Vadi, in both

Hindustani classical music Hindustani classical music is the classical music of northern regions of the Indian subcontinent. It may also be called North Indian classical music or, in Hindustani, ''shastriya sangeet'' (). It is played in instruments like the violin, sita ...

and

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 ...

, is the tonic (root)

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 '' ...

(musical note) of a given

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 tradit ...

(musical scale). "Vadi is the most sonant or most important note of a Raga."Nad Understanding Raga Music, Bagchee, Sandeep It does not refer to the most played note but it rather refers to a note of special significance. It is usually the swara which is repeated the greatest number of times, and often it is the swara on which the singer can pause for a significant time. Vadi swara in a raga is like a king in a kingdom. The specialty of any raaga depends on vadi swara and because of this, the vadi swara is also called the ''Jeeva swara'' or the ''Ansha swara''. A good artist uses vadi swara in different ways like singing vaadi swara again and again, starting a raga with vadi swara, to end a raaga with vadi swara, singing vadi swara many times in important places with different swaras or sometime singing vadi swara for a longer time in one breath. ''Vadi'' swara is also helpful to identify the appropriate time for singing or playing a raga. If the vadi swara of a raaga is from the purvanga part of the

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 ...

i.e. “Sa Re Ga Ma”, then it is called purvanga vaadi raaga and usually the time for singing or playing purvanga vaadi raagas is from noon to midnight. For example, ragas like

Bhimpalasi Bhimpalasi or Bheempalasi (also known as Bhimpalas or Bheempalas) is a Hindustani classical raga. Raga Bhimpalasi belongs to the Kafi Thaat. Theory * Aarohana: * Avaroha: The raag has komal Ni and Ga. It is an Audava-Sampoorna jati raga, imp ...

, Pilu, Purvi, Marwa, Yaman,

Bhoopali Bhoopali, also known as ''Bhoop'', ''Bhopali,'' or ''Bhupali'', is a Hindustani classical raga. Bhupālī, is a raag in Kalyan Thaat. It is a pentatonic scale (uses 5 notes in ascending and descending scale). Most of the songs in this raga are ...

, and

Bageshree Raga Bageshri or Bageshree () is a Hindustani classical raga. It is a popular night raga, which is meant to depict the emotion of a woman waiting for reunion with her lover. It is said to have been first sung by Miyan Tansen, the celebrated co ...

etc. have purvanga vadi swara and so the time for singing and playing these ragas is from noon to midnight. In the same way, if the vaadi swara of a raaga is from the utranga part of the saptak i.e. “Ma Pa Dha Ni” then it is classed as a utraanga vaadi raaga and the time for singing or playing utraanga vaadi ragas is from midnight to noon. For example, ragas in Hindustani classical music like Bhairav,

Bhairavi Bhairavi ( sa, भैरवी) is a Hindu goddess, described as one of the Mahāvidyas, the ten avatars of the mother goddess. She is the consort of Bhairava. Etymology The name ''Bhairavi'' means "terror" or "awe-inspiring". She is the ...

, Bilawal, Kalingada,

Sohini Sohini is a raga in Hindustani classical music in the Marwa thaat. Alternate transliterations include Sohani and Sohni. Like Bahar, it is a small raga, with not much space for elaboration. It emotes the feel of longing, of passive sensuousnes ...

, and

Asavari Raga Asavari () is a Hindustani classical raga. It belongs to the Asavari thaat and is performed in the morning hours. In pre- Bhatkhande days this Asavari used the Komal Rishab instead of Shuddh Rishab. When Bhatkhandeji created the thaat proc ...

etc. have utraanga vaadi swara and so the time for singing or playing these ragas is between midnight to noon. ''Vaadi'' swara, along with the ''

Samavadi The Samavadi is the second-most prominent (though not necessarily second-most played) note of a raga in Indian classical music. The primary note of the raga is the '' vadi''; the vadi and samvadi are in most cases a fourth or fifth apart. A '' ...

'' swara of a raga, usually brings out the uniqueness of the raga and its bhaava (mood) and rasa (emotion).

Etymology and Concept

Structure

Tonal Hierarchy

Relation to Raga

References

Hindustani music theory Carnatic music Carnatic music terminology Hindustani music terminology {{Carnatic-music-stub