S-g-mM-P-n-S

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A rare hexatonic raga which instantly gripped my ears as a match for the Western ‘Blues Scale’ (SgmMPnS) when I came across a mellifluous rendition by sarangi master Abdul Latif Khan – who regularly utilises distinctly bluesy double-Ma phrases such as nSgmM, PMmgS (as per his student Nicolas Magriel: “His bandish is somewhat reminiscent of the Pink Panther theme”). Further research suggested that the raga was introduced by Dagarvani vocalists Zia Fariduddin Dagar and Ritwik Sanyal, although I’ve struggled to unearth much detail on their process of inspiration – despite the raga’s seemingly transglobal elements, it is unclear if its creators actually had the blues in mind while devising it. After all, Shrutivardhini differs from the American blues idiom in several notable ways: with many artists omitting shuddha ma in ascent, and most allowing tivra Ma to function as an independent swara (compared to its more ornamental role in the blues, where it is often hinted at via subtle upward bends from ma). Also recorded by Abdul Latif Khan’s son Farooque Lateef Khan and grandson Sarwar Hussain Khan (lehra transcribed below), as well as by Dhrupadyas Nirmalya Dey, Seuli Chakraborty, and Suvir Misra (who uses his rudra veena’s wide meend capabilities to summon the sounds of a slide guitar). The same SgmMPnS swara-set – a Ma-murchana of Marwa – has also been sung under the name ‘Madhuswaravali’, created by Balwantrai Bhatt ‘Bhavrang’ as a derivation of the Gwalior gharana’s Multani Dhanashree (see more info on the raga provided by Sourya Dev). Compare the scale to its ‘single-ma’ cousins Dhani (only ma) and Madhukauns (only Ma), as well as to other blues-inclined ragas such as Jog (which outlines a 7#9 ‘Hendrix’ chord) and Kalavati (which matches the classic SGPDn ‘boogie-woogie bassline’).

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राग श्रुतिवर्धिनी

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—Sarwar Hussain Khan (2023)—

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[lehra, e.g. 5:35] Sg gM MP PnPn S, (n)S (n)PP M m g S; Sg gM MP… 

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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: Madhuswaravali

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

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–g–mM–P–n–S

• Reverse: SRmMPDS

• Complement: SrRGdDNS

• Imperfect: 2 (Ma, Pa)

• Detached: 1 (Ma)

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Marwa set

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: (~Suddha Dhanyasi)

S-G₂-M₁-M₂-P-N₂-S

• Jazz: Blues Hexatonic

1-b3-4-#4-5-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-3-5-6-7-10-12

(3–2–1—1—3—2)

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o • • o • o o o • • o • o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa

• Names: Shrutivardhini, Shrutivardhani, Srutivardnini, Srutivardhani, Sruti Vardhini, Sruti Vardhani, Surti Vardani

• Transliterations: Hindi (श्रुतिवर्धिनी)

—Abdul Latif Khan (~1975)—