Originally a Persian word signifying an idea or a concept, khayal is a flowery form of vocal singing believed to be the creation of Amir Khusro. This genre however is not mentioned in any of the fourteenth or fifteenth century works and can be safely assumed to be of older origin and a product of both dhrupad and the qawwali forms. Often enough, Amir Khusro is credited with musical compositions that cannot be accurately sourced! That there is no mention of these in his own or others' works is the only proof to the contrary. Many believe that Niamat Khan, a famous dhrupad singer, is the creator of khayal since many compositions bear his pseudonym Sadarang. As a matter of fact, recent composers too mark their pennames in the antara section. For example, Ustad Faiyaz Khan as Prem-piya (lover); Bade Ghulam Ali Khan as Sabrang (many-hued); and Kumar Gandharva as Shoka (mourning).

The use of ornamentation in khayal is far greater than in any other classical form, and the style has a tremendous freedom. Nonetheless, the subject matter remains semi-religious and emotional.

The format of sthayi and antara sections is observed, but the presentation would depend on the traditions of different gharanas. For example, the Agra gharana, and Ustad Faiyaz Khan, follow the elaborate alap free of rhythm and words. The bol-banth of the bandish section allows for wide-ranging improvisations and rhythm.

An alternate approach is a brief alap that provides no more than an outline of the raga. Sung with only the vocables (Re, Ni, etc) and with no rhythm, this part is known as the avachar. The sthayi follows, sung in a slow or medium rhythm. Raga development and exposition is at this later stage and accompanied by words and rhythm: this is the bol alap or shabd alap, named thus (i.e. an alap) because of the rendering of the full range of the raga. The process of raga progression is known as badhat. While some gharanas close with the antara section, those like the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana choose to omit this section. Nevertheless, the brief alap and the strong positioning of the sthayi through the use of badhat are practiced by this gharana.

The first phrase of the sthayi and the antara sections is termed the mukhda in both dhrupad and khayal. Khayal performances consist of the bada khayal and the chhota khayal. The former is a slow, sombre rendering of the raga and can well include an elaborate alap. Chhota khayal usually continues the raga of the bada khayal at a faster pace (i.e. in drut laya). An exception are the ragas that do not lend themselves to the chhota khayal's style of rendering. Therefore, another raga is rendered but it needs to be close to the raga already performed. The Sampurana Malkauns raga is one serious raga and a performance would entail a separate raga for the succeeding portion.

In khayal, words are seen vis-a-vis the music and rhythm requirements, and are thus not enunciated as clearly as in dhrupad. Nonetheless, they do play a significant part in creating the mood for the performer and the audience.

Gharanas of the Khayal genre

The khayal style of vocal singing has different schools following different style traditions. According to music scholar Deshpande a group bound by a stylistic commonality can be considered a gharana only if it meets certain criteria. First, this group needs to have been in existence for at least three generations with competent performers in each generation. Second, the style features would need to be observed in every generation. These features include the emulation of the singing voice of the founder - for example, a nasal pitch of the founder would need to be emulated by the other artistes. The emphasis placed on notes in preference to the tempo, or vice versa, would be a hallmark of a gharana - for example, the Kirana gharana lays great emphasis on the notes while the Jaipur-Antrauli gharana stresses the tempo during a raga performance. Other scholars feel that even the choice of raga distinguishes one gharana from another. For instance, the Kirana gharana favours the Sampurana ragas while the Jaipur-Atrauli gharana favours Acchob ragas.

Gharanas traditionally followed the guru-shishya system of instruction in which direct, one-on-one teaching and personal supervision meant a clearer and therefore deeper understanding, of both the traditions of that gharana, of the raga, and of the role of a particular style in exploring and presenting that raga.

Currently, few singers can be said to sing in the pure style of a particular gharana. Influences of other schools and the singer's individual style often form part of the presentation, leaving only the major characteristic features of the gharana intact. One interesting feature is the family ties of those within one gharana or even with those of other gharanas.

The gharanas of khayal gayaki (singing) are :
Gwalior gharana, Kirana gharana, Jaipur-Atrauli gharana, Agra gharana, Patiala gharana, Rampur-Sahaswan gharana,
Mewati gharana, Bhendi Bazar gharana

Vocal Hindustani Music : Dhrupad, Dharmar, Tarana, Tappa, Thumri.

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