Indian Music (Hindustani) — Syllabus & Chapters

The complete syllabus for Indian Music (Hindustani) — every chapter you need to study, and how the exam paper is structured.

What you will study (chapters)

Chapter 1: Production, Transmission and Reception of Sound
Chapter 2: Types of Ragas
Chapter 3: Forms of Composition and Ornamentation
Chapter 4: Sangeet, Shruti, That and Raga Classification
Chapter 5: Laya: Drut, Vilambit, Madhya and Athgun
Chapter 6: Ragas Asawari, Khamaj, Kafi and Bhairvi
Chapter 7: Ragas Bageshwari and Malkauns
Chapter 8: Talas: Chartal, Tivra Tal, Jhaptal and Kahrva
Chapter 9: Khyal Notation, Raga Identification and Comparison
Chapter 10: History of Indian Music, Musicians and Musical Essays
Chapter 11: Khyal Demonstration with Alap, Bol Alap, Sargam and Tans
Chapter 12: Swar Vistar and Dhrupad Practice
Chapter 13: Twelve Notes, Grace Notes and Raga Identification
Chapter 14: Alankars, Tala Recitation, Layakari and That Practice
Chapter 15: Instrumental Raga Theory and Additional Ragas
Chapter 16: Tala and Gat Notation
Chapter 17: Written Raga Identification and Raga Comparison
Chapter 18: Instrumental Terms, That Concepts and Instrument History
Chapter 19: Gat Demonstration with Improvisation, Toras and Jhala
Chapter 20: Swar Vistar, Jod Alap and Massit Khani Gat
Chapter 21: Twelve Notes, Grace Notes and Raga Recognition
Chapter 22: Alankars, Tala Recitation, Layakari and That Practice
Chapter 23: Contributions of Musicians, Essays and History of Indian Music
Chapter 24: Five Pranas of Tal
Chapter 25: Tabla Terms: Sath, Tihai, Ga, Kayada, Palta, Rela, Laggi and Lari
Chapter 26: Tal Notation and Tal Rotation
Chapter 27: Tabla Talas in Thah, Dugun and Chaugun Layakaries
Chapter 28: Kisme, Tukadas, Gat, Laggi, Leri and Chakkardar Tukda
Chapter 29: Tabla Syllable Identification and Production
Chapter 30: Tabla Accompaniment with Music

Frequently asked questions

How many chapters are there in Indian Music (Hindustani)?

The Indian Music (Hindustani) syllabus has 30 chapters, listed in full above. Cover the high-weightage chapters first using the exam pattern as a guide.

How do I know which Indian Music (Hindustani) chapters carry the most marks?

Compare the chapter list above with the exam pattern and the last few years of question papers — the topics that appear most often and the units with the highest marks are where to focus first. Always confirm weightage against the official syllabus for your exam year.

Has the Indian Music (Hindustani) syllabus changed this year?

Boards occasionally revise the syllabus or remove topics for a session. Always download the official syllabus for your exact exam year from the official ICSE & ISC portal rather than relying on an older copy or a social-media list.

How can I prepare for Indian Music (Hindustani) faster?

Begin with the most-frequently-asked topics and the last few years of question papers, then test yourself under timed conditions. If you want guided help, you can use the free AI study tutor for Indian Music (Hindustani) — practise past-paper questions and get instant feedback — or a focused Indian Music (Hindustani) study guide that condenses the syllabus into the topics that matter most — both are free to start.