RAG AHIR BHAIRAV (CHAKRAVAKA)
Description
This is an old rag. It is characterized by the use of Komal Re and Komal Ni. This mode does not belong to any of the 10 thats put forward by Bhatkhande; however for some inexplicable reason, he ascribed this rag to Bhairav That. Often times, this rag is referred to by its south Indian name of Chakravaka. This is an early morning rag. For those who are still inclined towords the Vadi / Savadi theory it has been suggested that Ma is its vadi and Sa as its samvadi.
Ahir Bhairav is very well known through old film songs such as "Pucho Na Kaise" and "Meri Bina Tum Bin Roye Sajana". There are actually so many film songs in Ahir Bhairav that it is not really possible to go over them here.
There are two approaches to this rag (Rao 1980). The first type omits Ni in the arohana: it is therefore shadav - sampurna. The second approach does not omit any note; therefore it is sampurna - sampurna. However, since no other rag shares the same modality, one need not worry too much about impinging upon a differnt rag.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna (disputed) - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Early Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Chakravaka Mela (not one of Bhatkhande's thats) - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG ASAWARI (ASAVARI)
Description
Rag Asawari is considered to be the fundamental rag in Asawari that. There are several film songs in Asavari; one common one is "Mujhe Gale Se Laga Lo Bahut Udas Hun Main ". Asawvari is a morning rag. It is Audav - Sampurna due to the ommission of the Ga and Ni in the ascending structure. For those who still adhere to the Vadi/ Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that the vadi is Dha and the samvadi is Ga.
There are several rags which share the same that. Jaunpuri and Darbari Kanada are two of the most common examples. Therfore, it is important to pay attention to the pakad to keep from impinging upon them.
There is considerable disagreement concerning the Re. It seems that there are three schools of thought. The predominant view is that only shuddha Re is used. There is another school, which suggests that both shauddha and komal can be used. Finally, there are those that contend that only the komal Re be used. For the purposes of this website we will consider the first two to be within the bounds of Asavari, while the last one we will define to be "Komal Re Asavari"
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav / Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Asawari that - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHAIRAV
Description
Rag Bhairav is a very common rag. According to mythology, it was the first rag. It is belived that it emanated directly from the face of Mahadev (Shiva). It is a very well known rag but it is seldom heard because it is a morning rag and most performances are in the evening. Kalingada is very similar and is more likely to be heard by most concert goers.
The use of Bharav in film music is much more flexible. The informal treatment means that there is a lot of overlap with Kalingada. This leads to lively discussions as to whether particular songs are in Kalingada or in Bhairav. Furthermore, there is no adherence to particular times with most film songs. Pehaps the most famous example is "Mohe Bhul Gaye Sanvariyan" from the film "Baiju Bawara". For a larger list of film songs in Bhairav, check "Rags Used in the Films" (Bhairav).
Bhairav has a very simple structure. It is sampurna - sampurna. For those who still adhere to the Vadi / Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that Dha is the vadi and Re is the samvadi. Re and Dha should have a heavy undolan (slow shake) to define its character. Bhairav's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairav That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BAHAR
Description
Bahar is a very popular springtime rag. During the spring, it may be sung at any time of the day. There are a number of film songs which use this rag; "Chham Chham Nachat Ayi Bahar" and "Sakal Bana Gagan Chalat Puravai" are two examples (more examples). However during any other season, it is a night time rag. Bahar has a very distinctive character. It uses both Nishads; it uses shuddha Ni (natural 7th) in the arohana and the komal Ni in the avarohana. For those who are still inclined towards the Vadi / Samvadi theory, it has been suggested that Ma is the vadi and Sa is the samvadi. This rag cannot be performed straight but must be executed in a vakra fashion; for it is the characteristic twists which give this rag its form. The pakad is therefore extremely important.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Spring - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHAIRAVI
Description
This rag is the main representative of Bhairavi That. It has traditionally been performed in the early morning hours. However, due to the fact that performances lasted all night, it has now become common to consider Bhairavi to be the finale. Today this rag is performed at any time provided it is the concluding piece. A few common songs in this rag are, "Babul Mora Naihar Chutohe Jai", "Jyot Se Jyot Jagate Chalo", and "Laga Chunari Me Dag Chupaun Kaise". Please check Film Songs in Rags (Bhairavi).
There are two approaches to the performance of Bhairavi: Shuddha Bhairavi and Sindhi (Sindhu) Bhairavi. In Shuddha Bhairavi, only the notes of Bhairavi That are used. In Sindhu Bhairavi, all of the swar, both komal and tivra are used. These are opposite extremes in philosophy. Contemporary practice tends to flow somewhere in between these two approaches, although the degree seems to be a question of individual artistic interpretation.
The Vadi / Samvadi system is generally discounted by modern musicologists; those who still adhere to this theory find Bhairavi to be particularly problematic. The vadi is usually considered to be Ma and the samvadi is usually considered to be Sa. However, Ga, Dha, and Pa have also been suggested as important notes.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Early morning or conclusion of performance - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairavi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BHIMPALASI
Description
Bhimpalasi (a.k.a., Bhimpilasi or Bheempalasi) is a rag which is very much associated with a hot Indian afternoon. It has five notes ascending and seven notes descending.
Bhimpalasi is derived from Kafi that. This that is very crowded with numerous similar rags, so it is very important to pay attention to their pakads, otherwise one may inadvertently impinge upon them, and thus spoil the performance.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Vadi
Ma - (general discussion of vadi)
Samvadi
Sa - (general discussion of samvadi)
Time
Afternoon - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
RAG BHUPALI (BHOOPALI)
Description
Bhupali is a a very common rag. Other transliterations are Bhoopali or Bhoopaali. In South Indian music, this is refered to as Mohanam.
This rag appears to be very ancient. It is based upon a pentatonic structure that is found in many parts of the world. It is believed by many scholars that the pentatonic scales; of which Bhupali is one, were prevalent in the middle and far-East by the first millennium B.C. This scale has been in China for many centuries; it is also found in the folk music of northern Britain. Yet, it is not clear whether the scale developed independently or spread through cultural interchange. Either way, it has been around for a long time and is very popular. Common songs based upon this rag include "Jyoti Kalash Chalke" or "Pankha Hoti To Ud Ati Re".
There is a fair degree of confusion and difficulty concerning this rag. The same notes of Bhupali are also used in rag Deshakar, Jait Kalyan, and Audav Devgiri. Obviously performing these rags, and maintaining their purity by not impinging upon the related rags, is extremely difficult. It is very much like changing your shirt without removing your sweater. It is parlour game which is amusing, but clearly impractical. In a similar manner, attempting to perform any of these rags in a "pure" fashion is more of an exercise than a productive artistic endeavour. This obvious problem is generally handled in a very pragmatic fashion. This involves reserving the performance for the lighter portion of the program, and mixing them all together with abandon. One simply declares that one is performing "Bhupali" in a semi-classical style; bas - finished - finito - no one can say anything! Since this has been the practice for such a long time, we are finding that Deshkar, Jait Kalyan and Audave Devgiri have essentially been subsumed into Bhupali. One may even argue that this subsumation has rendered them irrelevant, dated, and anachronistic.
The numerous rags with the same modality, underscores a curious weakness in the system of thats. Bhupali is classified under Kalyan that; however, madhyam is totally absent. Deshkar which has the same scale, yet Deshkar is classified under Bilawal that. This means that the missing madhyam of Bhupali is tivra (i.e., augmented 4th) while the missing madhyam in Deshkar is shuddha (i.e., natural 4th). In a similar fashion, Jait-Kalyan is also classed under Kalyan That, while Audav Devgiri is classed under Bilawal that. This is interesting, but totally insupportable by any objective musical criteria.
The methodology for determining the character of Bhupali's missing notes is not clear. It may be an extension of an earlier tradition. Bhatkhande stated that some musicians consider this rag to be synonymous with Bhup Kalyan (Bhatkhande 1985a). However, most musicians consider Bhup Kalyan to be synonymous with Shuddha Kalyan, and not Bhupali (Rao 1980). It may be that Bhatkhande's decision was partly based upon a desire to support his theory on the timings of the rags.
Such discussions are interesting but not of very great practical value. Regardless of the reasons for the classification, there is a conventional acceptance of Bhupali's inclusion in Kalyan that. We may question the methodology, but we really have nothing to gain by trying to ascribe it to a different that.
The Vadi / Samvadi system is generally discounted by modern musicologists. Among those who still try to adhere to this it has been suggested that Ga is the vadi and Dha is the samvadi.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
First part of night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kalyan That - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Rag Bhupeshwari (a.k.a. Bhoopeshree, Bhupashri, Bhoopeswari, Bhoopeshwari, Bupeshwari, Bhupkali, Bhoopeshri)
Description
Bhupeshwari is a truly remarkable rag. It is found in the background music of films, in qawwalis, and other light musical forms. It is also beginning to be performed in classical styles. It is of recent invention, but in a short period of time it has spread throughout India and Pakistan. Common examples are Aziz Nazan's "Chadta Suraj Dhere Dhere" and Mehdi Hassan's "Ab Ke Hum Bichray".
It is a rag which appears to be developing before our eyes (or ears). It is a rare event to witness the birth of a rag. Because it has developed only within the last few decades, it tantalises us into thinking that perhaps we can actually document the birth of this rag. Unfortunately the details are still remain beyond our reach.
Many feel that we can ascribe this rag invention to a particular person. According to some, it was developed by Alladiya Khan of the Jaipur Gharana. However, we must remember that Alladiya Khan died in 1946. If this is so, then why is it that Bhupeshwari appears to be unknown until several decades after his death. According to others, Bhupeshwari was invented by Pandit Mani Prasad of the Kirana school. This time-scale seems to make sense, but serious questions arise as to whether this was a completely organic creation or was he "inspired" by some pre-existing work. Whether any of these claims are true is difficult to say.
There is some inconsistency in the nomenclature for this rag. In India, three names arose. The major school, and possibly the oldest was to call it Bupeshwari. This is an obvious inspiration from "Bhupali", which is its closest North Indian relative. There was another school that came up with the term Bhupkali. Again this is an obvious link to Bhupali. Today only Hari Prasad Chaurasiya seems to use this name; it appears that the name "Bhupkali" never gained many supporters. To make the situation more complicated, as the rag was enfolded into the corpus of South Indian rags it acquired the name Vasanthi. The South Indians do not seem at all inclined to adopted the name Bhupeshwari, so it is unlikely that the name Vasanthi will go away; but it is likely that this name will remain permanently relegated to the south, and not have a generalised acceptance.
Even though Bhupeshwari seems to be emerging as the dominant name, there are still linguistic pressures at work. Variations such as "Bhupeshri" are also starting to emerge. These variations are the result of long understood linguistic processes, and are certainly no surprise. Equally unsurprising is the lack of a commonly accepted spelling; therefore Bhupeshwari, Bhoopeswaree, Bhoopeshree, Bhoopeswari, etc. are all to be found.
But the origin of the rag and its nomenclature are not the only problems, for there are more thornier issues; particularly the problem of it's parent modality. The fact that this is an audav rag (only five notes) brings up many practical issues. We are are left to try and deduce the pitches of non-existent notes. (If this sounds crazy, it is! This is like trying to determine the hair colour of a man who is absolutely bald.) In the south, some suggest that this rag is derived from the 16th mela Chakravakam, but others hold that it is 25th mela Mararanjani, the 26th mela Charukesi, or even the 27th mela Sarasangi. The situation is not much better in the north; this rag does not fit into any of Bhatkhande's 10 thats.
So this is what is so amazing. By all the "rules", of north Indian music, this rag is absolutely crazy, but it works! It is an amazingly powerful rag which has all off the pathos of Shivaranjani. This is itself amazing, because it is markedly dissimilar to Shivaranjani in it's harmonic structure. But the sheer power of the rag has quickly propelled Bhupeshwari into the public consciousness, where it is becoming very popular in light, classical, and filmi sangeet.
In spite of the historical and theoretical problems posed by Bhupeshwari, it is a remarkably simple rag. It is simply Bhupali / Deshkar that uses a komal Dha instead of the shuddha form. The rag is defined entirely by its modality, therefore there are not any tricky pakards that you have to navigate. This gives a lot of flexibility in its performance. However, many north Indian classical musicians feel that audav rags are inherently limited in their possibilities for full development. Bhupeshwari shares this quality with Malkauns, Chandrakauns, Kalavati and other five note rags.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
-NA- (general discussion of time and rag)
That
-NA- (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
-NA- (general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BIHAG (BEHAG)
Description
This rag is very popular. Some common songs in this rag are "Boliye Surali Boliyan", "Hamare Dil Se Na Jana Dhokna Na Khana", and "Tere Sur Aur Mere Geet". It is a late night rag (9:00pm-midnight) of audav-sampurna jati. Its strong characteristic is the use of both madhyams. Opinion differs as to which Ma should be given prominence. The orthodox approach is to give importance to the shuddha Ma. However, more modern interpretations tend to give importance to the tivra Ma. It is this emphasis on tivra Ma which causes some musicians to assign this rag to Kalyan that.
Bihag has a moderately complex structure. This is due to the large number of rags which use both madhyams. One must pay particular attention to the pakad or else one may impinge upon Hamir, Yaman Kalyan, Kedar, or any of a number of related rags. The swarup (pakad) is Pa Má Ga Ma Ga. For those who still adhere to the vadi / samvadi theory, it has been suggested that the vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. The Re and Dha are not used in the arohana but are used in the avarohana.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav-Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
general discussion of pakad
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG BILAWAL
Description
Rag Bilawal is the most basic rag in Bilawal that. Indeed, the name of the that is derived from this rag. Interestingly enough, this rag has been declining in popularity over the years. This rag is sometimes referred to as Shuddha Bilawal to distinguish it from the more popular Alhiya Bilawal.
Bilawal is considerd by most to be Sampurna - Sampurna. However, some are of the opinion that it should be considered Shadav - Sampurna due to the weakness of its Ga in the arohana.
The vadi / samavadi theory is generally discounted by modern musicologists, but for those who are inclined to follow this, it has been suggested that the vadi and samavadi are Dha and Re respectively.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG CHANDRAKAUNS (a.k.a. CHANDRAKOSH)
Description
Chandrakauns is a very beautiful and striking rag. It is also surprisingly easy to perform. One should keep in mind, that there are actually two versions of Chandrakauns. There is an old obsolete version, and there is the modern version.
The name Chandrakauns is interesting. The prefix "chandra" means "moon". Although the etymology of the term "kauns" is obscure, it generally is used to represent five note rags. There are several forms of both pronunciation and spelling, Chandrakosh is the second most common pronunciation.
Old Form - This is an example of how quickly rags can change. Where a century ago, this might have been the only form that you would hear, today you will probably only hear this in old recordings. The old form as was mentioned by Bhatkhande has the structure:
This form of Chandrakauns has a strong feel of Bhageshree about it.
Modern Form - The modern and most widely accepted version of Chandrakauns is an audav rag that is essentially identical to Malkauns with one small change. In Chandrakauns the Nishad is shuddha rather than komal. At first glance, one would think that the shift from the komal Ni to the shuddha Ni would make this rag more harmonically balanced and have a much more mellow feel. However we must remember that the mind performs a musical inversion where the Madhyam is perceived to be the tonic. With such an inversion, the shift from komal Ni to shuddha Ni actually increases the feeling of tension. It is this tension that is the characteristic "massala" which makes Chandrakauns so strikingly beautiful.
For quite some time Chandrakauns has been a popular rag for the lahara. The lahara, also known as the naghma (nagma), is a repetitive melody used in the accompaniment of tabla solos and in kathak pieces. Bollywood in turn has picked up on this, and has further reinforced the association by frequently using Chandrakauns based laharas in scenes that depict traditional tawaifs (an Indian version of the geisha) and traditional kathak dances.
Here are the characteristics of Chandrakauns:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Not one of Bhatikhande's 10 thats, but some suggest that it is Kafi - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Ma - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DARBARI KANADA
Description
There can be no doubt that Darbari Kanada is one of the most popular rags in the entire North Indian system of classical music. A few common songs are "Ghunghat Ke Pat Khol Re Tohe Piya Milenge", "Jhana Jhanak Tori Baje Payaliaya", "Mujhe Tumse Kuch Bhi Na Chahiye", "O Duniya Ke Rakhwale". This rag is also known as Durbari, or Darbari Kanara and a host of other transliterations. It is said to have been invented by Tansen who sang in the durbar (royal court) of the Emperor Akbar, hence the name Darbari Kanada.
The vadi / samavadi theory is generally discounted by modern musicologists, but for those who are inclined to follow this, Darbari Kanada has been particularly problematic. Some suggest that Re and Dha are the vadi and samvadi; however, others suggest that it should be Ga and Dha.
Darbari Kanada has some interesting musical characteristics. It is a night time rag. It is said to be sampurna - sampurna, but it must be presented in a vakra (twisted) fashion to distinguish it from related rags such as Jaunpuri, Asawari, or Adana. It is especially important to emphasize the lower register (mandra saptak) and the lower tetrachord (i.e., purvang) to distinguish this rag from Adana.
Darbari Kanada has an interesting approach to its intervals. The minor 3rd (komal Ga) and the minor 6th (komal Dha) are much lower than usually found; this lower than normal flattening is often referred to in Indian music as ati-komal. Therefore, ati-komal Ga is just ever-so-slightly higher than a natural 2nd (shuddha Re) and the ati-komal Dha is just ever so slightly higher than a natural 5th (Pa). It is this extreme alteration of the intervals that helps give Darbari Kanada its distinctive character.
Here are Darbari Kanada's overall characteristics:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Asawari That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DESH (a.k.a. DES)
Description
Desh is a very beautiful and romantic night-time rag.
This rag presents major problems for anyone attempting to perform it in a pure fashion. The major difficulty arises from its modality. It uses all seven notes and allows for there to be two nishads. This forces Desh to impinge upon a number of other rags such as Khammaj, Tilak Kamod, and Sorat. Attempting to perform Desh without impinging upon these other rags is like trying to move around in a crowded second class train compartment. It is NOT an easy task.
This obvious difficulty is addressed in a delightful fashion. There is a strong tendency to perform Desh in lighter styles, such as dadra, or thumree, where impinging upon other rags is not only acceptable, it is de rigueur. Therefore, if performing Desh is like a crowded second class compartment, then it is a second class compartment where everyone there is your relative and you are going to a wedding function.
There are a number of famous film songs based upon Desh. Probably the most famous is Vande Matram (the old version), but a number of other popular film songs are there. A few examples are: "Gori Tore Naina, Nainava Kajar Bin Kare Kare" (Main Suhagan Hun), or "Dukh Ke Ab Din Bitat Nahi" (Devdas).
Arohana
Ascending Structure
Alternative Ascending Structure
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav / Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DESHKAR
Description
Deshkar is a rag which is quickly disappearing. It is being merged into Bhupali and in the process, it is loosing its identity. Therefore whatever you read in this page must be taken with the understanding that Deshkar's relevance is somewhat suspect. It is entirely up to you as to whether you wish to go "old school" and consider Deshkar and Bhupali to be separate, or whether you wish to follow contemporary usage which merges them together. (I know that there are "old school" readers right now who are mad at me for even bringing this up, but remember, I am only describing the present state of affairs. I did not create it.)
Deshkar is considered to be a a morning rag. It has the exact same notes as Bhupali. According to the old school, Deshkar tends to remain in the upper tetrachord revolving very heavily around the Dha. Even though Ga is considered to be the samvadhi, it should not be rested upon for too long; otherwise Deshkar impinges upon Bhupali.
To make matters even more tricky, one should be careful about using meeds to slide down from Sa to Dha or from Pa to Ma. Excessive use of these meeds, causes Deshkar to impinge upon Shuddha Kalyan.
But Shuddha Kalyan and Bhupali are not the only rags vying for this mode. There are also Jait Kalyan and Audav Devgiri. Although these are much less common rags, they still must be attended to.
It is this impingement of rags which seems to be partly responsible for its subsumation into Bhupali. Many classical musicians are not particularly excited about developing any 5 note rag (audav rag) to begin with. It is correctly noted that that audav jati rags have a somewhat limited scope for development. In the case of these rags, it is even more confining because there is the added requirement of not mixing them together.
The result is that many classical musicians abandoned both Deshkar as well as Bhupali for classical performances; but still use ikt for semiclassical songs. In the semi-classical and lighter styles things are different. For quite a long time, we have heard Bhupali in bhajans, film songs, geets and whatnot. Remember, in the lighter interpretations, one is free to explore every aspect of Bhupali's modality without fear of being accused of improperly mixing rags.
But why is Bhupali absorbing Deshkar, and not the other way around? This is probably a reflections of North Indian musicians tendency to follow the timings of the rags. Remember that Bhupali is a night time rag while Deshkar is a morning rag. Most concerts are held in the night; this creates many more opportunities to perform Bhupali.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG DURGA
Description
Durga is a very popular late evening rag. However there is sometimes confusion. The confusion stems from the fact that an unrelated rag known as Madhuradhwani is also sometimes called Durga. In this page we will only be concerning ourself with the common form, and leave any discussion of Madhuradhwani for another time.
The name Durga is derived from the name of the goddess Amba or Parvati. She is the wife of Shiva, and is associated with great power. She is also referred to as "Ma Durga" or "Durga Mata", which means "Mother Durga". She is said to represent patience and fearlessness.
The origin of rag Durga is obscure. It has been suggested that this rag is derived from the south Indian Shuddha Saveri. This is certainly possible, for it is very common for North Indians to "borrow" rags from the South. But in such cases, they usually retain their south Indian names (e.g., Charukesi, Kalavati). Why would Durga acquire a new name?
We must be open to the possibility that this scale may simply be a basic part of the larger South Asian musical culture. It could have been circulating for a long time, and when I mean long time, I mean millennia. As such, it is possible that it was only recently formalised by North Indian classical musicians. The close relationship that Durga has to other pentatonic rags (e.g., Malkauns, Bhupali), coupled with the almost world-wide presence of these scales, certainly means that it is a possibility. The structure is so simple, and the harmonic relationship is so fundamental, that scales with these intervals show up internationally, apparently with independent origins.
Rag Durga is based upon Bilaval that. From this that, the Ga and Ni are omitted, therefore this is an audav rag.
Identification of this rag in lighter songs is sometimes difficult. This is because Durga is linked to other common rags such as Malkauns and Bhupali by a process known as murchchana. Although this is not the time to go into the details of murchchanana, let it suffice to say that if you take Durga and start the scale from Ma you get Bhupali. Furthermore, if you take Durga and start the scale from Dha, you get Malkauns. The best way to keep these rags separate is with a good clear drone; this may be provided by the tanpura or a similar source. Since such drones tend to be missing in the lighter forms of music, the distinction between these rags is occasionally obscured. One well known film song in Durga is "Geet Gaya Pattharon Ne".
It is fairly easy to perform and compose in rag Durga, because it does not share its modality with any other north Indian rag. Unlike the Bhupali/ Deshakar mode which is very cramped and crowded, you do not have to worry too much about Durga spilling over into a different rag. That being said, there are some common phrases and a pakad which makes Durga's the character more identifiable.
Here is the basic form of Durga:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Late Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bilawal that - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Rag Gujari Todi
Description
Gujari Todi is a very common morning rag in Todi That. There are a number of popular film songs in Gujari Todi, including Ik Tha Bachapan.
There are fundamental differences between Mian Ki Todi and Gujari Todi. Where Mian-ki-Todi has a Pa that is very weak, Gujari Todi has no Pa at all, therefore they sound very similar. The absence of Pa makes this rag shadav - shadav jati. As is typical of the vadi / samvadi theory there are differences of opinion concerning the vadi and samvadi; Dha, Ga, and Re have variously been declared to occupy these positions.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Todi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Komal Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KAFI
Description
Rag Kafi is the primary rag in Kafi That. There are many popular film songs in Kafi rag including "Biraj Me, Holi Khelat Nand Lal". It is a sampurna-sampurna rag that is very straightforward in its execution.
As is typical of the highly problematic vadi / samvadi theory, there is disagreement concerning the vadi and the samvadi. Some suggest that the vadi and the samvadi are Pa and Sa respectively. However, many are of the opinion that it should be Ga for the Vadi and Ni for the samvadi.
Its characteristics are shown below.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Evening - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kafi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KALINGADA
Description
Rag Kalingada is very similar to Bhairav. Unlike Bhairav, this rag is performed in the last part of the night. There has been a strong tendency over the last few decades to take lighter interpretations of both Kalingada as well as Bhairav. The result is that the two rags have begun to converge. Whenever there is such a convergence, the general tendency is for rags to asume the name of Bhairav. If this tendency continues, we can expect Kalingada to completely merge with Bhairav and to lose its identity in the process.
The structure of Kalingada is very simple. It is a sampurna - sampurna rag performed in a very straight manner.
The problems of the vadi / samvadi theory are clearly seen here. Some say that Pa and Sa are the vadi and samvadi. Unfortunately, there is no agreement on this point. Ga, Dha, and Ma have also been declared to be the vadi and samvadi (in various combinations). Kalingada's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Last part of night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairav That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KALYAN (A.K.A. YAMAN)
Description
This rag is known by several names; Kalyan, Iman, Eman, or Yaman. Strangely enough, Yaman Kalyan is a different rag. Kalyan is very popular and some commonly known examples of songs in this rag are "Ansu Bhari Hai Jai Jivan Ki Rahen", "Ja Re Badara Bairi Ja Re" and "Jiya Le Gayo Re Mora Sanvariaya". Yaman is a sampurna rag which is performed in the first part of the night. The vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. Typically Sa and Pa are weak in the arohana. However their omission is not obligatory.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
First part of the night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Kalyan That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Pa (general discussion of drone)
SEE ALSO
Rag Yaman - An article published some years ago.
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG KHAMMAJ (KHAMAJ)
Description
This rag is one of the most common in Indian music. Although it is used in the classical styles, its romantic character makes it much more appropriate to the semi-classical and lighter styles. It is traditionally ascribed to the second part of the night. "Kuch To Log Lahenge" and "Nazar Lagi Raja Tore Bungal Par", are two well known examples of common songs in this rag. There are many other popular film songs in Khammaj as well.
Rag Khammaj has a clear musical structure. It is a shadav-sampurna rag due to the ommission of the Re in the arohana. Even in the avarohana, the Re is durbal (weak). The vadi is Ga and the samvadi is Ni. Undoubtedly its method of using Nishad is one of its most defining characteristics; it is shuddha (i.e., natural 7th) in the arohana but it is komal (i.e., minor 7th) in the avarohana.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Second Part of Night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG LALIT
Description
Lalit (sometimes transliterated as Lalith) is a moderately common rag. One well known song in this rag is "Tu Hai Mere Prema Devata". There is some disagreement concerning the Dha; some suggest that Lalit uses shuddha Dha and others say that it uses komal Dha. It has Pancham absent in both the ascending and the descending structures, therefore it is shadav - shadav jati.
Lalit is one of the most curious rags in the Hindustani tradition. Normally rags which use both Mas show a very strong "either / or" approach rather than a chromatic approach. That is to say that one may use tivra Ma in passage or shuddha ma, but one generally does not use both Mas together unless they are linked by a very clear pakad (e.g., bihag). Lalith is unusual in that it takes a chromatic approach to the two Mas. It treats them as though they were distinct notes. This chromatic treatment, coupled with the absence of Pa (5th) has caused some scholars to view this tivra Ma as actually being a komal Pa. (e.g., Jairazbhoy, 1971)
The concept of a komal Pa (diminished 5th) is very controversial. Present musical theory clearly rejects this position. However, komal Pa was a characteristic of the old Dhaivati jati as described in the Natya Shastra. Although there is a historical precedent to komal Pa, the conservative approach it to ignore this concept.
The rejection of komal Pa does not automatically simplify the theoretical position of Lalith. The equal weight and usage of both madhyams raises some questions. If we give importance to the tivra madhyam, lalit falls into Marwa that. However, if we give importance to the shuddha madhyam, it falls into Suriyakantha mela (note- this mode is not one of the 10 thats that by convention is taught in the music colleges in India). Since the shuddha Ma is generally considered the vadi it would make more sense to ascribe its modality to Suriyakantha mela, but for here we will bow to convention and scribe it to Marwa that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Midnight to Mid-morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa-Ma or Sa-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
Description
Lalit (sometimes transliterated as Lalith) is a moderately common rag. One well known song in this rag is "Tu Hai Mere Prema Devata". There is some disagreement concerning the Dha; some suggest that Lalit uses shuddha Dha and others say that it uses komal Dha. It has Pancham absent in both the ascending and the descending structures, therefore it is shadav - shadav jati.
Lalit is one of the most curious rags in the Hindustani tradition. Normally rags which use both Mas show a very strong "either / or" approach rather than a chromatic approach. That is to say that one may use tivra Ma in passage or shuddha ma, but one generally does not use both Mas together unless they are linked by a very clear pakad (e.g., bihag). Lalith is unusual in that it takes a chromatic approach to the two Mas. It treats them as though they were distinct notes. This chromatic treatment, coupled with the absence of Pa (5th) has caused some scholars to view this tivra Ma as actually being a komal Pa. (e.g., Jairazbhoy, 1971)
The concept of a komal Pa (diminished 5th) is very controversial. Present musical theory clearly rejects this position. However, komal Pa was a characteristic of the old Dhaivati jati as described in the Natya Shastra. Although there is a historical precedent to komal Pa, the conservative approach it to ignore this concept.
The rejection of komal Pa does not automatically simplify the theoretical position of Lalith. The equal weight and usage of both madhyams raises some questions. If we give importance to the tivra madhyam, lalit falls into Marwa that. However, if we give importance to the shuddha madhyam, it falls into Suriyakantha mela (note- this mode is not one of the 10 thats that by convention is taught in the music colleges in India). Since the shuddha Ma is generally considered the vadi it would make more sense to ascribe its modality to Suriyakantha mela, but for here we will bow to convention and scribe it to Marwa that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Midnight to Mid-morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa-Ma or Sa-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG MALKAUNS
Description
Rag Malkauns (A.K.A. Malkosh) is a very popular rag in the North Indian system (Hindustani Sangeet). In the South it is known as Hindolam. It is a pentatonic rag that has has the five notes Sa, Komal Ga, Ma, Komal Dha, and Komal Ni. One would think that with so many komal (flat) notes that it would have a strong minor quality about it. However, upon close examination we see that the absence of the fifth and the strong presence of the fourth causes the mind to "invert" it. Therefore, it tends to sound surprisingly similar to Dhani to which it has a murchana relationship.
Malkauns has a long history, and it appears to have undergone numerous changes over the centuries. It is said that Malkauns is derived from Malav Kaushik. However, modern Malkauns has no resmblence to this ancient rag.
The mood is meditative, perhaps even sad. Therefore, it tends to be played in slow to medium speeds.
The modality of Malkauns is not shared with any other rags. Therefore there is really no need to go beyond the basic mode in order to define Malkauns.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Audav - Audav - (general discussion of jati)
VADI
Ma - (general discussion of vadi)
SAMVADI
Sa - (general discussion of samvadi)
Time
Midnight - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Bhairavi That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Ma - (general discussion of drone)
RAG MARWA
Description
Rag Marwa is considered to be the most fundamental rag in Marwa That. It is an evening rag that is quite popular. This rag is unusual in that the tonic is not harmonically well defined; there is no pancham (5th) and the madhyam is tivra rather than shuddha (i.e., there is no natural 4th). It is this harmonic imbalance that gives marwa its peculiar character. Considering this imbalance, rag marwa has a surprisingly simple structure. Re is the vadi and Dha is the samvadi. It is shadav - shadav due to the total exclusion of pancham (the 5th). One well known song in this rag is "Payalia Banwari Bhaje". Marwa's characteristics are:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Shadav - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Evening - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Marwa That - (general discussion of that)
Drone
Sa - Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG MIAN KI TODI (A.K.A. MIAKI TODI)
Description
Todi, also known as Mian-ki-Todi (Miyan-ki-Thodi), is a very common morning rag. However, there is a certain disagreement as to its structure. According to some, all seven notes are used in both the ascending and descending structures; according to this approach, this rag is sampurna - sampurna. Others suggest that the Pa is absent in the arohana but present in the avarohana; according to this approach this rag is shadav - sampurna. Here we are presenting the sampurna - sampurna version. There is also disagreement concerning the vadi and the samvadi. Some consider the vadi to be Dha while others consider it to be Ma. Many musicians consider the samvadi to be Ga.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Sampurna - Sampurna (disputed) - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Morning - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Todi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa-Pa or Sa-Komal-Dha - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
RAG PURVI
Description
Purvi is considered to be the fundamental rag in Purvi That. It is performed around sunset (Sandhi Prakash). There are two philosophies concerning this rag. The first approach is to use only the swar of Purvi That. Unfortunately, this approach impinges upon Puriadhanashri. The second and more common approach is to use a touch of Shuddha Ma. We will only use the second approach here.
The structure of Purvi is a bit complex. The inclusion of shuddha Ma forces a somewhat convoluted approach. This rag is sampurna - sampurna with Ga as the vadi and Ni as the samvadi. Here are its overall characteristics:
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
sampurna - sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Sunset - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Purvi That - (general discussion of that)
PAKAD
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa-Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
TILAK KAMOD
Description
The structure of Tilak Kamod is quite pleasant. Some musicians maintain that the vadi is Sa and the samvadi is Pa. Others claim that Re is the vadi. It is Shadav-Sampurna due to the omission of Dha in the arohana. It is performed in the second part of the night.
This rag is usually attributed to Khammaj That. However, most subtraditions within Northern India show a conspicuous absence of any Komal Ni. Its structure places it squarely in Bilawal that. It is with great reluctance that we bow to tradition and place this in Khammaj that.
Arohana
(general discussion of arohana) - (general discussion of notation)
Avarohana
(general discussion of avarohana)
Jati
Shadav - Sampurna - (general discussion of jati)
Time
Second part of the night - (general discussion of time and rag)
That
Khammaj That (by tradition), Bilawal That (de facto) - (general discussion of that)
Pakad
(general discussion of pakad)
Drone
Sa - Pa - (general discussion of drone)
For more information check out "Elementary North Indian Vocal"
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