Krsna Kirtana Songs est. 2001 www.kksongs.org
The Thats Vs. The Melas
Indian music is indeed a very difficult form of
music to study, as there are many components and features that develop a
lifetime's endless devotion to master a fraction of it. Unlike most musical
systems, the music of
A scale is simply a set of notes. There are many
types of scales that exist in the world. Some scales many musical systems have
in common, and some in which are not shared. The Western musical system has the
least in number, for it has only two scales. The two scales are the major and
minor scales. Indian music has many scales. However, Indian music is divided
into two separate systems. These are the North Indian or Hindustani and the
South Indian or Carnatic. These both systems acknowledge the existence of the
scale. However, their approach is entirely different.
The Hindustani system originally went through a
raga-ragini system. Since the raga-ragini system had no scientific basis or any
practical usage of how a raga and ragini produces a new raga, that system had
been rejected. Another system which is least popular is the Janaka-Raga system.
This is more dealt with an aesthetic outlook rather than a scientific outlook.
The most popular system was created by Visnu Narayan Bhatkhande. Bhatkhande
selected ten of the more popular ragas and created a full seven note scale from
them. These ten scales are known as thats. The ten thats are Bilaval, Bhairava,
Bhairavi, Asavari, Kalyana, Khammaja, Kafi, Marwa, Purvi, and Todi.
Bilaval = S R G m P D N S' (Natural Scale)
Bhairava = S r G m P d N S'
Bhairavi = S r g m P d n S'
Asavari = S R g m P d n S'
Kalyana = S R G M P D N S'
Khammaja = S R G m P D n S'
Kafi = S R g m P D n S'
Marwa = S r G M P D N S'
Purvi = S r G M P d N S'
Todi = S r g M P d N S'
However, this system has shortcomings of its own.
When classification occurs, it becomes increasingly difficult to categorize
ragas like Patdipa (S R g m P D N S'), Ahir Bhairava (S r G m P D n S'), and
Candrakauns (S g m d N S'). In addition, ragas with both suddha and vikrta
notes are not accounted for. Lastly, that names do not imply the specific raga
names. Thats have no value as far as aesthetic are concerned. They cannot be
performed. That names are based on the raga. However, That Marwa is a seven
note scale, while Raga Marwa has six notes in its swar set. In addition, Raga
Marwa's flow has a very peculiar flow that it should be very distinct from its
That name. Nevertheless, this system of ten thats is indeed the most accepted.
The South Indian system is a little more scientific than
its Northern counterpart. The South Indian system of developing scales comes
from the concept of murchana or transpose. The first scale's R would be the
next scales's S and so on. This way, seven scales are created. Since the
transposed scales are based on changing suddha notes, these seven scales were
known as "suddha ragas."
(S) Scale 1: S R G m P D N S' (Bilaval - Dhira
(R) Scale 2: S R g m P D n S' (Kafi - Kanhara
(G) Scale 3: S r g m P d n S' (Hanumata Todi -
Bhairavi)
(P) Scale 5: S R G m P D n S' (Khammaja - Khamboji)
(D) Scale 6: S r g m P d n S' (Asavari - Natabhairavi)
(N) Scale 7: S r g m p d n S' (Non-existant)
The seventh scale is non existent, since P is not
movable. Thus six scales are usable. We must account for flattening. If you
attempt to divide the scale equally, you will be between m and P. For now, it
is safe to exclude them. Now, we have to parts of the scale, namely the
purvanga, the first half, and the uttaranga, the second half.
CHANGES IN PURVAGNA
1: S R G X X
m
2: S R X G X
m
3: S R X X G
m
4: S X R G X
m
5: S X R X G
m
6: S X X R G
m
CHANGES IN UTTARANGA
1: P D N X X
S'
2: P D X N X
S'
3: P D X X N
S'
4: P X D N X
S'
5: P X D X N
S'
6: P X X D N
S'
If the six possibilites of the purvanga and the six
possibilities of the uttaranga are combined, through the laws of probability,
there are thirty-six possible combinations. For this demonstration, we considered
the fourth or m as fixed. If we unfixed it add in an augmented fourth or M,
then it is 36*2 or seventy-two possible scales. Notice in possibilities 1, 6 of
both purvanga and uttaranga changes that there are chromatic forms, within a
subset of three notes. These chromatic forms are not acceptable in North Indian
music. However, these chromatic forms are very much acceptable in Carnatic
system. Thus, we have our seventy-two scales also known as melakarta or mela
for short.
The seventy-two melas are broken into two big
sections of thirty-six. The first is the ones containing natural fourth or M1,
and the second is the ones containing the augmented fourth or M2. These two
divisions are Madhyamam divisions. Within each Madhyamam division, there are six
chakras. These six chakras each have specific names. Each chakra is based on
specific purvanga, with the uttaranga changing to the scheme shown above in
that very order. Let's look at Suddha Madhyamam, Indu Chakram (the first
chakra).
INDU CHAKRAM
1: S R G X X m
P D N X X S' (Kanakangi)
2: S R G X X m
P D X N X S' (Ratanangi)
3: S R G X X m P
D X X N S' (Ganamurti)
4: S R G X X m
P X D N X S' (Vanaspati)
5: S R G X X m P
X D X N S' (Manavati)
6: S R G X X m P
X X D N S' (Tanarupi)
Notice how the purvanga remained the same but the
uttaranga changed according to the above scheme. Each chakram behaves like
this. Due to the existence of seventy-two scales, a whole host of ragams could
be derived from each scale. These ragas are known as janyas.
Another thing to pay attention in South Indian
schemes is the fact that R and G can not only flattened but sharpened, too. In
adddition, D and N share this feature. Since, R, G, D, and N share this
tritonal alteration, the specific tone is given next to the swarsthana. Thus
the three tones for R are R1, R2, and R3. Four notes have three forms. These
twelve notes, plus S and P equal fourteen. The M in natural and augmented form
gives the Carnatic system its distinct sixteen note system. However, there are
actually twelve real swara-sthanas as R2 is equal to G1, and R3 is equal to G2.
In the same manner D2 = N1, and D3 = N2. Thus, four duplicates are eliminated
to give the standard twelve swarasthanas.