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MUSIC
Eternal India
encyclopedia
The
raga
concept is a unique feature of
Indian music. The raga is the basis of Indian
melody. Indian music is built on the
raga
and
tala
concepts. The word raga is derived
from a Sanskrit root meaning "to colour", the
basic idea being that certain melodic shapes
produce a continuity of emotional experience
and "colour" the mind. Since neither the
melodic shapes nor their sequence are fixed
precisely the raga serves as a basis for
composition and improvisation which is a
characteristic feature of Indian music.
A
raga
is a melodic idea capable of
elaboration and improvisation. The rules of
grammar of a
raga
are:
1.
It has a definite set of notes which are its
alphabet.
2.
The minimum number of notes for a
raga
is
five and maximum nine. There are however,
exceptions.
3.
It has a permitted manner of ascent (
arohana)
and descent. (
avarohana
).
4.
A
raga
uses characteristic melodic units
(
pakad, chalan, tan, sanchara
or
varna).
5.
Certain
svaras
in its alphabet find emphasis
to varying degrees (
vadi, samvadi, anuvadi).
Melodic sections commence and end on de-
fined notes (
graha
and
nyasa).
RAGA
- MELODY
6.
While there are graces and accents common
to all
ragas,
most of them have
gamakas
all
their own, which give them distinctive quali-
ties.
Even when two ragas have the same
notes, they may differ in the use of the
sharps and flats or the more delicately shaded
microtonal variants. Some note or notes
may be dropped in ascent or descent. Specific
notes may be selected for accenting, as a sort
of gravitational centre for the melodic
elaboration. This is a very characteristic
feature of north Indian musical practice.
Certain combinations may be built up as
characteristic phrases that are signatures of
the raga. Above all, the type of movement
from one note to another may differ widely .
This last, known as the gamak, is a very rich
category including shakes, trills, glides,
swings, spiralling accents and numerous other
graces.
Indian vocal music is generally accom-
panied by a drone that establishes the ground
or key-note of the Raga. Unlike in Western
music there is no change of key or modu-
lation in Indian music. The key-note is cho-
sen to suit the performance of the singer as
Indian music has no concept of fixed pitch.
The number of ragas is about three
hundred of which a hundred are common.
The ragas are classified in various ways ac-
cording to regions, seasons, time to sing, aes-
thetic qualities, scientific capabilities, their
individual characters, pleasing capacities and
many other ways. This time classification is
strictly adhered to in Hindustani music but
not so much in Karnatak music.
There are six basic Ragas :
Bhairava,
suitable for performance at dawn;
Megha
in
the morning;
Dipaka
and
Sriraga
in the af-
ternoon; and
Kausika
and
Hindola
at night.
Bhairava
is associated with awe and fear,
Kausika
with joy and laughter,
Hindola, Di-
paka
and
Sriraga
with love and
Megha
with
peace and calm. The Ragas derived from
these six basic Ragas are called Raginis, per-
sonified as wives of the masculine Ragas.
Great composers of the past like Tyaga-
raja created new raga patterns and Tansen is
believed to have been responsible for the
creation of ragas like
Miyanki Todi, Miyanki
Malhar
and so on.
Classification of Ragas by Narada: According to Hindustani Style
The great sage Narada has accepted 58 Ragas in all, out of which 21 are masculine, 24 are feminine and the rest neuter Ragas . He next classified Ragas into 3
groups - according to the use of notes in them - such as
Sampurna
- a raga having all the seven notes,
Shadava
- a raga having 6 notes only and lastly
Odava
- a raga having 5 notes only.
17.
Saurashtra
25.
Bhairavi
18
.
Vasanta
19.
19.
21.
Shuddha Saaranga
Raagadwahni
Karanaat
Neuter Ragas:
1.. Kaushiki
2. Lalita
3.
Dhanashri
Feminine Ragas :
4.
Kurunji
1.
Thundi
5.
Saurashtri
2
.
Turashka-Tundi
6
.
Shuddha Darbari
3.
Malwari
7.
Naagavarathika
4.
Maahuri
8
.
Kamodi
5.
Pauralika
9.
Ramakri
6
.
Kambhari
10
.
Saaveri
7.
Bhallati
11
.
Badahamsa
8
.
Saindhavi
12.
Saamavedi
9.
Saalanga
13.
S ankarabharanam
10.
Gaandhari
11
.
Devakri
Sampurana Ragas :
1. Deshakh
12.
13.
Desi
Velavali
2.
3.
Maddhyamadi
Vasanta
14.
Bahuli
4.
Bhairavi
15.
Gunkari
5.
Shuddha-Bhairavi
16.
Dhurjari
6
.
Shuddha Vasanta
17.
Varaathi
7.
Varatika
18.
Darbari
8
.
Nata Raag
19.
Hamsi
9.
Maalavi
20
.
Gaudi
10
.
Badahamsa
21
.
Naarayani
11.
Mukhari
22.
Ahari
12.
Ahari
23.
Megharanjani
13.
Ramakriya
24.
Mishra Nata
14.
Gandhara
Ragas that are to be
sung
three hours before the
sun-
rise are :
1.
Deshaakshi
2.
Shuddha-Bhairavi
3.
Varatika
4.
Shuddha-Dravetika
Ragas in the morning :
1.
Gandhara
2.
Devagandhara
3.
Dhannyasi
4.
Saindhavi
5.
Naarayani
6.
Gurjari
7.
Bangal
8.
Patamanjari
9.
Lalita
10.
Hindola
11.
Shree
12.
Saurashtra
13.
Malhar
14.
Saamavadi
15.
Vasanta
16.
Shuddha-Bhairava
17.
Velavali
18.
Soma-Raag
Ragas at mid-day :
1.
Shankaraa-Bharanam
. 2. Badahamsa
3.
Desi
4.
Manohaari
5.
Saaveri
6.
Dombuli
7.
Kambhoji
8.
Gopi-Kambhoji
9.
Kaushiki
10.
Madhumadhavi
11.
Baahuli
12.
Mukhari
13.
Kaushiki
Ragas in the evening :
1.
Shuddha-Naata
2.
Saalanga
3.
Naati
4.
Shuddha-Varatika
5.
Gauda
6.
Maalava-Gaula
7.
Shree-Raag
8.
Ahari
9.
Raamakriti
10.
Ramji
11.
Chhaya
12.
Sarva-Varatika
13.
Varatika
14.
Dravatika
Bhoopali
Desi
Naaga-Varatika
Kamaat
Haya-Gauda
Ragas that are sung three
hours after sunset.:
1.
Malhaari
2.
Maahuri
3.
Andoli
4.
Raamakriti
5.
Chhayanat
Masculine Ragas
1.
Darbari
2.
Bangal
3.
Soma-raag
4.
Shree Raag
5.
Bhoopali
6.
Chhaya-Gaud
7.
Andoli
8.
Dombuli
9.
Shuddha-Hindola
10.
Gaud
11.
Phadamamji
12.
Suddha-Nati
13.
Raagaranga
14.
Maalabagaula
15.
Chhayanata
16.
Kolaahala