passages and generally begin by moving downward ,note by note,  exploring  the lowest octave, sometimes finally reaching  a distinctly  dramatic point by touching the deep tonic of that octave. Although there no lyrics to this singing , certain syllables- ri, na,,ra num, te,ta,ra,na - are used to articulate the melody. After exploring the lowest octave .the singers move up into the middle octave- again singing in alternate improvisations that set new progressively  higher watermarks - ultimate reaching another  dramatic stage  by ascending to the tonic of the highest octave. This gradual, progressive ascent is what is most dramatic about the Dhrupad alap, and the  longer  the vocalist can sustain their creativity in keeping the listeners engaged, the more liberating the resolution in reaching the highest octave.

Next come the Madhya(Literally Middle) Alap in which there is the introduction of slow, regular pulse.  This section is the vocal counterpart to the Jor in instrumental music. Using the same syllables in singing the notes of the Raga, the brothers alternates in their improvisation by traversing- now with a rhythmic component- some what the same range covered earlier , though usually concentrating on the central octave. The notes come frequently added with the power of gradually  accelerating rhythm.

At some point in Madhya Alap , the double pulse burst into a quadruple pattern, and Drut Alap begins,this section is the vocal equivalent of Jhala in Instrumental Music. Here, the rhythmic element comes to dominate the melody with increasingly complex phrases,ornamentation (including distinctive ,heavy oscillations called Gamakas), and rhythmic patterns that contrast with the  elegant calm and simplicity of beginning Alap. The  conclusion of DRUT  Alap is usually marked by a gliding , downward slide through the entire middle octave, and ends on the same tonic around which the improvisation began.

Throughout the development of Alap , a periodic punctuation device, the Mohra, separates  the improvisatory phrases. In the simple Alap , such a device anticipates  the coming rhythm where  as in the Madhya and Drut  it serves as a kind of brake, occasionally slowing the increasing rhythmic momentum.

The Performance of the Raga concludes with the song, set  with Pakhawaj accompaniment to one of the distinctive Dhrupad Talas; a song in a ten-or twelve- beat called dhrupad , while the song in the fourteen beats  Dhamar Tala is known eponymousely as a Dhamar. The performers consists of a straight forward statement of the fixed song composition , which is traditional and may sometimes extremely old  dating to the time of Tansen. The song itself consists two to four parts  based on the poetic text , and once this parts have been stated in their fixed form , the singers engage in a improvisatory process known as a BOL-BAANT, in which the word are used in increasingly complex and richly syncopated rhythmic patterns (which play against the powerful cross-rhythms of the Pakhawaj) to conclude the performance of the Raga.
By  Brian Silver