What do the terms arohana and avarohana refer to?

• A. Tempo pattern
• B. Ascending and descending order
• C. Rhythmic cycle
• D. Chord progression

Answer: (B)

In Indian classical music, arohana and avarohana describe how melodies move through notes in a scale. Arohana is the ascending passage—the sequence of notes as you go up from lower to higher pitches. Avarohana is the descending passage—the sequence as you come back down. They define how a raga is sung or played and can be straightforward or asymmetric (vakra), where the ascent and descent use different note patterns.

For example, a raga might ascend Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa, while the descent could be Sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa, with some notes omitted or altered to create a particular mood.

These terms aren’t about tempo, rhythm cycles, or chord progressions, which is why the other options don’t fit.