S-R-G-M-P-D-nN-S

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Associated with the crisp mornings of springtime, Shankara Karan is variously said to blend elements of Shankara, Shree, Hindol, and Yaman – although its swara set (‘Yaman double Ni’) is seldom-heard in the Hindustani ragascape (also hear the ultra-rare Guru Kalyan & Kala Kalyan). Recordings are rare, with the most prominent cut being a 1995 sadra duet by Ali Akbar Khan & Asha Bhosle (Ananda Mukha Chanda: ‘Her face looks bright and happy…’), which gives special prominence to a turnaround of PDNSn\P (as per the liner notes, penned by Khan himself: “These compositions date back to the 16th century. [My father] learned them from his guru Mohammed Wazir Khan, who learned them from Amir Khan, and so on…[They] were composed by Tansen and others from the Senia gharana”). Parrikar recommends Ali Akbar Khan’s solo take (“Alubhai virtually eliminates Re and ropes in elements of Khamaj…the play on double-Ni is masterly”), as well as K.G. Ginde’s differing interpretation (“tivra Ma is deployed to evoke chayas of both Kalyan and Hindol”). Historically placed in a trio with the seldom-heard Shankara Aran (SGMPDNS) and Shankara Bharan (SRGmMPDNS), with Parrikar noting that “all of them have gone out of fashion, and furthermore, no consensus prevails on their movements”.

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राग शंकरा कारन

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

—Ali Akbar Khan & Asha Bhosle (1997)—

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[bandish, e.g. 3:23] N\D/S N\P P\GPG, SNS N\D/SN\P P\GPG; N\PP NNS(NS), PGPG\S, NS/P\G, PDN S\n\P, P/n(Pm) P, P/N(P)S N\P, GPG\S…

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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)

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–R–G–M–P–D–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRgmMdnS

• Complement: SrgmdS

• Imperfect: 2 (Ma, ni)

• Detached: 1 (ni)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: none

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Hamir Kalyani)

S-R₂-G₃-M₂-P-D₂-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Lydian (dbl. 7th)

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

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

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

(2–2–2–1–2–1–1–1)

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o • o • o • o o • o o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Shankara Karan

• Transliterations: Hindi (शंकरा कारन)

—K.G. Ginde (~1970s)—