Something About Scales and Ragas (Part 1)

Why does one song sound different from another? You may say, "It's a different tune! Obviously, it sounds different." This tune is the song's Raga and this post will discuss the classification of ragas, types of ragas and talk about some examples.

This is a slightly long post with detailed technical explanations of what a Raga is,  its classification and finally some examples to help you understand all the information you would've gathered till that point. Keep reading, and do bear with the length of the post!

So, what is Raga?

Every song you hear creates a mood, a setting that helps you feel varied emotions- happiness, anger, melancholy, excitement etc. These moods are characteristic of the Raga or tune the composer sets the song to. The purpose of a Raga, thus, is to lead you to experience a feeling or emotion in entirety.

The term 'Raga' means scale. It is essentially a set of notes that define a pattern or a tune. A composer sets her song to a tune that follows this scale-- the notes used to play the song are a combination of this defined scale. You may have heard of scales like "C major" or "A minor". In these, a set of notes progress from a lower frequency to a higher frequency. Similarly in a raga, the notes ascend in frequency in one progression, but they also descend in frequency in the next progression. The ascending progression is known as Arohan and the descending progression is known as Avarohan.

Let me elucidate this:
Consider the Raga Mayamalavagowla. I've chosen this as an example as all initial lessons in Carnatic music are based in this Raga. Mayamalavagowla contains 7 notes: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni.
The arohan progression is- Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa
The avarohan progression is- Sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Ri Sa
What makes this different from other ragas that contain 7 notes is the difference in Re, Ga, Ma, Dha and Ni. You see, there is only 1 variation of Sa and Pa but 2 or 3 variations of the other notes. We'll talk more about this later. [In this case, Mayamalavagowla has Ri(1), Ga(3), Ma(1), Dha(1) and Ni(3)]

How are Ragas classified?

I. Primitive classification: Parent and Derived Ragas
There are 72 parent ragas and many derived or children ragas.
The parent ragas are called Melakarta and the derived ragas are called Janyam.

Melakarta
These are ragas that have all 7 swaras/notes in both their arohan and avarohan progression. Yes, Mayamalavgowla is a melakarta as it has every one of the 7 swaras in arohan and avarohan.
If every 72 melakarta raga has all 7 notes, what's the difference between each of them and how are there 72 of these ragas? This is all interesting math- permutation and combination.
As you read above, there are 2 variations of Ma and 3 variations of Re, Ga, Dha and Ni. The technical terms for these swaras are Rishabam, Gandharam, Dhaivatam and Nishadam.

Types of Rishabam (Re)

1. Shudha Rishabam or Re1
2. Chatushruti Rishabam or Re2
3. Shatshruti Rishabam or Re3

Types of Gandharam (Ga)

1. Shudha Gandharam or Ga1
2. Sadharana Gandharam or Ga2
3. Anthara Gandharam or Ga3

Types of Madhyamam (Ma)

1. Shudha Madhyamam or Ma1
2. Prati Madhyamam or Ma2

Types of Dhaivatam (Dha)

1. Shudha Dhaivatamor Dha1
2. Chatushruti Dhaivatamor Dha2
3. Shatshruti Dhaivatamor Dha3

Types of Nishadam (Ni)

1. Shudha Nishadam or Ni1
2. Kakali Nishadam or Ni2
3. Kaishiki Nishadam or Ni3

Quick note: Something important to keep in mind is that some of these notes overlap. Re 2 is the same as Ga 1 and Re 3 is the same as Ga 2. Similarly, Dha 2 = Ni 1 and Dha 3 = Ni 2

Progression of notes-


Sa
Re 1
Re 2 = Ga 1
Re 3 = Ga 2
Ga 3
Ma 1
Ma 2
Pa
Dha 1 
Dha 2 = Ni 1
Dha 3 =  Ni 2
Ni 3
Sa (next octave)

* Colour code: 
Notes with 1 variation
Notes with 2 variations
Notes with 3 variations

* The indicated pattern is similar to the arrangement of frets on the Veena. Since some notes like Re 2 and Dha 3 overlap with Ga 1 and Ni 2 respectively, we use the same frets to play these notes. To make it more clear, we have 2 frets between Re 1 and Ga 3 used for Re 2/Ga 1 and Re 3/Ga 2. Similarly, we have 2 frets between Dha 1 and Ni 3 used to play Dha 2/Ni 1 and Dha 3/Ni 2.

Classification of Melakarta
To classify anything, we try to find the variation with the least number of differing points and classify the entity according to this difference. Let's identify the least number of variations in swaras in the progression.

There is one type of Sa and Pa- these cannot be used to make categories.

There are 3 types of Re, Ga, Dha and Ni. This is good as we can get at least 3 distinct groups of Melakartas but this method poses a problem as there are 4 swaras that have 3 variations and categorizing them this way can become complicated.

This is why we choose the swara Ma to classify ragas as there are only 2 types of Madhyam and this is the only swara with two variations. The 2 types of Ma as identified above are Shudha Madhyamam and Prati Madhyamam.

The 72 melakarta ragas are thus divided in two categories of 36 each as Shudha Madhyama Ragas and Prati Madhyama Ragas.

These are further classified based on the variations in Re, Ga, Dha and Ni. We won't get into detail about this here. The Shudha Madhyama and Prati Madhyama ragas mirror each other 1 through 36, with the only difference being Ma- 1 and 37, 2 and 38, 3 and 39...  have the same Re, Ga, Dha and Ni.

Janyam
Every derived ragam has only one parent- no ragam is a combination of 2 or more Melakarta ragas. You might've already understood why this is- Since the Melakarta ragas vary so subtly from one another, a change in one swaram would result in a different raga. So, combining 2 Melakarta ragas, essentially, produces another Melakarta.

Janya ragas, unlike their parent Melakartas, needn't have 7 swaras in the arohan or avarohan progression. In fact, they sometimes don't even go in a strictly ascending or descending pattern in arohan and avarohan respectively- the swaras can go up and down. We'll talk about all this in this section.

There are 4 possibilities a Janya raga can have in an arohan or avarohan scale, making it 16 variations in total. This classification is based on the number of swaras in each progression.

5 swarams- Audava Raga
6 swarams- Shadava Raga
7 swarams- Sampurna Raga
Zig-zag progression- Vakra Raga
Ragas without Ma
Ragas without Pa

A raga can be a combination of two of these types. For instance, an Audava-Shadava ragam has 5 swarams in arohan and 6 in avarohan. A Shadava-Sampurna ragam has 6 swarams in arohanam and 7 in avarohanam.


II. Classification based on mood of raga
So far we've discussed the technical classification of ragas and their structural composition. Let's now delve into some detail about the emotional (and less technical) aspect of this. Understanding the setting a raga can create is fundamental to composing music, selecting songs for a concert and even interpreting the meaning of songs. It is difficult to categorize ragas this way as there is no set formula that can dictate what emotion a set of notes can produce, although this is an area I'd like to venture into and understand further.

I'll discuss some classifications and then provide examples in the next section.

Time of Day 
Some ragas are particularly suited for certain hours during a day and this has led them to be loosely labelled as-

1. Morning ragas
2. Afternoon ragas
3. Evening ragas
4. Night ragas

In general, morning ragas bring joy, excitement and happiness. I like to think that more thoughtful and somber ragas are associated with the evening and night. Afternoon ragas strike me as a bridge between these two states. As time passes in a day, a raga gets more meditative.

What ragas do you like to listen to at any time of the day? Leave a comment!

Seasons

Ragas are sometimes associated with seasons as they may remind us of the blowing breeze, falling rain, glowing sun and the like. This kind of classification, again, is not rigid and largely relies on the perception of an individual. 

If you find a raga particularly suited to a season, be sure to comment below!

Give me examples of Ragas!

72 Parent Ragas or Melakartas

The first of this list is Kanakangi (No. 1) and last is Rasigapriya (No. 72)

Kanakangi: Sa Re1 Ga1 Ma1 Pa Dha1 Ni1 

Rasigapriya: Sa Re3 Ga3 Ma2 Pa Dha3 Ni3

It will be useful to look at some of the intermediate numbers like Chalanatai (No. 36) and Salagam (No. 37) to better understand the transition of notes. 

Chalanatai: Sa Re3 Ga3 Ma1 Pa Dha3 Ni3

Salagam: Sa Re1 Ga1 Ma2 Pa Dha1 Ni1 

Is there anything you notice in these 4 ragas? That's right, Kanakangi and Salagam are mirrors, just as Rasigapriya and Chalanatai are. These pairs of ragas differ only in their Ma, while every other note is the same.

Derived or Janya Ragas

I'll list some derived ragas of Melakartas that correspond to the categories we discussed above-

5-note Ragas or Audava Raga-
Mohanam-
Arohan- Sa Re2 Ga3 Pa Dha2 Sa
Avarohan- Sa Dha2 Pa Ga3 Re2 Sa
Mohanam doesn't contain Ma, but it is derived from the Raga Harikambodhi (No. 28)

5-7 note Raga or Audava-Sampurna Raga-
Bilahari-
Arohan- Sa Re2 Ga3 Pa Dha2 Sa
Avarohan- Sa Ni3 Dha Pa Ma1 Ga3 Re2 Sa
Derived from- Shankarabaranam (No. 29)

Raga without Pa/Audava Raga-
Hindolam-
Arohan- Sa Ga2 Ma1 Dha1 Ni2 Sa
Avarohan- Sa Ni2 Dha1 Ma1 Ga2 Sa
Derived from- Natabhairavi (No. 20)

Time Of Day/Seasonal Ragas
Since this is a whole section of its own and I haven't detailed it as much, I would like to direct you to a nice link I found that has a number of ragas classified in this manner.

http://www.medieval.org/music/world/cds/nim5536.html

There's a lot more to talk about on this topic that I'll cover in Part 2 of Something About Tunes and Ragas. Thank you so much for reading, leave a comment with your favorite Raga or tune and stay tuned for more!

How To Tune Your Veena

Whether you want to start tuning your own instrument or want to gather some musical information, you've come to the right place. Read on and follow every word written to successfully tune your Veena!

If you play an instrument, I don't have to tell you the importance of tuning. String instruments like Violin, Guitar, Veena etc are extremely vulnerable to pitch/frequency changes, which makes tuning incredibly important. Since they consist of a number of strings, you have to tune each one of them individually.

Every Veena has a certain number of pegs or screws attached to its sides. These are the magical parts of your instrument you need to turn to get the right frequency. You'll find these pegs fixed towards the end of the arm with 2 on each side and 3 others fixed right below the frets. Here's a picture:

Pegs on one side of a Veena
There are 2 at the end of the arm and 3 in the middle of the arm, below the frets

There are 2 ways to go about tuning. The first way is to get yourself a tuner or download an app that'll indicate the frequency played by the string. This way you'll have to turn the peg/screw clockwise or anticlockwise until it indicates the desired pitch.

Clip-on Guitar/Veena tuner

The second way is to turn on a pitch pipe or 'Shruti box' and let your ears match the frequency.

Electronic Tanpura or Shruti Box

Please note:

You'll find the terms 'pitch' and 'octave' used frequently throughout this post.
There are 7 basic notes in music: Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni (E, F, G, A, B, C, D). These 7 notes are of different frequencies but belong to the same pitch. By setting one of these notes to the right or preferred pitch, all other notes align accordingly. This is what we'll be doing.

Octave is every set of 7 notes 2^n times the frequency of a basic note. Many octaves can fall in the same pitch. In a Veena, you can play up to 3 distinct octaves.

Before you begin tuning the instrument, you must know the notes played by each string. I'll talk about this during the course of the article.
I'm going to explain the main strings first and then move on the drone/Tal strings. If you remember from the previous post, the main strings are 4 in number and run parallel to each other along the arm. The Tal/drone strings are 3 in number and run vertically below one another, under the main strings.

Tuning the main strings:

Take a look at this picture of the 4 main strings. The string numbers are marked and we will be tuning them in this order. 

4 Main strings running horizontally

First String:
Pluck the first string without touching any fret. This plays the note 'Sa'. Set it to E or F, preferably E. And I say E because it creates lesser tension on your string, enabling you to play with greater ease.

To tune it, play turn the peg clockwise or anti-clockwise, depending on its current pitch and set it to E. 

Done?
Let's move on to the next string.

Second String:

Pluck the second string which runs right behind the first. Again, don't touch any fret. Relative to the first, this produces the lower 'Pa' note. Set it to B on your pitch scale.

Third String:

Tuning this string is similar to the first. In terms of pitch, the first and third are the same but differ in octave. The third string when plucked plays lower 'Sa'. This corresponds to lower E on the pitch scale.
Has it been easy so far?

Fourth String:

Just like the 3rd is similar to the 1st, the 4th string is similar to the 2nd. They share the same pitch but differ in octave. The 4th string plays lower 'Pa' or B. Turn the corresponding pegs to tune it right.

Tuning the Tal strings:

Good job! You've now successfully tuned the 4 main strings of your Veena. Look at your Veena. Do you find 3 strings arranged vertically below one another? These are the 'Tal' strings. Let's now learn to tune them.

The Tal strings ideally represent the pitch your Veena is set to. Any selected pitch consists of 3 different notes, i.e, 'Sa', middle 'Pa' and upper 'Sa'. These 3 notes correspond to the 3 Tal strings.

In this picture, I've marked the Tal strings in the best way I can. We'll be tuning them in this order.

3 Tal strings

Tuning the Tal strings is far simpler than the former main string because 2 of these 3 strings are tuned to the same pitch and 1 to a different pitch, as you'll see below:

First string:
The first string is tuned to the lower 'Sa' or E.

Since you've already tuned the first of the Main strings to the same pitch, just pluck that, compare it to the first Tal string and turn the pegs accordingly.

Second string:
The next component in the selected pitch is the note 'Pa'.
To set tune this string, set it to B. In this case, the 'B' belongs to a higher octave than the second main string.

Third string:
This is the bottommost string numbered '3' in the picture. Pluck it and turn the pegs to tune it to upper 'Sa' or E. Again, this E belongs to a higher octave than the first Tal string.

Confused?
Don't worry... Read the article again and you'll do just fine!

The one hard thing about tuning however, is that it is not a one-time process.
You need to tune your instrument almost every time you take it out to practice. Sometimes when you're playing, you may find the pitch dropping a little. This happens because of the decreasing tension in the string.
To keep the pitch fairly constant, you may need to turn those pegs every few minutes or whenever needed. And this is why you need to learn to tune your own instrument.
Tuning may seem like a lot of work initially but you'll get used to it in no time, since you'll be doing it very often.

Hope this post taught you something about tuning a Veena, even if you don't play one. If you think it may help someone else tune their instrument, feel free to pass it on!

Have a great day!

Thanks for reading

Types of Veenas

In the previous article, you would've read a little bit about the Veena. But the term 'Veena' refers to a group of plucked string instruments, with varying specifications. In fact, Veena is not just used in Carnatic classical music, but finds its way in other genres of Indian music. Of course, the type of Veena used in these genres are different and unique.
This post will talk you through some of the many types of the instrument, Veena.

The ancient Veena primarily came in two distinct types:

• The Harp-type Veena

The harp-type Veena consists of a series of strings stretched over an open frame. They were stretched across the vibrating sound board. Each string produced only one note and was set in vibration by plucking it.
This Veena did not come with frets, which means you cannot move your fingers across the open frame and produce different notes. Because of this, it had a large number of strings, each of which produced a unique sound. These strings when struck produced a long, continuous note, much like the piano.
It was played by placing it down on the ground and plucking the strings with your fingers or light wooden mallets.
Not only did it sound a little different from the present-day Veena, but it also looked very different.

An example of the Harp-type Veena is the Shata-Tantri Veena, which consists of 100 string. It is also called Santoor.

Santoor or Shata-Tantri Veena

• The Lute-type Veena

This came a little after the Harp-type Veena and marked its transition into what looks like the present-day Veena.

It has a large, hollow box which vibrates to produce the sound and an arm, across which the strings were laid. The most distinctive feature about this Veena is the number of notes a string can produce. The player plucks the strings with her right hand and moves along the arm with the left, producing a different note at each point. This effectively reduced the number of strings on the instrument.

Lute

A present-day Veena

The Lute-type of Veena can further be classified into the following categories:

• With Frets:

Fret:
These are small wooden/metal rods placed on the arm of a Veena to create separations between notes. The player moves her fingers along space between 2 consecutive frets.
You'll find this term used frequently throughout the blog.

Metal frets placed on the arm.

Each space between 2 frets produces a note.

       1.  Saraswati Veena

This Veena gets its name from Goddess Saraswati, who is said to have played it. It is primarily used in Carnatic music. In fact, if you hear someone refer to the term "Veena", they're probably referring to the Saraswati Veena!

It is held obliquely, with the small, supporting stand on your left lap and the large, hollow vibrating box down on the ground, towards your right.

It is played by moving your left hand over the frets fixed on the wax frame and simultaneously plucking the strings with your right hand. You rest your right wrist over the large, round box on your right.

The previous article you've read is actually based on the Saraswati Veena.

Placing your wrist and plucking the strings with your right hand

The Wax Frame and frets placed over it

Playing the Saraswati Veena

     2.  Rudra Veena

The Rudra Veena, also known as Bheen gets its name from Lord Shiva. It literally means "The instrument dear to Shiva". Rudra Veena is a Hindustani instrument and varies from the Saraswati Veena in subtle ways.

Firstly, it's held at a higher angle of elevation, i.e, almost vertically. It consists of two large vibrating boxes (unlike the former type which consists of one) that rest on the ground and a long arm between these with provisions for frets.

One of the round hollow boxes is placed on the ground and the arm is rested on the left shoulder. The second vibrating box hangs beyond the shoulder. The left hand is moved along the frets and the right hand plucks the strings.

Another point of difference is that the frets on the Rudra Veena rest on a wooden frame, unlike the Saraswati Veena.

Rudra Veena

Holding the Rudra Veena

A closer look - Two vibrating boxes

     3.  Mohan Veena

This Veena looks very different from the previous types of Veenas described. Visually, it resembles a Guitar but it's held and played very differently.

The Mohan Veena can be held in two ways, depending on the style preferred by the player. If held obliquely, the hollow, vibrating box rests on the right lap and the arm extends toward the left. The fingers wrap around the frets from the front rather than from behind, pointing downwards.

The Veena can also be held at a higher angle of inclination. The hollow vibrating box again, rests on the right lap but the arm is raised up. The fingers are wrapped around it from behind, pointing upwards.

Just like the former types of Veenas, this has a small, round stand towards the end of the arm that helps the instrument rest on the ground.

The Mohan Veena has 19 strings, with 12 main strings and 7 Tal strings. It is mainly used in Hindustani music.

A Mohan Veena

Oblique style of playing: Vishwa Mohan Bhatt

Vertical style of playing: Poly Varghese

• Without Frets:

     1. Chitra Veena or Gottuvadhyam

If ever you spot this Veena, you might have you second guess whether it's a Chitra Veena or a Saraswati Veena. Both Saraswati and Chitra Veenas look strikingly similar with a few, hardly noticeable differences.

It consists of the large, round vibrating box on one end and an arm that extends from it. The strings are laid on the arm. The description so far is nothing different from that of a Saraswati Veena. The differences are all in the playing technique, which will be explained now.

First of all, the Veena is not lifted off the ground. This means, you sit down behind the instrument at a desirable distance and play. Just like all the former types, you pluck with your right hand and the notes are created using the left. However, the player never uses her fingers to move over the arm. A slide is moved over the strings laid across the arm when they are simultaneously plucked. This feature sets the instrument apart from all other types of Veenas described so far.

It has 6 main strings that run over the arm and 3 Tal/drone strings.

Gottuvadhyam is played in the Carnatic genre of Indian classical music.

Chitra Veena

<Notice the striking similarity to a Saraswati Veena>

Playing a Chitra Veena

<Notice the slide and lack of frets>

     2.  Vichitra Veena

Just like the name, the Vichitra Veena is similar to Chitra Veena in most ways. It is placed on the ground and played with a slide.

There are only 2 real differences: This Veena is used is Hindustani music, unlike Chitra Veena which is a Carnatic instrument. The second point of difference is in the appearance. It has 2 large hollow round boxes between which the arm rests.
Apart from these, Vichitra Veena is similar in every way to Gottuvadhyam.

Vichitra Veena

Strings laid on the arm

<No frets>

Ragini Trivedi playing Vichitra Veena

<Notice the similarity in the playing technique>

• Instruments confused with Veena

There are a few Indian instruments that look similar to a Veena and are often confused with it. These are the instruments that may have been derived from the Veena but aren't Veenas themselves. Very often, I find people asking me, "Oh, so you play Sitar?" and it takes quite a while explaining to them that I don't.

If these instruments are structurally and visually similar, what sets each apart? The difference lies in the style of playing, layout of frets and plucking of the strings. 

     1.  Sitar

This beautiful instrument is almost 9 out of 10 times confused with a Veena. It looks just like a Saraswati Veena and even has the same number of main strings, but the frets aren't fit the same way. Each fret is individually tied to the wooden arm with a screw, which makes pitch adjustment slightly different from a Veena.

Sitar is said to be derived from the Veena and was brought to India by the Persians.

If you happen to be in a place where you find a Veena and a Sitar, please try to spot the differences!

Sitar

     2. Sarod

Sarod is quite a different instrument and isn't confused with Veena very often, but I decided to mention it anyway. It looks fairly similar to Saraswati Veena, like the round vibrating column, extended arm and supporting stand at the end but works nothing like a Veena, or even Sitar.

It is however, a derivative of Veena, like Sitar but unlike all the instruments you've read about so far, Sarod is not a plucked instrument; it is strum, like a Guitar. It a fretless instrument.

Sarod

     3. Tambura or Tanpura

In theory, this is the last instrument that should be confused with a Veena. This is because Tambura is a pitch setting/maintaining instrument, unlike the Veenas, which are definitely not used to maintain pitch. It is played throughout a concert to help the singer or instrumentalist maintain her pitch.

It has 4 strings that comprise 2 octaves of a particular pitch (Shruti).

Visually, it looks like a combination of Veena and Sitar. It is held upright with the large, hollow column on the player's lap and the arm extending upwards.

Tambura/Tanpura is extensively used in both Carnatic and Hindustani music.

Tambura/Tanpura

Hope this post was informative and helped you learn something about the Veena. I wasn't able to get into the details of every instrument because that would require some technical background of Veena. Apart from that, this article should've given you some idea about the vast variety of instruments present under the name, 'Veena'.

Thanks for reading!

What is a Veena?

So, you've made your way to this blog titled 'Veena In Me', but what is a Veena?

Here's the blog's first post explaining the instrument and how it works...

A Veena

A 'Veena', more specifically in this case, 'Saraswati Veena' is a string instrument.

Physically speaking, the Veena holds four main strings and three pitch strings, amounting to seven strings. It is played by plucking the strings with our right hand (index and middle fingers) and simultaneously moving our left hand (index and middle fingers, again) over the frets.

Plucking the strings using your right hand

Moving your left hand over the frets

One striking feature about a Veena is that the frets are laid on a wax frame, unlike most string instruments.

While the instrument is being made, semisolid wax is poured over the Veena and molded to hold the frets.

Frets resting on wax frame

As you pluck the string, the sound vibrates in a large, hollow spherical box, which is often decorated. It rests on a small sphere, usually made of fiber or tin.

Tin/Fiber base

Large hollow vibrating box

To play the Veena, you must sit down, preferably on the floor or any flat surface and place the small sphere on your left thigh and slant the instrument down, such that the vibrating box rests on the ground. Next, you place your left hand around the frets and right hand on the strings and let the melody come alive!

Sitting down and playing it

To tune the instrument, you have to set the first and third strings to 'E' and the second and fourth to 'B'. Tuning can be done by turning the keys manually, very similar to a guitar.

Some traditional Veenas don't come with keys and have circular, rotating objects which hold the strings around them. You basically have to turn them, like the keys.

Tuning the instrument using circular objects

Just like every acoustic instrument has its electronic counterpart, Veena too has its electronic version.

An electronic Veena

That was a little about the Veena, its working and technicalities.

Hopefully, after this article, you'll be able to distinguish a Veena among a cluster of musical instruments.

Do follow up next week for more on the Veena!