world music

• Indian Classical music


  • Texture involves melody, rhythm and a drone
  • Sitar (plucked strings, metallic sound, melody instrument)
  • Sārangī (bowed strings with sympathetic strings, Indian violin)
  • Bansuri (Indian flute)
  • Tablā (Indian drums)
  • Tambura (plucked strings, plays the drone)
  • Raga - the name for the scale or mode used
  • Tala - the name for the rhythmic cycle used
  • Pieces start slowly with just the melody and drone in free rhythm (Alap section)
  • Then the tabla comes in and the music becomes more rhythmic (Jhor section)
  • The music becomes very virtuosic and fast at the end (Jhala section)
  • Indian pop music is called Bhangra
• African music (West African music and the music of sub-Saharan Africa)


  • Drums and talking drums
  • Rattles and shakers - percussion is very important
  • Polyrhythm is common
  • Prominent vocal parts singing and ululating (shouting)
  • Call and response is common texture (single call is answered by group response, often in parallel harmony)
  • Mbira - thumb piano with metal strips and gourd resonator. Metal strips are pressed and released with the thumbs to make the sound.
  • Xylophone - wooden bars are hit with a beater
  • Kora - African harp. Many strings are plucked
  • Pentatonic scale is common. Tuning is often slightly different to Western pentatonic scale.
  • Ostinato (repeating patterns) are an integral feature of African music