Bhangra

• Bhangra

  Music that comes from the Punjab region of India
• Traditional Bhangra


  • Performed around harvest time to celebrate a good harvest
  • Performers and dancers dress up in very bright clothing
  • Musicians decorate their instruments with colourful ribbons
• Dancing is VERY important in Bhangra music
• Chaal rhythm


  A traditional rhythm that features in ALL Bhangra music, performed on the Dhol drum
• Dhol drum


  A traditional drum used in Bhangra music, with two drum heads (one high pitched and one low pitched)
• Vocals/Lyrics


  • Lyrics are performed in Punjabi
  • Singers use lots of decoration and melisma
  • Backing singers often join in with shouts of Hoi
  • Singers use microtonal intervals within the melody
• Microtonal intervals


  Movements smaller than a semi-tone, difficult to replicate on most Western instruments
• Verse and chorus structure


  Bhangra music uses a verse and chorus structure, with the chorus repeating several times
• Time signature


  • Bhangra music usually has a 4/4 time signature, with 4 beats in a bar
• Tempo


  • Bhangra music has a fast, lively, upbeat and celebratory tempo
• Tonality


  • Bhangra music has a major tonality
• Instruments used in Bhangra

  • Dhol drum
  • Tumbi (small string instrument)
  • Harmonium (keyboard-type instrument)
• Riffs


  Short repeated melodies used to make music catchy and memorable, used in key parts of a song
• Harmony


  Bhangra music uses simple diatonic chord sequences, composed using chords that belong to a musical key
• Modern Bhangra


  A fusion of traditional Bhangra and Western dance/pop music, often featuring music technology
• Music technology used in modern Bhangra

  • Electric drums/drum machine
  • Synthesizer
  • Sampling
  • Multitracking