S-R-G-P-D-N-S
Long fabled as a favourite of Lord Shiva, Shankara takes its name from an epithet of the deity (Rajan Parrikar: “the musical embodiment of [Shiva’s] personality, comporting with all its attributes: raudra, veera, irascible, volatile, capricious…”). A pre-midnight raga, it ascends with SGPDNS, often in vakra patterns, before adding subtle touches of shuddha Re in avroh. Tanarang: “You wake up from a stupor or disturbed state of mind upon hearing it…a surge of life force”. Somewhat like ‘Hansadhwani + Dha’.
• Raga Megalist (365+) •
Search | Glossary | Tags
• Hindustani Raga Index •
—Purbayan Chatterjee (2019)—
[motif, e.g. 5:37] SNRS N, (N)D D(S), D(SNS), DDPGP, (D)NND/S N(DP)…
• 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
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.
–Swara Geometries–
• Core form: S-R-G-P-D-N-S
• Reverse: SrgmdnS (=none)
• Inverse: ni; SgmPdnS (=Gopika Basant)
• Imperfect: 1 (Ni)
• Detached: none
• Symmetries: mirror (mM—NS)
• Murchanas: Shankara set
–Global Translations–
• Carnatic: Shankaramohana
S-R2-G3-P-D2-N3-S
• Jazz: Major/Ionian (no 5th)
1-2-3-5-6-7-8
• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):
0-2-4-7-9-11-0
(2–2–3–2–2–1)
o • o • o • • o • o • o o
• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ni)
• Names: Shankara, Sankara
—Bhimsen Joshi (1993)—
[MORE TO FOLLOW]
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• 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]
—Megalist (365+ ragas)—
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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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