GLOSSARY OF TERMS- An Indian Art.
gab – The syahi.
gajajhampa tal – An obscure tal of 15 beats.
gajalila tal – A rare tal variously described as 17 or 18 beats.
gajara – (Lit. a small string of flowers in a women’s hair.) The braid of the pudi.
gajarisch tal – An obscure tal of 20 beats.
ganda bandhan – The ceremonial tying of thread around a new disciple’s wrist signifying the beginning of ones discipleship.
gandhara – The third note of the scale (Ga).
gandharva – The demigods who, according to mythology, were the original possessors of the celestial art of classical music.
gandharva desh – Abode of the celestial beings.
gandharva veda – The science of music.
Ganesh – The elephant headed God who removes obstacles, often considered the god associated with percussion.
ganesh tal – An obscure tal of either 18, 20 or 21 beats, formerly played on pakhawaj.
garugi panchak tal – An obscure tal of 15 beats.
garugi tal – An obscure tal of nine beats.
gat – 1) A compositional type common in the purbi style of playing. 2) The theme of an instrumental performance.
gat kaida – A gat which is performed to a strict kaida format.
gatta – The wooden dowels in the lacing.
gazal – A style of poetic recitation, today a style of song.
ge – A bol for the left hand.
geet – A song.
gha – A basic bol of the left hand.
ghan – A non-membranous percussion instrument (e.g., bells, manjira, jal tarang, etc.)
gharana – (Lit. “house”) A particular subtradition or “school”
gharanedar – A representative of a particular gharana or school.
ghat tal – An obscure tal of eight beats.
ghatam – A large earthenware vessel which is played in south Indian performances.
ghazal – see gazal.
ghe – A bol for the left hand.
ghi or – A bol for the left hand.
ghin – A bol for the left hand.
ghungharu – A collection of very small bells worn around the feet of a dancer.
gi or – A bol for the left hand.
gin – A bol for the left hand.
ginti tihai – A tihai commonly found in kathak, based upon so many small iterations that numbers are used instead of bols.
girali – See chutta.
git – See geet.
gittak – See gatta.
gopuchcha yati – (Lit. “a cow’s tail”) An ancient variety of rhythmic variation. It begins fast and gradually decreases tempo.
gotuvadhyam – An instrument similar to a Saraswati vina except that it has no frets. It is played with a slide like a Hawaiian guitar.
grah – 1) (ancient) The starting point of the composition. There are four types: sam, visham, atit, and anagat. 2) (modern) The method of handling sam.
grah tal – An obscure tal of nine beats.
grahagrah tal – An obscure tal of 20 beats.
gudri – The kundal.
Gujarat – A state in northwest India.
gun – Times (i.e., ekgun=single time, dugun=double time, tigun=triple time, etc.)
guru – 1) A teacher. 2) An archaic unit of time equal to two laghu.
guru bhai – A fellow disciple under the teacher.
guru purnima – A day set aside to honor the guru.
guru-shishya-parampara – The lineage of teacher to disciple.
