RAMIKA BAKSHI 12200793

JOD ALAAP 

In Hindustani Classical music, Jod also spelled as Jor or Jhor is a formal section of composition in the long elaboration ( Alap ) of a raga that forms the beginning of a performance. It comes after Alap and precedes Jhala, the climax.

     
Jor is the instrumental equivalent of nomtom in dhrupad vocal style of Indian music. Jor is present in most Hindustani Classical music through the raga, as an articulate pulse that the alap transitions into, followed by jhala.

 

• Jod Alap can also be defined as the improvisation of a section of a raga from slow to medium rhythm bounded to a leh. It is usually not accompanied with a tabla because it is not bound to taal.
• The transition between the three section, alap-jod-jhala, is continuous and each part builds from its predecessor.
• Jod acts the second introduction after the alap, within a raga performance It follows a similar structure to alap, with a shift in rhythmic style.
• As the Raga transitions into the Jod, the pulse is introduced by the melody instrumentalist. The Jod utilises the features of scale and patterns in the previous section (Alap) and improvises to create a new variation of these features. During jod, the performance must maintain a steady pulse with the exclusion of drums or tabla, which remains the same throughout Alap, Jod and Jhala.
• In musical notation, jod follows the same notes as alap, with a constant steady beat between each.

The distinction between alap and jod is made between the increase in regularity in the jod in comparison to previous alap section.The theme formed in the introduction of the Alap, is continued to Jod, where the drums and rhythmic beats are excluded, and the chosen melodic instrument is strummed at an accelerated pace or the performer increases the phrasing of each syllable.

The traditional recital begins with Alap section- the serene exploration of the raga. After this slow introspective beginning, the musician moves on to the Jod. In this part the basic theme of the Raga is elaborated and the artist tries to bring the emotional mood of the Raga to the surface. 

The Alap and Jod evolve into the Gat or Bandish, the fixed compositions of the Raga.

JOD ALAAP IN DHRUPAD

Dhrupad is another form of Raga that is older and restricts the Alap, Jor and Jhala sections in such a way that is heard more frequently in present day. This genre of Indian Music formed the foundation for the Alap-Jor-Jhala-Gat structure to be welcomed to the West in the 20th Century. 

In Dhrupad, its distinctive feature is the climatic beginning in comparison to Raga's ascending composition. The word Dhrupad meaning ‘fixed verse’ refers to the complex opening section (Alap) allowing the other sections to grow and expand.  

• It is common in Dhrupad, for the Alap to be extended and unaccompanied, similar to most instrumental genres in Norther Indian music. It also focuses on a longer and more structured version of the alap-jor section. 
• In comparison to Khayal there is a clear structural division between the opening of Raga-alap and Jor.
•  The Jor section in Dhrupad can be heard by its increasingly articulated and rapid pulse. Within this section, Jor follows the most common rhythmic cycle in Dhrupad, being the twelve beat. 
•  The theme of intensification is prominent as the subsequent switch from the alap to jor, is identified as more rhythmic once it reaches the Jor section. 
• A common instrument utilised throughout Dhrupad, in the jor, is the Rudra Vina a string instrument that evokes a melodic rhythm.

REFERENCES:

• Wikipedia contributors. (2022, May 24). Jor (music). In Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 18:59, March 6, 2023, from https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Jor_(music)&oldid=1089597526
• Appreciating Alap, Jor and Jhala. (2009, September 25). Indian Raga. https://indianraga.wordpress.com/2009/09/23/appreciating-alap-jor-and-jhala/
• Wikiwand - Jor (music). (n.d.). Wikiwand. https://www.wikiwand.com/en/Jor_(music)