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In all likelihood, the term 'gat' has been derived from the Sanskrit
word 'gati', meaning 'movement'. Let us evolve the definition of a
'gat'.
A gat is played on an instrument. It is played in rhythm, in any
taal. The gat is played in a rhythm which can be slow, or fast, or even
very fast. The gat is a cyclical, fixed melody in a raga. It is a
melodic composition which usually consists of one or two melodic lines.
The instruments that play gat-s include all melodic instruments like
flute, santoor, sarangi, sarod, sitar, violin etc. In fact any
instrument, Indian or not, has to resort to a gat when it starts to
play in rhythm.
The improvisation of a raga on an instrument starts with alap, jod and
jhala. It is then followed by a gat in slow tempo. It gradually increases
in tempo, reaching a break-neck cresdendo. The performance typically ends
with a tihai.
A gat is played on the harmonium also. When a gat plays only one line,
repeatedly, to work as a reference to the solo performance on the
tabla, it is called a lehra. A lehra is usually played on the sarangi
or harmonium.
Let us commence this series with a gat, in teental, in the raga Yaman:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 13141516
| - - - - | - - - - | "N R G M | P . R R |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
| G . G R |"N R S . |
Let us continue this series with a gat, in teental, in the raga Yaman kalyan:
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 101112 13141516
| - - - - | - - - - | "N R G M | P M G . |
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
| G m G R |"N R S . |
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