We would be hesitant about conflating a chord with an arpeggio, but we are forced to adopt an uncomfortably broad definition of “drone” for this webpage. In the Indian context, the drone is often continuous, but often repetitive, and in many cases occurs only periodically. We are faced with semantic problem with our use of the term “drone”. “The Story of Indian Music and its Instruments.” Rosenthal, 1928 The drone, which is indispensable in all public performances of Indian music, provides an effective background to the melody, and adds the stability which in western compositions is furnished by harmony. This definition only partly captures the character and virtually none of the significance of the drone in Indian music.įrom an Indian standpoint, a much better treatment of the word “drone” is: In a similar vein, the Oxford Universal English Dictionary defines drone as, “A continued monotonous humming or buzzing sound, as that of the bass pipe of a bagpipe”, or “To give forth a continued monotonous sound” (Little, et al 1937). The Harvard Concise Dictionary of Music defines it as, “In musical composition, long sustained notes, usually in the lowest part….” (Randel 1978). It is necessary to examine what we mean when we talk of a “drone”. Electronic Aids in Indian Music Education.
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