Dadra is a light classical form of Hindustani vocal music set to 6 beats. This form of music is found in Bundelkhand and Agra region. It has its roots in the Hindustani music, and some form of the Carnatic mode of South Indian music. The main difference between Dadra and Carnatic music is that Dadra music is slow and is mainly sung in single notes whereas the Carnatic music is very fast paced with quick turnaround and repeated notes. Dadra also contains the Carnatic tone and there are many songs that speak about different aspects of life in this tone.
The style and sound of Dadra music are so close to that of the Carnatic style that even many people do adopt this style.
The main characteristic of Dadra style is its exceptional use of the Carnatic scale in most of the song lyrics. The scale is commonly used to indicate sad moments in the song. A sadder composition might have a single note or might comprise two or three notes.