Râga

Origin of the râgas

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Rules composing a râga

A râga is primarily a whole of vedic rules on the manner of building a melody. It specifies the rules of the upswings ( ârohanam ) and descendants ( avarohanam ), the range, the notes to be used freely and those to use with parsimony, the notes which must be sung with gamaka , phrased recommended or to avoid, etc All this gives a framework usable to compose or improvise melodies, authorizing an infinite number of variations based on a preset whole of notes.

Mode

The râga is based on a mode composed of five, six or seven notes or Svara . Besides this makes it possible to classify the râga according to the number of notes or jâti :

audava râga (औडव) comprises five notes
sâdava râga (षाडव) comprise six notes
sampûrna râga (संपूर्न) (what means râga complete in Sanskrit) use the seven notes.

The râga which do not follow strictly the orders ascending and going down from the will svara are called will vakra (वक्र) râga , that is to say râga twisted.

For a talk of the marking system used in Indian music, including the correspondence with the Western notes, see the article Svara.

All the notes are not equal in a mode. The râga insists particularly on one of the notes, called vadi . The second notes most important is called samvadi . One speaks about anuvadi for the other notes of the mode and about vivadi for the notes not making parts of the mode. However the interpretation of the râgas evolves/moves during time, so that the vadis or samvadis used in practice can be different from those which are defined in the theory.

Lastly, the râga often comprises a characteristic reason which makes it possible to the expert to easily recognize it. This reason is called pakad and comprises often various ornamentations.

Categories of râga : thaat and melakarta

The Indian music is shared to simplify in two schools: the Music Hindustani in north and the carnatic Music in the south. Each one of these two schools uses its own group of râga . There exists a certain covering between these groups, but they are in fact “false-friends”, i.e. râga bearing the same name but not representing the same mode.

India of the south preserved an old system of classification of the râga : the Melakarta , which comprise 72 râga .

In the north of India, on the other hand, the râga were gathered within ten thâts by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860 - 1936). A thât is a whole of seven notes corresponding to the seven notes of the range possibly provided with deteriorations. A râga is attached to a thât of which it uses whole or part of the notes. There exist 10 thâts :

Note:: the notes in small letters are decreased by a semitone compared to the notes in capital letters.

The rhythmic system: the tâlas

The Indian music uses various rates/rhythms codified under the name of Tâla . These rates/rhythms can be the subject of complex variations which require a long training of the musician. A râga can be interpreted according to several tâlas different.

A tâla contains a measurement containing a certain number of Temps. The measurement defined by the tâla starts with an accentuated time or Sam which concludes preceding measurement as much as it launches new measurement. Inside measurement, times are gathered in sub-units variable length, marked by a beat of hand or a simple quiet gesture which does not imply necessarily a Accent.

For example, the tâla Teen tal comprises 16 times, gathered in 4 groups of 4. Others tâlas are described in the principal article Tâla.

In India of North, the musician can increase or reduce the Tempo during the execution. In the carnatic music, on the other hand, the interpreter chooses a speed of execution at the beginning and preserve until the end.

Fine variations or gamaka

If the range of twelve tons defines standard intervals between the notes, these intervals can be slightly different during interpretation. This practice takes the name of gamaka . These fine variations can be fixed by the rules of a particular râga or result from the inspiration of the musician. They contribute to give a seal particular to a râga and its interpretation by a given musician.

Ornamentations

The interpretation of a râga uses many ornamentations. Examples of ornamentations usually employed:

glissando ( meend )
vibrato slow ( andolan )
small blows of the left hand on the Hoop of the Sarod or the Sitar ( krantan )

harmonic Bumblebee

In the râga , one or more instruments have the role of installing a sound basic kind which is used as a basis harmonic for the music. These instruments are often Tampura (large lute with long handle). However an instrument with several voices can ensure to him even its own harmonic bottom.

This background music, by repeating inlassablement one or more notes, makes it possible better to do to perceive it tonic and to release the soloist in his exploration of the mode. The Western music does not need this type of accompaniment because of its great simplicity in the use of the modes.

In the râgas , the background music often consists of two notes, one of them being necessarily Its. For the second note, the rule is in theory the following one:

Pa if this note is present in the râga
if not, My if this note is present in the râga and that it is not will teevra (because the interval between S= C and will teevra M= F ♯ is the same one as between M and)
in the other cases, Ga or Dha.

Unfolding of a râga

The execution of a complete râga can vary few tens of minutes to several hours. It comprises three principal stages:

Alap : the musician exposes the râga on a slow and progressive rate/rhythm. He is in general accompanied by only the will tanpura . This movement, which lasts sometimes several tens of minutes, makes it possible to show all the aspects of the râga and to install its atmosphere. This phase emphasizes the comprehension of the râga by the musician. It must use all its imagination to express the intention of the râga through the variations and ornamentations which exploit all the possibilities of them.
Jor : the percussion (for example a counted ) between concerned, founds a pulsation and dialogs with the soloist. The tension goes up little by little.
Jhala : the tension reaches its roof in a final movement which gives the possibility to the musicians of expressing all their virtuosity.

Râga of the morning and râga of the evening

Each moment of the day, morning, afternoon, evening and night has its râga clean. This theory of the moment is currently rather followed in the Musique Hindustani, that of the north of the India. It is largely given up by the executants of the carnatic Musique of the south, although this one is often judged nearer to the strict tradition.

Diversity of the râgas

A râga cannot be entirely explained in writing. The interpretation of the râga requires an oral teaching which passes by a long relation of Master ( Guru ) to pupil. This oral transmission makes râga an alive kind. A râga given will be able to vary considerably according to the area, the followed tradition and itself interprets it.

If the Indian classical music is based on the râgas , any music using them is not necessarily traditional. Part of the Film music of Bollywood uses râgas .

The râga also lent itself to many tests of dialog with the Western music, in particular under the impulse of Ravi Shankar.

Examples of râgas

râga Bhairavi (music hindoustanie)

The râga Bhairavi, formerly played the morning, is used often today as conclusion with the concerts. He is played in the majority of the styles of the Indian music, including in the songs of films. He corresponds to the râga Melakarta Hanumatodi in carnatic music. Other characteristics:

Mode going down: 'S N D P M G R S (identical to the mode going up)

pakad : g-M-P-d, P, M-g-r-S

vadi : My (or Dha according to certain authors)

samvadi : Its (or Gha); interpretations use with various degrees all 12 will svaras . One of the points characteristic of the râga Bhairavi is a particular vibration on Gha.

thât : Bhairavi

A detailed study of the '' râga Bhairavi '' with examples

râga Bihag or Behag (music hindoustanie)

Other characteristics:

Mode going down: 'S NR D P MR. G m G R S (different from the mode going up)

Moment of the day: end of evening

pakad : P-M-G-m-G, R-S

vadi : Ga

samvadi : Nor

thât : Bilawal thât

Accompagnement: Its, Pa

râga Darbari Kanada (music hindoustanie)

Other characteristics:

Mode going down: 'S D N P m P G m R S (different from the mode going up)

Moment of the day: evening

pakad : d-d-P-m-g, r-S

vadi : Re (according to certain authors)

samvadi : Dha (according to certain authors)

thât : Asawari thât

Accompaniment: Its, Pa

râga Kafi (music hindoustanie)

The râga Kafi has a romantic tonality. It is often mixed with others râgas in light kinds. Other characteristics:

Mode going down: 'S N D P m G R S (identical to the mode going up)

Moment of the day:

pakad harms: Nd, PmgR, S RR gg mm P, P m G R, G m P G - R

vadi : Pa

samvadi : Its

Accompaniment: Its, Pa

râga Todi (music hindoustanie)

Other characteristics:

Mode going down: 'S NR D P M G R S (identical to the mode going up)

Moment of the day: morning

pakad : d-d-P-M-g, r-S

vadi : Dha (according to certain authors)

samvadi : Ga (according to certain authors)

thât : Todi thât

Accompaniment: Its, Pa or Its, komal Dha

râga Yaman or Kalyan (music hindoustanie)

The râga Yaman is a very popular râga . There exists also a râga Yaman Kalyan which is different from this one. Other characteristics:

Mode going down: S NR D P MR. G R 'NR R S (different from the mode going up)

Moment of the day: beginning of the night

pakad : 'N-R-G-M-P, R-G-R, 'N-R-S

vadi : Ga

samvadi : Nor

thât : Kalyan thât

Accompaniment: Its, Pa

râga Kanakangi (कांगि) (carnatic music)

See too

A detailed list of '' râgas ''

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