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. |