S-R-G-M-P-D-n-S Vachaspati (‘lord of speech’) is a recent import from the South, adapted from Carnatic music’s 64th parent scale in the mid-20th century. Consequently, its Northern form is still in a state of flux, with few firm melodic conventions aside from staying within the scale’s bounds. The swaras resemble overtones 8-14 of the harmonic series […]
• Raag Vachaspati •
• Raag Patdeep •
S-R-g-m-P-D-N-S Derived from the Dhanashree family, Patdeep somewhat resembles a ‘shuddha Ni Bhimpalasi’: ascending pentatonically before revealing Re and Dha in descent (and thus mirroring the Melodic Minor). Its distinctive interval structure, featuring a run of adjacent whole-tone jumps (gmPDN), can be rotated via murchana to form Charukeshi, Vachaspati, and Ahiri. • Raga Megalist (365+) • […]
• Raag Kalavati •
S-G-P-D-n-S A playful pentatonic form, neatly structured as a stack of ‘regularly narrowing’ intervals (4>3>2>1 semitones). The wide, triadic poorvang and clustered uttarang combine to give a reassuring momentum, with increasing melodic urgency as you go higher (a ‘triple jump followed by a sprint’). Consequently, performances of the raga tend towards energy and rhythmic charge. […]
• Raag Charukeshi •
S-R-G-m-P-d-n-S Adopted from Carnatic music, Charukeshi calls for wide-open melodic exploration, favouring long melodies which wind around themselves while visiting the furthest reaches of all three octaves. Like many Southern scales, it is often used as a canvas for reshaping and recolouring ideas from adjacent ragas, while itself presenting an odd marriage of major and […]
• Raag Basant Mukhari •
S-r-G-m-P-d-n-S Blending the poorvang of Bhairav (SrGm) with the uttarang of Bhairavi (PdnS), Basant Mukhari bears the imprints of multiple musical cultures. While its main modern inception is traceable to S.N. Ratanjankar’s eclectic Carnatic borrowings, some also link it to the near-extinct Raag Hijaz, itself derived from Arabic maqam. Scale-congruent forms turn up across the […]
• Raag Salagavarali •
S-r-g-P-D-n-S A rare ‘Ahiri no ma’ scale, combining a Todi-like poorvang with an Ahir Bhairavic uttarang. As per Rajan Parrikar: “S.N. Ratanjankar conceived of this raga…Ma is eliminated to yield the following contour: SrgPDnDS, SnDPg(P)rgrS. Brilliantly exploited by Jitendra Abisheki in a celebrated natyageeta. Watch out for the injection of a vivadi dosha via tivra Ma”. […]
• Raag Malay Marutam •
S-r-G-P-D-n-S ‘Malay Marutam’ translates as ‘fragrant hill-breeze’. Bansuriya Rupak Kulkarni explained to me in a 2018 interview how the raga “is from Carnatic music, which does not give so much attention to the times of day. We have decided to designate it as a morning raag, mainly due to the nature and essence of its […]
• Raag Kirwani •
S-R-g-m-P-d-N-S Despite its congruence with the Western Harmonic Minor, Kirwani has origins in the Carnatic Keeravani: thus leading to its popularity in North-South jugalbandi duets, offering artists from both cultures a rich expanse of shared melodic territory. Like many Southern imports, Kirwani is comparatively ‘open’, allowing for near-free use of all seven swaras in ascent […]
• Raag Hansadhwani •
S-R-G-P-N-S Hansadhwani translates to ‘call of swans’ – a creature with rich cultural associations in the Subcontinent (Saraswati, goddess of music and learning, is often depicted atop a swan, said to symbolise purity, discernment, and the process of breathing). Originally an import from Carnatic music, the raga’s pentatonic simplicity invites the listener towards the calm […]
• Raag Viyogavarali •
S-r-g-m-d-N-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —K.G. Ginde (~1980s)— https://www.parrikar.org/music/todi/ginde_viyogavarali.mp3 [bandish, e.g. 0:02] dmg\r (g)rS, md(SN)S N\d, gr (g)r r\S; (S)r r(gr) Srm md(NSrS)g rS, (g)r (g)r (r)S; dmg\r (g)rS… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also […]
• Raag Vardhini •
S-gG-m-P-d-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Bahauddin Dagar & Pelva Naik (2018)— [jor, e.g. 2:51] d(ndndSn) SGG(mG), (PG)G (PG)Gmm g(S)S, G(ndG) (Gm)dnS, G, GG, GG(m), mmm… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag […]
• Raag Simhendra Madhyamam •
S-R-g-M-P-d-N-S Borrowed from a South Indian ragam (melakarta scale #57), Simhendra Madhyamam takes the form of a ‘Kirwani tivra Ma’, ‘Todi shuddha Re’, or ‘Madhuvanti komal Dha’. Despite the popularity of its Carnatic congruent (hailed by Charulatha Mani as “regal, meditative, bold, and striking”), the raga remains relatively rare in the North – with its […]
• Raag Shivranjani •
S-R-g-P-D-S A spellbinding scale resembling ‘Bhupali komal ga’ (or ‘Kafi no ma/ni’), Shivranjani’s melodies (described by Kalakar as “plaintive, haunting”) are said to appease the destructive rage of Lord Shiva (also see Malkauns). Tanarang gives essential combinations including SRgP; PDPgR; gRgSR DS, although it may arrive in mishra form – rare for a pentatonic raga […]
• Raag Saraswati •
S-R-M-P-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Shahid Parvez (2021)— [refrain, e.g. 4:53] S(nSn)nS R, M, P(M), RSR, S, R(SRS)nS R, M(P), P(M), RSR… • Classifiers • Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List): Swaras: -4 | […]
• Raag Rampriya •
S-r-G-M-P-D-n-S [summary] • Raga Megalist (365+) • Search | Glossary | Tags • Hindustani Raga Index • —Amir Khan (~1960s)— [Swaras] • 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 […]
• Raag Narayani •
S-R-m-P-D-n-S Adapted from the Carnatic ragam of the same name, Narayani takes the swaras of a ‘komal ni Durga’ (or ‘Khamaj no Ga’). Pa is a nyas, while Dha is rendered deergha (e.g. mPnD, DP), with a general melodic focus on madhya and taar saptaks. Tanarang describes the raga as “soothing”, while Parrikar traces its […]
• Raag Meghranjani •
S-r-G-mM-N-S As per Abhirang’s performance notes (on his recording of the Pyaari Pyaari Batiyaan bandish), Meghranjani’s swara set is formed by removing the komal dha from Lalit. This produces an even stranger scale form, with two consecutive generic swaras – Pa & Dha – being omitted (a truly rare feature: as far as I can discern, […]
• Raag Jansammohini •
S-R-G-P-D-n-S Broadly running along the lines of ‘Kalavati plus shuddha Re’ (especially in avroh), Jansammohini is a captivating Carnatic import. Explored to powerful effect across vocal and instrumental music, the raga’s robust geometries are capable of housing everything from bhajan (Ashwini Bhide-Deshpande’s Ganesh Vandana) and freewheeling sitar solos (Ravi Shankar’s rhythmic take) to epic, full-length […]
• Raag Gopika Basant •
S-g-m-P-d-n-S A hexatonic raga of bewitching beauty, Gopika Basant matches the swaras of ‘Asavari no Re’ (or ‘Malkauns add Pa’) – while also inviting shades of Bhairavi from ga upwards. The Sa–ma sangati is strong, and, as noted by Jairazbhoy, descents can mirror the Malkauns scheme of “parallel conjunct tetrachords by oblique use of the […]
• Raag Devranjani •
S-m-P-d-N-S Stretched by the emptiness of a vast S-m poorvang jump, Devranjani is formed by removing the Re and Ga from Bhairav. Abhirang offers up both ‘shuddha Ni’ and ‘double Ni’ variants, with the former appearing to be predominant – while Bhatkhande’s early 20th-century works discuss the importance of the ascending phrase Sm, mP as a […]
• Raag Abhogi •
S-R-g-m-D-S The Carnatic-imported Abhogi is a rare ‘audav Kanada’ raga – somewhat resembling ‘Darbari no Pa/ni’ (or, if the mgmRS Kanada signature is de-emphasised, ‘Bageshri aroha no ni’). As per Tanarang, the raga’s capacity for Darbaric poorvang movements “creates a deep atmosphere…[which] can be expanded in all the three octaves” – while the ultra-sparse uttarang […]
