Pancham se Pilu | SRGmMPDnNS | Hindustani Raga Index

S-R-G-mM-P-D-nN-S

A murchana rotation of Pilu (literally: ‘Pilu from Pa’) – i.e. if you treat this raga’s Pa as the ‘new Sa’, Pilu is produced (albeit in its somewhat less common ‘komal dha-less‘ form). Pilu’s doubled gG–nN swaras, separated by a perfect 5th, are thus spun into nN–mM (i.e. the murchana’s principal effect is to trade out Pilu’s gG for mM). This paves the way for shades of Yaman, Vachaspati, Khamaj, Nat Bihag, and other allied ragas, assisted by Pilu’s existing phrasal flexibility. Devised by sitarist Vilayat Khan (alap transcribed below), but performed by few others since. Also see his other innovations, including Madhuvanti, Sanjh Saravali, and Enayetkhani Kanada).

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राग पीलू पंचम से

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—Vilayat Khan (1958)—

[alap, e.g. 0:07] GMP, P(M) P(MPG) P(MG)S(nSn) n(SnS), RSS; GMP, P, P, PD(P) P(D) D(PM), MP M(P), P(GPG)G; GMPD(nD) D(P) P, P(nDn) n(D) n(D) n(DnDP), P(MnD) P(MPM) M, RMMP, (n)D n(DnD) n(RS) S(DnD) D(Sn) D(PMP) MP, PG(PG) RS…

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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 | 32 | Enclosed | 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.

• Prakriti: Nat Bihag, Chandni Kedar, Saraswati Kedar, Manj Khamaj, Pancham se Gara, Shuddha Chaya, Medhavi

–Swara Geometries–

• Core form: S–R–G–mM–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmMPdnS

• Negative: 5-2-5

• Imperfect: 1 (Ma)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (R—d)

• Murchanas: Pilu (no komal dha) / Jaijaiwanti set

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

–Global Translations–

• Carnatic: ~Hamir Kalyani

S-R₂-G₃-M₁-M₂-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian-Mixolydian

1-2-3-4-#4-5-6-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-4-5-6-7-9-10-11-0

(2–2–1–1–1–2–1–1–1)

o • o • o o o o • o o o o

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Pancham se Pilu, Pancham se Piloo, Pilu Pancham se

• Transliterations: Hindi (पीलू पंचम से)

—Vilayat Khan (2003)—

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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!