• Raag Saraswati Sarang •

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


Despite the prachalit status of both its parents, the Saraswati + Sarang compound remains relatively rare. The best longform performance is that of vichitra veena maestro Gopal Krishnan (which revolves around an ear-catching nD MPDS pakad), who – as per a direct message from his grandson Akshat Sharma – created the raga (along with Tilak Malhar). Sharma also confirmed my suspicions that his grandfather’s invention has significant overlap with Ambika Sarang (aside from being prakriti, the term ‘Ambika’ is closely tied to the goddess Saraswati), as well as highlighting renditions by Rupak Kulkarni, Dinkar Panshikar, Tushar Dutta, Abhirang, and Ramprapanna Bhattacharya. Learn more about Krishnan in the album’s liner notes (“His father, himself a noted surbahar player, was his first guru…later, he became a foremost disciple of Ravi Shankar…He is also a good vocalist, and plays instruments such as jaltarang, tabla, guitar, and ektara [one-string folk-lute]…in the classical style”). Also discover the unique sounds of his vichitra veena (‘curious string instrument’), a seldom-seen 22-string creation which is pitch-controlled with a glass ball. Also see the prakriti Rang Malhar, as well as other Sarang variants.


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राग सरस्वती सारंग
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—Gopal Krishnan (~1980s)—


[refrain, e.g. 9:14] RM(PD) P(MP), mRm R, SS, (S)nD MPDS, S, S, S\DS R, m\RR M, P M(D)P mRm, R, S, RM(P)DP mRm RS, nD MPDS

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If you’re near London/Brighton: come see me play some bendy raga-guitar at Mehfil Space on Thu 11th June, in Ashwin Baliga’s ‘Around the World in 8 Ragas’: exploring cross-cultural melodic forms…

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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

Thaat: 10 | 32Enclosed | Inexact

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

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


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.

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• Prakriti: Ambika Sarang, Rang Malhar
See all shadav ragas which omit Ga – and also compare to other members of the Sarang raganga

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–Swara Geometries–

Core form: SRmMPDnNS
Reverse: SrRgmMPnS
Complement: SrgGdS
Imperfect: 2 (Ma, Dha)
Detached: none
Symmetries: none
Murchanas: Lachari Kanada set

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–Global Translations–

Carnatic: ~Saranga Malhar
S-R2-M1-M2-P-D2-N2-N3-S
Jazz: Aeoliogyllic
1-2-4-#4-5-6-b7-7-8
Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-2-5-6-7-9-10-11-0
(2–3–1–1–2–1–1–1)

o • o • • o o o • o o o o


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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa
• Names: Saraswati Sarang, Sarasvatee Sarang, (overlaps with some incarnations of Ambika Sarang)
• Transliterations: Hindi (सरस्वती सारंग); Bengali (সরস্বতী সারঙ্গ)

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—Dinkar Panshikar (2019)—


(also see the overlapping Ambika Sarang)

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An open-ended project seeking to bring North Indian raga closer to all who approach with open ears. Combines direct input from dozens of leading Hindustani artists with in-depth insights from music history, global theory, performance practice, cognitive science, and much more besides!

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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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