S-gG-M-P-nN-S

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A direct borrowing of the Carnatic mela #72: which, as the final position on the wheel, has all its swaras set to their highest allowable positions. In Hindustani music, the equivalent principle would produce Yaman (SRGMPDNS), but the South Indian system allows three variants for each of Re, Ga, Dha, & Ni, with the highest Re/Dha positions matching the lower Ga/Ni options (i.e. ‘tivra Re’=komal ga; ‘tivra Dha’=komal ni, spelled in Carnatic as ‘Ru/Du‘ or ‘R₃/D₃‘: see my Melakarta breakdown for more). Thus, Rasikpriya takes ‘double-Ga, double-Ni’ (SgGMPnNS), producing a scale which resembles a tivra Ma version of Jog‘s older double-Ni form (‘Do Nishad ka Jog‘: also compare to Tilang). Seemingly introduced to the North by Shivkumar Sharma, who recorded several spellbinding renditions: notably the extended 1991 take below, from an all-night concert in Stuttgart with Zakir Hussain. Since taken up by the santooriya‘s disciples, including student Valmik Dhande and son Rahul Sharma, who got in touch with me in 2024: “Rasikpriya is a personal favourite due to its unusual scale; I love playing it, but not too often – as this keeps its rare quality alive and mysterious, as is the sound…”. See melodic analysis below – and compare to DoGa Kalyan, Ravi Shankar’s orchestral setting of a similar concept (‘Double-Ga Kalyan’, i.e. ‘Yaman tivra Re’: SgGMPDNS).

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• Raga Masterlist (1000+) •

राग रसिकप्रिया

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: e.g. SGMPnNS

Avroh: e.g. SNnPMGgS

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Pakad: variable, e.g. NSGMG, PMGgS; MPnNS

Chalan: (open-form)

• Given the rarity of Northern renditions, the raga has no established rules or conventions besides staying within the bounds of the swara-set

• Shivkumar Sharma sometimes omits the komal ga and ni in ascent (e.g. NSGMPNS) – but elsewhere showcases the Carnatic practice of treating them as ‘independent’ swaras (e.g. PnNS; PMGgS)

• The scale form’s complex geometry allows for many interpretations – e.g. three sangatis of jumps ‘3-1’ (SgG; gMP; PnN), ‘Amritvarshini up, Madhukauns down’ (SGMPNS; SnPMgS), or even ‘Bhairav’s re-murchana’

• The curious SgGMP poorvang is near-unique in the Northern ragascape – although the overall scale still permits chayas of several well-known ragas, e.g. Jog (nSG; PnPSnP; G(S)gS), Tilang (NSG; PNSnP), Yaman (GM; PMG; NS), Vachaspati (SGMPnS)

• For further inspiration, artists can look to original Southern renditions – and, given the scale’s mix of consonance and clash, there is great potential for customised sruti tunings (e.g. ‘pairing’ the ga-ni and Ga-Ni samvads, playing Ma ‘ati-tivra’, etc)

—Shivkumar Sharma (1991)—

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[gat, e.g. 30:13] NNS, GgG, Pn(NS) S, (Pn)P P(MG)G, nPP, nP(MG)P G, PgG P, S, NN(S)S, PMP, GMPNS, (GMP)nPP, (nPM)PP, (nPM)MP, PgG…

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• Carnatic Origins •

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—Ragam Rasikpriya (mela #72)—

(Mandolin Srinivas)

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–All ragas of Carnatic origin–

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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

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

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: (none found)

Also see other ragas matching the generic swaras ‘Sa-Ga-Ma-Pa-Ni‘

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–gG–M–P–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRmMdDS

• Complement: SrRmdDS

• Imperfect: 3 (Ma, Pa, ni) 

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (m—N)

• Murchanas: Bhairav set

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• Quirks: ‘centred‘ (constellation balances at the wheel’s centrepoint)

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–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: Rasikpriya (mela #72)

S-G₂-G₃-M₂-P-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian #2 #6

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-3-4-6-7-10-11-0

(3–1–2–1–3–1–1)

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o • • o o • o o • • o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Rasikpriya, Rasikapriya, Rasik Priya

• Transliterations: Hindi (रसिकप्रिया)

—Rahul Sharma (2008)—