Online Dictionary L

Music Handbook
ONLINE DICTIONARY
L
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P R S T U V

*Laghu*	One of the six *Angas* that reckons musical time. It consists of a beat and a variable count of fingers. See also *Jati*.
*Laghu Gotuvadhyam*	A small Gotuvadyam, with a short stem and only five strings.
*Laghu Vina*	A shorter *Vina*, with five strings, with a range of one and half octaves.
*Lakshana*	A science or grammar, and refers to the *Raga* and its characteristics. The *Lakshanas* include *Aroha, Avaroha, Jiva* *Swaras, Nyasa* *Swaras, Raga* *Prayogas, Vishesha* *Sancharas, subtle Srutis, Rasa* and the appropriate time of singing.
*Lakshana Gita*	See *Gita*.
*Lakshanakara*	Sanskrit term for musicologist. He is deemed to know a lot of facts about music and is an authority on it.
*Lakshana Prabhanda*	A composition in which some laws of music are described in its *Sahitya. The Murchhana Karaka Mela Ragamalika* is a case in point.
*Lakshya Grantha*	Treatise on the science of music, with basic notations of compositions.
*Langar*	A Hindustani word that means anchor. It refers to the metallic ring-like device to the right of the bridge, through which the strings are tied in a *Veena* or a *Chitraveena*.
*Laya*	Literally, merging. In Carnatic music, the term refers to the tempo and indicates the speed and gait of a piece of music in the form of a regularly repeated beat a recognizable speed. *Vilambita* *laya* is slow tempo, the *Madhya* *Laya* is medium paced and the *Druta* *Laya* is fast tempo.
*Laya Meettu*	Refers to the technique of plucking the *Tala* strings of the veena. This is a simultaneous upward stoke of the little finger on the three *Tala* strings.
*Linguaphone*	An instrument fitted with tongues that vibrate in different *Swaras* when plucked. The *Morsing* is an example. Often bamboo wood, bone and metal are used as tongues.
*Lithophones*	Musical instruments made of stone. There are several varieties of such instruments, including sets of stone pillars that sound various notes from the scale when struck, and certain *Mukhaveenas, which are miniature Nagaswarams*.
*Lochana Kavi*	Musicologist from Mithila, who lived towards the end of the 14^th century. He is the author of the grantha *Raga Tarangini* and quotes Vidyapati, the well-known poet of Mithila. Lochana kavi recognized the 22 shruthis and enumerated twelve *Thaats. His shuddha scale was Kafi* (or Kharaharapriya of Carnatic music).
*Lohaja*	The sound emanating form metal. e.g. the sound produced by cymbals.
*Lute*	Any stringed instrument, which has a resonator shaped like a pear at one end, and a stem with a fretted fingerboard. The strings are plucked with the fingers. The standard south Indian *Veena* is a lute.

A B C D E G H I J K M N O P R S T U V
Chakra Chart	Melakarta Chart
Raga Index	Varnam Index
Kriti Index	Addresses of artistes
Addresses of Organisations