[Continued listening extract audio not available in printed QP] Music (continued) You hear an extract from a North Indian classical raga performance. Descri...

This question asks you to identify characteristic musical features of a North Indian classical raga performance. The style has several distinctive elements that set it apart from Western classical music.

Four features (any four for [4]):

1. Improvisation based on a chosen raga: The performer improvises melodic lines using the specific set of ascending and descending notes (scales) defined by the selected raga. Each raga has its own mood, characteristic phrases, and rules about which notes to emphasise. [1]
2. Continuous drone: A sustained drone (usually on the tonic and fifth) is played throughout the performance on the tambura (a four-stringed instrument). This provides a constant harmonic reference point against which the melodic improvisation unfolds. [1]
3. Melodic ornamentation: The sitar or vocal line uses ornamental techniques such as meend (slides between notes), oscillations, and other embellishments that give the melody its expressive, fluid character. [1]
4. Tabla rhythmic accompaniment: The tabla (a pair of hand drums) provides rhythmic accompaniment based on a repeating rhythmic cycle called a tala. The tabla player improvises within this framework while maintaining the cycle. [1]
5. Structural sections with increasing tempo: The performance typically begins with a slow, unmetered opening section called the alap, followed by faster sections (gat and jhala). There is a gradual increase in tempo and intensity as the performance progresses. [1]
6. Dialogue between performers: There is musical interaction and call-and-response dialogue between the sitar (or other melodic instrument) and the tabla, with each player responding to and building upon the other's ideas. [1]
7. Microtones and pitch-bending: The performer uses microtones and bends between the standard notes of the raga, creating subtle pitch inflections not found in Western equal-temperament tuning. [1]