Indian Classical Music And Sikh Kirtan by Gobind Singh Mansukhani (M.A., LL.B, Ph.D.) © 1982 Some Technical Terms |
| Some Technical Terms Ghar One of the important words used frequently at the top of a group of hymns or a composition is Ghar. Literally, it means “house”, but it has been interpreted by scholars in different ways. According to Bhai Kahn Singh [45], it has two meanings, firstly the tala (rhythm-pattern) and secondly the direction to perform the raga according to Sargamparastar. Ghar is a hint to the musician to sing the Shabad according to a particular number of svaraparastar. According to another scholar, ghar was, in the medieval tradition, the svara from which a particular raga commenced, but in that case, numbering would not be necessary. One writer states that ghar refers to vadi (dominating) note, as we understand it today [45A]. Another musicologist affirms that ghar means the number of divisions in a particular tala. For example, “ghar 3" means the tala which is dividend into three sections. It may be noted that there are three criteria of distinguishing one tala from another: (a) the number of matras (time-units) in a cycle; (b) the sub-divisions or parts of the cycle in terms of tali (stress) and lack of tali or kali (absence of stress); and (c) the composition of drum syllables or phrases called theka (like dha, dha, din ta) which is used as a time-measuring pattern. One musician told the author that the late Almost-the noted musician-knew a lot about different ghars. He played a tala of 51 matras divided into seventeen parts of ghars. According to others, ghar means the number of beat in a tala. For example “ghar 10" means a tala of ten beats (as for example jhp tala or sool tala), and not ten parts of a tala. There is no decisive or authoritative interpretation of ghar, but the one which connotes the sections or the parts of the tala appears to be plausible. Where ghar is not mentioned, the hymn can be sung in any tala, but the raga should be sung in its pure form [45B]. The terminology of talas for kirtan is the same as that of Hindustani music. No ghar is indicated for Vars because they follow the simple folk rhythm, ghars are given only for compositions set to classical music. In some cases, particular ghar has been specially mentioned, as for example Ek svan-kay ghar gavna [46] and Yanariay kay ghar gavna [47]. Partal Partal means that there are different tals for parts of the hymn. It implies that different parts are to be sung in different tals. If the composition has two parts-asthai and antra- the asthai is to be sung in one tal and the anthra in another. In the performance of partal, different variations of tempo (laya) are also possible. There are forty-nine hymns in partal in twelve different ragas, composed by the fourth and the fifth Gurus and set to different ghars. Sudhang This term has been used once in Asa raga [48] by Guru Ramdas. It means that the hymn is to be sung in its pure form. It is a direction to the musician to sing the composition in raga Asawari and not in raga Asa. Rahau This term is found generally in every hymn ser in a raga Rahau means support, essence or in musical terminology asthai. The basis of the hymn is the line of the rahau. It contains the central thought of the hymn. The other lines of the hymn are an extension or exposition of the rahau line. When there is a departure from the thought of the rahau or the introduction of a new thought, the Gurus have indicated it as Rahau II, Rahau III [49]. This will necessitate the corresponding number of asthais. In salokas, there is no rahau, and therefore the asthai is the line containing the main or central thought. In the vars of Bhai Gurdas, however, the last line sums up the idea of the pauri and is therefore considered as rahau line or asthai. |