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Svara

The document discusses the North and South Indian classical music systems of raga. It describes the seven basic notes or svaras in both systems and their variations. It explains that ragas are organized into scales and the South Indian system uses 72 scales divided into two groups based on the lower tetrachord. While some ragas have the same name between systems, others are the same musically but have different names, and some named the same are actually different. Ragas are also classified based on the number of notes in their ascending and descending movements.

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2K views2 pages

Svara

The document discusses the North and South Indian classical music systems of raga. It describes the seven basic notes or svaras in both systems and their variations. It explains that ragas are organized into scales and the South Indian system uses 72 scales divided into two groups based on the lower tetrachord. While some ragas have the same name between systems, others are the same musically but have different names, and some named the same are actually different. Ragas are also classified based on the number of notes in their ascending and descending movements.

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Svara in North Indian system of Rāga[84][85]

Svara Sadja Rsabha Gandhara Madhyama Pañcama Dhaivata Nisada


(Long) (षषषष) (षषष) (षषषषषषष) (षषषषष) (षषषषष) (षषषष) (षषषषष)
Svara Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni
(Short) (षष) (षष) (ष) (ष) (ष) (ष) (षष)
D♭ (komal F (suddha A♭ (komal B♭ (komal
12 Varieties re), E♭ (komal ga), ma), G dha), ni),
C (sadja)
(names) D (suddha E (suddha ga) (pancama) A (suddha B (suddha
F♯ (tivra ma)
re) dha) ni)
Svara in South Indian system of rāga[85]
Nishada
Shadja Gandharam Madhyama Pañcama
Svara Rsabham Dhaivatam m
m (षषषषषषष m m
(Long) (षषष) (षषषष) (षषषषष
(षषषष) ) (षषषषष) (षषषषष)
)
Svara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni
(Short) (षष) (षष) (ष) (ष) (ष) (ष) (षष)

D♭ (suddha A♭ (suddha B♭ (kaisiki


E♭ (sadarana ni),
16 ri), dha),
ga), F♯ (prati ma), B
Varietie D♯ (satsruti G A♯ (satsruti
C (sadja) E (suddha F♮ (suddha (suddha
s ri), (pancama) dha),
ga), ni),
(names) ma)
D♮ (catussr E♮ (antara ga) A♮ (catussr B♮ (kakali
uti ri) uti dha) ni)

The music theory in the Natyashastra, states Maurice Winternitz, centers around three themes –
sound, rhythm and prosody applied to musical texts.[86] The text asserts that the octave has
22 srutis or microintervals of musical tones or 1200 cents.[79] Ancient Greek system is also very close
to it, states Emmie Te Nijenhuis, with the difference that each sruti computes to 54.5 cents, while the
Greek enharmonic quartertone system computes to 55 cents.[79] The text discusses gramas (scales)
and murchanas (modes), mentioning three scales of seven modes (21 total), some Greek modes are
also like them .[87] However, the Gandhara-grama is just mentioned in Natyashastra, while its
discussion largely focuses on two scales, fourteen modes and eight four tanas (notes).[88][89][90] The
text also discusses which scales are best for different forms of performance arts.[87]
These musical elements are organized into scales (mela), and the South Indian system
of rāga works with 72 scales, as first discussed by Caturdandi prakashika.[85] They are divided into
two groups, purvanga and uttaranga, depending on the nature of the lower tetrachord.
The anga itself has six cycles (cakra), where the purvanga or lower tetrachord is anchored, while
there are six permutations of uttaranga suggested to the artist.[85] After this system was developed,
the Indian classical music scholars have developed additional rāgas for all the scales. The North
Indian style is closer to the Western diatonic modes, and built upon the foundation developed by
Bhatkhande using ten Thaat: kalyan, bilaval, khamaj, kafi, asavari, bhairavi, bhairav, purvi, marva
and todi.[91] Some rāgas are common to both systems and have same names, such
as kalyan performed by either is recognizably the same.[92] Some rāgas are common to both systems
but have different names, such as malkos of Hindustani system is recognizably the same
as hindolam of Carnatic system. However, some rāgas are named the same in the two systems, but
they are different, such as todi.[92]
Rāgas that have four swaras are called surtara (षषषषष) rāgas; those with five swaras are
called audava (षषष) rāgas; those with six, shaadava (षषषष); and with
seven, sampurna (षषषषषषष, Sanskrit for 'complete'). The number of swaras may differ in the
ascending and descending like rāga Bhimpalasi which has five notes in the ascending and seven
notes in descending or Khamaj with six notes in the ascending and seven in the descending. Rāgas
differ in their ascending or descending movements. Those that do not follow the strict ascending or
descending order of swaras are called vakra (षषषष) ('crooked') rāgas.

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