Khayal is the modern genre of classical singing in North India. Khayal is the outcome of the incorporation of two cultures. Melodic execution in Hindustani music, essentially, avoids abruptness in intervallic transitions. The theory of music performance narrates at least ten forms of melodic execution or intervallic transitions. Other texts have larger accounts. The definitions from the texts are indefinite and also vary from text to text. The categories of melodic contours encountered in contemporary Khayal performance would, however, outnumber all inventories considered together.

The principle categories of intervallic transition or melodic expressions are as follows:

Minda: Minda is the basic form of intervallic transition in Khayala music. It involves a melodically continuous dragging of one svara to another, touching all the microtones along the path.

Kan: The word Kan means "fraction." When an intervallic transition between svaras involves a fractional use of the first svara, it is called a kan. A generous use of the kan is considered more appropriate in the semi-classical Thumri renditions than in Khayal.

Murki: Murki is used more generously in the Thumari genre. Murki involves the execution of a phrase normally using at least three svaras quickly, wrap-around, jerky expression, as in pa-maA-dha-pa. Single-loop murkis are used in the khayala genre while multiple-loop murkis are used, in the Thumri genre.

Gitakiri: The brisk and precise intonation of three or more adjacent svaras, whether in ascent or crescent, without a jerk or wrap-around melodic motion, is called a gitakiri.

Khataka: The word Khataka means `a jerk". This melodic expression is generally used for a transition between svaras and in descending transition. The expression descends from the higher svara to the lower svara, with a jerk. This is especially useful in ragas like Gaud Sarang. The sa-pa and pa-re transitions in Gaud Sarang employ the Khataka expression.

Gamaka: The Gamaka expression evolves from the repetition of the same svara at a medium-to-high svara-density. The musicians take the help of the lower svara without its explicit intonation. The musicians beat the target svara to create the gamaka expression.

Jatnajama: This expression also uses two adjacent svaras. One is emphasized by repetition and differs from the gamaka in that the jamajama explicitly intones both the adjacent svaras, as in ga-ma-ma/ga-ma-ma/ga-pa-pa/ma-pa-pa.

These categories of melodic expression define the sculptural features of a vocal recital. Gharanas, and individual musicians, differ in their preferences in this regard. These preferences, collectively, constitute a major part of the "stylistics" of Khayala music.