HOME
*



picture info

Svara
Svara or swara (Devanagari: स्वर, generally pronounced as ''swar'') is a Sanskrit word that connotes simultaneously a breath, a vowel, the sound of a musical note corresponding to its name, and the successive steps of the octave or ''saptaka''. More comprehensively, it is the ancient Indian concept about the complete dimension of musical pitch. Most of the time a ''svara'' is identified as both musical note and tone, but a tone is a precise substitute for sur, related to tunefulness. Traditionally, Indians have just seven ''svara''s/notes with short names, e.g. saa, re/ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni which Indian musicians collectively designate as ''saptak'' or ''saptaka''. It is one of the reasons why ''svara'' is considered a symbolic expression for the number seven. Origins and history Etymology The word ''swara'' or ''svara'' (Sanskrit: स्वर) is derived from the root ''svr'' which means "to sound". To be precise, the ''svara'' is defined in the Sanskrit ''nirukt ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Madhyam (svara)
Madhyam is the fourth svara from the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. This article is written from the Hindustani perspective. Madhyam is the long form of the syllable म. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Madhyam is pronounced as Ma (notation - M). It is also called as मध्यम in the Devanagri script. Details The following is the information about Madhyam and its importance in Indian classical music : * Madhyam is the fourth svara in an octave or Saptak. * Ma is the immediate next svara of Gandhar (Ga). * The svara of Madhyam is and . In fact Madhyam is the only svara in the Saptak. * It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other six svaras are produced. Breaking the word Shadja yields Shad And Ja. It means that Shad is six and ja is 'giving birth' in Marathi. So basically the translation is : षड् - 6, ज -जन्म . Therefore, it collectively means giving birth to the other six notes of th ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Nishad (svara)
Nishad is the seventh svara from the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Nishad is the long form of the syllable नी. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Nishad is pronounced as Ni (notation - N). It is also called as निषाद in the Devanagri script. Details The following is the information about Nishada and its importance in Indian classical music : * Nishad is the seventh svara in an octave or Saptak. * Nishad is the immediate next svara of Dhaivat (Dha). * The svara of Nishad is Komal and Shuddha. * It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other 6 svaras are produced. When we break the word Shadja then we get, Shad And Ja. It means that Shad is 6 and ja is 'giving birth' in Marathi. So basically the translation is : षड् - 6, ज -जन्म . Therefore, it collectively means giving birth to the other six notes of the music. So the svara Ni is formed from Shadja. * The frequency of Nishad is 450&n ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Dhaivat (svara)
Dhaivat is the sixth svara from the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Dhaivat is the long form of the syllable ध. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Dhaivat is pronounced as Dha (notation - D). It is also called as धैवत in the Devanagri script. Details The following is the information about Dhaivat and its importance in Indian classical music : * Dhaivat is the sixth svara in an octave or Saptak. * Dhaivat is the immediate next svara of Pancham (Pa). * The svara of Dhaivat is and Shuddha. * It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other six svaras are produced. When we break the word Shadja then we get, Shad And Ja. It means that Shad is 6 and ja is 'giving birth' in Marathi. So basically the translation is : षड् - 6, ज -जन्म . Therefore, it collectively means giving birth to the other 6 notes of the music. So the svara Dha is formed from Shadja. * The frequency of Dhaivat is 400 Hz. ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Pancham (svara)
Pancham is the fifth svara from the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Pancham is the long form of the syllable प. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Pancham is pronounced as Pa (notation - P). It is also called as पंचम in the Devanagri script. Details The following is the information about Panchama and its importance in Indian classical music : * Pancham is the fifth svara in an octave or Saptak. * Pancham is the immediate next svara of Madhyam (Ma). * The svara of Pancham is never or , it is always in any given raga just like the svara Shadja. * It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other 6 svaras are produced. When we break the word Shadja then we get, Shad And Ja. It means that Shad is 6 and ja is 'giving birth' in Marathi. So basically the translation is : षड् - 6, ज -जन्म. Therefore it collectively means giving birth to the other six notes of the music. So the svara Pa is formed f ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Gandhar (svara)
Gandhar is the 3rd svara from the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Gandhar is the long form of the syllable ग. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Gandhar is pronounced as Ga (notation - G). It is also called as गान्धार or गंधार in the Devanagri script. Details The following is the information about Gandhar and its importance in Indian classical music : * Gandhar is the third svara in an octave or Saptak. * Gandhar is the immediate next svara of Rishabh (Re). * The svara of Gandhar is Komal and Shuddha. * It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other 6 svaras are produced. When we break the word Shadja then we get, Shad And Ja. It means that Shad is 6 and ja is 'giving birth' in Marathi. So basically the translation is : षड् - 6, ज -जन्म . Therefore, it collectively means giving birth to the other 6 notes of the music. So the svara Ga is formed from Shadja. * The frequency ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Rishabh (svara)
Rishabh is the second svara out of the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Rishabh is the long form of the syllable रे for simplicity while singing the syllable. Rishabh is pronounced as Re and Ri (notation - R). It is also called as ऋषभ in the Devanagri script. Detail The following is the information about Rishabh and its importance in Indian classical music : * Rishabh is the second ''svara'' in an octave or ''Saptak''. * Re is the immediate next svara of ''Shadja'' (Sa). * The svara of Rishabh is ''Komal'' and ''Shuddha''. * It is said that Shadja is the basic svara from which all the other 6 svaras are produced. When we break the word Shadja then we get, ''Shad'' and ''Ja''. It means that Shad is 6 and ja is 'giving birth' in Marathi. So basically the translation is : षड् - 6, ज -जन्म . Therefore, it collectively means giving birth to the other 6 notes of the music. So the svara Re is formed from Shadja. * The frequency of Risha ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Shadja (svara)
Shadja is the first svara out of the seven svaras of Hindustani music and Carnatic music. Shadja is the long form of the syllable सा. For simplicity in pronouncing while singing the syllable, Shadja is pronounced as Sa (notation - S). It is also called as षड्ज in the Devanagri script. Details The following is the information about Shadja and its importance in Indian classical music : * Shadja is the first svara in an octave or Saptak. * Shadja is also the first and the main svara in a raga. (Not always but mostly it is. ) * The svara that is played on the Tanpura for the singer is Shadja. It is played to know that one is singing on the right pitch and octave. * Shadja is the base or basic svara. It is a very fundamental svara in Classical music. * It is fascinating to know that after one raga is sung or played, and when one more raga is to be performed, then the svara Sa is played so that there is no confusion in mixing of svaras in both the ragas that are performed. ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Raga
A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a musical mode, melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as a result has no direct translation to concepts in classical European music. Each ''rāga'' is an array of melodic structures with musical motifs, considered in the Indian tradition to have the ability to "colour the mind" and affect the emotions of the audience. Each ''rāga'' provides the musician with a musical framework within which to improvise. Improvisation by the musician involves creating sequences of notes allowed by the ''rāga'' in keeping with rules specific to the ''rāga''. ''Rāga''s range from small ''rāga''s like Bahar (raga), Bahar and Shahana that are not much more than songs to big ''rāga''s like Malkauns, Darbari and Yaman (raga), Yaman, which have great scope for improvisation and for which performances ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  




Melakarta
Mēḷakartā is a collection of fundamental musical scales ( ragas) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). ''Mēḷakartā'' ragas are parent ragas (hence known as ''janaka'' ragas) from which other ragas may be generated. A ''melakarta'' raga is sometimes referred as ''mela'', ''karta'' or ''sampurna'' as well, though the latter term is inaccurate, as a ''sampurna'' raga need not be a ''melakarta'' (take the raga ''Bhairavi,'' for example). In Hindustani music the ''thaat'' is equivalent of ''Melakartā''. There are 10 ''thaats'' in Hindustani music, though the commonly accepted ''melakarta'' scheme has 72 ragas. Rules for ''Mēḷakarta'' ragas Ragas must contain the following characteristics to be considered ''Melakarta''. *They are ''sampurna ragas'' – they contain all seven ''swaras'' (notes) of the octave in both ascending and descending scale''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications''A practical course in Carnatic musi ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


picture info

Natya Shastra
The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' (, ''Nāṭyaśāstra'') is a Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. The text is attributed to sage Bharata Muni, and its first complete compilation is dated to between 200 BCE and 200 CE, but estimates vary between 500 BCE and 500 CE. The text consists of 36 chapters with a cumulative total of 6000 poetic verses describing performance arts. The subjects covered by the treatise include dramatic composition, structure of a play and the construction of a stage to host it, genres of acting, body movements, make up and costumes, role and goals of an art director, the musical scales, musical instruments and the integration of music with art performance. The ''Nāṭya Śāstra'' is notable as an ancient encyclopedic treatise on the arts, one which has influenced dance, music and literary traditions in India. It is also notable for its aesthetic Rasa (aesthetics), "Rasa" theory, which asserts that entertainment is a desired effect of performa ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Saptak
Saptak means "gamut" or "the series of eight notes". It denotes the set of swaras i.e. Ṣaḍja (Sa), Ṛiṣabha (Re), Gāndhāra (Ga), Madhyama (Ma), Panchama (Pa), Dhaivat (Dha), Niṣāda (Ni), Sadja (Sa) which comprise a musical scale in Indian classical music. In Sanskrit, saptak literally means "containing seven" and is derived from the Sanskrit word ''Sapta'' which means "seven". The Saptak comprises the Sapta Svaras, i.e. the seven svaras or the seven notes of classical music. The basic saptak is called the Madhya Saptak (Devanagari: मध्य सप्तक). For notes with lower frequencies, the artist may use the Mandra Saptak (Devanagari: मंद्र सप्तक)', which is an octave lower than the Madhya Saptak. For notes with higher frequencies, the Taar Saptak (Devanagari: तार सप्तक), which is an octave above the Madhya Saptak, is used. The usual scale of Indian music spans from Sa in the Madhya Saptak to Sa in the higher, Taar Saptak ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]  


Thaat
A Thaat () is a "Parent scale" in North Indian or Hindustani music. It is the Hindustani equivalent of the term ''Melakartha raga'' of Carnatic Music. The concept of the ''thaat'' is not exactly equivalent to the western musical scale because the primary function of a ''thaat'' is not as a tool for music composition, but rather as a basis for classification of ragas. There is not necessarily strict compliance between a raga and its parent ''thaat''; a raga said to 'belong' to a certain ''thaat'' need not allow all the notes of the ''thaat'', and might allow other notes. ''Thaats'' are generally accepted to be heptatonic by definition. The term ''thaat'' is also used to refer to the frets of stringed instruments like the sitar and the veena. It is also used to denote the posture adopted by a Kathak dancer at the beginning of their performance. History The modern ''thaat'' system was created by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936), an influential musicologist in the field o ...
[...More Info...]      
[...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]