S-r-G-M-P-d-N-S

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Basant (meaning ‘Springtime’) is a historic and highly influential form, with a lineage stretching back to at least the 8th century. The raga’s modern incarnation matches the swaras of Poorvi thaat, with shades of shuddha ma also permitted in some interpretations (e.g. SmmG; mdrS). Phraseological allies include Puriya (GMdNM; mdGmG) and Shree (e.g. NrS; rNdP), although tivra Ma is elongated more than komal re, and melodic development is mostly focused on the uttarang portions of madhya and taar saptak. Tanarang gives a pakad of P; MGMG, describing “shringar and separation pangs…a meend-pradhan raga creating a heavy atmosphere”. A perennially popular jod ingredient (e.g. Gauri Basant, Malti Basant, Dakshinatya Basant, & Basanti Kanada), and particularly cherished by Sikh traditions, with many great saints having composed hymns in it (as per one Sikh writer, Basant “encourages the mind to brush away its selfishness…there [is] hope and expectation of a new beginning, the start of a new cycle”).

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Aroha: SGMdNS

Avroh: SNdPMG, MGrS

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Chalan: e.g. MdNS; NdP(M)GMG; MGMdMNdSNrS; rNdP; dP(M)GMG; GMNdPMG; MGrS; SmG; MdNS (Bor/Chaurasia)

—Venkatesh Kumar (2019)—

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[refrain, e.g. 7:50] Pd S(rSNS), N\d P(dPMP), MG M(PMGM), dN S(rSNS), Pd S(rSNS)…

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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

Double: rR | gG | mM | dD | nN

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

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

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

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

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

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Murchana: Bhup. | Bihag | Bilaw. | Charu.

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Poorvi thaat, Shree, Puriya Dhanashree, Gauri Basant, Jaitashree, Tankeshree

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–r–G–M–P–d–N–S

• Reverse: SrGmMdNS (=Lalit)

• Negative: 4-1-4-1-2 (e.g. Bhupali Todi)

• Imperfect: 2 (Pa, dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Basant set

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Kamavardhani

S-R₁-G₃-M₂-P-D₁-N₃-S

• Jazz: Hypolydian Chromatic

1-b2-3-#4-5-b6-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-1-4-6-7-8-11-0

(1–3–2–1–1–3–1)

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o o • • o • o o o • • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ni)

• Names: Basant, Vasant, Vasanti, Vasantha

—Kala Ramnath (2016)—