Bol (music)

from Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

A Bol is a syllable that can be understood as a musical memory aid or part of a musical language . Bol is mainly used in North Indian music and roughly corresponds to the Konnakol (also Solkattu , tamil ) of South India and is similar to the Japanese Kuchi Shōga .

A bol is part of the rhythmic construct tala , but a bol can also be understood as the entire hundreds of years old musical language system of the Hindustani tradition. The word comes from the Hindi word bolna , which means "to speak".

function

These musical ( mnemonic ) syllables are used in different Indian drums . The pakhawaj , tabla, and mridangam drums are traditionally taught using the bol system, with it being most commonly associated with the tabla. Bols are also among the drums played in North Indian folk music such as Dhol , Chande or Nagara .

Due to the large number of different musical styles ( gharanas ) in India, the technical implementation of the bol on the drum depends on the region or the playing style. It is therefore impossible to assign the syllables to a certain technique or a certain beat or a fixed beat combination. For this reason, especially in writing, the Bols system does not achieve the accuracy of the classic European notation system .

With Bols, the player is able to perform the corresponding composition or improvisation in the rhythmic singsong of the syllable language before the implementation on the drum . In virtuoso form this actually sounds like a linguistic version of the rhythm being played . The skillful, sometimes rapid verbalization of the rhythms is not only to be seen as a mnemonic procedure, but is also an independent musical expression and art form.

Examples of syllable language

Syllables and their equivalent as a beat on the tabla

  • Ghin or Ga - A resonating, undamped strike of the tip of the index finger of the left hand or the middle and ring fingers of the right hand on the bayan (bass drum).
  • Khat - A forceful blow with the fingers of the right, outstretched hand on the dayan (smaller drum).
  • Ki or Ka - muffled slap of the left palm of the hand on the bayan. The wrist rests on the Bayan fur during the execution.
  • Well , Ta - a flageolet strike with the index finger of the right hand on the edge of the Dayan.
  • Ne - Often a muffled slap of the index finger of the right hand on the Dayan.
  • Re - A non-resonant, percussive slap of the middle finger of the right hand on the Dayan.
  • Ti or Te - Two identical sounds, only once with the middle finger and once with the index finger of the right hand on the Dayan. Used in quick succession in vortices, slowly to emphasize the dramaturgy of the game.
  • Tin - A light, resonant slap with the index finger of the right hand on the Dayan.
  • Tr - A Flam , delayed right hand follow-up strike.
  • Do - An open, forceful slap of the index finger of the right hand on the Dayan.

Syllables with meaning as a beat combination and synonyms

  • Dha - A combination of Ga and Ta .
  • Dhe - Is a combination of Ga and Te or some other combination of Ga and another right hand punch.
  • Din or Dhi - combination of Tin and Ga .
  • Gha - Corresponds to Ga .
  • Ghe - Corresponds to Ga .
  • Ke - Corresponds to Ka .
  • Ki - Corresponds to Ka .
  • Kin - Corresponds to Ka in most cases .
  • Na - Used as a synonym for Ne and Na .
  • The - A combination of Ka and Te, or a combination of Ga and another right hand strike.
  • Thun - corresponds to doing .
  • Ti - Often used as a synonym for tin .
  • Ti Re Ki Ta - Example of a common vortex combination.
  • Tu - corresponds to doing .

literature

  • Deepak Raja: Hindustani Music: A Tradition in Transition. (New Vistas in Indian Performing Arts) DK Printworld, New Delhi 2005, ISBN 978-8124603208

Web links