Improvisation and passing and neighboring notes

Hello ALL, recently I came across the terms passing notes, enharmonic
notes, and neighboring notes.

From what little I have come to know about theose terms, I have been
wondering whether the improvisation in Indian music means using them
while moving around vadi-samvadi (consonants) pair.

Can you throw some light on this?

Regards,
Haresh.

--- In tuning@yahoogroups.com, "Haresh BAKSHI" <hareshbakshi@h...> wrote:
> Hello ALL, recently I came across the terms passing notes, enharmonic
> notes, and neighboring notes.
>
> From what little I have come to know about those terms, I have been
> wondering whether the improvisation in Indian music means using them
> while moving around vadi-samvadi (consonants) pair.
>
> Can you throw some light on this?
>
> Regards,
> Haresh.

Hi ALL, I would like to add the following to the above:

The passing and neighboring notes, being 'dissonant' with the
neighboring vadi-samvadi notes, cause aesthetic tension in a raga.
This tension is resolved on reaching either of the vadi-samvadi notes.

And, this continual creation of aesthetic tension, followed by
resolution, *IS* the aesthetics of improvisation.

These passing and neighboring notes are termed "anuvadi(assonant)"
notes in Indian music. They are the tension-creators. Without their
presence in a raga, the vadi-samvadi cannot achieve resolution.

Cay we say, therefore, that these passing and neighboring notes, in a
way, act as leading notes?

Lastly, are they responsible for the "rule" that a raga must have at
least five notes? [The raga-s with less than five notes are very few,
and considered exceptions.]

Regards,
Haresh.