Hamsanadam (pronounced hamsanādam) is a

rāga A ''raga'' or ''raag'' (; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. The ''rāga'' is a unique and central feature of the classical Indian music tradition, and as ...

m in

Carnatic music Carnatic music, known as or in the Dravidian languages, South Indian languages, is a system of music commonly associated with South India, including the modern Indian states of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, an ...

(musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a pentatonic scale (''audava'' rāgam, which means "of 5"), as it is sung in current days.''Raganidhi'' by P. Subba Rao, Pub. 1964, The Music Academy of Madras It is a derived scale (''

janya ''Janya'' is a term meaning "derive". In Carnatic (South Indian) music a ''janya raga'' is one derived from one of the 72 ''melakarta'' ragas (fundamental melodic structures). ''Janya'' ragas are classified into various types based on a varie ...

'' rāgam), as it does not have all the seven ''

swara 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 '' ...

s'' (musical notes), from the 60th ''

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 ''melak ...

'' rāgam ''

Neetimati Neetimati is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 60th ''melakarta'' rāgam (parent scale) in the 72 ''melakarta'' rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is called Nishādham in Muthuswami Dikshitar sc ...

''.

Structure and Lakshana

''Hamsanadam'', as it is sung now-a-days, is a symmetric scale that does not contain ''gandharam'' and ''dhaivatam''. It is called an ''audava'' rāgam, in Carnatic music classification (as it has 5 notes in both ascending and descending scales). Its ''ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa'' structure is as follows (see ''swaras'' in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms): * ārohaṇa : * avarohaṇa : This scale uses the notes ''shadjam, chatusruti rishabham, prati madhyamam, panchamam'' and ''kakali nishadam''.

Other structures

Earlier structure of this scale were as follows:''Ragas in Carnatic music'' by Dr. S. Bhagyalekshmy, Pub. 1990, CBH Publications *Ascending scale : *Descending scale : In the above, ''shatsruti dhaivatam'' is added in the scale compared to current usage (''shadava'' scale with 6 notes in ascendinga and descending scale), with a ''vakra prayoga'' (zig-zag descending scale).

''Graha bhedham''

''Hamsanadam's'' notes when shifted using '' Graha bhedham'', yields two pentatonic rāgams, ''

Gambhiranata Gambhiranata is a rāga in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music) and Yakshagana where it is called Naati. It is an ''audava'' rāgam (or ''owdava'' rāga, meaning pentatonic scale). It is a ''janya'' rāga (derived scal ...

'' and ''

Bhupalam Bhupalam (pronounced ''bhūpalam'') is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a pentatonic scale (''audava'' rāgam or ''owdava'' rāgam). It is a ''janya'' rāgam (derived scale), as it does not have a ...

''. ''Graha bhedham'' is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the ''shadjam'' to the next note in the rāgam. For more details and illustrations of this concept refer '' Graha bhedham on Gambhiranata''.

Popular compositions

''Hamsanadam'' has a few popular compositions: *''kalyANa rAmA'' by oottukkADu Sri vEnkaTAkavi *''Bantureethi Koluvu'' by

Tyagaraja Thyagaraja (Telugu: త్యాగరాజ) (4 May 1767 – 6 January 1847), also known as Thyāgayya and in full as Kakarla Thyagabrahmam, was a composer and vocalist of Carnatic music, a form of Indian classical music. Tyagaraja and his ...

*''Niye Paramukham'' by

Papanasam Sivan Paapanaasam Raamayya Sivan (26 September 1890 – 1 October 1973) was an Indian composer of Carnatic music and a singer. He was awarded the Madras Music Academy's Sangeetha Kalanidhi in 1971. He was also a film score composer in Kannada cinema ...

*''Kripanidhe'' by

Muthiah Bhagavatar Harikesanallur Muthiah Bhagavatar (15 November 1877 – 30 June 1945), commonly known as Muthiah Bhagavatar, is one of Carnatic classical music's famous twentieth-century composers. He also created about 20 '' ragas''. Early life Muthiah was bo ...

*''pADa vENDumE'' by Sri MM Dandapani Desikar *''Bharama Ee Baluni'' by

G N Balasubramaniam Gudalur Narayanaswamy Balasubramaniam (6 January 1910 – 1 May 1965), popularly known as GNB, was an Indian Carnatic singer. He innovated the art through emphasis on ''laya ''control and reducing the ''gamakas'' which eventually made Carnatic ...

*''Ezhiludai Hamsanaadham'' by

Thanjavur Sankara Iyer Thanjavur (), also Tanjore, Pletcher 2010, p. 195 is a city in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is the 11th biggest city in Tamil Nadu. Thanjavur is an important center of South Indian religion, art, and architecture. Most of the Gr ...

Film Songs

Language:
Tamil Tamil may refer to: * Tamils, an ethnic group native to India and some other parts of Asia Sri Lankan Tamils, Tamil people native to Sri Lanka also called ilankai tamils Tamil Malaysians, Tamil people native to Malaysia * Tamil language, nati ...

Tamil Serial Title Song

Language:
Telugu Telugu may refer to: * Telugu language, a major Dravidian language of India Telugu people, an ethno-linguistic group of India Telugu script, used to write the Telugu language ** Telugu (Unicode block), a block of Telugu characters in Unicode S ...

Notes

References

{{Janya, state=collapsed Janya ragas