A few instructions the old masters used to give are worth mentioning. They used to say: "Sing according to the face of the bandish (its twists and turns)/ Another famous instruction was: Think of the nayika that is depicted in the bandish and elaborate on that/ These statements imply a theme for improvization. The lines of poetry in the bandish give one combination. The singer has to readbet-ween the words and arrive at newer combinations, both semantically and musically. Each new combination adds to the elaboration and creates a musical expanse. It communicates both what is given in the bandish as well as the interpretation of the singer. An extended musical illustration should explain the point. 'Peer na jaani re balma, niki tihari anokhi preetf is a khayal in Malkauns in tool Tilwada, What does it convey? The lover does not understand the pangs of love — He does love me, no doubt, but, what a strange way of loving! There is no frustration, but a sorrowful anguish. The desire to be in .togetherness with the lover. How does it go musically?* 'Peer na\ There comes a pause - a pause preceding the sama (i.e., emotional high point) \ma s tga, ma dha -dhaivat (dha) is just touched and left. The sama comes on jaa in jaani - z'kharka with the dha dha ma ma -madhyam (ma) is pressurized and a slide goes downward up to shadja (saa). Again, shadja (saa) is touched and left. A pause - tension — ga s ma, ma s dha s s; aandolan on dhaivat (dha)sis tension grows; again a pause ma dha ma dha ma dha ni saa nee nee s. The complexity begins. The pattern ends just before the first beat of the khaali, i.e., taa. The word jaani is complete by now. Re comes on taa, a softer bol in the theka; it is a slide from nishad (nee) to shadja (saa). It provides a brief resting point. Now it addresses the balma in a low and soft voice. Ga ga saa saa s s dha s nee dha s s. Does it talk to him, or to her own self? - yes, probably. That is niki tihari, nee saa nee saa, nee saa nee saa ga ga saa saa s dha s nee dha s s. Anokhi preet shows the disturbance again. The voice rises to the madhyam (ma) and ends on gandhar. Free in preet comes with a slide Journal of Arts and Ideas 03