The fifth step of the sapta swara. While roughly equivalent to the Western perfect 5th interval (=700 cents), the Hindustani Pa tends to be nudged very slightly higher, to the ‘pure’ 5th of 702 cents – plus, swaras are more than just ‘notes’ (e.g. Pa is linked by some to the calls of cuckoos and nightingales). Derived from the Sanskrit for ‘five’ (also used in the names of other musical phenomena, such as Thyagaraja’s Pancharatna Kriti: a folio of five legendary Carnatic compositions).
प (पंचम)
Sa | Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni
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• Pa Categories •
Pa: present
Pa: varjit
Pa: imperfect
Pa: detached
‘Komal Pa’ (mM & no Pa)
Mirror: P–r | MP-Sr | Pd–rR
• Quirks: cannot be ‘detached‘ (as all ragas must contain their own Sa) • ‘achal‘ (immovable: n.b. see ‘komal Pa‘)
Tanpura tuning: Pa-Sa-Sa-Sa
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