Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Chords for raga from each mode of the

major scale using mode relations
Ragas corresponding to each mode of the major
scale:
1. Raga shankara bharanam - ionian (major scale)
2. Raga kharaharapriya - dorian
3. Raga hanumatodi - phrygian
4. Raga kalyani - lydian
5. Raga harikamboji - mixolydian
6. Raga natabhairavi - aeolian
7. (locrian scale without pa - not a melakarta raga)

Raga Shankarabharanam
Raga Shankarabharanam intervals and notes are same as that of the major scale.
This allows us to use the chords of the major scale directly over Raga
shankarabharanam.
If we play or sing Raga Shankarabharanam at Pitch 1, the root is C.

Chords for C Shankarabharanam

Swara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Note C D E F G A B

F,
Chord C, F, Dm, G, Em, G, C, Am, B dim,
Bdim,
options Am Bdim Am, C Em Dm, F Em, G
Dm
The above table shows the notes of C major scale corresponding to the swaras of Raga
Shankarabharanam sung at pitch 1 (root C). Below each note or swara are three chord
Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

options, each chord containing the particular swara or note, and hence can be tried and
used in phrases where that swara or note is prominent.

Chords using the mode relations

Find the corresponding major scale and its chords
We found the different modes of the C major scale and the corresponding ragas. Now
if we do the reverse:
C major scale and C Shankarabharanam share the same notes.
The major scale corresponding to D Kharaharapriya is the C major scale.
The major scale corresponding to E Hanumatodi is the C major scale.
F lydian/ kalyani is based on the C major scale.
G harikamboji is based on the C major scale
A natabhairavi will share the same chords as the C major scale.

Remember which mode of the major scale, each of the 6 ragas is based on. Then for any
of these ragas
1. Identify which mode of the major scale corresponds to this raga
2. Find the major scale corresponding to the raga.
3. Which note does the major scale start from?
4. Find the chords of that major scale
The raga based on the mode can use the same chords as the corresponding major scale.
Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

e.g. C Kalyani
Suppose we want to play chords for Kalyani sung at pitch 1, that is C.

Find the major scale corresponding to C Kalyani

Kalyani is the Lydian mode, the 4th mode of the major scale. For which major
scale would C be the 4th note. Try and find by trial and error, or by counting.
Here is one rule you can use: Root of the major scale will start from the 5th note
of the lydian scale.
If C is the 4th note of a major scale, then the root of the major scale will be the
fifth of C.
The fifth of C is G (use the cycle of fifths)

Which note does the major scale start from?

C Lydian is based on the G major scale.
C Lydian scale: C D E F# G A B C
G Major scale: G A B C D E F# G
They share the same notes.

Find the chords of that major scale

Find the chords for the G major scale.
Remember the sequence of chords in the major scale:
Major – minor – minor – major – major – minor – diminished
(for example: C Dm Em F G Am Bdim)
Starting the sequence from G would give us the chords for the G major scale.
G major scale notes: G A B C D E F#
G major scale chords: Gmajor Aminor Bminor Cmajor Dmajor Eminor
F#diminished
Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Chords for G Shankarabharanam

Swara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Note G A B C D E F#

Chords C,
G, C, Am, D, Bm, D, G, Em, F# dim,
for the F#dim,
Em F#dim Em, G Bm Am, C Bm, D
note Am

Sa of C lydian starts from the 4th note C of G shankabharanam.

Chords for C Lydian/ kalyani

C kalyani has same chords as G shankarabharanam. The Sa will be C for C kalyani.

Swara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Note C D E F# G A B

Chord
C,
options D, G, Em, F# dim, G, C, Am, D, Bm,
F#dim,
for the Bm Am, C Bm, D Em F#dim Em, G
Am
note

Summary:
We wanted to find the chords for C Kalyani.
We know that Kalyani is 4th mode (lydian) of some major scale.
Which major scale has C as the 4th note? This step is so that we can use the major
scale chords to play over Kalyani, by starting from the correct point.
We find that G major scale has C as the 4th note.
What are the chords of the G major scale?
Now use the same chords for C kalyani. The Sa starts from C – use the chords in G
major scale which has the notes C. similarly for each swara as shown in the table
above.
Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

e.g. chords for C Kharaharapriya

1. Identify which mode of the major scale corresponds to this raga
2. Which note does the major scale start from?
3. Find the chords of that major scale

Identify which mode of the major scale corresponds to this raga

Kharaharapriya is the 2nd mode – the dorian mode of a major scale. That means the
kharaharapriya raga or dorian mode starts from the 2nd note of a major scale.

Find the major scale corresponding to the raga.

Which major scale would have C as the 2nd note? Count two notes back. Bb. Try the Bb
major scale notes.
Bb major scale notes: Bb C D Eb F G A
Starting from the second note of the Bb major scale will give us the dorian mode
(kharaharapriya) starting from note C.

Find the chords of that major scale

What are the chords from each note of the Bb major scale?
Sequence of chords for major scale: Major – minor – minor – major – major – minor –
diminished
Chords of Bb major scale: Bb Major – C minor – D minor – Eb major – F major – G
minor – A diminished

Chords for C Kharaharapriya

C kharaharapriya uses same chords as Bb major scale using C as the Sa.

Swara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Note C D Eb F G A Bb

Chords Eb,
Cm, F, Dm, F, Bb, Gm, Adim, Bb, Eb,
with Adim,
Adim Gm, Bb Dm Cm, Eb Dm, F Gm
the note Cm
Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

e.g. chords for C harikamboji

Harikamboji is based on the 5th mode (mixolydian) of the major scale.
An example calculation For the C major scale, G is the 5th mode. So G harikamboji
would be based on the C major scale. G is the 5th of C. C is the 4th of G.
To find the major scale on which C harikamboji is based, we need to find the 4 th of C,
which is F.
C harikamboji is based on the F major scale.
F major scale notes: F G A Bb C D E
F major scale chords : F Gm Am Bb C Dm Edim
(Use the Sequence of chords on the sequence of notes: Major – minor – minor – major –
major – minor – diminished)

C Harikamboji uses the same notes and chords as the F major scale, starting from C as
the Sa.

Chords for C Harikamboji

Swara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Note C D E F G A Bb

Chord
Bb,
options C, F, Dm, Edim, F, Bb, Gm, C, Am,
Edim,
for the Am Gm, Bb Am, C Dm Edim Dm, F
Gm
note
Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

e.g. chords for C hanumatodi

Hanumatodi has same notes as phrygian, the 3rd mode of a major scale. To find the
chords of C hanumatodi:
1. Find the major scale corresponding to the raga.
2. Find the chords of that major scale
Which major scale has C as the third note?
Find it out by trial and error. Try A.
A major scale : A B C# D…
The thir d note is C# and not C. So, we need to start from one step behind. One note
before A is Ab.
Notes of the Ab major scale: Ab Bb C Db Eb F G
(Use the Sequence of chords on the sequence of notes: Major – minor – minor – major –
major – minor – diminished)
Chords of the Ab major scale: Ab major – Bb minor – C minor – Db major – Eb major
– F minor – G diminished
C Hanumatodi has the same notes as the Ab major scale with the Sa starting from C. C
hanumatodi uses the same chords as Ab major scale, with each note having three
obvious chord options taken from the Ab major scale.

Chords for C Hanumatodi

Swara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Note C Db Eb F G Ab Bb

Chord
Db, Fm,
options Cm, Eb, Ab, Gdim, Ab, Db, Bbdim,
Gdim, Bbm,
for the Fm, Ab Cm Cm, Eb Fm Eb, Gm
Bbm Db
note
Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

E.g. chords for C Natabhairavi

Raga Natabhairavi has same notes as the Aeolian mode or natural minor scale.
The A minor scale is the relative minor of C major scale. The A minor scale starts from
the 6th note of the C major scale. The A natabhairavi scale would have same notes as
the C major scale and starts from the 6th note of the C major scale.
Which major scale has C as the relative minor. Which major scale will have C as the 6 th
note?
An example calculation When A is the 6th note, C is the root of the major scale. C is the
4th note in the note sequence from A [..A A# B C (root)..]. count 4 from the 6th note and
we get the root.
Similarly, to find the root when C is the 6th note, count [... C Db D Eb …].
C is the 6th note of the Eb major scale.

Eb major scale notes: Eb F G Ab Bb C D Eb

C natural minor or C natabhairavi has the same notes as the Eb major scale.
Eb major scale chords: Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb Cm Ddim
(Use the Sequence of chords on the sequence of notes: Major – minor – minor – major –
major – minor – diminished)

Chords for C Natabhairavi

C Natabhairavi has the same chords as Eb major scale, with C note as Sa.

Swara Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Note C D Eb F G Ab Bb

Chord
Ab,
options Cm, Ddim, Eb, Ab, Fm, Bb, Gm, Bb, Eb,
Ddim,
for the Fm, Ab Gm, Bb Cm Ddim Cm, Eb Gm
Fm
note