In Indian classical dance and music, a melodic phrase or musical motif that is repeated; also a rhythmic pattern in drumming.
From Sanskrit 'gutti' or Tamil 'kutti,' referring to a small phrase or segment. This term is used in Bharatanatyam and other classical Indian dance traditions.
In Bharatanatyam dance, guttis are tiny musical phrases that dancers repeat like a mantra, building complexity layer by layer—it's a compositional strategy completely different from Western melody, showing how musical thinking varies across cultures.
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