S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S
Now lying dormant, Gaud – assumed to have been named for its origins in the archaic Gaudadesha region – is best-known via its parental role in compounds such as Gaud Malhar, Gaud Sarang, and Gaud Bahar. In spite of its modern scarcity, the raga played a vital role in Hindustani history, turning up in numerous ragmala paintings and finding mention in texts such as Shrikantha’s Rasakaumudi (c.1575: along with Gaud Malhar) and the medieval Raga Nirupanam (“Gaud is the son of Shri. Fond of white robes, he is fair, adorned with all ornaments, holding a sword in hand, and borne by a serpent…”). Despite the raga’s great historic significance, there is little information on the workings of its ‘pure’ form, meaning that we must instead look to its surviving DNA. Parrikar elaborates the Gaud elements in Gaud Malhar (SRGm, mGmGRGS, RGm, Pm; SRGGm, mGm, P), highlighting how the “strong, glowing ma stands out” – corroborated by Tanarang (SRGm; mGm; GRGRS; RGmPm) and Dr. Gita Banerjee’s Raag Shastra Vol.1 (p.101: SGRmG, PmG, GRmG, mRS, SRNSG, G, RGRmG). The future of Gaud remains uncertain, with vanishingly few living masters ever having learned the raga in its own right. Nevertheless, I prefer to label it ‘dormant’ rather than ‘extinct’ – my hope is that gurus may still be out there who can pass on its twists and turns to future generations (refer to instances of ‘raga resurrection’ such as Khem Kalyan and Komal Ramkali). UPDATE [Nov 2025]: I finally discovered a recording! Many thanks to Manikbua Thakurdas disciple Geeta Athalekar, who captured a superb composition in the rare 11-beat ‘Manibandh taal’ during one of her guru’s lec-dems (“This is the first time that this raga is on YouTube…It is a sampurna raga [with] a vakra chalan…ascending with [phrases like] NSGRmGP, mPDNS…”).
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—Geeta Athalekar (2020)—
[themes; e.g. 2:08] GmPmGR SNRSNS, GmPmGR SNRSNS; NSGRGR PmDDP, N(SNS)DPP GPmG…
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• Recent Raga Index Updates (Jul 2026): Melodic ‘snapshots’ of prachalit ragas • Up to 365 raga pages! Some highlights: Bayati, Basant Mukhari, Bilaskhani Todi, Chandranandan, DoGa Kalyan, Jog, Kalavati, Kaushiki, Malkauns, Maru, Meladalan, Parameshwari, Sarangkauns, Vachaspati (+ try out ‘Audav Meladalan‘) • What does ‘Kauns’ mean? Analysing 60+ Kauns ragas • ‘Bifurcations‘: ‘poorvang vs. uttarang’ splits • Amir Khan’s ‘168 merukhands’ • Experiments (e.g. overtonal Bhairav, jazz Malkauns) • Survey of Sa Tunings • More Masterlist ragas (1000+)
Raag Jog: exploring different ways the electric guitar can support a Dhrupad-ang nomtom (syllabic improvisation)…
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#dhrupad #raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic
Jun 28
Raag Kafi: Electric guitar improv around the adha bandish ‘Aaj Khel Shaam Sang Hori’
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 22
Raag Jog: some sawal-jawab (‘question-answer’) fun with Marc Clayton on tabla
(From ‘Around the World in Eight Ragas’: my show with Ashwin Baliga & Marc Clayton at Mehfil Space on 11 Jun 2026) @ashwinbaligaofficial @marc_plays_tabla @mehfilspace
#raga #indianmusic #icm #worldmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 15
Some tintal improv around a wonderful Durga bandish I’ll be playing at @mehfilspace @the_rose_hill in Brighton on Thu 11th June! with vocalist @ashwinbaligaofficial and @marc_plays_tabla
https://therosehill.co.uk/event/the-mehfil-space-presents-around-the-world-in-8-ragas/
‘Around the World in 8 Ragas’: exploring cross-cultural melodic forms (e.g. scales that turn up independently in Japan, India, Mali, etc)
#indianmusic #raga #icm #brightonmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 10
Come see me play some bendy raga-guitar at @mehfilspace @the_rose_hill in Brighton on Thu 11th June! with vocalist @ashwinbaligaofficial and @marc_plays_tabla
https://therosehill.co.uk/event/the-mehfil-space-presents-around-the-world-in-8-ragas/
‘Around the World in 8 Ragas’: exploring cross-cultural melodic forms (e.g. scales that turn up independently in Japan, India, Mali, etc) – including this piece, a famous Bhairavi bhajan by Pt. Bhimsen Joshi (Jo Bhaje Hari Ko Sada)
#bhajan #raga #indianmusic #brightonmusic #ragaguitar
Jun 5
tomato can jungle/DnB (distracted while cooking)
#drumming #percussion #dnb #jungle
May 23
A great Jaunpuri gat from Senia-Shahjahanpur sarod legend Pt Buddhadev DasGupta, full of fast bends and slides (originally released for Joep Bor’s 1997 Raga Guide, in many ways a precursor to my own raga index)
Raag Jaunpuri: a late morning raga, likely originating in the Sultanate-era music of Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh (as per Subodh Agrawal: “The rulers of Jaunpur were keen patrons of the arts, and the last one – Sultan Hussain Sharqi – was himself a distinguished musician; it is probable that the Jaunpuri flavor of Asavari was developed by him, or under his patronage“). Rajan Parrikar elaborates on its “Asavariant” status, noting that some (including Omkarnath Thakur) see it as essentially indistinguishable from Shuddha Re Asavari, while others consider Jaunpuri to follow more ‘rounded’ melodic motions…
#sarod #ragaguitar #stratocaster #worldmusic #jaunpur
May 6
just for fun…I had to defend the honour of my main instrument against my second instrument (many thanks to @mountainhead for the original video, as well as some tasty bends) – still no match for the surbahar’s meend range though!
#sitar #guitar #raga #bends #ragaguitar
May 4
• 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 | 32 | Enclosed | 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.
• Prakriti: Bilawal thaat, Bilawal, Tilak Kamod, Nat, Hem Bihag, Bihari, Savani, Swanandi, Gagan Vihang, Maluha, Mand, Chaya Malhar, Hemant, Manjari Bihag
–Swara Geometries–
• Core form: S–R–G–m–P–D–N–S
• Reverse: SrgmPdnS (=Bhairavi)
• Complement: SrgMdnS (=Mangal Gujari)
• Imperfect: 1 (Ni)
• Detached: none
• Symmetries: mirror (R—d)
• Murchanas: Bilawal set
• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’) • ‘Pa-repeating‘ (poorvang and uttarang take the same ‘semitone shape)
–Global Translations–
• Carnatic: ~Sankarabharanam (mela #29)
S-R2-G3-M1-P-D2-N3-S
• Jazz: Major / Ionian
1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8
• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-2-4-5-7-9-11-0
(2–2–1–2–2–2–1)
o • o • o o • o • o • o o
• Tanpura: Sa–Pa
• Names: Gaud, Goud, Gauda, Shuddha Gaud (n.b. ‘Gaund’ is a distinct-but-also-extinct lineage, and ‘Gaudi’ also appears to be a different raga)
• Transliterations: Hindi (गौड)
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George Howlett is a London-based musician, writer, and teacher (guitars, sitar, tabla, & santoor). Above all I seek to enthuse fellow sonic searchers, interconnecting fresh vibrations with the voices, cultures, and passions behind them. See Homepage for more, and hit me up for Lessons!
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