Raag Kalyan (Yaman)

Thaat - Kalyan
Jaati - Sampurna
Vaadi - Gandhar
Samvaadi - Nishaad
Samay - First portion of the night.
Aroh - 'N R G M P D N S'
Avroh - S' N D P M G R S
Pakad - 'N R G R, S, P M G, R S .
It has tivra 'Madhyam' , i.e. M.
In Kalyan raag, all swaras are shudh, except madhyam, which is tivra. Kayan is an ancient raag, but during mughal era, it was known as Raag Yaman/Iman. Sometimes, shudh madhyam is used in this raag, in which case, it's known as Raag Yaman Kalyan.

Understanding the raagas ...

There are certain behaviours of a particular raag, by which it's identification becomes easier. One might not need the whole description but just certain points to identify the raag. On the basis of this, these raagas are categorized into certain groups.
Before beginning with the raagas, we would first understand these points.
Vaadi - In a raag, there's a particular swar which is used more than any other swar in that raag. This swar is known as the Vaadi Swar of that raag.
Samvaadi - This swar is used, comparitively less than the vaddi swar but more than the rest of the swaras in that raag.
Jaati - According to the rules & Lakshan of raagas, there should be minimum of 5 swaras and a maximum of 7 swaras in a raag. Now, due to the presence of various different swaras in different raagas, the raagas are divided into three distinct catagories :-

1. Sampurna - In these, there are all 7 swaras included in the raag. For eg. Raag Bilawal.
2. Shadav - In these, only 6 swars are present in the raaga. For eg. Raag Marwa.
3. Audav - In these, only 5 swaras are presnt.

These are further divided into sub-categories, but we'll discuss that later.

Samay/Time - This tells us the time when the raag is sung.

Pakad - In a raag, there's a particular group of swaras which is used to identify the raag being unique for every raag. This group is known as pakad.

Thaat - As discussed before in detail, thaats are the scales on which the raagas are divided. There are namely 10 thaats, proposed by Pt. Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande, and is used in hindustani music.

The Concept of RAAGA...

the figure above represents the chakras of the melakartha scheme...
ill now tell you whats Melakarta all about...
Carnatic music is more conceptual than any other music in the world...
Melakarta is a collection of fundamental ragas (musical scales) in Carnatic music (South Indian classical music). Melakarta ragas are parent ragas (hence known as janaka ragas) from which other ragas may be generated.

In Hindustani music the thaat is equivalent of Melakarta. There are 10 thaats in Hindustani music, though the commonly accepted melakarta scheme has 72 ragas.

A melakarta raga is sometimes referred as mela, karta or sampoorna as well.



Rules for melakarta raagas:

Ragas must contain the following characteristics to be considered Melakarta.
They are sampoorna ragas - they contain all seven swaras (notes) of the octave in both ascending and descending scale.
They are krama sampoorna ragas - that is the sequence is strictly ascending and descending in the scales, without any jumps or zig-zag notes.
The upper shadjam is included in the raga scale [2] (ragas like Punnagavarali and Chenchurutti are not melakarta as they end with nishadham)
The ascending and descending scales must have the same notes.

HOW DID THIS ALL START? History...

The mela system of ragas was first propounded by Raamamaatya in his work Svaramelakalanidhi c. 1550. He is considered the father of mela system of ragas. Later Venkatamakhin expounded in the 17th century in his work Caturdandi Prakaasikaa a new mela system known today as melakarta. He had made some bold and controversial claims and defined somewhat arbitrarily 6 swaras from the known 12 semitones, at that time, to arrive at 72 melakarta ragas. The controversial parts relate to double counting of R2 (and similar swaras) and his exclusive selection of madyamas for which there is no specific reasoning. However, today the 72 melakarta ragas have gained significant following, though to this day this system is being criticized. Venkatamakhin was known to be extremely critical of Raamamaatya.

BEING PROUD INDIANS.. COZ WE WERE THE FIRST TO GIVE THE NUMBER '0'... Aint we a little too Mathematical?.. yes... Carnatic Music is mathematical too!

A hundred years after Venkatamakhin's time the Katapayadi sankhya rule came to be applied to the nomenclature of the melakarta ragas. The sankhya associates Sanskrit consonants with digits. The digits corresponding to the first two syllables of the name of a raga, when reversed, give the index of the raga. Thus the scale of a melakarta raga can be easily derived from its name.

For example, Harikambhoji raga starts with syllables Ha and ri, which have numbers 8 and 2 associated with them. Reversing them we get 28. Hence Harikambhoji is the 28th Melakarta raga.

(ILL POST WHAT KATAPAYAADI FORMULA MEANS IN MY NEXT POST....)

Welcome to the world of carnatic music.

Carnatic music is considered one of the oldest systems of music in the world. Carnatic music is a very complex system of music that requires much thought, both artistically and technically. The basis of Carnatic music is the system of ragas (melodic scales) and talas (rhythmic cycles). There are seven rhythmic cycles and 72 fundamental ragas. All other ragas are considered to have originated from these. An elaborate pattern exists for identifying these scales, known as the 72 Melakarta Raagas. Tyagaraja, Muthuswami Dikshitar and Shyama Shastri, the three saint composers of the 19th century, have composed thousands of krithis that remain fresh among musicians and rasikas. The most important specialty of Karnatic music is its highly devotional element. The concept of the compositions are set entirely against a devotional outline. The notes of Carnatic music is "sa-ri-gaa-ma-pa-da-ni". These are abbreviations of the real names of swaras which are Shadjam, Rishabham, Gandharam, Madhyamam, Panchamam, Dhaivatam and Nishaadam.

Each note of the pattern (the swaraa) will have up to three varieties. The only exceptions for this are the two base notes shadjam and panchamam, sa & pa which have only one form, and madhyamam, the middle swara, which has only two notes. Spirituality has always been the prominent content of Carnatic music. The beautiful blending of the beauty and devotional element has made it extraordinary and divine. The basic idea behind indian music compositions has been to see and seek the ultimate brahman or God. In fact, it has been told in Hindu scriptures that the easiest and best way to attain salvation is to sing the greatness of the Divine power. In Hindu scriptures, music and God have always been depicted together. Many deities have their own musical instruments and are all portrayed as lovers of music. Lord Siva or rudra is the embodiment of Nada (cosmic music) which is the first form of music.

Lord Krishna, the first of flautists, indicates his musical inclinations by the fact that he is the Sama Veda among the Vedas. While Lord Siva is the embodiment of Nada (cosmic music) and Tandava (cosmic dance),Goddess Parvathi is seen as the embodiment of Lasya, the feminine quality.

Goddess Saraswati, the source of wisdom is always associated with the Veena (known as Vipanchi, or vina a stringed musical instrument). Goddess Lakshmi, the source of wealth revels in music while Lord Vishnu, her consort, plays on the percussion. Among the saints as well, Narada and tumburu are found as Vainika-Gayaka (experts in music and Vina). Nandi, the holy bull of Siva, is the master of Laya. Demi-Gods like Yakshas, Gandharvas and Kinnaras are all proficient in music and musical instruments. In Hindu scriptures, music is known as Gandharva Vidyaa. Hanuman was proficient in the instrument Hanumad Veena and this is the first form of the present day Chitraveena.

The growth and development of Carnatic music through the centuries is a testimony to the greatness of the Indian mind. It needs to be taken to the international arena parallel to any other classical art form. This can be achieved if we understand it in the right perspective and do not lose it to religion, for this mission we have this music blog. Carnatic music, the representation of a rich cultural heritage of south India, the essence of spirituality evolved out of the heart and brain of the pious ones and the gurus of the past. Thus carnatic music of South India is the synonym to salvation and eternity. The Nada Brahma - God incarnated in a sonic form to save humans from birth and rebirths. This blog aims at educating rasikas, providing them information on Carnatic music. Let us contribute to this rich tradition of Carnatic music. Let us take a pledge to keep the flame bright for the future. All efforts to support this idea are always welcome.

Listening to diff thaats ..

We'll begin with listenin 2 thaats so tht v get a better idea of it . But thaats r not available in there pure fors so it's composed into it's main raag in some cases so tht it can be sung ... Enjoy ..
BHAIRAVI

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MARWA

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TODI

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KHAMAJ

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PURVI

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ASAVARI

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BILAWAL

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Friends , due 2 connection prob , 'm nt able 2 upload further but wud do tht as soon as possible ..

Beginning with raagas ...

We'll first begin with raag bhairavi . I mean we'll listen 2 it . We'll learn it later . While listening try figurin out thte thaats and sargams use . You'll Really enjoy ..

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Coming back to Sargams..

Now before we proceed further , let's first practice all the basic sargams . We had already learnt the first 3 sargams, so , now we start with the fourth one ...


4.) Aroh
Sa Re Sa -
Sa Re Ga Re Sa ---
Sa Re Ga Ma Ga Re Sa -
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga Re Sa ---
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa -
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa ---
Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa -


Avroh
Sa' Ni Sa' -
Sa' Ni Dha Ni Sa' ---
Sa' Ni Dha Pa Dha Ni Sa' -
Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa' ---
Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa' -
Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa' ---
Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa' -


5.) SaGa ReMa GaPa MaDha PaNi DhaSa'
Sa'Dha NiPa DhaMa PaGa MaRe GaSa


6.) SaGaReSa ReMaGaRe GaPaMaGa MaDhaPaMa PaNiDhaPa DhaSa'NiDha NiRe'Sa'Ni Sa'Ga'Re'Sa'
Sa'Ga'Re'Sa' NiRe'Sa'Ni DhaSa'NiDha PaNiDhaPa MaDhaPaMa GaPaMaGa ReMaGaRe SaGaReSa


7.) SaReSaGa ReGaReMa GaMaGaPa MaPaMaDha PaDhaPaNi DhaNiDhaSa'
Sa'NiSa'Dha NiDhaNiPa DhaPaDhaMa PaMaPaGa MaGaMaRe GaReGaSa


8.) SaMa RePa GaDha MaNi PaSa'
Sa'Pa NiMa DhaGa PaRe GaSa


9.) SaReGaGa ReGaMaMa GaMaPaPa MaPaDhaDha PaDhaNiNi DhaNiSa'Sa'
Sa'NiDhaDha NiDhaPaPa DhaPaMaMa PaMaGaGa MaGaReRe GaReSaSa


10.) SaReSaGa ReGaReMa GaMaGaPa MaPaMaDha PaDhaPaNi DhaNiDhaSa'
Sa'NiSa'Dha NiDhaNiPa DhaPaDhaMa PaMaPaGa MaGaMaRe GaReGaSa

Thaats and their main raagas ....

Now comes the catagorizing of different ragas on the basis of thaats .
Firstly it should be noted tht a thaat has all the seven swars while a raag of tht thaat might not include all the swars of tht thaat. Below is the different raagas grouped under the ten thaats ....

1.) KALYAN

Yaman , Shuddh Kalyan , Bhupali , Maru Bihag , Nand , Kamod

2.) BILAWAL

Bilawal , Bihag , Durga , Hansdhwani

3.) KHAMAJ

Khamaj , Desh , Jhinjhoti

4.) KAFI

Kafi , Pilu , Bageshri , Miyan Ki Malhar

5.) ASAVARI

Asavari , Jaunpuri , Darbari Kanada

6.) BEHRAVI

Behravi , Bilaskhani Todi , Malkaus

7.) BHAIRAV

Bhairav , Gauri , Lalit , Jogiya , Ramkali

8.) TODI

Todi , Multani , Gujari Todi

9.) PURVI

Purvi , Puriya Dhanashree , Shree , Basant

10.) MARWA

Marwa , Jait , Vibhas , Bhatiyar , Puriya , Sohni

Thaats and there Notes

Now, there are various types of thaats contributing in the formation of further various ragas....
Thaat Bilawal
Ascending --> S , R , G , m , P , D , N , S'
Descending--> S' , N , D , P , m , G , R , S
All notes are shuddh and natural .

Thaat Kafi
Asc--> S , R , g , m , P , D , n , S'
Dsc--> S' , n , D , P , m , g , R , S
Ga and Ni are komal

Thaat Asavari
Asc--> S , R , g , m , P , d , n , S'
Dsc--> S' , n , d , P , m , g , R , S
Ga , Dha and Ni : komal

Thaat Khamaj
Asc--> S , R , g , m , P , D , n , S'
Dsc--> S' , n , D , P , m , g , R , S
Ni komal

Thaat Kalyan
Asc--> S , R , G , M , P , D , N , S'
Dsc--> S' , N , D , P , M , G , R , S
No komal , only tivra Ma

Thaat Bhairav/Behro
Asc--> S , r , G , m , P , d , N , S'
Dsc--> S' , N , d , P , m , G , r , S
Re and Dha komal

Thaat Bhairavi
Asc--> S , r , g , m , P , d , n , S'
Dsc--> S' , n , d , P , m , g , r , S
Re , Ga , Dha and Ni komal

Thaat Marwa
Asc--> S , r , G , M , P , D , N , S'
Dsc--> S' , N , D , P , M , G , r , S
Re komal , Ma tivra

Thaat Poorvi
Asc--> S , r , G , M , P , d , N , S'
Dsc--> S' , N , d , P , M , G , r , S
Re & Dha komal , Ma tivra

Thaat Todi
Asc--> S , r , g , M , P , d , N , S'
Dsc--> S' , N , d , P , M , g , r , S
Re , Ga & dha komal , Ma tivra

Beginnin with , Thaat or Desi Scales...

There are many more sargams to be practiced but we'll come back to it later.
In a scale , all 8 notes are always included and the eighth note is always added in the scale or sargam . This set of 8 notes in ascending and descending order is called thaat and thaat produces raagas. It can also be said as the system of classification of raagas in different groups(thaats).
Now, in a raaga , there might not be fixed number of notes in ascending and descending order so it's not easy to play or sing songs in first instance. There are certain rules for representation of thaat :-
1. Thaat must have seven notes.
2. Thaat has only one arohi and avrohi.
3. Thaat is not supposed to be sung and is for only playing music songs but the ragas originating from them is sung.
4. Thaat is named after the popular raga of that thaat. For eg ; bhairavi is a popular raga and the thaat of raga bhairavi is named after it .

Sargam

further comes , many basic forms of sargam that would be used during raagas and hence should be well practiced in advance.

1) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa'
Sa' Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa
2) SaReGa ReGaMa GaMaPa MaPaDha PaDhaNi DhaNiSa'
Sa'NiDha NiDhaPa DhaPaMa PaMaGa MaGaRe GaReSa
3) SaReSaRe Ga, ReGaReGa Ma, GaMaGaMa Pa, MaPaMaPa Dha, PaDhaPaDha Ni, DhaNiDhaNi Sa'
Sa'NiSa'Ni Dha, NiDhaNiDha Pa, DhaPaDhaPa Ma, PaMaPaMa Ga, MaGaMaGa Re, GaReGaRe Sa
" The different group of swar before the gap are supposed to be sung together while the one after the gap is supposed to be sung individually for equal time as tht taken by the previous four. "

Getting started....

As you know , the beginning or base of any music is the sargam or saptam sur , i.e namely..

Sa (Shadaj) -- Do
Re (Rishab) -- Re
Ga (Gandhar) -- Me
Ma (Madhyam) -- Fa
Pa (Pancham) -- So
Dha (Dhaivat) -- La
Ni (Nishad) -- Ti



So , after coming across the keys , the next comes the practicing part. The best way to open-up yor voice , the first and foremost and in fact the best way is practicing of -->
S & 'P
First try practicing these individually by pressing the keys individually and matching your voice to the same frequencies . Then , once you skill in them , try pressin both the keys ( S & 'P )
together and then sing the notes S and 'P alternatively .

This is the best excersise for your voice and would give your voice an extended range .
Try that with S & P too .