Raags : Starter Pack

You’ve definitely heard the word “Raag” — it’s pretty much the first thing that comes to mind when we think of classical music, right? Raag is basically a musical composition that has to follow some rules, like all of us.

Each Raag is unique in its own way. Things like Thaat, Jati, and a few other terms help us tell one Raag apart from another. Don’t worry — by the end of this lesson, you’ll know exactly what those are 👍

Now, there are a few rules for a composition to be called a Raag:

1. It must include at least 5 of the 7 swaras.
   
   

2. It must contain Sa.
   
   

3. It must be derived from one of the Thaats (we’ll get to that soon).
   
   

4. It must have both Aroha (ascending) and Avaroha (descending) notes.
   
   

Every Raag also has a Vadi swara (the most prominent or frequently used note)  and a Samvadi swara (yup, the opposite of Vadi swara)

Jati 

Jati basically classifies a Raag based on the number of swaras it uses.
A Raag must have at least five swaras (from the seven we learned earlier). Depending on how many notes it includes, the Raag can be of three types:

1. Audav Jati – 5 swaras are used
   
   

2. Shadav Jati – 6 swaras are used
   
   

3. Sampurna Jati – yup, you guessed it, all 7 swaras are used
   
   

The Aroha represents the ascending order of notes, and the Avaroha represents the descending order.
Sometimes, a Raag might have 5 notes in Aroha and 6 in Avaroha — or maybe 6 and 7.

Usually, the Aroha has fewer swaras than the Avaroha (though there are a few exceptions).

Thaat (a.k.a Mela) 

Now, let’s talk about Thaats. Raags are basically born from this.

By using different combinations of pure (shuddha), raised (tivra), or flattened (komal) notes of the saptak, many possible ascending progressions can be formed — and each such progression is called a Thaat.

A Raag is basically derived from a Thaat.
Interestingly, a Thaat itself doesn’t have to sound musically pleasing — but it forms the structure from which beautiful Raags are created.
The notes in a Thaat are always arranged in ascending order — from Sa to Ni.

In Hindustani classical music, there are 10 main Thaats, classified by Pandit Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (yeah, I know, quite a name indeed..).

1. Bilawal Thaat – All seven swaras are pure
   
   

2. Kalyan Thaat – Only Ma is raised (tivra), rest are pure
   
   

3. Khamaj Thaat – Only Ni is flattened (komal), rest are pure
   
   

4. Kafi Thaat – Ga and Ni are flattened, rest are pure
   
   

5. Asavari Thaat – Ga, Dha, and Ni are flattened
   
   

6. Bhairavi Thaat – Re, Ga, Dha, Ni are flattened
   
   

7. Bhairav Thaat – Re and Dha are flattened
   
   

8. Marwa Thaat – Re is flattened, Ma is raised
   
   

9. Purvi Thaat – Re and Dha are flattened, Ma is raised
   
   

10. Todi Thaat – Re, Ga, Dha are flattened, Ma is raised
    
    

Sure, you could probably come up with more combinations but these ten are the main ones, and most Raags we know today are based on them.

I think that’s enough info for 1 lesson so let’s end it right here.

PEACE !  🎻  There is no Hindustani Music Emoji btw...