S-G-m-P-nN-S

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A folksy Khamaj raga featuring distinctive double-Ni interplay, seemingly of ancient Southern origin (Bor: “Tilang probably originated in Telangana, and may have been introduced to the North by an unknown 15th-to-16th-century poet-composer“). Definitive phrases are focused on the mid-scale Ga–Ni space (GmPnP; GmPNS), with interpretations often adorned with various mishra flourishes (see melodic summary below, and go deeper in Moumita Mitra’s quick vocal demo). Remains firmly popular amongst vocalists and instrumentalists alike, and has also been re-adopted into Carnatic music in recent generations. On a personal note: I’ll never forget first discovering Ravi Shankar’s landmark 1967 collaboration album with violinist Yehudi Menuhin (East Meets West), borrowed from a local library CD aged 14 – featuring an energetic Mishra Tilang arrangement (‘Swara-Kakali‘), later reworked by their respective students Gaurav Majumdar & Daniel Hope as part of the very first raga concert I ever witnessed (thus helping set me on the path which led me to move to Benares, and eventually to the creation of this project…). Compare to Jog, which evolved from Tilang around a century ago via an initial ‘Jog Tilang‘ compound – as well as the nearby Dhani.

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राग तिलंग

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• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: NSGmPNS

Avroh: SNSnP, GmGS

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Pakad: e.g. GmPnP; GmPNS

Chalan: e.g. SGmPnP; mG(P)mG; GmPNS; (P)nP; GmPNSGS; RNSnP; mPnP; (m)G(P)mGS (Bor/Sadolikar)

• Ascents take shuddha Ni, and descents take komal ni as PNSnP (similar to the use of GmgS in Jog: itself a Tilang derivative) – amidst a generally Khamaj-ang character (SG; GmP)

• The Ga-Ni axis is the focal zone, with core phrases launching from mandra Ni (NSGmG; NSGmP) and madhya Ga (GmPnP; GmPNS)

• The congruence of the wide SG and PN sangatis can be highlighted via ornaments such as S(Gm); P(NS) – and some artists feature touches of shuddha Re in taar saptak (e.g. RNSnP)

• Invites folksy, uplifting interpretations – with many performers adding outside swaras in colourful ‘mishra’ flourishes

• Compositions •

—Ravi Shankar & Yehudi Menuhin (Maihar sitar + violin):

• [tintal] Swara Kakil: GmP nPnP SNSP nPmG | GmP nPmG mGSN SGmP | GmP SnPm nPmG mPNS | PNS mGmG SNSP nPmG

—Shahid Parvez (Imdadkhani sitar):

• [sitarkhani] GmP, NS(NS) P(nP) P(nP), (m)GmG | NNS, Gm(G)P, PP(SN), PP(Sn)

—Shahid Parvez (2020)—

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[gat, e.g. 6:58] GmP, NS, NSnP, P/n\P, GmG…

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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)

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

–Swara Geometries–

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• Core form: S–G–m–P–nN–S

• Reverse: SrRmPdS (=negative!)

• Complement: SrRgMdDS

• Imperfect: 2 (Pa, Ni)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: none

• Murchanas: Jogeshwari (on Pa)

–Global Translations–

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• Carnatic: Thilang / Hans-Shri

S-G₃-M₁-P-N₂-N₃-S

• Jazz: Bebop Dominant (no 2nd/6th)

1-3-4-5-b7-7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-4-5-7-10-11-0

(4–1–2–3–1–1)

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o • • • o o • o • • o o o

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• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Ga)

• Names: Tilang, Thilang, Tilangi, Tailang

• Transliterations: Hindi (तिलंग); Punjabi (ਤਿਲੰਗ); Urdu (تلنگ); Kannada (ತಿಲಂಗ್); Sinhala (තිලංග්)

—Shubha Mudgal (2022)—