• Raag Bihad Bhairav •

S-r-gG-m-P-D-nN-S


A ‘double-Ga, double-Ni’ creation of Bhairav-loving vocalist Kumar Gandharva (also see Bhavmat Bhairav and Rati Bhairav – as well as Saheli Todi, Lagan Gandhar, and Madhusurja). Bose describes how “the projection of the raga is done mainly around Sa…the aroha poorvang is similar to Jogiya [Srm: also Gunakri], and it has a small portion of Shivmat Bhairav” [e.g. rgrS], giving pakad such as Srm; GrS rrS; nSS; rg grS; nrrS. Gandharva’s classic renditions mix extended uttarang-bounded explorations with emphatic resolution lines which reintroduce the komal re (e.g. PDnSr, r\S). Also recorded to great effect by his son Mukul Shivputra, who turns to darker melodic shades in a slower, more poorvang-focused interpretation.


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Aroha: Srm, Pmd, PdS
Avroh: SNdPm, dPd, mGrS

Chalan: e.g. Srm; PmdPdS; nrS; SNdPm; dPdndP; mGrSn; SrgrSn; rS (Bose)

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—Kumar Gandharva (~1970s)—


[refrain, e.g. 0:01] P(nDnDND)S, D(PmP)mm, (m)PmG G\r, SG, mD D(PmP)mm, (G)PmG G\rS…

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• Classifiers •

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


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 | 32Enclosed | Inexact

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

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

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.


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.

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• Prakriti: (none found)

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–Swara Geometries–

Core form: SrgGmPDnNS
Reverse: SrRgmPdDNS
Negative: 6-4-2
Imperfect: 3 (re, Pa, Ni)
Detached: none
Symmetries: none
Murchanas: none

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–Global Translations–

Carnatic: (~Mayamalavagowla)
S-R1-G2-G3-M1-P-D2-N2-N3-S
Jazz: Dorian b2 (dbl. 3rd/7th)
1-b2-b3-3-4-5-6-b7-7-8
Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-1-3-4-5-7-9-10-11-0
(1–2–1–1–2–2–1–1–1)

o o • o o o • o • o o o o


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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa
• Names: Bihad Bhairav, Beehad Bhairav

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—Mukul Shivputra (~2006)—

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