 2 (1993)
British J o u r ~ of
This three-part principle was established by Ustad Allauddin Khan (d. 1972)' the
founder of the Maihar gharih8, who built on earlier instrumental gat forms in so
doing. The vilarnbitgat was developed using an extant form, the masitkhWgat,
which was based on a fixed stroke pattern in tint;Sl (see below). The m a s i e - g a t
was originally (from the 18th or early 19th century) performed at a moderate tempo;
it was subsequently slowed down, and elements of khy2l gayakj incorporated, the
result being known as the vilambit (slow) gat.' The type of madhya lay gat de-
scribed here was created more recently, probably within this century; the inspiration
for this was the perceived need to create a medium tempo form to complement the
2liip-JOG thus completing the 'dhlhrupad adg' (dhlhrupad component).
Consequently the first segment of a sit&recital by DC, should consist of Zip,
jorand a medium tempo composition (the madhya lay gat). This sequence is derived
from the vocal genre dhrupad-dham2r,"J in which the major riig development
precedes the introduction of iYd. The second item comprises a combination of slow
and fast tempo compositions, analogous to the ba@- and cho@khyd, in which the
main riig development takes place within the context of the slow tempo tiil; finally a
lighter item (dhun) is performed, usually based on folk melodies and preferably
incorporating some influence from @urn-gHyaki.ll
DC refers to these three stages as the d h p a d ang, khy2l arig and t h m - arig
respectively; adg means 'part', literally 'limb', hence 'component of repertorf.12
The madhya lay gat belongs to the dhrupad ang and is held to be analogous to the
d h p a d (or dhamik) composition, while the vilambitgat belongs to the khyPl arig
and is similarly comparable to the ba@ ('great', i.e. slow) khyd. These relationships
are set out in figure 1.
The clearest connection between the respective instrumental and vocal forms is
that described above, and illustrated in figure 1; DC's dhrupad arig and khyHl adg
imitate the large-scale organization of recitals in their respective 'parent' genres. 13
Thus the vocal models provide a rationale for the arrangement of different elements
in DC's recitals, suggesting the appropriate performance order for the various
instrumental forms.
9According to Slawek, Ravi Shankar credits this development to both Allauddin Khan and the
si%ist Rameshwar Pathak (1987:19). A similar development took place at roughly the same time
(probably within the first half of this century) in the ImdadkhM siWgha2na (see Hamilton 1989:
e.g. 74, 175).
l o ~ h a m i is
~ ra vocal form related to dhrupad and also sung by dhrupad singers; hence the
compounded term sometimes employed for the genre, 'dhrupad-dharna'.
l ~ h relationship
e between dhun and fhumn-is discussed by Slawek (1987:21-2).
12These terms are also mentioned by Slawek (1987:20).
13Althoughin practice a variety of sequences may be used, for khydrecitals in particular, the best
known archetype is arguably the one given in fig. 1. Like DC's khysl arig, many khydperfor-
mances begin with a brief dZp (similar in style to that of dhrupad, but shorter and less thorough).
14Althoughmany dhpadperformances also feature a fast tempo composition (usually in the 10-
mPfrZ siiltill, or the 7-maf1Stivr2 till), the dndgats performed here are very similar in performance
style to those in both the khyaand fiumn-arigs.
15Seeabove, n14.
80 British Journal of Ethnomusicology, vol. 2 (1993)
16~01s are botentially) spoken syllables, which in this context represent the strokes played on the
sit& There is clearly a powefil relationship between the prominence of such representation, and
the tmditional preference for syllabic organization and style in Indian music.
1 7 ~ important
n distinction may be made in Indian classical music betwen these two rhythmic
styles. The former, 'syllabic' style is typical of South Indian music and of the older North Indian
vocal styles such as dhrupa4 while the latter, 'melismatic' style is associated with more recently
developed vocal genres such as the bw- khyiil. This issue is discussed in more detail in my thesis
(1993:45ff). See the similar use of these terms independently arrived at and applied to Beijing
Opera by Wichmann (1991:265).
18Laymeasurements were made with a timer application , 'HyperTimer', developed by the author
using the Hypercard programme on an Apple Macintosh computer; data was processed using a
spreadsheet application (Excel), which also generated the lay charts below (figs. 8 to 11).
Clayton: Two gat fonns for siEr 81
I11 RESULTS
The results of these investigations are many and complex; those relevant to the
questions under consideration are summarized below in six sections (tid structure;
gat structure; development procedures; lay; accompaniment style; and the correlation
of rhythmic parameters), together with observations on their significance.19
1 TB1 structure
There is a clear distinction between the types of t2l employed in the two gat types.
In madhya laygats, DC uses a variety of Gls which are composed of vibh2gs of
different lengths (eg 2+3+2+3 or 4+4+3). The most important of these, according
to DC himself, are the six shown in figure 2.20
In contrast, all wlambitgats are set in tinG1, in which all sections are the same
length (4+4+4+4) (fig. 3).
Thus we may observe distinctions here between many t2ls (in the madhya lay
gat) and one t21 (in the vilambit gat), and between additive and largely asymmetrical
structures on the one hand, and a divisive and symmetrical pattern on the other. The
six main als used in DC's madhya lay gat appear to have been selected to fulfil a
requirement for rhythmic complexity and diversity; there is also a significant
preference for a final vibh2g of 3 mZtr8s. Neither of these factors applies to the
vilambit gat, which is always set in tinGl.
The selection of Gls does not however present a clear picture of influence from
vocal genres. The greater emphasis on rhythm in DC's madhya lay gat is clearly
evident in the greater variety and complexity of the t2ls used, and this reflects a
greater emphasis on rhythm in dhrupad than in khy2l (although, in the case of the
vocal genres this emphasis is not similarly reflected in a greater variety of tds used
for c7Ympa9. Of DC's madhya lay gat tidsjhapt21, dhamiir td, occasionally malfa t d
and even riipak ti1 may be used for dhrupad, and the two savZri tZls for the
associated genre of solo pakhLvaj (barrel drum) performance: however, the main
dhmpad Gl, the 12-m2tz-ZcauG1, is conspicuous by its absence from this list. On the
other hand although tintid is employed for khyds, so too are other Gls (e.g. j h m -
Gl, eektl) which are not used for wlambitgats. Moreover, clear distinctions between
the types of Gl structures employed, such as those noted above, are not observed
between b p a d and khyd. Overall therefore, evidence for the influence of vocal
genres on instrumental forms in Gl use is limited.
X(0) 1 2 X
tintZhkita dhin n2 dhin n2 tin
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 1
matta a*:
9 matriis, 4+2+3
X(1) 2 3 X
dhin tirakita dhin nZ fi n2 dhindhin Gi,dhin dhimg dhin
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1
cZrtB1 ki savZri (saviiri tH1): 1 1 mgtris, 4+4+3
X(1) 2 3 X
dhi tirakita dhin nZ tii nZ kat t i dhidhi n&&- dhinZ dhi
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 1
paficam saviiri tB1: 15 miitrss, 4+4+4+3
X(1) 2 3 4 X
dhin tirakita dhin n2 M n2 kat tS tirakita d h i m Kinfi kattii dhindhin n2,dhin dhinnH dhin
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 1 1 2 13 14 15 1
21In each t2iJ the top line illustrates the clap pattern, the bottom line the tab12 thek2. Top line
symbols used are 'X' for sam (1st miitm?, numerals for tdis (claps), and 0 for WIdi (wave);
vertical lines separate vibbgs (sections). The repetition of X (sam) indicates the repeating nature of
the pattern. On the bottom line, syllables represent tab12 bols (mnemonic syllables); each mHtri is
either filled with one stroke, or divided equally between a number of syllables grouped together in
the notation. The sign - indicates a rest (absence of dnun stroke), and the comma indicates a
stress on the stroke following, where this stroke occurs in mid-mitr2; i.e.
dhin = 1,tirakita = m, - = 2, dhindhin n&dhin dhin nH = n n,n .
h he thekSs given here for matta, saviriand pailcam saviiri t2ls are from tab12 player Arup
Chattopadhyay (pers. comm.). The bols 'dhi'and 'dhin' are equivalent; I have reproduced them
here as they were recited to me.
Clayton: Two gat forms for sit& 83
Fig. 3
2 Gat structure
In both gat types, the fixed compositions appear to be based on idiomatic sit&
patterns; however they are organized according to slightly different rhythmic
principles. Vilambitgats are almost invariably based on modified versions of the
masitkhaigat form (fig. 4); the masitkhiini gat has a stereotypical bol pattern,
which features a 5-mZM m w - (anacrusis) leading up to Sam (the first beat), and
hence overlaps the tril structure. This pattern was apparently created by the sitibist
Masit Khan in the 18th century,22 and therefore predates the influence of b a g khyiil
on instrumental gats, which took place largely in the 20th century.2
Most of DC's madhya laygats are based on the t2l structure itself, employing
relatively simple bol patterns and with no overlap or syncopation across the vibhfig
divisions24 (although with a preference for hemiola in the final vibhiig of 3 miih-5).
DC has however developed a new type of gat in recent years which incorporates a
2?4-m2tEmukh@; thus apparently transfemng a feature of the vilambit gat to the
madhya lay gat. Examples of these gat structures, in jhaptZ1, are given in figure 5.
All the gat types illustrated in figures 4 and 5 are clearly idiomatic instrumental
forms; in the absence of text syllables, it is the patterns of strokes (bols) which form
the basis of their rhythmic organization. The basic pattern of the vilambit gat has
been retained over some two centuries, and the decrease in performance tempo over
this period has been compensated for by an elaboration of the basic pattern, which
is particularly prominent in the m- (see figure 4b). Patterns for madhya lay gats
are of more recent origin, and are clearly based in the first instance on the structure
of the Ns. These have tended to crystallize into archetypal patterns, such as those
cited above (figure 5).
23Indeed the masitkhini gat dates from a period before the fashion for very slow khyd
performance had been established. There may have been a connection between khyZJ and the
rnasifkhh-gatat this stage (see Slawek 1987:17), but it is not directly relevant to this discussion
n ~n J J J J J n J J J J J J
3 X 2 0
n ~ n m Jn J J ~ J ~J J J J ~
11 din' da din' da-diri dara da da ra, din da diri da ra da da diri 11
Fig. 5 Two bol patterns for sitiir gats in jhapt5l (10 miitriis); symbols as fig. 4
(a) madhya lay gat-+ typical pattern, sam-to-sam
X 2 0 3 X
~n J J J ~n J J J J J
da diri da ra da da diri da- ra,da -ra da
(b) madhya lay gat- muM@type pattern
3 X 2 0 3
Y ~ J J ~n J J J ~n
If the influence of vocal genres were to be felt, certain features of the 'dhmpad
arig' gats might be expected to provide a connection with the typical dhmpad
practice, of setting caum compositions with a textual/melodic grouping of 3+3+3+3
against a td structure of 4+4+2+2 (see Widdess 1981a:137). This is not the case:
evidently, the influence of dhrupad does not extend into this type of contra-metrical
composition structure-indeed, DC does not use cautiil at all for madhya laygats.
In be khyd compositions, the most prominent aspect of the rhythmic structure is
the md&S, which is a feature also observed in the vilambit gat. However, since
almost all fast tempo khyds, and many dhmpads and f h m - s , also feature m m ,
we must be careful not to read too much into this feature. The use of the mukhrii
25 da = inward stroke, ra = outward stroke, diri = da+ra, in the time previously occupied by a
single stroke. The rnukhrii is italicized; the signs /I ...../I denote the beginning and end of the
sequence (ie. repeat marks).
26 This example is transcribed from a vilambitgat by DC in rZgjaunpuri(see Clayton 1993:227);
there are many other possibilities.
Clayton: Two gat foms forsiw 85
does not necessarily imply the influence of ba@ khyiiil, especially as the masitkhiini
gat pattern appears to predate that influence."
The structures of the gats themselves confirm their histories: the ViJambitgat
developed through adaptation of an earlier form, while the madhya Jay gat was
composed relatively recently on the basis of the tZJ structure, and is at an earlier
stage in its development. Once again therefore, evidence for the influence of vocal
genres is less than overwhelming, although the analysis has been productive in
other ways.
3 Development procedures
In both gat types, a rough distinction may be drawn between development
techniques and procedures that are suited to a low rhythmic density and immediately
follow the statement of the gat sthiiyi (first section of the gat), and those that are
suited to higher rhythmic densities and are therefore employed towards the end of
the performance-although in practice no clear division is made. Since in the khyd
arig, riig development occurs within the metered form, the melismatic v i s a (the
'spreading out' of the riig)28 has an important place in the early stages of DC's
vilambit gat development. At a comparable stage in the madhya Jay gat, the
technique employed by DC, loosely termed ' to&', involves the generation of new
rhythmic and melodic combinations based on material already introduced.29 The
wlambitgat vistiris comparable to the vistiir in some styles of bm-khyP1; the tog5
of medium tempo compositions is, arguably, similarly analogous to the boJ b 3
('text division') procedures typical of dhrypad performance.
At a later stage and at faster tempi, however, ekha- tZns (fast runs with one note
per stroke) are performed in both gats. In vilambit gats the normal 'Jay ratio'
(maximum rhythmic density + metric tempo) for tZns is 8: 1, with occasional bursts
of up to 12:1.30 In madhya Jay gats the normal Jay ratio for tZns is 4: 1, with some
extra-fast passages of 6 :1 or even 8: 1. This reflects the preference for fast tiins in
sitikperformances of all gattypes; in vocal music they occur principally in khyZJ.
27Anotherdifference between ba@khyZl and the vilambit gat is in the adjustment of the r n w - t o
slow tempi; in ba@khyrllas a general rule, the slower the tempo the fewer mi- the r n q - t a k e s
up-in this way the variability of both the rhythmic pattern and density are limited In the vilarnbit
gat the mukw always takes up 5 mZtriSs; the slower the tempo, the more elaborated the pattern
becomes.
28 is& is used in both a general sense, meaning 'expansion' or 'development' an&as h e r e i n
a more specific sense to refer to figexposition in melismatic style. Some musicians prefer the term
bqhat (lit.: increase, expansion) in both these senses, or either ZlZp or Zlapti in the latter, more
limited sense only.
29TodZ, like vistZr, has a range of senses. Specifically it refers to development based on
stereotypical bol patterns which combine single and double strokes; more generally to any
development in a syllabic style (as here). In DC's madhya laygat, to& refers to the generation of
new rhythmic combinations, using melodic material already introduced in the foregoing ZlZp. There
is a considerable degree of overlap between the usage of the terms to&, vistaand ba;rhat,
30Le. a maximum of 8 or 12 bols per rnitrii. I have avoided introducing terminology for these lay
ratios here for the sake of brevity; see my thesis (1993:147-9), or Gottlieb (1977:42-5, or 1993:37-
4 1).
86 British Journal of Ethnomusicology, vol. 2 (1993)
The transition from vis%or todi through to t&s is smoothly effected in both
cases, by means of a progression through various intermediate lay ratios--this
progression is a notable feature of Maihar ghar2nl style. In vilambit gats the
progression from the point at which this ratio becomes clear (as it is not in the early
stages of vis%) may be 4: 145:1)-6: 147:1)-8: l;31 in madhya lay gats it would be
2:l-3: 1-(7:2>-4: 1 (against a metric tempo twice as high as that of the vilambitgat).
In both cases these levels are used in a more systematic way than in either khyd or
dhrupad performance, and in fact such use is largely the result of influence from
solo percussion repertoires and from South Indian music (on Ravi Shankar in
particular). The process of stepwise acceleration is an important feature of DC's
performance style, usually described as an aspect of layfi-.
Other aspects of development technique may be considered, in addition to the
preference for to&- (emphasis on rhythm and stroke patterns, syllabic in style) or
vist2r (emphasis on melody and fluid continuity, melismatic in style), or the
common use of t l n s and of South Indian-influenced 'layklri' (stepwise
acceleration).32 In any gat form, following the initial statement of the gat itself
(usually in fact following the sthZiyj or first section only), the improvised
development is organized into 'episodes' separated by refrains consisting of
repeated statements of the first line of the gat sthiyi.33 The way in which
development processes are integrated with this episodic performance structure is
clearly important.
Episodes of development may start from any point and in many different ways; a
pattern is more discernible in the way in which improvised episodes end, and link
back to the gat refrain. In all cases this transition from improvisation episode to
fixed refrain is effected as smoothly as possible. In the vilambit gat, both vis%and
%link back either to the sam or to the start of the m w - . In a large proportion of
cases this link involves a tihE (a phrase repeated three times), calculated to end on
sam or before the mukhrrl, or to elide with the start of the md&Yi. Tihlis are also
common in the madhya lay gat. In the case of simple gats which run sam-to-sam
(see fig. 5a), they generally end on sam itself; where the gat includes a mu&ii(see
fig. 5b) they more often conclude just before the m~kh@begins.3~
The use of potentially complex rhythmic techniques such as tihljs may suggest
dhmpad influence, since there is generally more emphasis on rhythmic virtuosity in
dhrupad than in k h y d performance. However a comparison with dhrupad
performance reveals that, as with the technique of stepwise acceleration ('laykM?,
the tihais employed far more in both gat styles than it is in &upad, This suggests
that the main inspiration for this high usage of tihas in simgats also lies elsewhere.
31~ aratios
y in parentheses are optional.
32So~thIndian terms for changes in subdivision of the tiSl pulse (ie. lay ratio) include gati (bheda)
and na&i (svara). See Sambamoorthy (1964:loo), Shankar (1974:90 or Frishman (1985:2).
"Or in some circumstances the fmt line of the fmal section, the antM.
begins-as the 'rnuqh' style (pers. comm.). M u q h means literally 'halting place' (Chaturvedi
The most probable sources are the repertoires of the drums pakhLvaj and tab]& of
the kat6ak dance and even possibly of South Indian music; in all these cases tihiiis
are used extensively.35
Therefore study of development procedures in these two types of gat provides
evidence for the influence of the vocal models (in the distinction between techniques
and styles of to& and vis%); for mutual influence (in the use of t k s , a lchyiil
feature, in the madhya lay gat); and for influence from other sources (the use of
lay&; and of tihzis). Although the evidence for the modelling on vocal forms is
modest, the analysis highlights a number of other interesting issues.
4 Lay
Analysis of lay includes measurement of tempo (and recognition of patterns of
variation), calculation of rhythmic density, and recognition of the relationship
between the two. Firstly, tempo ranges of madhya lay gats are considerably higher
than those of vilambit gats, with maxima approximately double, as figure 6 shows.
This evidence serves to confirm the information given in the names of the gat
types--the vilambitgat is slow, the madhya lay gat performed at medium tempo.
Measurements for rhythmic density are perhaps more interesting however. In the
early stages of the improvised development (immediately following the statement of
the gat sthZyl3, a calculation based on the number of bols (strokes) in each cycle36
reveals that the average bol density is much lower in vilambit than in madhya lay
gats (in fact, it is approximately half). This confirms that the rhythmic style of the
former is more melismatic, as described above: one would expect that a more
melismatic style would use fewer strokes per minute, and this is precisely what the
figures show.
Fig. 6 Tempo ranges for vilambit and madhya lay gats, as performed by DC37
--
37Theranges given are from the lowest initial tempo to the highest final tempo.
By the second half of the performance however, rhythmic density levels are
almost identical.40 The reason for this is that while the technique and rhythmic style
of the performance are quite different in the early stages of the development, in the
latter stages they are basically the same; fast tins are performed. Figures taken from
one example of each gattype are given in figure 7.
This pattern is not found in the vocal genres, since tins are exclusive to khyd. In
the later stages of a performance, rhythmic densities are higher in most khyrsl
performances than in dhpacl, whereas they are very similar in the two gat forms.
Acceleration patterns for the two gat types are remarkably similar; in the earlier
part of the performance rhythmic density increases over a more or less constant
tempo, in the later the tempo increases by a number of significant, and clearly
deliberate, increments. Patterns of tempo change are illustrated in figures 8 and 9
with respect to two typical performances, one for each gat type. The patterns for
vilambit and madhya laygats are very similar to each other; they are derived from
neither dhrypad nor khyI1, although they are certainly more similar to those of khyd
performances. Analysis of sample performances suggests that tempo in dhrupad
performances does generally accelerate significantly, although never by clear and
deliberate increments (the acceleration is a gradual and possibly unconscious
process). KhyZl performances often retain very steady metric tempi for long
periods, but do often include stepped increases in tempo as well." This indicator
gives useful corroborating evidence of the similarities in performance practice
between the two gat types. Overall the results of the analysis of lay corroborate the
earlier findings-that is, that while there are some indications of the influence of
vocal forms, a number of other factors are equally important.
40At this stage maximum rhythmic densities were calculated by multiplying the metric tempo by
the lay ratio (e.g. if %s were performed with a lay ratio of 8:1 at a tempo of 60MM, the maximum
rhythmic density would be calculated as 60x8 = 480 b o l d i n ) .
41SeeClayton 1993:97ff.
Clayton. TWQgat forms for sit& 89
Fig. 8 Lay (metric tempo) chart for a vilambit gat performance of 6 g BhatiyZr in
tintiil, by DC
-
80 .-
20 ..
.
...
...
.'
...
...
..Cycle (Zvart)
10 20 30 40 50 58
A
Fig. 9 Lay (metric tempo) chart for a madhya lay gat performance of 6 g PiiriySi
in jhaptiil, by DC42
180 -
160 -.
140 -.
120 -.
60 --
40 -.
20 -.
I I I I Cycle (&art)
50 100 150 180
5 Accompaniment style
The style of tablii accompaniment is almost identical in DC's madhya lay and
vilambitgats. The tablii plays the thek3 in an elaborated form throughout, except
when playing solos to the accompaniment of the gat sth8y- played as a refrain. This
accompaniment style is similar to that of khyd, in which the is used for a very
high proportion of the performance, but with a greater allowance for tablii solos.
The only concession to dhrypad style accompaniment (as played on the pakhPvaj) is
in a brief episode of sPth sangat ('synchronized accompanimentY43)with which
451B:the greater fluctuation in this chart (compared to fig. 8) is caused by the greater sampling
rate, since the error in timings is proportionally higher for the shorter and faster tfdcycles of the
madhya lay gat.
43Also referred to as 1-t ('fighting') accompaniment. See Kippen 1988:102.
90 British Journal of Ethnomusicology, vol. 2 (1993)
DC's madhya lay gat performances are usually concluded. This is a feature included
no doubt as the result of a conscious attempt to imitate dhnrpad practice.44
‘%erne musicians believe that the selection of tab13 bols in madbya lay gat accompaniment is, or
should be, limited to those derived from the pakhzvaj, but this lies beyond the scope of this paper.
45This episodic structure is also described, in slightly different terms, by Wade (1984:41).
Clayton: Two gat fonnsfor sit& 91
possible explanation for this is that the cycle of jhaptd in the latter performance is
so short (c. 4-6.5 sec.) that tihgjs must either be very short, or they must cover
more than one cycle, as does the ending nauhiir tihZ. In the cycle of vilambit tintiil
(12-22 sec.) on the other hand, there is enough time for a substantial tih&-leading to
either the mukhrg or Sam, and this partly explains the high number counted.
Therefore the comparison between the charts points to considerable similarity
between the performance styles, besides confirming the significant difference in
approach at the early stages of the development.
A number of features are illustrated clearly in both charts. These include the
association of the first significant increase in tempo with the switch to trSns (in the
case of the wlambit gat in figure 11, the acceleration actually follows the first burst
of 8: 1 i%s), the use of a stepwise increase in lay ratio to raise the rhythmic density
to a suitable level for fast tgns, and the episodic structure common to both
performances. Useful as these charts are however, they cannot illustrate all the
important rhythmic parameters, nor can they illustrate connections with vocal
genres. In order to compare a wider range of rhythmic parameters-not only
madhya lay versus w7ambitgat, but also each of these versus its vocal 'model', the
most important parameters are set out in figure 12.
In this chart the comparison may be made between the four columns, and it is
clear that in several respects the gat forms do appear to correlate with their vocal
'models' (see rows 2,3,5,14 and possibly 10,15 and 16). However, in other cases
the gats compare more closely with each other (see rows 7,8,12,13 and possibly
15), or demonstrate the influence of some other source (such as South Indian
music), or in some cases present a situation too complicated to be summarized
simply (rows 4,ll). In this way the search for correlations with vocal music not
only provides evidence of exactly that, but also of mutual influence between the gat
forms, of the independent development of instrumental music, and of the influence
from other sources on both gats.
IV CONCLUSIONS
The aim of the rhythmic analysis summarized above was to look for evidence to
support the view that these two gat forms were in some sense modelled on two
analogous vocal forms. Differences in performance practice were recognized and
analysed, with a view to determining whether they may be associated with the
influence of vocal genres (and not simply due to, say, the differences in
performance tempo). Evidence to support DC's contention on vocal influence
included the difference in metric tempo, the presence of melismatic vistZr in the
vilambitgat and the relatively syllabic style of the madhya lay gat, and the bol
density calculations which confirm the more melismatic style of the slow gat. The
use of the mukh@ in the iambit it gat, and the limited use of ~ 5 t hsaigat in the
madhya lay gat accompaniment, may also be cited as possible evidence for the
influence of vocal genres. However, the areas in which the vocal genres most
clearly exert influence are in the large scale organization (particularly in the fact that,
as in khyiil, r5g development in the khyil alig is concentrated in the metered
92 British Journal of Efhnomusicology,vol. 2 (1993)
t t t t t t
performance
stage of sth., an
tihas t t t tttttt t t tt t t t n
lay ratio 1 . n u t I
lay (MM) ( d m )
700 - I 1
600 -. r
(average) jYhy-
/b ,,-\+-A ,/"#.'
500 -. ,;CV
rhythnuc
400 -. density
300 -* I*.
200 -.
,!\ ,q y' -z Y.0
A .
*
100 , - v kw
..
0
a = t = tab13 solo
el, etc = dev't episodes
~ 5 t h= ~5thsarigat
,
20
,
40
an=antarii
t=
60 80
I
100
I
120
- I
140
I
150 179
I
time (1525")
cycle
4 6 ~ hnauhiir
e tihi7iis a variety in which each phrase (ie. each third) of the tihiif itself consists of a
shorter tihi. The nauhiirtherefore concludes on the ninth repetition (nau = nine). This is closely
related to another variety called the cakkardilr(1it.: with a spin, spiral), in which each phrase of the
tih%iconsists of a short phrase plus a tihX
Clayton: Two gat f o m for sitiir 93
t t t t t t t t t
performance
scheme
., -', <' -
600 -- (average)
--..
2-.
--
i
h
I.-
500
400 -- ..- rhythnuc
-.. density
300 -- ..-
200 --
.a
.__ -
1 ' -
--
-
-Po
.I I cycle
0 10 20 30 40 50 58
7 lay (maximum up to 256 bol* 294-640 boldmin 290-656 boldmin up to 378 bol.v'min
rhythrmc density)
8 lay (acceleration most common: gradual starts stable, stepped (a lay gat) most common: umstanf
m)
acceleration.
in some passages, tempo
acceleration around
change to t;Tn phase and
or gradual acceleration.
stepped acceleration to
constant or with wide one or more ftntha t;lnsin some styles.
fluctuation inam.
ratios used
9 lay most common: 2:1, (3:1), 2:1,3:1,4:1 (and4:3, 3 1 4 1 ( 5 1 , 61, ( 7 : most common: 4:1, (6:l)
(those in parentheses 4:l 5:2,7:2,6:1,8:1 8:1, (12:l) and 8: 1 against
0phd) occasionaUy) perceived pulse (up to
32: 1 against m-G)
10 bandid or gat structure syllabic, cover whole syllabic, cover whole syllabic, cover whole melismatic, except more
cycle w e cycle (with some syllabic r
n m -.
melisma interpolated)
either sam-tc-sam or either sam-to-sam, or most based on modified many styles use
with r n w with 2%mstrSrnd&2 rnw-tkhMgat (with 5 bandiSes with the only
caud bandiSes often most d-hed,some rnw-).
rnamah;S recognisable 'structure'
with contra-metric syncopated. in the rn- the
setting. remainder improvised.
12 formal scheme of 1. BandiS (composition) 1. Gat @thSSyi)statement 1. Gat (sthw] statement 1. BadS statement
perf-= statement. (usually sthip-only)
(development
techniques)
2. Development (upaj): 2. Development: 2. Development: 2. Development:
episodic. episodic, with tablH solos episodic, with tab12 solos episodic, with the bandi.4
accompanied by sit;irgat. accompanied by sit&@ rn- as refrain.
consists of bol Gt, starts with syllabic starts with r;Sg starts with melismatic
syllabic, text-based rhythrmc development development (vistiir). M'sm(barfiaca@).
rhythrmc development. (to(i;S,l a m ] . gat antar' follows. W S antars usually
gat antarz follows. follows once upper Sa
reached.
rhythm density fimin4:linlatterpartof t;lnsin8:1 inlatterpart fast fZnsinlatterpartof
increases, but no %. performance. of performance. perf-.
16 accompanied ends with episode of Gth no Gth sarigat
combination o?*e& &gat
-vaj solo ,and &
sarigat
'Figures refer to the sample of performances cited in the discography, unless otherwise stated.
2Average and maximum rhythmic densities are taken from the two gat performances illustrated in figure 7 above; those for vocal genres are
Against this evidence, however, must be set the use of tZns in both genres
(reflected in the near-identical maximum rhythmic densities), extensive use of tihas
and of South Indian-influenced lay&-techniques, and a common accompaniment
style. These factors, and others such as DC's recent introduction of m&@s into
his madhya laygats, suggest both the diversity of influences brought to bear on the
gat forms, and a powerful tendency to mutual influence, illustrating the difficulty for
a creative artist in limiting cross-fertilizationbetween theoretically distinct fonns.
It is clearly not the case that the gats are intended as literal imitations of the vocal
genres. This is inevitable, since a number of factors would render imitations of
vocal forms on si%less than satisfymg. The loss of the text and its meaning might
be felt to diminish the music, unless it were compensated for-as it is here by a
greater rhythmic complexity in both gat forms. Moreover, and perhaps more
importantly, the severe lack of sustain of the si& relative to the voice means that
this must be balanced by a higher rhythmic density; consequently, differences in
rhythmic style between vocal and instrumental music are inevitable.
The development of the vilambit and madhya lay gats as part of the khyiil and
dhrupad arigs respectively has succeeded in generating diversity and rhythmic
interest in the Maihar ghariinii s i t k repertoire. However, each of the gat forms has
continued to develop, and various forces are felt which continue to influence that
development, of which three are particularly important: (1) the retention of certain
elements which suggest the influence of the vocal forms (as perhaps initially
envisaged); (2) the inevitable cross-fertilization of techniques and structural
elements between gats; and (3) the adoption of elements from sources other than the
two stated vocal genres. The later historical development of these gats may be
understood to a great extent as the result of the interaction of these factors.
This study shows how investigation of the information available within the oral
tradition led to a productive analysis. Although the main thrust of that tradition (at
least in DC's interpretation)-that the difference in performance styles between the
gats was due principally to their different origins in vocal forms-could be only
partially confirmed, this undoubtedly remains an important factor. The investigation
also brought to light other factors contributing to the complicated pattern of
historical development of these gats, such as mutual influence between the different
forms, and influence from other quarters such as the percussion repertoire and
South Indian music. As had been hoped, rhythmic analysis proved to be a powerful
tool in this investigation.
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SELECTDISCOGRAPHY
1. Deepak Choudhury (sit&); madhya lay gats
* Arup Chattopadhyay (tablg); M g m y %jhapHLondon concert 7/9/91
Arup Chattopadhyay (tablii); RZg Bhimpaliisi riipak fd London concert 611019 1
Arup Chattopadhyay (tablii); RZg Jog c&td kisavh-Middlesborough concert 22/9/91
Arup Chattopadhyay (tablii); Ri4g Ri4geSri mafta H London concert 201919 1
Arup Chattopadhyay (tablii); RZg Tilak b o d ziipak H Birmingham concert 1719191
Kumar Bose (tablg); RZg BggeSrijhapH Concord 05-0 11 [cass., 19891
Amonkar, Kishori (vocal); Narayanrao Indorekar (tablH); Masit Khan (Graai)R5g Jaunpuri tin&