Alap
Alap is the introductory, improvisational section of a raga performance in Indian classical music. In Hindustani performance, it is a slow, unmetered melodic exploration that establishes the raga’s mood, scale, and characteristic phrases without fixed rhythmic accompaniment. The performer, typically a soloist with a tanpura drone, gradually reveals the raga’s possibilities through long, expressive phrases, glides (meend), and ornaments, without presenting a composed tune or tala.
Key features of alap include its freedom from meter, its focus on mood and melodic development, and
Gharana and stylistic variations influence how alap is approached. Some styles favor extremely slow, meditative elaboration
In Carnatic music, a closely related concept is alapana, a raga exposition performed without tala to prepare
Alap thus serves as the foundational, mood-setting portion of a raga performance, bridging spontaneous melodic invention