S-R-mM-P-D-N-S

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An early night raga, Kedar is traditionally associated with heat (Tanarang: “there is much thermal energy in this melody…hence it is regarded as a ragini of Deepak“: Tansen’s legendary fire-bringing raga). Often seen as particularly subtle, complex, and hard-to-perform – partly due to its curiously wide aroha jump from Sa to Ma (depending on variant, either a perfect 4th or a full tritone: essentially half the saptak space). Ga is often treated subliminally, and some renditions include touches of komal ni. Also refer to an intriguing tale from the Dagarvani Dhrupad (“Zia Mohiuddin Dagar related to us a story about Allabande Khan and Zakiruddin Khan. The incident occurred around 1920: the two brothers were giving a recital of Kedar at a conference, and while singing the true form of this ancient raga, they purposely avoided singing its catchphrase. The famous musicologist Pandit V.N. Bhatkhande was seated in the audience – and even after listening to their lengthy alap, he was still unable to identify the raga, and eventually asked the Ustads for its name. Only then did they sing the common Kedar catchphrase MPDPm. At once, the entire audience exclaimed: “Oh, so this is Kedar!”).

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• Raga Megalist (365+) •

Search | Glossary | Tags

• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SRS, SmGP, MPDNS

Avroh: NSDNDP, DMPm, mRRS

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Chalan: e.g. SRS; Sm; mGP; MPDPm; MPDNS; NSDNDP; DMPm; mRRS (Raja)

—Suchismita Das (2017)—

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[alap, e.g. 0:06] S(NS)m, m(G)m/P, (PDP)M P(MPDMP)M MP(MDP) m(Gm), Sm(GmG), (PDP)MP\R, mRSNS, S(NRS)S\D D(nDnD)P, P/S R, S(RSNS)…

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• Ragmalas •

Historic miniature paintings (learn more)

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“Kedara Ragini, wearing cape and culottes, with a crescent moon on her forehead and sitting on tiger-skin rug…” (Penn, c.1800)

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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: Noor Sarang, Shuddha Sarang

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–mM–P–D–N–S

• Reverse: SrgmMPnS

• Negative: 3-2-1-4-2 (e.g. Bairagi)

• Imperfect: 2 (Ma, Dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Kedar set

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Hameer Kalyani

S-R₂-M₁-M₂-P-D₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian (no 3rd, dbl. 4th)

1-2-4-#4-5-6-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-5-6-7-9-11-0

(2–3–1–1–2–2–1)

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o • o • • o o o • o • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ni)

• Names: Kedar, Kedara

—Shivkumar Sharma (~2000s)—