Browse the ragascape: You’re probably yet to find your all-time favourite! Search the raga index via text, tags, classifiers, contextual descriptions, melodic and geometric structures, and many more dimensions…
• Home | Megalist | Tags •
[Random Raga]
—Search the Raga Index—
(results from all project pages)
• Text-Search Tips •
How to find what you seek…
- Descriptors: e.g. Try inputting names (‘Malhar’, ‘Kauns’), performers (‘Kishori Amonkar’), gharanas (‘Agra’, ‘Mewati’), instruments (‘sitar’, ‘sarod’), histories (‘Tansen’, ‘Mughal‘), samay (‘sunrise’, ‘night’), descriptors (‘myth’, ‘ancient‘), etc.
- Swaras: In ascending order, separated by generic swara position with ‘–’ (e.g. ‘S-R-G-mM-P-D-nN-S’) – also try un-separated snippets such as ‘gmRS’. [n.b. ‘m/ma’=shuddha, ‘M/Ma’=tivra: although in Chrome, Safari, and IE, the ‘find’ function is case-insensitive: use Firefox’s ‘Match Case’ for komal/shuddha/tivra specificity, or try a browser add-on such as Chrome Regex Search. Bear with me while I code a more elegant solution!]
- Also: For more agile inter-raga navigation, try ‘Ctrl-F’ searching similar terms within the Full Megalist page – which contains summary descriptions and basic swara-set info for all ragas in the project (all ragas instantly link to each other, aiming for a ‘hyper-connected whole’). And similarly with the Raga Glossary.
• Tags & Classifiers •
Explore via formal categorisations: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (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
Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.
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
Murchana: Bhup. | Bihag | Bilaw. | Charu.
Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi
Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball
Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern
Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang
Prevalence: Prachalit | Aprachalit | A-list
Quirks: Atritonal | Fragmented | Centred
| Maximal | Self-shadowing | Komal Pa
• Explore by Swara •
Sa | Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni
• Ragatable Search •
Find ragas via my comparison table of all 300+ Megalist ragas: searching for hidden relations via swara-set spreadsheeting (allows for granular queries across various melodic & geometric parameters):
—FULL RAGATABLE—
“Why turn to the spreadsheets? While ragas are never reducible to mere scale forms, my own state of knowledge will never expand to encompass the true fullness of the ragascape either. Given Hindustani music’s complexity, we must ‘upgrade the mind’, using formalised methods to really see the hidden inter-swara connections…” (Ragatable Explained)
• RAGA TAGS •
• Get started with learning raga! •
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[MORE TO FOLLOW]
Like everything on my site, the Raga Index will always remain open-access & ad-free: however, anti-corporate musicology doesn’t pay the bills! I put as much into these resources as time and finances allow – so, to hasten the project’s expansion, you can:
• Support the Raga Index! •
—Riyaz-focused notations & bandish—
—Resurrecting rare and ancient ragas—
—Further melodic & geometric analysis—
—Engaging with Hindustani performers—
—Ensuring that high-quality raga knowledge will remain open to all, at no cost: free from commercial motive!—
—Hindustani Raga Index—
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! [out 2023-24]
–Megalist (365+ ragas)–
• Search: Find your new favourite •
• Tags: Classifying the ragascape •
• Glossary: Raga jargon demystified •
• Murchanas: Swara-set rotations •
• Thaat: Bhatkhande’s base scales •
• Ragatable: Analytical connections •
• Tanpuras: Divine overtonal drones •
• Quotes: Musings from raga artists •
• Talas: Hindustani rhythm cycles •
Sa | Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni
[Random Raga]
—Search the Raga Index—
• Feedback / Contact •
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!
• Projects & articles: full list •
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