| Haridasa |
A saint who asked Tyagaraja, when he was about eighteen years of age, to recite ‘Rama Nama’ 6-860 million times. It is said that Tyagaraja was able to complete this number in twenty-one years. In the Telugu opera Nowka Charitram, the composer pays homage to this saint who transformed his life. |
| Harmonics |
The higher frequency notes related to the fundamental frequency, produced naturally in all physical vibrations. When a stretched string is plucked, its vibration consists of a combination of its fundamental frequency and a number of integral multiples of the fundamental. This is called the harmonic content of the vibration. The fundamental note would be dominant in the full string vibration If the string is stopped at particular points along its length, e.g. half the length, one-third the length, etc., and then plucked, the sound produced is called an artificial harmonic. These frequencies are called the upper partials or higher harmonics. The corresponding notes are called Swayambhu Swaras, i.e. notes born naturally, of their own accord. |
| Harmonium |
A portable organ-like instrument with bellows, which are pumped using the hands or feet. Its scale is tempered. It is believed that this instrument was brought into India by Western Christian missionaries in the recent past. |
| Harmony |
The overall pleasant awareness of sounds played together in consonant notes. In Western music, the major third and the major fifth are played along with the main note, to get a major chord. |
| Hechhu Sarani |
The name of the highest pitched string of the Tala strings of the Veena. |
| Heptatonic Scale |
A Sampoorna scale, like any of the 72 Melakartas. |
| Hexatonic scale |
Any six-tone or Shadava scale, e.g. Sriranjani. |
| Hindustani Sangeet |
The system of music prevalent in the north of India, as contrasted with the Carnatic system, which has its origins in south India. Both systems of music have as their foundation the concepts of Raga and Tala. Another common point is the fact that both systems have defined the vocally produced note as the yardstick for the Swara, unlike Western music, where the notes have been standardized with respect to the frequency of tuning forks and an equally tempered scale. |
| Hrasva |
Literally, short. A Hrasva note usually has a length of one unit of time. See also Dirgha (antonym). |
