• Raag Firozkhani Todi •

S-r-g-M-d-S


A fascinating audav raga formed by removing the Ni from Gujiri Todi – leaving an angular pentatonic shape which, aside from Sa, contains no shuddha swaras (n.b. the same scale is known as ‘Audav Todi’ and ‘Chaya Todi’ too: although the latter title is also separately applied to other fusions of Chaya and Todi). The lack of consonant resolutions to Sa brings a disbalanced mood, allowing performers to intersperse the Todi-ang rgrS phrase with angular melodic motions which may hint at other ragas via murchana – in particular, the scale resembles Jog’s aroha if taken from dha (dSrgMd > SGmPnS), and Bageshri‘s aroha if taken from ga (gMdSrg > SgmDnS). Sufiyana santooriya Bhajan Sopori uses his instrument’s 123 strings to showcase the scale’s harmonic properties, further strengthening the dhaga sangati and even making Sa feel like the ‘odd one out’ (see Marwa for another example of this effect). Also recorded by Kashyap Bandhu (Benares gharana), Joydeep Mukherjee (on sursingar), and Bhai Gurmeet Singh Shant (as a lively kirtan). Named, in its ‘Firozkhani Todi’ guise, for Firoz Khan ‘Adarang’: a renowned early 18th-century singer who, with his uncle ‘Sadarang’, helped to shape the future of khayal via their innovations at the court of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. The pair composed hundreds of bandishen, many of which are still in circulation today, and may also have been responsible for introducing the sitar to Delhi – hear Abhirang set Adarang’s poetry to the raga. Compare to the related Adarangi Todi (the ragas likely share historic overlap), as well as to Gujiri Todi (add Ni), Mangal Gujari (add ni), and Komal Ramkali (add Pa+ni) – and to other scales with no shuddha swaras.


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राग फिरोज खान तोडी
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Aroha: SrgMdS
Avroh: SdMgrS

Pakad: variable, e.g. gMdS; dMg; rgrS
Chalan: (variable)

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—Bhajan Sopori (1997)—


[composition, e.g. 25:01] dMg dSg M d, (S)dMg dS g g SrgrMgrgrS; dMg dSg M d, SMg dS g g rgMgrS…

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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

Thaat: 10 | 32Enclosed | Inexact

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

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


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.

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• Prakriti: (none found)
Also compare to Abhogi (the only other ‘generic Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Dha‘ raga currently in the Index) – as well as more of the Todi raganga

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–Swara Geometries–

Core form: SrgMdS
Reverse: SGMDNS (=Hindol)
Complement: SRGmPDnNS (=Desh)
Imperfect: 2 (Sa, ga)
Detached: 1 (Sa)
Symmetries: none
Murchanas: Sundarkauns (on ga)

Quirks: ‘detached Sa

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–Global Translations–

Carnatic: (~Shekharachandrika)
S-R1-G2-M2-D1-S
Jazz: Superlocrian (no 5th/7th)
1-b2-b3-#4-b6-8
Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-1-3-6-8-0
(1–2–3–2–4)

o o • o • • o • o • • • o


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• Tanpura: Sa–dha
• Names: Firozkhani Todi, Ferozkhani Todi, Feroze Khani Todi, Phirozekhani Todi
• Transliterations: Hindi (फिरोज खान तोडी)

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—Kashyap Bandhu (2022)—

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