S-R-G-P-D-S

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Often described as ‘the other raga with Bhupali’s swaras’, Deshkar shuffles the same five tones to produce a mood suited more to the morning than evening hours – a legacy of the raga’s roots in the Bilawal raganga (vs. Bhupali’s Kalyan heritage). Taking a Bilawal-ang vadi-samvadi of Dha–Ga, the raga is uttarang-dominant, with a preference for on vakra movements in madhya and taar saptaks. Dha and Pa exerts gravity as nyas, and Re (prominent in Bhupali) is often rendered durbal or skipped in ascent. Parrikar suggests definitive tonal sentences of P, PGPD, DP, PDGP and PDGPGRS, RSDS, SGPD, DP. See melodic summary below – and refer to renditions by Kishori Amonkar, Venkatesh Kumar, Faiyaz Khan, Kala Ramnath, and Shahid Parvez (who includes ornamental touches of shuddha Ni) – and also see the prakriti Jait Kalyan.

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राग देशकार

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SRGPDS

Avroh: SDPGPD, DPGRS

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Pakad: e.g. PGPD; DP; PDGP

Chalan: variable – illustrative sequences e.g. SRGPD; DGP; PDGP; SD; DSRDRS; SDDP; PDGP; GRS; SDS; SGPDP; GRS (Tanarang)

• Matches the SRGPDS scale of Bhupali, but takes a Bilawal-ang character instead – with a lesser role for shuddha Re (particularly in ascent), more emphasis on shuddha Dha (e.g. SGPD; PGPD; DP), and a preference for exploring the zone above madhya saptak Pa

• Improvisations focus on the uttarang space, with Pa-Dha-Sa used as nyas (e.g. PDGP; SD; DP) – and descents tend to take vakra paths, elongating shuddha Ga rather than Re (e.g. PDGPG; GRSD)

• Some artists include touches of shuddha Ni in motions around high Sa (e.g. D(SNRS), S(NS)D) – with ornament shapes generally having a more ‘restless’ quality than in Bhupali, laden with fast murki and deft, decisive movements (e.g. GPD(PDSDPD); DS(DSDPG)P)

• Traditionally associated with the post-sunrise hours – and linked by some to sentiments of veera (heroism, courage, determination)

—Venkatesh Kumar (2016)—

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[refrain, e.g. 1:48] S/SD, D(SDPD) P(PDPD)PP\G, G(PGP)D, P(GPG) G(R)S, S/SD…

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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: Bhupali, Pahadi, Jait Kalyan

Also see other ragas with the generic swaras ‘Sa-Re-Ga-Pa-Dha‘ – and compare to the rest of the Bilawal raganga

–Proximate Forms–

Shivranjani = ‘Deshkar komal ga‘

Jansammohini = ‘Deshkar add ni‘

Shankara = ‘Deshkar add Ni‘

Bilawal = ‘Deshkar add ma/Ni‘

Khamaj = ‘Deshkar add ma/ni‘

(n.b. these are just ‘scalar similarities’, with nothing particular implied about phraseological overlap)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–G–P–D–S

• Reverse: SgmdnS (=Malkauns)

• Complement: SrgmMdnNS

• Imperfect: 1 (Ga)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (R—d)

• Murchanas: Bhupali set

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• Quirks: ‘atritonal‘ (no available tritones) • ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Mohanam

S-R₂-G₃-P-D₂-S

• Jazz: Major Pentatonic

1-2-3-5-6-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-4-7-9-0

(2–2–3–2–3)

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o • o • o • • o • o • • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ga)

• Names: Deshkar, Deskar

• Transliterations: Hindi (देशकार)

—Shahid Parvez (2016)—