Raga: introduction (Bhairav, Yaman, Kafi)

What a raga is

The raga is the melodic foundation of Indian classical music, both Hindustani (northern) and Carnatic (southern). Like the maqam, it is not just a scale: it is a melodic framework with

• a set of notes (swara) and intonations of its own;
• rules for ascent (aroha) and descent (avaroha), which may differ;
• a main note (vadi) and a secondary one (samvadi), usually a fourth or a fifth apart;
• one or more characteristic phrases (pakad) and a typical way of moving (chalan);
• obligatory ornaments (meend, glissando; gamak, oscillations; andolan, slow oscillation);
• a time of day (samay) or a season, and a dominant emotion (rasa).

The notes

Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni (they correspond to movable do: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7). Sa and Pa are fixed; the others can be shuddha (natural), komal (lowered: re, ga, dha, ni) or tivra (Ma raised, #4). The tonic Sa is chosen by the musician (there is no fixed reference pitch), and the tanpura plays a continuous drone on Sa and Pa (or Sa and Ma) against which everything is measured.

The thaat system (Hindustani)

Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (early 20th century) classified ragas into ten thaats (parent scales). Many correspond to Western modes:

In the Carnatic tradition the equivalent system is that of the 72 melakartas.

Raga Bhairav

• Thaat: Bhairav. Notes: S r G m P d N (on C: C Db E F G Ab B), all seven.
• Vadi: dha (komal); samvadi: re (komal).
• Pakad (according to the tradition reported by Wikipedia): G m d d P, G m r r S.
• Time: dawn, early morning; traditionally the opening raga of a concert.
• Character: devotional, serious, solemn. Re and Dha komal are treated with a slow oscillation (andolan) that makes them the signature.
• In cinema: “Jaago Mohan Pyare” (Jagte Raho, 1956), “Mohe Bhool Gaye Sanwariya” (Baiju Bawra, 1952).

Raga Yaman

• Thaat: Kalyan. Notes: S R G M P D N, with Ma tivra (on C: C D E F# G A B, Lydian).
• Aroha: often avoids Sa and Pa in ascent, starting from the low Ni: N R G M D N S’. Avaroha: S’ N D P M G R S.
• Vadi: Ga; samvadi: Ni. Pakad: N R G R S, P M G R S.
• Time: first quarter of the night (about 21–24 according to The Raga Guide).
• Character: romantic, serene, devotional; it is one of the first ragas taught to students.
• In cinema: “Chandan Sa Badan” (Saraswatichandra), “Jab Deep Jale Aana” (Chitchor), “Kabhi Kabhi Mere Dil Mein” (Kabhi Kabhie).

Raga Kafi

• Thaat: Kafi. Notes: S R g m P D n (on C: C D Eb F G A Bb, Dorian); sometimes natural Ga and Ni also appear.
• Vadi: Pa; samvadi: Re (according to Wikipedia; other sources indicate Sa).
• Time: late evening (about 21–24).
• Character: popular, playful and poignant at once; linked to the thumri and the hori of the festival of Holi (love, separation, spring).

Tala

Rhythm is organized in cycles (tala): teentaal (16 beats, 4+4+4+4), rupak (7, 3+2+2), jhaptaal (10, 2+3+2+3), ektaal (12). The first beat, sam, is the point of arrival of rhythmic phrases; the tabla articulates the cycle with syllables (bol). See also “Irregular meters”.

Form of a Hindustani performance

Alap (free introduction without tempo, exploration of the notes of the raga) → jor (regular pulse) → jhala (fast) → composition with tabla (instrumental gat or vocal bandish) with improvisations (taan, tihai).

Raga and Western music

George Harrison studied with Ravi Shankar: “Within You Without You” (The Beatles, 1967) uses a mode close to Khamaj; “Norwegian Wood” introduced the sitar into pop. John McLaughlin (Shakti) and John Coltrane (“India”) absorbed Indian modal thinking.

Raga in production

• Tanpura drone (samples or dedicated plugins) on Sa and Pa throughout the piece.
• Ornaments: slow pitch bends and glides for the meend; do not quantize ornamental notes.
• Harmony: Indian music is not harmonic; use drones and, if you really must, fifth-only chords.

Common mistakes

• Reducing a raga to its scale: two ragas with the same notes (for example several ragas of the Kafi thaat) can be completely different in vadi, phrases and ornaments.
• Ignoring aroha/avaroha (in Yaman, rising Sa–Re–Ga–Ma directly from the tonic is not “wrong”, but the typical chalan starts from Ni).
• Using sampled sitar as an effect without knowing the language.

Exercise

1. Drone on C and G; sing or play Yaman ascending N R G M D N S’ and descending S’ N D P M G R S; insist on E (vadi).
2. Bhairav on C: try the slow oscillation on Db and Ab with the pitch bend of a synth flute.
3. Program a teentaal cycle at 80 BPM (16 beats) and compose a phrase that always closes on the sam.

Related

Modes of the major scale; Double harmonic scale; Lydian mode; Dorian mode; Maqam: introduction; Irregular meters; Pedal point and ostinato.