Raga
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Raga A raga (Sanskrit rāga राग , Tamil irāgam இரகம், Telugu "Raagam" రాగం, Kannada "Raaga" rāgam
രാഗം
ರಾಗ,
[1]
literally "colour, hue" but also "beauty, melody"; also spelled raag, raaga, ragam)
Malayalam
is one of the
melodic modes used in Indian classical music. A raga uses a series of five or more musical notes upon which a melody is constructed. However, it is important to remember that the way the notes are approached and rendered in musical phrases and the mood they convey are more important in defining a raga than the notes themselves. In the Indian musical tradition, rāgas are associated with different times of the day, or with seasons. Indian classical music is always set in a rāga. Non-classical music such as popular Indian film songs and ghazals sometimes use rāgas in their compositions. Joep Bor of the Rotterdam Conservatory of Music defined Raga as "tonal framework for composition and improvisation."[2] Nazir Jairazbhoy, chairman of UCLA's department of ethnomusicology, characterized ragas as separated by scale, line of ascent and descent, transilience, emphasized notes and register, and intonation and [3]
ornaments.
Terminology The Sanskrit word rāga is defined as 'the act of colouring or dyeing' (the mind and mood/emotions in this context) and therefore metaphorically means 'any feeling or passion especially love, affection, sympathy, desire, interest, motivation, joy, or delight.' Therefore, the word is used in the literal sense of 'the act of dyeing,' and also 'color, hue, tint,' especially the color red in the Sanskrit epics, and in the figurative sense of 'something that colors one's emotions.' A figurative sense of the word as 'passion, love, desire, delight' is also found in the Mahabharata. The specialized sense of 'loveliness, beauty,' especially of voice or song, emerges in Classical Sanskrit, used by Kalidasa and in the Panchatantra.[4] The term first occurs in a technical context in the Brihaddeshi (dated ca. 5th to 8th century),[5] where it is described as "a combination of tones which, with beautiful illuminating graces, pleases the people in general". Rāginī (Devanagari: रािगनी ) is a term for the "feminine" counterpart or "wife" to a rāga. The rāga-rāgini scheme from
about the 14th century aligned 6 "male" rāgas with 6 "wives."
Raga
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Nature of rāga योऽसौ ध् विनिवशे षस् तु स् वरवर् णिवभू िषतः । रञ् जको जनिचत् तानां स च राग उदाहृ तः ।। "That which is a special dhwani (tune), is bedecked with swara (notes) and varna and is colorful or delightful to the minds of the people, is said to be rāga" - Matanga in the Brihaddeshi.
The basic mode of reference in modern Hindustani practice (known commonly as the shuddha - basic form) is a set which is equivalent to the Western Ionian mode (the major scale) — this is called Bilawal thaat in Hindustani music (the Carnatic analogue would be Sankarabharanam). In both systems, the ground (or
tonic), Shadja, Sa, and a pure fifth above, Pancham, Pa, are fixed and essentially sacrosanct tones. In the Hindustani system, in a given seven-tone mode, the second, third, sixth, and seventh notes can be natural (shuddha, lit. 'pure') or flat (komal, 'soft') but never sharp, and the fourth note can be natural or sharp (tivra) but never flat, making up the twelve notes in the Western equal tempered chromatic scale (Western enharmonic pitch equivalences like, for example, A♯
Raga Shree recital to Krishna and Radha, Ragamala paintings, 19th century
and B♭ do not apply; e.g. Re tivra may, to a Western musician appear enharmonic to Ga shuddha in that system, but in practice is not.) A Western-style C chromatic scale could therefore theoretically have the notes C, D♭, D, E♭, E, F, F♯, G, A♭, A, B♭, B. The Carnatic system has three versions — a lower, medium, and higher form — of all the notes except Sa, Ma and Pa. Ma has two versions (lower and higher), while Sa and Pa are invariant. Rāgas can also specify microtonal changes to this scale: a flatter second, a sharper seventh, and so forth. Tradition has it that the octave consists of (a division into) 22 microtones ("shrutis"). Furthermore, individual performers treat pitches quite differently, and the precise intonation of a given note depends on melodic context. There is no absolute pitch (such as the modern western standard A = 440 Hz); instead, each performance simply picks a ground note, which also serves as the drone, and the other scale degrees follow relative to the ground note. The Carnatic system embarks from a much different shuddha (fundamental) scalar formation, that is, shuddha here is the lowest-pitched swara. By comparison, using the common tonic "C" for a western musician:
Raga
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Carnat Carnatic ic Swara Swara Carnat Carnatic ic Notati Notation on Hindus Hindustan tanii Swar Swara a Hindus Hindustan tanii Nota Notatio tion n Wester Western n E.T. E.T.
Sa
S
Sa
S
C
Shuddha Ri
R1
Komal Re
r
D♭
Chatusruti Ri
R2
Shuddha Re
R
D
Shatsruti Ri
R3
D♯
Shuddha Ga
G1
E♭♭
Sadharana Ga
G2
Komal G
g
E♭
Antara Ga
G3
Shuddha Ga
G
E
Shuddha Ma
M1
Shuddha Ma
M
F
Prati Ma
M2
Teevra Ma
M+
F♯
Pa
P
Pa
P
G
Shuddha Dha
D1
Komal Dha
d
A♭
Chatusruti Dha
D2
Shuddha Dha
D
A
Shatsruti Dha
D3
A♯
Shuddha Ni
N1
B♭♭
Kaisika Ni
N2
Komal Ni
n
B♭
Kakali Ni
N3
Shuddha Ni
N
B
Rāgas and their seasons Many Hindustani (North Indian) rāgas are prescribed for the particular time of a day or a season. When performed at the suggested time, the rāga has its maximum effect. For example, many of the Malhar group of rāgas, which are ascribed the magical power to bring rain, are performed during the monsoon. However, these prescriptions are not strictly followed, especially since modern concerts are generally held in the evening. There has also been a growing tendency over the last century for North Indian musicians to adopt South Indian rāgas, which do not come with any particular time associated with them. The result of these various influences is that there is increasing flexibility as to when rāgas may be performed.
Notations Although notes are an important part of rāga practice, they alone do not make the rāga. A rāga is more than a scale, and many rāgas share the same scale. The underlying scale may have five, six or seven tones made up of swaras. Rāgas that have five swaras are called audava (औडव ) rāgas; those with six, shaadava षाडव ( षाडव ); ); and with seven, sampurna ( सं सं पू र् ण , Sanskrit for 'complete'). Those rāgas that do not follow the strict ascending or descending order of swaras are called vakra वक् ( वक् र ) ('crooked') rāgas.
Vasant Ragini, Ragamala, Rajput, Kota, Rajasthan. 1770. Vasant is the raga of spring. The painting depicts Hindu god Krishna dancing with maidens.
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The mood of the rāga and the way the notes are approached and used are more important than the notes it uses. For example, Darbari Kanada and Jaunpuri share the same notes but are entirely different in their renderings. Similarly, although Bilaskhani Todi is classified under the Bhairavi thaat because of the notes it uses, it is actually closer to Todi than to Bhairavi.
Northern and southern differences The two streams of Indian classical music, Carnatic music and Hindustani music, have independent sets of rāgas. There is some overlap, but more "false friendship" (where rāga names overlap, but rāga form does not). In north India, the rāgas have been primarily categorised into ten thaats or parent scales (by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, 1860-1936); South India uses an older and even more systematic classification scheme called the melakarta classification, with 72 parent (melakarta) rāgas. Overall there is a greater identification of rāga with scale in the south than in the north, where such an identification is impossible. Rāgas in north Indian music system follow the 'law of consonances' established by Bharata in his Natyashastra, which does not tolerate deviation even at the shruti level. As rāgas were transmitted orally from teacher to student, some rāgas can vary greatly across regions, traditions and styles. Many ragas have also been evolving over the centuries. There have been efforts to codify and standardise rāga performance in theory from their first mention in Matanga's Brihaddeshi (c. tenth century).
Carnatic rāga In Carnatic music, rāgas are classified as Janaka rāgas and Janya rāgas. Janaka rāgas are the rāgas from which the Janya rāgas are created. Janaka rāgas are grouped together using a scheme called Katapayadi sutra and are organised as Melakarta rāgas. A Melakarta rāga is one which has all seven notes in both the ārōhanam (ascending scale) and avarōhanam (descending scale). Some Melakarta rāgas are Harikambhoji, Kalyani, Kharaharapriya, Mayamalavagowla, Sankarabharanam and Todi.
Janya rāgas are derived from the Janaka rāgas using a combination of the swarams (usually a subset of swarams) from the parent rāga. Some janya rāgas are Abheri, Abhogi, Bhairavi, Hindolam, Mohanam and Kambhoji. See the full List of Janya Ragas for more. Each rāga has a definite collection and orders of swaras (the basic notes). In Carnatic music, there are 7 basic notes of which there are a total of 16 varieties. The seven basic swarams of Carnatic music are: Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Ni.
Related rāgas Even though Janya rāgas are subsets of Janaka rāgas in notation and representation, the differences between the child ragas are clear due to the differences like • some notes notes that figure more more in a particular particular rāga compared compared to another, another, while other other notes used sparingl sparingly y • some some not notes es may may be be sung sung wit with h gamaka, stress, elongation, etc., in one rāga compared to other • specific specific phrases phrases used and other other phrases phrases to be avoided in a rāga (so as to avoid avoid deviation deviation into another another rāga's domain) • the scales scales of some ragas may contain contain at least least one swara that does does not figure in their janaka janaka ragas. ragas. Such ragas ragas are termed as bhashanga ragas. Ragas such as Bhairavi, Kambhoji, Bilahari, Devagandhari, and Neelambari fall under this category. • An important important fact to be noted is to never never sing Bhairavi Bhairavi and Kharaharapr Kharaharapriya iya together, together, since, since, the prayogas prayogas while singing aalapana are almost the same, with the Suddha dha of Bhairavi being the only difference between the two. The effect of the rāgas are different from each other, even if they notationally use same swarams (or subset of swarams between each other) due to above subjective differences related to bhava and rasa (mood caused in the listener). The artists have to ensure the same when elaborating on a rāga, as has been followed and expected on each
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rāga, without digressing into the phrases of another related rāga.
Rāga-rāgini The rāga-rāgini scheme is a classification scheme used from the 14th century to the 19th century. It usually consists of 6 'male' rāgas each with 6 'wives' (rāginis) and a number of sons (putras) and even 'daughters-in-law'. As it did not agree with various other schemes, and the 'related' rāgas had very little or no similarity, the rāga-rāgini [6]
scheme is no longer very popular.
Rāgas and rāginis were often pictured as Hindu gods, Rajput princes and aristocratic women in an eternal cycle of love, longing and [6]
fulfilment.
References [1] "Raag" is the the modern Hindi Hindi pronunciation pronunciation used by Hindustani musicians; musicians; "ragam" is
Ragaputra Velavala, son of Basohli painting of Ragaputra
the pronunciation in Tamil.
the raga Bhairava.
[2] Bor, Joep; Rao, Suvarnalata; Suvarnalata; Van der der Meer, Wim; Harvey, Jane (1999). The Raga Guide. Nimbus Records. p. 181. ISBN 0-9543976-0-6.
[3] Jairazbho Jairazbhoy, y, Nazir Nazir Ali (1995 (1995). ). The Rāgs of North Indian music (http:/ / books. books. google.com/ google.com/ books?id=hGLRqLscf78C&pg=PA45). books?id=hGLRqLscf78C&pg=PA45). Popular Prakashan. p. 45. I SBN 81-7154-395-2. . [4] Monier Monier-Wi -Willi lliams ams,, A Sanskrit-English Dictionary (1899) [5] Kaufma Kaufmann nn(19 (1968) 68) p. 41 [6] [6] Bor Bor 199 1999 9
Literature • Bhatkh Bhatkhand ande, e, Vishn Vishnu u Narayan Narayan (1968 (1968-73 -73), ), Kramika Pustaka Malika, Hathras: Sangeet Karyalaya. • Bor, Bor, Joep Joep (199 (1999) 9),, The Rāga Guide, Charlottesville,Virginia: Nimbus Records • Dani Daniél élou ou,, Alai Alain n (194 (1949) 9),, Northern Indian Music, Calcutta: Visva Bharati • Jair Jairaz azbh bhoy oy,, N.A. N.A. (19 (1995 95), ), The Rags of North Indian Music: Their Structure & Evolution, Bombay: Popular Prakashan • Kauf Kaufma mann nn,, Walt Walter er (19 (1968 68), ), The Ragas of North India, Calcutta: Oxford & IBH Publishing Company • Mout Moutal al,, Pat Patri rick ck (199 (1991) 1),, Hindustani Raga Index • Mout Moutal al,, Pat Patri rick ck (199 (1991) 1),, A Comparative Study of Selected Selected Hindustani Ragas Some Ragamala paintings can be found in: • Baut Bautze ze,, J (198 (1987) 7),, Indian Miniature Paintings c:1590 to c. 1850, Amsterdam: Galerie Saundarya Lahari, ISBN 90-72085-01-9 • Gang Gangol oly, y, O.C. O.C. (193 (1934) 4),, Rāgas and Rāginis, Calcutta • Ragas and and raginis by Amiyanat Amiyanath h Sanyal (English) (English) ORIENT ORIENT LONGMAN LONGMANS S 1959 printed printed by S.C.Ghosh, S.C.Ghosh, Calcutta Press, Wellington Squate, Calcutta (Link: www.dli.ernet.in) • Sangita Sangita Ratnakar Ratnakaraa of Sarang Sarangadeva adeva (Raga Adyaya) Adyaya) ( -do-do- )
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External links • A step-by-ste step-by-step p introduction introduction to to the concept concept of raga raga for beginne beginners rs (http:/ (http:/ / raag-hindustani.com/ raag-hindustani.com/ Scales1.html) Scales1.html) • Rajan Parrikar Parrikar Music Music Archive Archive - detailed analyses analyses of ragas ragas backed backed by rare audio recordings recordings (http:/ (http:/ / www.parrikar. www.parrikar. org/ ) • Compre Comprehen hensiv sivee referen reference ce on raagas raagas (http (http:/ :/ / www.soundofindia. www.soundofindia.com/ com/ raagas.asp) raagas.asp) • Krsna Krsna Kirt Kirtana ana Songs Songs Raga Ragamal malaa (http: (http:/ / / www.kksongs.org/ www.kksongs.org/ ragamala) ragamala) — an informative database with over ninety rāgas (audio clips coming soon), tutorial on the North Indian notation system, rāga classification, and explanation of how rāgas work. • Hindus Hindustan tanii Raga Raga Sangee Sangeett Online Online (htt (http:/ p:/ / moutal.eu/ moutal.eu/ indian-music.html) indian-music.html) A rare collection of audio & video archives from 1902. Radio programs dedicated to famous ragas. • Online Online quic quick k refere reference nce of of rāgams rāgams (htt (http:/ p:/ / webspace.webring.com/ webspace.webring.com/ people/ people/ dv/ dv/ vasudevanvrv/ vasudevanvrv/ carnatic/ carnatic/ raagams. raagams. htm) in Carnatic music. • Basics Basics of Hindustani Hindustani Classica Classicall Music for Listen Listeners: ers: a downloada downloadable ble PDF (http:/ (http:/ / atulnene.com/ atulnene.com/ hcmprimer. hcmprimer. html), and an online video talk (http:/ / urtalk.kpoint.in/ urtalk.kpoint.in/ kapsule/ kapsule/ gcc-066a675a-74c2-4f57-8d7b-6b1e82c0583b). gcc-066a675a-74c2-4f57-8d7b-6b1e82c0583b). Includes "What is a Raga"?
Article Sources and Contributors
Article Sources and Contributors Raga Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/ind http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?oldid=508973522 ex.php?oldid=508973522 Contributors: 2SSophie, Adwaitjoshi, Ahung, Aksi great, Alansohn, Alex n, Allisonmarieanne, Ambarish, Amirdhagopal,
Anarchivist, Animeshkulkarni, Annamacharya Vaibhavam, Arjun024, Ashwath Rabindranath, Ashwinijaya, B9 hummingbird hovering, Badagnani, Bharatveer, Calaf, CambridgeBayWeather, Capricorn42, Champ1979, Champaign, Chandrahas Piduri, Charukesi, Chhajlaniv1, Chris the speller, Cminard, Daedalus969, Dbachmann, Deeptrivia, Deltabeignet, DerHexer, Dforest, Dhamit21, Dhesi, Drummerdave1, EdChem, Egoels, Eirik, Ekabhishek, Epioinopaponton, Excirial, FrancoGG, Gautam3, Gene Nygaard, Gh5046, Ghanonmatta, Gnanapiti, Gokhul, Gokul madhavan, Gopikoundinya, Gr8naru, GregorB, Guaka, Gwalla, H3rcul3s, Harisingh, Hekerui, Hu12, Huangdi, Hyacinth, Iammusicfreak, Icarusgeek, Imc, Impy4ever, Introferious, JaGa, Jagged 85, Jan civil, Jarble, Jeff3000, Jerome Kohl, Jhirvi, John Quincy Adding Machine, JohnI, Jossi, Julesd, Kappa, Kaustuv, Keenan Pepper, Kh7, KirtanDevotee, Kksongs, LAAFan, Lerdthenerd, Light current, LilHelpa, LordSimonofShropshire, Lotje, MER-C, MPerel, Madbassist, MarkC77, Matt Gies, Meco, Mellery, MoRsE, Mr. Kalish, Mrahaim, Mukundan, Namjap, Nataraja, NawlinWiki, Ncmvocalist, Neelix, Nizonstolz, Orderinchaos, PMDrive1061, Parrikar, Pepve, Pgan002, P hilip Trueman, Prash n rao, Pstarbuck, P ulkitsingh01, Raas1234, RagaBhakta, Ragaist, Raguks, RedWolf, Redheylin, Redtigerxyz, Rigadoun, Roland zh, Rynsaha, S.dedalus, SWFlash, Saga City, Samjones9booyakasha, Sanpra1989, Sciurinæ, Seth Ilys, Sharifruet, Shobhit102, Shreevatsa, Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington, Sivaraj, Skal, Smdevesh, Sojarumojaru, Sp3z1aL, SpacemanSpiff, Srinivasaraju, Srkris, SteinbDJ, Sudhir V Gadre, Summer Song, TUF-KAT, Tabalji, Tabisini, Tanaats, Tevildo, Thadius856, The Rationalist, The wub, Trusilver, Tukamhane, Ultimus, Updatehelper, Ushajayaraman, VasuVR, Vegaswikian, Veggieburgerfish, Venu62, WereSpielChequers, Wiki-uk, Wmahan, Zerokitsune, 278 anonymous edits
Image Sources, Licenses and Contributors Image:Sri Raga recital to Krishna-Radha, 19th century.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/in http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Sri_Raga_recital_to_Kri dex.php?title=File:Sri_Raga_recital_to_Krishna-Radha,_19th_century.jpg shna-Radha,_19th_century.jpg License: Public
Domain Contributors: Abhishekjoshi, Johnbod, Roland zh File:Vasant Ragini, Ragamala, Rajput, 1770.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/ind http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Vasant_Ragini,_R ex.php?title=File:Vasant_Ragini,_Ragamala,_Rajput,_1770.jpg agamala,_Rajput,_1770.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors:
Abhishekjoshi, Ekabhishek, Mattes, Roland zh, Wmpearl File:Ragaputra Velavala of Bhairava.jpg Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/w/ind http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=File:Ragaputra_Velavala_of_B ex.php?title=File:Ragaputra_Velavala_of_Bhairava.jpg hairava.jpg License: Public Domain Contributors: Abhishekjoshi,
BostonMA
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