S-r-g-m-P-D-n-S

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Traditionally held to cure stomach ailments, Ahiri allows for long, kaleidoscopic melodies – with a scale form resembling ‘Bageshri komal re’, ‘Ahir Bhairav komal ga’, or even ‘Bhairavi shuddha Dha’. Artists are relatively free to roam throughout the scale, drawing on ideas from Bageshri (gmDnS), Ahir Bhairav (PDnrS), Kafi (gmPDnS), and beyond – with many leaning into the Todi-ang in concluding motions (rgrS). Matches the shape of the Carnatic Natakapriya. Compare to Ahiri Todi, Jaiwanti Todi, and Deen Todi – as well as Ahiri’s murchana partners Patdeep, Charukeshi, and Vachaspati. (n.b. the Carnatic Ahiri is congruent with Basant Mukhari‘s SrGmPdnS scale form: connections to the Northern form are unclear).

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• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग आहीरी

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SrgmPDnS

Avroh: SnDPmgrS

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Pakad: variable, e.g. mPD; SnD; rgrS 

Chalan: e.g. nDr; DnS; Dngr; rgmgr; Srgm; rgPm; grgP; rgmD; DPDnD; mPDnS; DnrS; nDPDnD; nDmgr; Pmgr; rnDS (Raja)

• Compositions •

—Krishna Bhatt (Maihar sitar):

• [tintal] Petals of Bliss: mPD(Sn), D(P)m, P(mg), m(gr), g(r), r rg(r)S

—Harmeet Virdee (Imdadkhani sitar):

• [tintal] gmPDnD Pm, g\r gmgm
• [lehra] m, g, r, S(S)nS

—Harmeet Virdee (2009)—

(hear me play Ahiri on guitar!)

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[motifs, e.g. 1:34] (g)mPDnD mP, g\r gmg; m, g, r, (Sn)DnSr…

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• Guitaragas •

My attempts to capture the raga on electric guitar (see more on my Insta)

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—Ahiri on electric guitar (alap)—

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A quick sketch of some sitar-style compound meend on my Stratocaster, partly inspired by Raj Virdee’s rendition of the raga above (I’ve also recorded Ahiri with sitarist Jon Mayer in London: watch an excerpt here) 

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• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):

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Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Thaat #30, Jaiwanti Todi, Prabhateshwari, Ganeshkauns

• Ragmalas •

Historic miniature paintings (learn more)

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“Ahiri Ragini: opaque pigments on paper, heightened with gold” (Bilaspur, c.1740) / “Ahiri Ragini, from a folio” (unknown, c.1750)

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–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–r–g–m–P–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgmPDNS (=Patdeep)

• Complement: SRGMdNS

• Imperfect: 3 (re, Pa, Dha)

• Detached: 2 (re, Dha)

• Symmetries: mirror (m—N)

• Murchanas: Charukeshi set

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• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Natakapriya (mela #10)

S-R₁-G₂-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Dorian b2

1-b2-b3-4-5-6-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-3-5-7-9-10-12

(1–2–2–2–2–1–2)

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o o • o • o • o • o o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–ma (+Dha)

• Names: Ahiri, Aheer, Aheeri, Aahiri

• Transliterations: Hindi (आहीरी)

—Krishna Bhatt (2010)—