Moorshanas to Thaats Part II

Sangtar in the studio

Art changes with time. Indian music has changed too. No one should expect today’s music to comply with the Vedic rules. However, we must also keep in mind that the change in Indian music was not natural and gradual. We had lost our old ways for a while. Now we have found the old treasures again. We can understand them and learn from them. We don’t have to change our music, but we can definitely benefit from it.

The Vedic music is music of thought and logic. It cannot be learned without knowing the theory of music. In the last few centuries, the Indian music has become a practical art. Many artists who are the torch bearer of Hindustani music have no formal training of music theory. That has limited the scope of our music. Art of music is an aural display of math and physics.

According to Muslim Ustads, one can only be real musician when one has acquired three qualities:

a. Aadat
b. Jigar
c. Hisab

Same things have been said in the scriptures. One without the true knowledge of music, cannot do anything for the advancement of the art. To invent something new, one must know what already has been invented. Thus, although we may not go back to a system with Moorshanas and Grams, but we need to know them to take our current music to the next level.

Vedic music has given us tools and theories about every aspect of music. We have to find ways to see how that can apply to our contemporary styles. It is the most elaborate system of “Svara and Suptak”. We will keep talking about these aspects of music in the future posts. Here I would like to talk a little about Moorshanas and Thaats.

Today, the original Grams have been gone. The Grams are now known as ‘scale tuning’. Their power to change the Raags has been diminished. The introduction of 12 notes has also merged all Moorshanas into one octave. The Thaat theory is the only theory that can properly describe the Indian music today. Although the Moorshana theory is still essential to describe the scales on a flute and it also comes in handy when transposing a Thaat. This theory will live on in the form of Modal music.

The Thaat system is here to stay. But is it working as it is?

The answer is no, the 10 Thaats of Indian music are not enough to describe all the existing Raags. This theory was the brain child of a handful of musicologists of the 20th century. Not everyone in the field has accepted it. Moreover, the ones who have, are struggling with describing the hundreds of Raags in the limited number of parent scales.

The real number of Thaats of Indian music should be 32. The Southern music has 72 Thaats. That theory is not practical for Northern Indian music, where the notes are fixed to only two states, lower and upper (komal and tivar).

Most musicologists today agree that just like the western scale, the 12 notes of Indian music are made of 7 natural and 5 Vikrat or ‘moved’ notes.

Modern Hindustani notes are:

1. Sa
2. Re
3. Ga
4. Ma
5. Pa
6. Dha
7. Ni

And, modern Hindustani scale is:
Octave-Suptak

1. Sa
2. Re Komal
3. Re
4. Ga Komal
5. Ga
6. Ma
7. Ma Tivar
8. Pa
9. Dha Komal
10. Dha
11. Ni Komal and
12. Ni

According to the Thaat theory, a Thaat must have all seven notes. Therefore, there are 32 Thaats in the Hindustani music. Here is an interactive look at these Thaats. Please use the “next” button to see the all 32 scales. The ten popular Thaats have been listed as they appear:
[iframe width=”100%” height=”300″ src=”https://www.sangtar.com/canvas/170204-32-thaats.html”]
The interactive animation above lists the Thaats in the following order:

1. Thaats with only one Vikrat note
2. Thaats with two Vikrat notes
3. Thaats with three Vikrat notes
4. Thaats with four Vikrat notes and
5. Thaat with all five Vikrat notes

And the count starts from the top and goes downwards.
Among many popular theories to categorize the 32 Thaats, one is known as ‘Thaat Flipping’. We will talk about that theory next.

sangtar.com > Music Theory > Advanced Theory

Moorshanas to Thaats – Part I

Amir Khusro with his Guru Nizamuddin Aulia

Today, there are 10 Thaats in Hindustani music.
The questions often asked by the students of Hindustani music discussed in our lat post are:

1. Can one categorize 56 Moorshanas into 10 parent scales (Thaats).
2. Are there any equivalent Moorshanas for Bhairav, Poorvi, Todi and Marva thaat?
3. Can one define 12 notes of an octave through the Sharuti system to establish all the Thaats?

Answer to all the above is simple; no.

If no, then what happened?
How did we go from one system to the other, which are not compatible with each other?

Answer to that question is not so simple. The first and foremost factor is history of India. Second is the influence of charismatic musicologist, who more than once changed the path of Hindustani music with there personal views.

When India became a Muslim empire, the foreign emperors (and their administrators) brought their own entertainers with them. Thousands of musicians from Persia and Middle East arrived in India. Their music was based on 12-note octave and they used ‘Mukam System’ to categorize the scales. For the longest time there was no integration between two types of music. When the time arrived, original Indian music had two set backs.

1. It did not have royal sponsorship.
2. Newcomers were not ready to grant higher or equal status to the arts of a defeated nation. This notion did not just affect the music. It reflected in all types of arts (builidings, paintings etc.)

The tide slightly changed when a new generation of Persian musicians was born in India. Regardless of their religious beliefs or political loyalties, they were Indians. It was their motherland. Many of them were not comfortable with the notion that they should play a foreign style of music. Hazarat Amir Khusro is the most influential musicologist of this era. He took the task of making the popular music ‘all Indian’ on him. Amir Khusro was a brilliant musician and enjoyed support of five different emperors. Although it was believed that he was fully versed in both types of music, but now musicologists and historians agree that his knowledge of Indian music was limited. Rather than spending a lifetime to understand the secrets of Moorshana and grams, he classified the known Rāgas in Mukam system. This turned a page in the history of Indian music. Seeds of Mail System or Thaat system were sown.

For four hundred years, music historians and musicologist have spent their lives justifying that both systems were essentially the same. The modern names of Southern Indian notes are the prime example of far reaching effects of this misunderstanding. Modern thinkers know that regardless of Ramatyas justifications, these names are not compatible with the Gram system. The Carnatic music is not in the scope of this blog so I will not go into details on this subject. However consequences of these actions were severe, before that time India never had two music systems. There was only one Indian music. In essence they still are the same. But in this era of redefining everything, Northern music faired a little better. It came out richer and better than ever before.

Pandit V.N. Bhatkande (right) with Abraham Pandither (left), Atiya Begum Fyzee-Rahamin (center) and Zakiruddin Khan (standing). The Music of India, 1925 The second influential person in the modern history of Indian music was Pundit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande. Rather than taking a scientific approach to Thaat creation, he divided the popular Raags into 10 Thaats. Here again historian disagree. Some think that all his invetions were actually not his but result of his Guru’s lifetime research. Which even Pundit V N B himself admits. Regardless of the origin of his doctrins, he is the face of modern Hindustani Music theory and his contributions and their effect on the Hindustani music is undeniable.

The prime motive to choose only ten Thaats was to keep the system simple. In his opinion the ten Thaats were sufficient to cover all three types of Raag-scales. You have seen these three categories in the Time Theory post.

1. Raags With Komal Re and Dha
2. Raags with Shudh Re and Dha
3. Raags with Komal Ga and Ni

Read more about this theory here.

After the Independence (August 15,1947), Hindustani musicians and musicologists enjoyed a much more open and welcoming environment. New projects of translating the ancient scriptures began. An open dialogue between the new and the old started. For the first time in the history of our music, researchers could share their ideas globally with all Hindustani musicians. They could speak their mind without worrying about any royal reprecussions. The walls started to come down. The knowledge hidden in the corners of remote temples, houses, asharams, libraries, digs and hearts started to merge. There are so many great people on both sides of the border (India and Pakistan) who have done a great deal of service to Hindustani music in the last 60 years.

Acharya Brihaspati

Achayria Brihaspati is definitely the torch bearer of this new era. He demonstrated the old and new and helped the new generation of musicians to understand the essence of Indian music.

Although all ancient styles of singing and performing are lost, the practice of performing Indian music never really changed. All current musical styles have their roots in the ancient styles. The progression of change is natural.

The Mughal era proved to be the most effective era in the history of Hindustani Music. This was a time of peace and prosperity in the middle India. Art flourishes in such periods. This was the time when Sanskrit reciting Brahmans could sit and share ideas with their Muslim Gurus and Students. Mian Tansen is the most famous vocalist of this time. From his drupads, it is obvious that he was well versed in the old Moorshana System and the new Mukam system.

Acharya Brihaspati considers today’s Ghazal Performers the same as the Gadharavas of the ancient India. In Ghazals, the words and notes are both equal. A ghazal writer is as important as the musician who composes it. In ancient India these two aspects of musical performance were known as Dhatu and Matu.

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Building a Bridge between the Old and the New

Ustad Mehdi Hassan

Today’s Indian music is based on the Thaat system, which is a derivative of Mukam System (Persian). Today’s natural scale is not the same as the original ancient natural scale.
The ten Thaats of modern Northern music are not able to cover 56 Moorshanas of Vedic music. And, there are scales (Thaats or Mails) and Raags in Indian music today that do not follow Bharat’s doctrine.

The questions often asked by the students of Hindustani music are:

1. Can one categorize 56 Moorshanas into 10 parent scales (Thaats)?
2. Are there any equivalent Moorshanas for Bhairav, Poorvi, Todi and Marva thaat?
3. Can one define 12 notes of an octave through the Sharuti system to establish all the Thaats?
4. is there any provision in Gram and Moorshana system to have an interval bigger than 4 Sharuties (such as Re komal to Ga Shudh in Bhairav or an interval of 3 semitones)?

Answers to all the above questions are; no, no, no and no.

Then what happened?
How did we go from one system to the other, which are not compatible with each other?

There is no simple answer. In essence, the practice of music did not change as much as its interpretation has. We need to understand both the old and new and then build a bridge to use the best of both worlds.

Next few posts will address this very issue.

If you have been following this blog, I hope it has widened your horizons. This blog is not about today’s headlines. It is about the ancient art of music. The very first article still stays equally relevant as the very last one. Do not forget to revise the old articles to keep the information fresh. Only revisions can turn a piece of information into knowledge, and without knowledge, there is no wisdom!

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Understanding Moorshanas

Mian Tansen, Swami Haridas and Mughal Emperor Akbar

To understand the Moorshana system, let us discuss the process in a point form:

1. Gram is a method of setting-up an octave. Gram determines the interval of notes within the octave.
2. There are two Grams in Vedic or Ancient Indian Music.
3. The first and the main gram is ‘Shadaj Gram’ or the Gram of Sa
4. In Vedic music, there are seven Shudh (pure or natural) Svaras.
5. The intervals of modern Shudh notes do not match with this Shudh Octave. The Vedic octave is:

a. Shadaj or Sa on 4th Sharuti
b. Rishav or Re on 7th Sharuti
c. Gandhar or Ga on 9th Sharuti (modern Komal Gandhar!)
d. Madhyam or Ma on 13th Sharuti
e. Pancham or Pa on 17th Sharuti
f. Dhaivat or Dha on 20th Sharuti
g. Nishad or Ni on 22nd Sharuti (modern Komal Nishad!)

If the semitone interval was variable as required in the Just Intonation scale, the Shadaj Gram is:

tone –semitone-tone-tone-tone-semitone-tone

Alternatively, the First Shudh Moorshana of Shadaj Gram is similar to the Dorian Mode. It can also be compared to modern Kafi Thaat which has 3rd and 7th Komal or flat. Keep in mind however, that the Kafi thaat is not first Shudh (pure) Moorshana of Shadaj Gram. It is actually the Rishav Santra Moorshana of Madhyam Gram.

6. There are two Vikrat Notes in Vedic music:

a. Antar Gandar on 11th Sharuti (Perfect third from the root or Modern Shudh Gandhar!) and
b. Kakali Nishad (perfect third from the Fifth or Modern Shudh Nishad!)

7. Thus there are four version of Shadaj Gram:

a. Shudh, containing all natural notes
b. Santra, containing Antar Gandhar instead of the Shudh Gandhar
c. Sakakali, containing Kakali Nishad instead of the Shudh Nishad and
d. Sadharna, containing both Vikrat notes (Antar Gandhar and Kakali Nishad)

8. The four versions of a Gram give birth to four types of Moorshanas.
9. As we know that one Saptak has seven Moorshanas (as described in this post), thus there are 28 Moorshanas in one gram (7×4)
10. Two Grams (Shadaj and Madhyam Gram) have 56 Moorshanas.

To see an example, lets see all four Shadajaa (starting from Shadaj) Moorshanas in the Shadaj Gram:

1. Shadajad Shudh Moorshana : S4, R3, G2, M4, P4, D3. N2
2. Shadajad Santra Moorshana: S4, R3, G4, M2, P4, D3. N2
3. Shadajad Sakakli Moorshana: S2, R3, G2, M4, P4, D3. N4
4. Shadajad Sadharna Moorshana: S2, R3, G4, M2, P4, D3. N4

All other Moorshanas of Shadaj Gram can be created based on the theory above.
For example here are the 7 Shudh Moorshanas of Shadaj Gram:

1. Shadajad Shudh Moorshana : S4, R3, G2, M4, P4, D3, N2
2. Rishavad Shudh Moorshana : R3, G2, M4, P4, D3. N2, S4
3. Gandharad Shudh Moorshana : G2, M4, P4, D3, N2, S4, R3
4. Madhyamad Shudh Moorshana : M4, P4, D3, N2, S4, R3, G2,
5. Panchamad Shudh Moorshana : P4, D3, N2, S4, R3, G2, M4,
6. Dhaivatad Shudh Moorshana : D3, N2, S4, R3, G2, M4, P4,
7. Nishadad Shudh Moorshana : N2, S4, R3, G2, M4, P4, D3

Comparing Shudh Moorshanas of Shadaj Gram with modes:

1. Shadajad Shudh Moorshana is Dorian
2. Rishavad Shudh Moorshana is Phrygian
3. Gandharad Shudh Moorshana is Lydian
4. Madhyamad Shudh Moorshana is Mixolydian
5. Panchamad Shudh Moorshana is Aeolian
6. Dhaivatad Shudh Moorshana is Locrian
7. Nishadad Shudh Moorshana is Ionian

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Grams and Moorshanas

Pundit Hari Prasad Chaurasia

Modern Indian music is based on ‘Mail’ or ‘Thaat’ system. The ancient music was based on Gram and Moorshana. A Moorshana is the order of seven consecutive notes in any Gram. The modes of western music are exact equivalent of Moorshanas.

Before we explore Moorshanas, let’s see the Seven modes of western music.

In western music, if we change the tonic of a natural scale, the modes changes. We can say that according to ancient Indian music, the Moorshana changes, where in modern Indian music, the Thaat changes. Here are the seven modes:

1. Ionian I = C D E F G A B
2. Dorian II = D E F G A B C
3. Phrygian III = E F G A B C D
4. Lydian IV= F G A B C D E
5. Mixolydian V = G A B C D E F
6. Aeolian VI = A B C D E F G
7. Locrian VII = B C D E F G A

Six of the above modes have equivalent Thaats within the ten Thaats of Modern Hindustani Music.

1. Ionian is Bilaval
2. Dorian is Kafi
3. Phrygian is Bhairvi
4. Lydian is Kalyan
5. Mixolydian is Khamaj
6. Aeolian is Asavari

Read more about Thaats here (Thaat system) and here (Ten Thaats of Northern Indian Music).

The idea to play the intervals determined by a mode or a Moorshana from a fixed note (such as C), gave birth to the Thaat theory. In this theory, all the above modes will be written like this:

1. Ionian I = C D E F G A B (all natural)
2. Dorian II = C D Eb F G A Bb (2nd and 7th flat)
3. Phrygian III = C Db Eb F G Ab Bb ( 2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th flat)
4. Lydian IV= C D E F# G A B (4th sharp)
5. Mixolydian V = C D E F G A Bb (7th flat)
6. Aeolian VI = C D Eb F G Ab Bb (3rd, 6th and 7th flat)
7. Locrian VII = C Db Eb F F#(Gb) Ab Bb (2nd, 3rd, 6th and 7th flat, both positions of 4th)

There is no Locrian Thaat in modern Indian music, because in Thaat system, we must use one of all seven notes. As notes are assigned in northern music, there is no Pa or fifth is this mode. According to Thaat system, this is a Chhadav Scale (hexatonic). However, according to the Moorshana system, this is a Sampooran Scale. This mode is Dhaivitaad Moorshana of Shadaj Gram. There is no Thaat for Dhaivataad Moorshana in modern Northern Music.

There are 56 Moorshanas in 2 Grams that are constructed exactly the same way as we constructed modes in the above example.

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Grams of Natyashastar

Rishi Valmiki writing Ramayana

In ancient Indian music, order of intervals in an octave was classified in Grams. The word Gram means a village. The main note of a Gram or the Gramini (village head), must have three properties:

1. It must be a 4 Sharuti Svara (note),
2. It must have a perfect fourth and a perfect fifth in the octave, and
3. The next note from the main note must be a three Sharuti note.

In ancient Indian music, there were three grams.

1. Shadaj Gram
2. Madhyam Gram and
3. Gandhar Gram

The first two Grams have a harmonic relation to each other. The third Gram, Gandhar gram has four Vikrat notes. It did not have the qualities to create Jaties and Moorshanas that would follow the rules of Gram and Sharuties (accepted intervals). The musicologist never made it the subject of their attention. Indian Classical music is based on the first two Grams.

To understand the Grams, let’s see the ancient natural octave and its Sharuties once more:

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
S
R
G
M
P
D
N
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
1
2
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
4
1
2
3
1
2

In simple text, we can write it like this:

4S, 3R, 2G, 4M, 4P, 3D, 2N

This is Shadaj Gram, the Gram of Shadaj or Sa. According to the Gram properties:
1. Sa is a 4 Sharuti note,
2. Ma and Pa in this octave are Sa’s perfect fourth and fifth, and
3. Re, which is the next note from Sa, is a 3 Sharuti note.

As I have described in earlier posts, there are two Vikrat notes in Shadaj Gram:

1. Antar Gandhar and
2. Kakali Nishad

Shadaj Gram-with antar gandhar and Kakali Nishad

Antar Gandhar (modern shudh Ga) is two Sharuties higher than the natural Shadaj Gram Gandhar and Kakali Nishad is two Sharuties higher than Natural Shadaj Gram Nishad.

In Shadaj Gram, Re and Pa are not in perfect fourth Samvad. When Pa (fifth) is lowered one Parman Sharuti (5 Savarts), it becomes a perfect fourth to Rishav. At that point it loses its perfect fifth relation with the root. As the intervals change, the Gram is also changed. When the Pancham or Pa is in perfect harmony with Re, then the octave reflects the second Gram, Madhyam Gram.

In Madhyam Gram, Ma is the first note of the octave. Therefore, the Madhyam Gram is:

4M, 3P, 4D, 2N, 4S, 3R, 2G

In this order, Madhyam is the only note that fulfills all three requirements to be called the main note of this Gram. It is a four Sharuti note. Nishad and Shadaj are its perfect fourth and fifth and the next note, Pa, is a three Sharuti note.

Changing the Gram:
There are two ways to alter the Shadaj Gram tuning into Madhyam Gram tuning:
1. Lower the fifth or Pa one Parman Sharuti so it becomes perfect fourth to the second or Re. In this case, note names do not change. Shadaj Gram Madhyam becomes the first note of the new Gram.
2. Tune the third or Gandhar two Sharuties higher, so it becomes perfect third to the root or Shadaj. In Shadaj Gram this note is Antar Gandhar. The first scale from Sa is called the first Santra (with Antar Gandhar) Moorshana of Shadaj Gram. If you now change the names of the notes (Sa becomes Ma), the first Santra Moorshana of Shadaj Gram become first Shudh (pure) Moorshana of Madhyam Gram. Here is the explanation:

a. Shadaj Gram is: 4S, 3R, 2G, 4M, 4P, 3D, 2N
b. Shadaj Gram with Antar Gandhar is: 4S, 3R, 4G, 2M, 4P, 3D, 2N
c. Madhyam Gram is: 4M, 3P, 4D, 2N, 4S, 3R, 2G

Now compare the Sharuti order of C with B

C: 4-3-4-2-4-3-2
B: 4-3-4-2-4-3-2

Therefore, the S R G M P D N of Shadaj Gram become M P D N S R G of Madhyam Gram. This example illustrates that the Shadaj Gram octave with Antar Gandhar is the same as Shudh (pure) Madhaym Gram and both of these Grams have a harmonic relation (perfect fourth).

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Counting Sharuties

There are 22 Sharuties in one octave.

To find the intervals between notes, first a base note is established.
This note is our Shadaj (Sa). The intervals are counted upwards starting from this note.
Shadaj Gram has the following intervals:

Rishav or Re= 3 sharuties
Gandhar or Ga = 2 sharuites
Madhyam or Ma = 4 Sharuties
Pancham or Pa= 4 Sharuties
Dhaivat or Dha = 3 Sharuties
Nishad or Ni = 2 Sharuties
Shadaj or Sa = 4 Sharuties

Sharuti Count Shadaj Gram

As I described earlier that all Sharuties are not equal, they are not arbitrary either. There are three types of Sharuties :

1. Mehti Interval
2. Sub-mehti Interval
3. Parman Interval
Let’s call them A, B and C intervals.

The following rules of sharuti distribution dictate the harmonic relation of notes to each other:
1. Every interval must have at least 1 Parman Sharuti (C).
2. Every Interval of two Sharuties, ( such as Ga (modern komal!) from Re and Ni (modern Komal!) from Dha), is made of A+C (mehti+parman).
3. Every Interval of three Sharuties, must have one of each Sharuties (A+B+C).
4. All intervals that are 4 Sharuties apart, must have 2 Parman Sharuties (C+A+B+C).

If we use the Savarts system (dividing an octave into 301 Savarts, more here), we can say that:
1. All 4 Sharuti notes are:5+23+18+5 = 51 Savarts
2. All three Sharuti notes are: 23+18+5 = 46 Savarts
3. All two Sharuti Notes are: 23+5= 28 Savarts

Therefore, the Shadaj gram is:

Notes:
S
R
G
M
P
D
N
S
Sharuties:
3
5
9
13
16
18
22
Savarts
46
28
51
51
46
28
51

When tuning a scale, Shadaj is the first note to be established. All other notes are created with their relation to this note. However, when we are measuring the intervals, the four Sharuties of Shadaj sit on top of the Suptak, so we normally mention it in the end, completing an octave.

The word ‘Shadaj’ has two meanings:

1. The creator of six notes
2. The creation of six notes

Without the knowledge of Sharuties, the above meanings may seem metaphorical, a grand status given to the keynote. However, after the Sharuti Darshan (establishing Sharuties) it is apparent that the meaning is quite literal. Shadaj creates all notes, as it is the first note, but the Shadaj Sharuti count cannot be determined without establishing all six notes. Therefore, it becomes the creation of other six notes.

Here is the decisive verse from Natayshastar:

Triso Davaich chat-sarshach , chat-sarshach eva ‘ch.
Davai chat-sarshach shadajakhaye gramay sharuti-ni-darshanam.

Meaning: The order of Sharuties in Shadaj Gram is 3-2-4-4-3-2-4.
It means that notes look something like this:

Shadaj Gram Savarts

The main question asked by modern musicologists (i.e. Hon. Pundit V.N. Bhatkhande, Hon. Raja Nawab Ali.) is that can it be proven? Can one establish a harmonic or playable Suptak (scale) based on the formula above? The answer is yes, we can.
How?
That is next.

sangtar.com > Music Theory > Advanced Theory

Kaida Teen Taal

Here is another Kaida in Teen Taal.
This is a famous Punjab Gharana Kaida.
Every Player of Punjab gharana plays a version of this Kaida. This particular version is Ustad Alla Rakha’s.
I have written 5 simple Paltas below the Kaida. Try these and make some of your own.

Ustad Zakir Hussain
Kaida

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
X       2      
DhaTir kat tuk tirkat DhiNa gina Dhage Tina Kina
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
0       3      
TaTir kat tuk tirkat Dhina Gina Dhage Gina Gina

Paltas: Play each palta multiple times, eventually preparing them x1, x2 and x4

Each paltas has been stretched to two lines:
1.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
X       2      
DhaTir kat tuk tirkat DhiNa DhaTir kat tuk tirkat DhiNa
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
0       3      
TaTir kat tuk tirkat TiNa Gina Dhage Gina Gina

2

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
X       2      
DhaTir kat tuk tirkat DhiNa tirkat DhiNa tirkat DhiNa
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
0       3      
TaTir kat tuk tirkat TiNa tirkat DhiNa tirkat DhiNa

3.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
X       2      
Dha – tirkat tiktuk tirkat DhiNa tirkat DhiNa Gina
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
0       3      
Ta – tirkat tiktuk tirkat DhiNa tirkat DhiNa Gina

4.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
X       2      
DhaTir kat tuk tirkat DhaTir kat tuk tirkat Kina Kina
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
0       3      
TaTir kat tuk tirkat DhaTir kat tuk tirkat Gina Gina

5.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
X       2      
DhaTir katDha tirkat Dhina tirkat Dhatir katDha kina
9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16
0       3      
TaTir katTa tirkat Dhina tirkat Dhatir katDha Gina

There are many combination boles in this kaida. Here are the first 8 beats separated and written in half time:

Dha – Te Re, Ke Te Ti Ke, Te Re Ke Ti, Dhin – Na -, Ge – Na -, Dha – Ge -, Tin – Na -, Ke – Na -,

Make five more Paltas by altering and mixing the phrases and practice them on your palm. Memorize the boles before practicing on Tabla.

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Sharuti System: Along Came Bharat

Every student of Hindustani music knows the name of Acharya Bharat. He is the father of all fathers of music, the great grandfather. It is said that Acharya Bharat learned the performing arts from Brahma himself. He was the author of Natyashastar, the most referenced source in both Indian Music systems (Hindustani and Carnatic). The depth of musical theories explained in Natyashastar gives us some hints that by the time Bharat came along, Indian music was already a fully developed art form.

Unfortunately, not many really know what is in Natyashastar.

There are two reasons for misinterpretation of Bharat’s music theory. First, Natyashastar is not available. Everything we know about Natyashastar is through other books that refer to it. Second, many writers especially in the 20th century wrote things that do not represent Bharat’s concepts. They used what they found in one place and without searching for the rest, filled the blanks on their own.

In April 1957, Acharya Brihaspati became the first man after Sarang Dev (13th century) to demonstrate Bharat’s Sharuties and Grams to an enlightened audience in Bombay. Since then a new wave of undoing the damage has started. Justifying the Thaat system with Bharat’s Grams and Moorshanas had made Indian music theory opaque. Everyone who was looking for the roots of their twelve notes in Bharat’s Grams had complicated the matter.

The explanations of Grams and Sharutis in my blog are based on Acharya Brihaspati’s research and demonstrations and my own ongoing research.

Bharat’s theory is based on three concepts:

1. Gram
2. Moorshana
3. Sharuti

In practice, a performer only uses Grams and Moorshanas. The knowledge of Sharuties is not needed to establish the Grams, it is only needed to understand them.
Here is Bharat’s Shudh Ashtak (octave):

Shadaj Gram-with antar gandhar and Kakali Nishad
As you can see, if one’s ears can perceive perfect third, fourth and fifth, one can tune any instrument to this Gram without the knowledge of Sharuties.

When Bharat Muni achieved this Gram, perhaps the following two questions came to his mind:
1. Why Re and Pa are not in Samvad (perfect fourth)?
2. What is the difference between current Pa (fifth in the above scale) and the Pa in Fourth Samvad with Rishav (2-5 = 1-4)?

A rare picture of Ustad Amanat Ali Khan and Ustad Fateh Ali Khan (with Svara Mandal)

Acharya Bharat’s Veena was an instrument not much different from modern Swar Mandal. He probably had many students and other music Acharyas in his ashram. Together they established that the difference between both of these fifths is the same difference that shows up on the ‘octave note’ when an octave is based on fifths or fourths (based on fifths, the octave notes is sharper, where based on fourths the octave notes is lower). When Pa (fifth in Shadaj Gram) was lowered to bring in the perfect fourth position with second (Rishav), it suddenly appeared to have the same relation with Ma (fourth) as Re did to Sa. In essence, the octave just shifted to the fourth. The difference between these two tunings of the fifth (pancham) was considered the most crucial in achieving a harmonic scale. Bharat Muni called it Parman Sharuti (sharuti of proof) as it was the Parman of difference between two identical scales sitting a perfect fourth apart from each other.

As he named his original scale Shadaj Gram, he named the new scale Madhyam Gram. Madhyam or Ma was the beginning note of this scale.

There are three types of Sharuties in Ancient Indian music:
1. Parman Sharuti
2. Sub-mehti Sharuti
3. Mehti Sharuti

According to Savart system devised by the French acoustician Joseph Sauveur (1653-1716) (named after the French physicist and doctor Félix Savart), if we divide the octave into approximately 301 equal parts (actually near 301.03), the approximate value of the above Sharuties is as follows:

1. Parman Sharuti = 5 Savarts
2. Sub-mehti Sharuti = 18 Savarts
3. Mehti Sharuti = sum of first and second sharuties or (18+5) = 23 Savarts

Now you can see that the Sharuties are not just unequal, their values are quite bit apart.

There are 22 sharuties in an octave. As I described earlier, sharutis are not Jananis (mothers) of notes, they are merely a way to measure and explain the phenomenon of physics of music. They are one of the ways to see how the pleasant sounding musical intervals relate to each other. In the end, it is all about pleasure.

Next time we will see how these Sharuties explain the harmonic position of notes in an octave.

sangtar.com > Music Theory > Advanced Theory

Sharuti System: The Birth of Notes

Music is an aural art. Any tone, which has a fixed frequency, can be used as a musical note. However, we sing and play music using more than one note. The difference between frequencies of any two notes is known as interval.

Long ago, a question popped in ancient artists’ mind.
What is the biggest or smallest note interval?
Lord of Dance -Natraj A never ending quest started. The Sharutis were their first yardsticks to map the intervals between notes, nothing more and nothing less.

We do not know the origin of music, but we do know that the theory of music is not the mother of music. The grammar of a language is defined after a language has been established. Also, a child learns to speak the language and then learns to read and write.

In the development of music, the things went like this (from a Natyashaster verse):
First songs, then notes, then Grams, Sharutis and then the Jaties (raags)

When we say that the songs must have developed after humans were civilized, we are forgetting something. Look around you. Birds sing, so do the other mammals. There are songs everywhere.

It is certain that as humans got civilized, their songs got complicated. With the development of language, the songs became more meaningful. The primal screams evolved into poems of love, separation, nature, beauty and other things that affected us emotionally. When something said through conversation does not capture the essence of our feelings, a song erupts in us. That is a primal instinct. It is not something that is impossible to do without the knowledge of Sharuties and Grams. A villager in India or a Gypsy in Europe cannot stop singing just because they do not know the difference between Just intonation and Chromatic intonation. These are afterthoughts.

When the enlightened artists of the ancient world sang their songs, the beauty of changing pitch compelled them to find more about it. What is it that changing the pitch up and down in certain ways sounds so…musical!

The first known theory of music in Indian Vedas (Samveda) contains four notes. Nowadays notes are always mentioned in ascending (such as C D E or Sa Re Ga) order. In Vedic tradition, the notes are mentioned in Avrohatmic order (in descending). The first four the Vedic artists knew were:
Madhyam (ma), Gandhar (ga), Rishav and Shadaj.
These were known as the first, second, third and fourth Svaras.

When I say they ‘knew’ about four notes, that doesn’t mean that they were unaware of higher and lower pitches. As described above, this was purely theoretical classification that explained the notes used in popular hymns and songs.

Then another note was found below all other known notes. They called it Mandar. A musicologist Tambru named it Dhaivat (the note that only enlightened one can hear, as it is the first note that has perfect third relation to the first note). This was the fifth note. Then Tambru established another note (Nishad) between Dhaivat and Shadaj. It was called the sixth. Later, below all other notes another note was found. It was named the ‘seventh.’ As it completed the septave, this note was also established above the first (Madhaym).

So in Samveda, M, G, R, S, D, N, P became the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh. These notes were not the same as our modern notes with same names.

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