The fourth step of the sapta swara, offering both shuddha (natural) and tivra (raised) options. While these are somewhat equivalent to the Western ♮4 and #4 (=500 and 600 cents), the Hindustani Ma may also be set to a microtone between these points (plus, swaras are far more than just ‘notes’: in the words of Vilayat Khan, “whenever we use tivra Ma, [it is like] a prayer, shantha rasa; and whenever we use shuddha ma, there is a little bit of shringara…”). Madhyam (meaning ‘medium’ or ‘central’: i.e. the 4th of the 7 swaras) is also associated with moonlight, as well as the call of the heron. It also underpins the sonic geometry of several Hindustani instruments: e.g. the sitar’s main string is tuned to ma (meaning Sa=7th fret), and ‘Sa-ma’ is the second most common tanpura tuning (as ma-Sa-Sa-Sa).
म (मध्यम)
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• Ma Categories •
Shuddha ma: present
Shuddha ma: only
Shuddha ma: varjit
Shuddha ma: imperfect
Shuddha ma: detached
Tivra Ma: present
Tivra Ma: only
Tivra Ma: varjit
Tivra Ma: imperfect
Tivra Ma: detached
Generic Ma: present
Generic Ma: varjit
Double Ma: present
‘Komal Pa’ (mM & no Pa)
Mirror: m–N | mM–nS | M—S
• Quirks: tivra Ma exactly bisects the octave from Sa (see ‘palindromicity‘) • shuddha ma cannot be ‘imperfect‘ or ‘detached‘ (as all ragas must contain their own Sa) • shuddha ma is popular as an ‘open baaj tar‘ tone (e.g. on sitar)
Tanpura tuning: ma-Sa-Sa-Sa
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