S-R-gG-m-P-dD-n-S

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A complex, winding invention of sitar innovator Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan, which incorporates both forms of Ga and Dha into a Charukeshi-like framework. His most prominent rendition, released on a 1973 album with Samta Prasad on tabla, is a fascinating portrait of his ‘Jafferkhani baaj’ style – revolving, as the raga’s name suggests, around a strong, sustained shuddha ma, accentuated via concluding motifs such as S(gR) g(mR) GGm. Indeed, ma is so pivotal that the raga often sounds like a curious Patdeep variant, via murchana (e.g. Madhyami’s recurring phrases dnSGm; mdPm, if interpreted as a ma-murchana, become Patdeep’s gmPNS; SgRS). Shuddha Ga assumes more prominence than its komal counterpart; and komal dha dominates the shuddha, which is barely touched in the alap and never held for more than a brief moment in the gats, mostly occurring as part of a distinctive Smm mD(nSn)P motif (also audible in his Sindhi Bhairavi recordings). The raga presents plenty of other quirks, including brief touches of komal re in ornaments such as n(rSnrS) – although the album’s official liner notes give little away, stating only that “Madhyami is a combination of more than two ragas…no aroha–avroh is fixed”. A half-century after its conception, the raga now spans all three generations of its gharana’s existence, having since been recorded by Khan’s disciple Rajendra Varman and grand-disciple Deepsankar Bhattacharjee (a fine rendition which leans further into the Kauns-ang). Compare to other forms created by 20th-century sitarists, such as Parameshwari, Monomanjari, Imratkauns, Tulsikauns, Shiv Manjari, Enayetkhani Kanada, and Ek Prakar ki Kauns. To learn more about Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan’s life and playing style – marked out by double-stops, open-string pedal tones, meend with natural harmonics, guitar-like ‘hammer/pull’ ornaments known as krintan, and the early adoption of Carnatic ragas including Kirwani, Latangi, Hemavati, and Kanakangi – browse the official Jafferkhani Baaj site (in the words of Annapurna Devi: “Future historians of Indian classical music will note Khansaheb’s seminal contribution to our musical heritage in golden letters…”).

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राग मध्यमी

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—Abdul Halim Jaffer Khan (1973)—

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[gat, e.g. 8:35] m(gRg) P, P d(nS) n(Snd), Pd dPm, Gm S(gRgmS) GGm, m, m, S(gS)m mD(nDnSP), m(gmg) P, dn(S) n(S), Pd dPm, S(gRgmS) GGm…

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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

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Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Lachari Todi

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–gG–m–P–dD–n–S

• Reverse: SRgGmPdDnS (=itself)

• Negative: 2-5-5

• Imperfect: 1 (Ga)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (S—M)

• Murchanas: Jaijaiwanti set

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• Quirks: ‘palindromic‘ (same intervals forwards & backwards) • ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Navaroj)

S-R₂-G₂-G₃-M₁-P-D₁-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Major Pentatonic Modes (sum of)

1-2-b3-3-4-5-b6-6-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-3-4-5-7-8-9-10-0

(2–1–1–1–2–1–1–1–2)

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o • o o o o • o o o o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–ma

• Names: Madhyami, Madhyamee

• Transliterations: Hindi (मध्यमी)

—Deepsankar Bhattacharjee (2020)—