GLOSSARY OF TERMS- An Indian Art.
ka – A tabla bol of the left hand.
kaal – See kal.
Kabir – A great saint who composed many bhajans.
kaherava tal – A common eight-beat tal.
kaida – A highly formalized approach to a tabla solo.
kaida peshkar – A peshkar whose variations adhere strictly to the kaida format.
kaida rela – A rela performed to a strict kaida format.
kaidafarodast tal – An obscure tal in 19 beats.
kakapad – An archaic unit of time equal to four laghu.
kal – 1) The entire concept of time and musical timing. 2) One of the 10 vital airs of tal (Das Pran), which deals with absolute time.
kala – 1) Art. 2) An archaic unit of time roughly comparable to a minute.
kalanidhi tal – An obscure tal in 25 beats.
kalavati tal – An unusual tal of 9 1/2 beats.
kamali paran – A paran which is constructed in a highly unusual yet fascinating manner.
kan – See kshan.
kandarp tal – A rare tal of 24 beats.
kanjira – A small south Indian tambourine.
Kannada – A language of southern India.
kapalbhrat tal – A very rare tal of 10 beats.
karalmanch tal – An old and obscure tal of five or 10 beats.
karnatic sangeet – See carnatic sangeet.
kartal – Wooden frames in which small jingles are placed. A simple clapper.
kashth – (Lit. “wood”) An archaic unit of time = to eight lav.
kashttarang – A wooden xylophone, or marimba.
kat – A tabla bol.
kathak – A north Indian style of classical dance.
kathakali – A dance form of the south Indian state of Kerala.
kaushik tal – A rare tal in 18 beats.
kawali – A style of Islamic devotional song.
kawali tal – A tal of eight beats similar to kaherava.
kdan or – A powerful bol of both pakhawaj and tabla.
ke – A tabla bol of the left hand.
keherava – See kaherava.
kerva tal – See kaherava, a common eight beat tal.
khali – (Lit. “empty”) Waved, opposite of bhari or tali.
khalifa – The oldest and most respected representative of a gharana.
khamsa tal – A rare tal in eight beats.
khand jati – Any rhythm based upon 2 1/2, 5, 10, etc. beats.
khandapurna tal – A rare tal in 16 beats.
khayal – See kheyal.
khemta tal – A fairly common yet amorphous tal variously described as six or 12 beats.
kheyal – The most prominent style of classical vocal today.
kheyal tal – See chang tal.
khol – A folk drum of northeast India.
khula – (Lit. “open”) Resonant strokes such as Ga, Thun, etc.
khula baj – (Lit. “open style”) A style of tabla playing where the hands do not remain in contact with the drums, characteristic of the lucknowi style.
khuli – See bhari.
khyal – See kheyal.
ki or – A tabla bol of the left hand.
kinar – (Lit. “edge”) The chat.
kirtan – A Hindu religious song or recitation.
kisma – A term used by Benares tabla players to indicate a rearangment of the bols of theka (i.e., prakar).
kisme – Plural of kisma.
kokil tal – An obscure seven-beat tal similar to tivra tal.
kokila tal – A obscure pakhawaj tal variously described as seven or 17 beats.
komal – A note which is flattened.
krantan – An ornament of sitar or sarod produced by hammering with the left hand against the fret or fingerboard.
krishna tal – An obscure pakhawaj tal in 20 beats.
kriya – An old and obsolete term describing the manner of keeping time with the hands.
krushya – (Archaic) A style of silent timekeeping (deshi nishabd kriya).
kshan – An archaic unit of time, an instant, a tiny fraction of a second.
kuadi lay – In a four unit time, one plays five units. See also sawai.
kuchipudi – A classical dance form of the south Indian state of Andhra Pradesh.
kumbh tal – An obscure tal in 11 beats.
kundal – The small ring at the bottom side of the tabla used for the lacing.
kuri – The shell of the bayan.
kusumaker tal – An obscure tal in 27 beats.
