S-R-G-m-P-D-N-S

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A rare but charming all-shuddha raga, said by some to be an older form of the Bilawal lineage. Most commonly associated with Ali Akbar Khan, who performed several variants over the course of his long career: including the ‘pure’ Loom, as well as Loom Nat and Loom Mand (all SRGmPDNS). During one concert, Khan recounted that “the melodic theme was taught to him by his father in his childhood, as an elementary exercise to enable him to acquire a thorough grip over the shuddha swaras of the saptak”. Since performed by his sarod disciple Prasenjit Sengupta, as well as khayal vocalist Warren Senders, a student of Shreeram Devasthali, singing a Bimal Roy composition: Mohaliyo Mana Mero Ka Karun More Mayi (Senders kindly sent me his own handwritten notes on Loom from the 1990s: “Stops at Re and starts at ma: mixed raga, good anytime…”). Historic raga specialist Ramkrishna Das ‘Nadrang’ recently published an in-depth Loom analysis (A Detailed Study of 19-20th Century Raag Loom), drawing on a wide range of sources and compositions. In his words: “Loom is a lilting and catchy folk melody, similar to the kajri of Varanasi…unlike Bilawal, it comprises simple tonal movements”. Das considers Re to be a common choice of vadi, and highlights the use of SRP and sometimes G as nyas – suggesting core phrases such as RGmGR, N(D)NS (see his full paper for further info and bandish notations covering the past 150+ years). Also browse other ragas associated with Ali Akbar Khan: e.g. Chandranandan, Gaurimanjari, Malayalam, Medhavi, & Suha Todi.

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• Raga Megalist (365+) •

राग लोम

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: RNSRG, mGRP, DNS

Avroh: SNDPmG, SRG, NSRS

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Chalan: signatures – e.g. RNSRG; mGRP; PDNP; DNS; NDPmG; SRGNSRS [Das/Khan/Sengupta]

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—Ali Akbar Khan (1983)—

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[refrain, e.g. 18:17] G, G, m, (D)P (P)m G, R(m) G(R) S(NS), N(D) N(D) N(S), S, R, G (D)P m(Gm), G(R) R(m) G(R), S(NS), G, G, m, (D)P (P)m G…

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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: Bilawal thaat, Bilawal, Bihari, Tilak Kamod, Nat, Hem Bihag, Savani, Swanandi, Gagan Vihang, Maluha, Mand, Chaya Malhar, Hemant, Manjari Bihag

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–G–m–P–D–N–S

• Reverse: SrgmPdnS (=Bhairavi)

• Negative: 3-2-3-2-2 (e.g. Malkauns)

• Imperfect: 1 (Ni)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (R—d)

• Murchanas: Bilawal set

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• Quirks: ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’) • ‘Pa-repeating‘ (poorvang and uttarang take the same ‘semitone shape’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: ~Shankarabharanam

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)

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o • o • o o • o • o • o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Loom, Lome, Lom

• Transliterations: Hindi (लोम)

—Warren Senders (2016)—

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Bandish above notated by Ramkrishna Das ‘Nadrang’ in his excellent Loom paper (along with other compositions): ‘Moh liyo man mere; Kā karun mori māi / Kānan āna bas kar liino; Sadarang bānsi bajāye’

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