• Raag Nat Kamod •

S-R-G-m-P-D-nN-S


A Jaipur-Atrauli combination of Shuddha Nat and Kamod, which may also touch on the territory of Chayanat. Described by Deepak Raja as being “sustained by a single bandish – Nevar Baajo – [which] has virtually been synonymous with the raga for over half a century, and is perhaps the sole repository of its ‘raga-ness’ still in circulation”. This composition, typically attributed to Sadarang, “appears to tilt the raga’s melodic personality towards Nat more than Kamod” (although Raja also adds that Manikbuwa Thakurdas, “the only authority to have offered a discussion of [Nat Kamod]…argues that the popular Kamod is not pure, as it has a fragment of Nat embedded in it [GmPGmRS]. As the ‘pure’ Nat went out of circulation, [this phrase] got wrongly associated with Kamod”). While rare in earlier generations, the raga has enjoyed something of a resurgence in recent years, with a variety of effective renditions now available: refer to those of Amant Ali, Pratima Tilak, Kesarbai Kerkar, Laxmibai Jadhav, Shruti Sadolikar, Mallikarjun Mansur (filmed live), Fareed Hassan (singing a tappa), Adnan Khan (on sitar: “a majestic and melodious raga, a blend of deep emotions and intricate patterns…it evokes a sense of longing and contemplation”), and Sharafat Hussain Khan (“I am so accustomed to hearing this famous bandish in madhya laya tintal, the brisk pace of this particular recording seemed a bit unusual. However, the tabla accompaniment [from Narayanrao Indorkar] is brilliant…assertive without being overbearing. Khan’s gilt-edged tonal quality and his Agra-styled ‘taiyyari’ are on display here…”).


Raga Megalist (365+) •
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Hindustani Raga Index •

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Aroha: SRGmP, PDPS
Avroh: SDnP, PDPR, GmRS

Chalan: e.g. SRGmP; PDPmGmP; PDDP; PDPS; GmRS; SDnP; PDPR; GmPGmRS (Raja)

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—Shruti Sadolikar (2020)—


[refrain, e.g. 1:01] R(mRm)RS R(mPnDn) PmRS R, S(mRmR) SRP mP\m, P(nDnD)P m(GmGR)G, (RG)m, m(DPDP)mP mm G, (R)G G(mGmG)P m(Pm)G (R)m (GmR)R; R(mRm)RS R(mPnDn) PmRS R

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• 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

Double: rR | gG | mM | dD | nN

Thaat: 10 | 32Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.


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.

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• Prakriti: Desh, Des Malhar, Champak, Alhaiya Bilawal, Devgiri Bilawal, Kukubh Bilawal, Bihagara, Bihagda, Gaud Malhar, Sorath, Arun Malhar, Tilak Malhar

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–Swara Geometries–

Core form: SRGmPDnNS
Reverse: SrRgmPdnS (=Gandhari)
Negative: 5-2-3-2
Imperfect: 1 (Ni)
Detached: none
Symmetries: mirror (Gm—nN)
Murchanas: Bihag set

Quirks: maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

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–Global Translations–

Carnatic: ~Bilahari
S-R2-G3-M1-P-D2-N2-N3-S
Jazz: Bebop Dominant
1-2-3-4-5-6-b7-7-8
Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-2-4-5-7-9-10-11-0
(2–2–1–2–2–1–1–1)

o • o • o o • o • o o o o


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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa
• Names: Nat Kamod, Nut Kamod

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—Kesarbai Kerkar (1946)—

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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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