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RAgam, ThAnam, Pallavi - fascinating facts!

Fundamentals of the Raga . Part I

Understanding ragas and their flavors takes a lifetime to understand its potencies in full. However, before one reaches that high of level,

it is important to know how ragas are technically made. Any combination of notes does not make a raga. In addition, a simple scale does

not make a raga. Raga is a melody-based mode that has emotions, expressions, and patterns. According to MatangaMuni, a "raga" is

what "colors the mind.”

Rules of the Raga

1) A raga must have a minimum of five notes.

More combinations can be made with at least five notes. Only two notable exceptions have four note ragas.


2) A raga may not have two forms of the consecutive note together.

One may not have the different forms of the same note together. For instance, S r g G g is not allowed as ga has its pure and

flat forms being consecutive. They may be sandwiched however: S r g m G r g. Of course, there are notable exceptions to this rule.


3) A raga must have Sa

Every musical scale MUST have a tonic. Sa may be used the least, but it must exist in order for the other notes to function. "Sa" is short

for "Sadja" which means "the origin of six." Without the origin, the other six cannot function.


4) A raga must have a Re or Ga, or both.

It would be helpful to think of a raga as a cake. There must be layers in there. Either Re or Ga can exist in either form, but a raga cannot be

without either of these notes together.


5) A raga must have a Ma or Pa, or both.

Pa is the perfect fifth. Perfect fifths imply stability. Pa can exist, or ma (pure or augmented) can exist or both can exist.


To be continued..........

Source: Fundamentals of the Raga
 
Fundamentals of the Raga . Part II


6) A raga must have a Dha or Ni, or both.

This is the final layer to the cake. One cannot climb from the middle of a mountain to the top without the final steps.


7) It must be able to produce a sound pleasing to the ear.

This is more aesthetic than theoretical. This is the rule what differentiates a scale from a raga.

Source: Fundamentals of the Raga
 
A special beauty is added to the rAgam which has S M, S P or P S' in the ArOhaNam and S' P, P S or M S in the avarOhaNam.

We shall see a few such rAgams in the following pages.
 
There are 12 notes from Shatjamam to kAkali NishAdham. For easy understanding I took the two number notation.

S R1 R2 G1 G2 M1 M2 P D1 D2 N1 N2 are these twelve notes.

These numbers can not specify the vivAdhi swarams which are four in number.

1. shatsruthi rishabham = sAdhAraNa GAndhAram (first ga)

2. suddha GAndhAram = chathusruthi Rishabham (second ri)

3. shatsruthi Daivadham = kaisiki NishAdham (first ni)

4. suddha NishAdham = chathusruthi Daivadham (second dha)

We get 16 swarams in the places of the 12 swarams.

Hence the 3 numbers. See the two numbering swarams in brackets:

S R1 R2 R3 (G1) G1 (R2) G2 (G1) G3 (G2)

D1 D2 D3 (N1) N1 (D2) N2 (N1) N3 (N2)


Instrumentalists will not face much problem while playing KalpanA swarams in vivAdhi rAgams since they do not have the

difficulty of pronouncing Ri in the place of Ga / Ga in the place of Ri / Dha in the place of Ni / Ni in the place of Dha! :)
 
Dear Sandhya,

Very intelligent Sruthi bEdham is done in this composition.

I wrote long back about the formula for sruthi bEdam of SankarAbharaNam swarams.

"San, Kara, ThOdi, Kal, Hari, Nata" which gives the rAgams derived by Sruthi bEdham at R, G, M, P, D of SankarabharaNam.

Sindhubairavi has basic swarams from ThOdi and in addition has R2, M2, D2 and N3 (second Ni) as anya swarams.

So many rAgams can be generated by sruthi bEdham. At GandhAram three rAgams are shown in this piece.

The three are: first Chenjchurutti; second Behag and fouth Thilang.

The third one is Mohanakalyani ( you are right :) ) which is a janya rAgam of KalyaNi. That sruthi bEdham is at R1. (ThOdi, Kal in formula)

Please take the help of a keyboard to understand better!
 
I heard this composition only when Sri. Abishek sang in this concert.

Lalgudi Sir might have created this to show the beauty of sruthi bEdham with Sindhubairavi. :)
 
In kedaragowla, the phrase higher octave R--r-R and middle octave of the same swaras form a phrase and in Sahana higher octave SS and middle octave pp rr i.e.SS-pp-rr is a beautiful phrase
 
Thanks for this rare krithi. This is a good opportunity to atleast know .There are two more famous songs of Sri Muthuswami Deekshithar in Poornachandrika: They are
Sankha chakra gadha panim and Rajarajeswai.
 
What Smt. Aruna Sairam has presented is Kurinji rAgam which is derived from SankarAbharaNam.

Aro: S N.3 S R2 G3 M1 P D2 (N. is lower octave note)

avarO: D2 P M1 G3 R2 S N.3 S

Here is a rare song in Kurinji, popularized by Sri. Ariyakudi Ramanuja Iyengar

Sri Venugopala - Sudha Raghunathan
 

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