{"id":5707,"date":"2025-07-02T07:57:12","date_gmt":"2025-07-02T07:57:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/artiumacademy.com\/blogs\/?p=5707"},"modified":"2025-07-02T09:13:00","modified_gmt":"2025-07-02T09:13:00","slug":"an-introduction-to-swara-in-indian-music","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/artiumacademy.com\/blogs\/an-introduction-to-swara-in-indian-music\/","title":{"rendered":"An Introduction to Swara In Indian Music"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>Musical notes or <strong>Swara-s<\/strong> are the <strong>alphabets<\/strong> of music. Their <strong>existence <\/strong>and <strong>appeal <\/strong>to our ears are based on <strong>scientific principles of sound<\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>What are those <strong>principles<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>How can notes be understood in terms of the <strong>physics of sound<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why do we have the concept of <strong>7 notes<\/strong>, Saptaswara, when there are<strong> twelve notes<\/strong> in an octave?\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>What is an <strong>octave<\/strong>?\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Not just <strong>students <\/strong>of music, but any <strong>music lover<\/strong> should be interested in knowing the <strong>what, why, and wherefore of this art<\/strong> that gives him or her such unlimited joy.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We can understand the beauty of <strong>colours<\/strong>. We can also understand why we like the <strong>oceans<\/strong>, <strong>mountains<\/strong>, the cool <strong>breeze<\/strong>, <strong>flowers<\/strong>, and <strong>fragrances<\/strong>. But why do we like Swara-s <strong>without <\/strong>having an iota of <strong>knowledge <\/strong>or <strong>training <\/strong>about them? And what is it about Indian music that makes it so attractive?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This article explores:&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>science of swara-s<\/strong> in music &#8211; The musical <strong>notes<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Explains the <strong>logic <\/strong>behind why musical notes are <strong>pleasing <\/strong>to the ears<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Why are the <strong>scales <\/strong>and <strong>raga-s <\/strong>of Indian music so <strong>enticing<\/strong>?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why is Music Musical \u2013 The Science of Music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>All of us<\/strong> who <strong>engage with music<\/strong> \u2013 music lovers, students, singers, instrumentalists, composers \u2013 let\u2019s all ask ourselves some <strong>simple questions<\/strong> :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why does <strong>music <\/strong>sound so <strong>beautiful<\/strong>?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Why are only the <strong>sounds of songs<\/strong> so <strong>pleasing <\/strong>to the ear and heart, and why are the <strong>rest of the sounds<\/strong> either noise or at least <strong>\u2018unmusical\u2019<\/strong>?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For example, the <strong>ruckus <\/strong>in a crowded street with horns blaring, brakes screeching, engines gunning, people shouting over the din \u2013 all that is unpleasant <strong>noise<\/strong>. And not musical. But the <strong>rustle of leaves<\/strong> on a gentle morning, a <strong>baby cooing<\/strong>, and the soft <strong>drizzle <\/strong>outside the window can be very pleasing, even exhilarating \u2013 but they still <strong>do not become music<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So, is there something about <strong>musical <\/strong>sounds that is <strong>fundamentally different<\/strong> from <strong>non-musical<\/strong> sounds?<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Yes<\/strong>, definitely, and it\u2019s all about <strong>physics<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What are the Properties of Sound?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Let us start with understanding<strong> the fundamental properties<\/strong> or characteristics of <strong>sound<\/strong>. Sounds have three aspects \u2013 <strong>loudness<\/strong>, <strong>tone <\/strong>(or sound quality), and <strong>pitch<\/strong>. Loudness or <strong>volume<\/strong>, we understand &#8211; when we ask the neighbor\u2019s teenage brat to turn down the volume of his speakers.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Tone<\/strong>? We do recognize the difference between the <strong>different voices<\/strong> of our family members, right? And between a man\u2019s voice and a woman\u2019s? So that\u2019s simple.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>But pitch? <strong>What is pitch<\/strong>? Think of the sound of a police siren or ambulance <strong>siren wailing up and down<\/strong>, up and down. Well, that which is going up and down in that sound is the <strong>pitch <\/strong>of the sound. And in terms of physics, pitch is determined by the <strong>frequency of the vibrations in the sound per second<\/strong>. The higher the frequency, the higher the pitch.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Firstly, for a <strong>single sound<\/strong> to begin to qualify as <strong>musical<\/strong>, it has to have a <strong>steady and decipherable pitch<\/strong>. We hear these steady sounds around us all the time \u2013 the sound of a<strong> table fan<\/strong>, the hum of the <strong>air conditione<\/strong>r, some distant <strong>horn <\/strong>or <strong>whistle<\/strong>. However, a <strong>steady pitch still does not make a sound musical<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Core of Musicality \u2013 Consonance (Samvada)<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The simple and unequivocal <strong>principle of musical sounds<\/strong> is that <strong>two sounds need to have a particular ratio in their frequencies<\/strong> to<strong> sound musical in relation to each other<\/strong>, either in quick sequence or simply together.&nbsp; If either one goes a <strong>bit away from the perfect ratio<\/strong> of frequencies, <strong>both will sound unmusical<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This <strong>synchronization of frequencies<\/strong> between sounds that makes them sound beautiful together is called <strong>CONSONANCE<\/strong>, a fundamental scientific phenomenon in music. In Indian terminology, consonance is called <strong>SAMVADA<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So \u2013 a fair question. <strong>What are those ratios<\/strong> <strong>that generate CONSONANCE<\/strong>?&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Decoding the Science Behind the Sargams in \u2018Mere Dholna\u2019 Song<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s take the<strong> sargams of Mere Dholna<\/strong>. You can\u2019t deny that those sargams sound <strong>extremely musical<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The piece employs <strong>8 notes within the octave,<\/strong> as under, and it <strong>traverses the mid, lower, and upper octaves<\/strong> (we will understand these terms and concepts as we go on).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>I have <strong>simplified the swara mnemonics with the first letter of each mnemonic<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sa = S, Ri = R, Ga = G, Ma = M, Pa = P, Dha = D, Lower Ni = n, higher Ni = N<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NSNSNSNS DnDnDnDn PDPDPDPD GMPDNRS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>NSNSNSNS DnDnDnDn PDPDPDPD GMPDNRS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PNNS PNNS PNNS PNNS&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>PNNS PNNS PNNS PNNS<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GMPDnD PDnDPDNS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GMPDnD PDnDPDNS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GMPDnD PDPM GMGRSn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DnSGMG SGMP DPDNS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GMPDnD PDPM GMGRSn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DnSGMG SGMP DPDNS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>N-S- NS- NS- NS- NS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D-n- Dn- Dn- Dn- Dn-&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GMPDnDPM GMPDnDPM<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>GMPM GMGR SRSn DnS-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>D-D n-n S-S G-G M-G-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>S-S G-G M-M D-D n-D-<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DnSGSn DnSn DnDPMG<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>MDnS DnDM GMGR SnDn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SGMD nSnD PMGM GRSn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>SGMD nSnD PMGM GRSn<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>DDnnSSGG nnSSGGMM SSGGMMDD GGMMDDnn MMDDnnSS DDnnSSG\u2026\u2026..<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"Lyrical: Mere Dholna | Bhool Bhulaiyaa | Vidya Balan | Shreya Ghoshal, M.G. Sreekumar |  Pritam\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/lL0ULDPCqIA?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Listen to the recording while looking at the above script. It could help the reader follow the singing with awareness.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s see the <strong>ratios of frequencies <\/strong>between some of these notes:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Sa and Pa = <strong>3\/2<\/strong>\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Thus,\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If<strong> Sa <\/strong>has a frequency of<strong> 250<\/strong> vibrations or cycles per second (CPS), <strong>Pa<\/strong> will automatically be found at a frequency of <strong>375<\/strong> cycles per second (CPS)<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>If<strong> Sa<\/strong> is at <strong>400<\/strong> CPS, <strong>Pa<\/strong> will have to be at <strong>600<\/strong> CPS.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>So, <strong>Sa can be anywhere<\/strong> on the pitch graph, and <strong>Pa will move to the exact ratio of 3\/2<\/strong> to Sa.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Similarly,<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>to<strong> Ri<\/strong> = <strong>9\/8<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>to<strong> Ga <\/strong>= <strong>5\/4<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>to<strong> Ma<\/strong> = <strong>4\/3<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>to<strong> Dha<\/strong> = <strong>27\/16<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>to<strong> <\/strong>the<strong> lower Ni<\/strong>\u00a0 = <strong>16\/9<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>to<strong> <\/strong>the<strong> higher Ni<\/strong>\u00a0 =<strong> 15\/8<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>to the<strong> upper Sa<\/strong> = <strong>2<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Understanding The 12-note Canvas and 7-note Scales<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, you can <strong>find these notes on the piano<\/strong>. If you look at any piano or keyboard, you will see that the <strong>pattern <\/strong>of<strong> black and white keys repeats itself every twelve keys<\/strong>. And each<strong> twelve-key span<\/strong> has <strong>7 white and 5 black key<\/strong>s.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The piece from \u2018Mere Dholna\u2019 has employed only <strong>8 of the notes<\/strong>, not all 12 in the octave. For now, it is <strong>sufficient <\/strong>to understand the following :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Each <strong>span <\/strong>of 12 keys is called an <strong>Octave<\/strong>. In Indian Music, it is called a <strong>Saptak<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A <strong>note \u2018repeats itself\u2019 at a higher pitch<\/strong> every twelfth key. This is what in Indian music is called <strong>Madhya Sa, Tara Sa<\/strong>, and so on.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you hear all the <strong>12 notes in sequence<\/strong>, they will sound <strong>odd <\/strong>\u2013 more suitable for a suspense scene in a thriller or horror movie.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For music to be <strong>pleasing<\/strong>, the notes chosen for the musical piece or melody need to be in <strong>highly musical or consonant ratios<\/strong> with each other.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Two <strong>notes in immediate sequence<\/strong> on the 12-note scale are rather <strong>dissonant<\/strong>. This distance is called a <strong>semitone<\/strong>. Try playing them together on a keyboard to get the dissonant experience.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>For <strong>consonance <\/strong>to begin, a distance of at <strong>least 3 semitones (minor third) <\/strong>is needed. If the interval is <strong>4\/3 (7 semitones &#8211; fourth)<\/strong>, <strong>3\/2 (9 semitones &#8211; fifth)<\/strong>, or <strong>5\/4 (6 semitones \u2013 major third)<\/strong> two sounds become <strong>highly consonant<\/strong> and sound <strong>very pleasing<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Thus, in <strong>early music of mankind<\/strong> (as can be seen in tribal music), the<strong> number of notes in a scale<\/strong> and song was very <strong>limited<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As music <strong>evolved<\/strong>, from simple 3 and 4 note scales, man was able to discover the beauty in <strong>scales with larger numbers<\/strong>. But this <strong>stopped at 7<\/strong>. Why? If you <strong>take any 7 note scale, and add a note<\/strong> to that in a sequence on a keyboard, you will be able to experience how that <strong>addition can be jarring<\/strong>. This is how we get the concepts of <strong>Saptaswara, Saat Sur<\/strong> etc.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>By experimenting with <strong>different 7-note options<\/strong> out of 12, we largely arrive at what are called the <strong>basic scales<\/strong> of music. This concept is<strong> common to all music systems <\/strong>in the world because it is just <strong>physics<\/strong>.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Thaat-s and Mela-s \u2013 The 7 Note Scales of Indian Music<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, in <strong>Indian Music<\/strong>, the delineation of <strong>scales <\/strong>(<strong>Thaat<\/strong> in the Hindustani system and Mela in the <strong>Carnatic <\/strong>system) is based on the following <strong>guidelines <\/strong>:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Sa <\/strong>and the <strong>Pa <\/strong>(the fifth Swara) <strong>have to feature<\/strong> in every scale.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Five other Swara-s can fit into the octave<\/strong> and generate an overall musical sense of <strong>cumulative consonance<\/strong>, making the scale (notes played in sequence in ascent and descent on a piano) <strong>sound<\/strong> <strong>pleasing <\/strong>to the ear (and heart).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>32 such scales <\/strong>are possible, <strong>some <\/strong>of which are incredibly pleasing, and are therefore very <strong>popular <\/strong>with composers and performers.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The factor that impacts <strong>some scales becoming very popular and relatable<\/strong> by an average music lover is that in them, <strong>the first three notes after Sa<\/strong> enjoy a <strong>ratio of either 4\/3, 3\/2 or 5\/4,<\/strong> with some of the <strong>subsequent three notes<\/strong> in the <strong>same sequence<\/strong>. (This will be discussed in detail in another article).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>That is why <strong>Hindustani <\/strong>classical raga-s like <strong>Yaman, Bilaval, Khamaj, Kafi, Bhairavi, Pooriya Dhanshri,<\/strong> and <strong>Bhairav <\/strong>and their <strong>Carnatic <\/strong>counterparts <strong>Kalyani, Sankarabharanam, Harikambhoji, Kharaharapriya, Todi, Pantuvarali,<\/strong> and <strong>Mayamalavagaula <\/strong>are so popular.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These <strong>7 note scales<\/strong> (as of now, let\u2019s treat <strong>scale and raga as synonymous<\/strong> for the sake of<strong> simple understanding<\/strong>) are called <strong>sampoorna <\/strong>or complete scales.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>From these 7-note scales, we can eliminate <strong>1 or 2 notes<\/strong> judiciously by experimentation, and we get a variety of <strong>6-note (shadava\u2014hexatonic)<\/strong> and <strong>5-note (audava \/ pentatonic<\/strong>) scales. The beautiful raga-s <strong>Bhupali <\/strong>(<strong>Mohanam<\/strong> in Carnatic music), <strong>Malkauns <\/strong>(<strong>Hindolam<\/strong>), <strong>Durga <\/strong>(<strong>Shuddha Saveri<\/strong>), and <strong>Bairagi <\/strong>(<strong>Revati<\/strong>) are all <strong>Audava <\/strong>scales.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">\u2018Basic\u2019 Notes and Variants \u2013 Why only 7 names for 12 notes?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Now let us see <strong>why we have only 7 names for notes<\/strong>, both in India and the West \u2013 <strong>Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni<\/strong> and <strong>Do Re Me Fa So La Ti<\/strong>, and <strong>why we do not have 12 names<\/strong>. This should have been because different <strong>7 note scales emerged first<\/strong> in different cultures and those scales <strong>became a \u2018basic\u2019 scale of reference<\/strong> for the other five notes to fit in over time. As we saw earlier, the <strong>7 note sense of completeness<\/strong> is scientific and not creative.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In the <strong>West<\/strong>, it certainly is the <strong>diatonic scale<\/strong> (corresponding to the <strong>Bilawal <\/strong>Thaat of the Hindustani System and the <strong>Dheerashankarabharanam <\/strong>Mela of the Carnatic System) that is the<strong> \u2018basic\u2019 scale<\/strong> of reference.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>ancient <\/strong>India, the <strong>Shadja Grama<\/strong> (by and large <strong>akin <\/strong>to the <strong>Kafi <\/strong>Thaat and <strong>Kharaharapriya <\/strong>Mela) was the <strong>basic scale of reference<\/strong>. Once the <strong>\u2018basic\u2019 scale<\/strong> gets fixed in the <strong>collective cultural psyche<\/strong>, the <strong>other five notes<\/strong> are <strong>perceived as variations<\/strong> by the <strong>mind <\/strong>and finally the <strong>system<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thus, in <strong>India<\/strong>, we have the <strong>12 notes <\/strong>delineated in the <strong>Hindustani <\/strong>and <strong>Carnatic <\/strong>systems as follows :<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Hindustani <\/strong>System (<strong>Bilaval<\/strong> being accepted today as the <strong>\u2018basic\u2019 <\/strong>or <strong>Shuddha <\/strong>scale)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shadja\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Komal Rishabh<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Rishabh<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Komal Gandhar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Gandhar<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Madhyam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Tivra Madhyam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Pancham<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Komal Dhaivat<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Dhaivat<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Komal Nishad<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Nishad<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><em>(The variations of Re, Ga, Dha, and Ni come below their Shuddha counterpart and are called Komal or soft; the variation of Ma is higher than the Shuddha counterpart and hence is called Tivra or intense).<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Carnatic <\/strong>System (this nomenclature has hangovers of many older systems, which we will discuss in a later article)<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Shadjamam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Rishabham<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chatusruti Rishabham<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Sadharna Gandharam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Antara Gandharam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Madhyamam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Prati Madhyaman<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Panchamam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Shuddha Dhaivatam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Chatushruti Dhaivatam<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kaisika Nishadham<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Kakali Nishadham<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>We will go into all this in great detail in later articles.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What is Swara \u2013 The Mystical Entity?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For now, let us <strong>examine a bit more deeply<\/strong> how the <strong>Indian experience of Swara<\/strong> differs from the Western experience.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Swara <\/strong>is a musical note. Yet in the Indian sensibility, it\u2019s <strong>far greater and deeper than just a note<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In <strong>Western classical music<\/strong>, for the last 1,000 years, musical notes have been experienced in the paradigm of <strong>harmony and polyphony<\/strong>. Western musicians, students, and composers have an extremely <strong>advanced and evolved sense<\/strong> of simple and complex <strong>chords<\/strong>, chord <strong>progressions<\/strong>, and other <strong>harmonic and polyphonic phenomena<\/strong> that are highly pleasing to the ear and our sensibilities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>However, <strong>music germinated and evolved<\/strong> in humanity through <strong>melody <\/strong>&#8211; songs. <strong>Indian Classical Music<\/strong> is the <strong>most evolved and crystalline melodic music system in humanity<\/strong>. So, each <strong>swara is experienced just with the reference of Sa on a tanpura<\/strong>. (The magical tanpura will be discussed in another article). The Indian Classical musician has, over centuries, <strong>delved and perceived into the depths of each of the 12 swara-s<\/strong> as <strong>entities <\/strong>with an almost <strong>divine power<\/strong>.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The capacity of each swara to <strong>evoke specific emotions<\/strong> in us has enabled us to experience them as <strong>personalities<\/strong>. This has become a part of our DNA, and even an unschooled music lover is able to be <strong>moved by Swara-s<\/strong> in this paradigm.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The individual powerful identity of <strong>each swara combines with other swara-s in raga-s<\/strong> to create an <strong>array of emotional and aesthetic colors<\/strong>. Swara-s <strong>weave together<\/strong> in Indian melodies as <strong>phrases <\/strong>through <strong>gamaka-s<\/strong>, which we will explore and understand in depth in due course.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>A <strong>significant aspect of musical notes<\/strong>, an aspect of our cognitive makeup, design or psychology, is our innate <strong>sense of tonic<\/strong> or our <strong>sense of Sa<\/strong>. <strong>Instinctively, every listener\u2019s mind is relating to the notes in a melody in relation to Sa, without any clue of anything<\/strong> or that the mind is doing the math, in a sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Just as the retina of the<strong> eye receives light<\/strong> and i<strong>mages in reverse<\/strong> (like a pin-hole camera), and yet our <strong>cognitive apparatus sees images as they are<\/strong>, our <strong>ears too receive a riot of frequencies<\/strong>, yet our <strong>minds interpret them as images<\/strong> like speech, music, sounds of animals, machines, thunder etc. That is the <strong>magic of the mind<\/strong> \u2013 its cognitive dimension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why do Exercises in Swara Mnemonics Matter?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Sa Ri Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni<\/strong> \u2013 those famous and celebrated syllables or mnemonics of Indian classical Music. Western music has those names too \u2013 <strong>Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti<\/strong> \u2013 made internationally famous by Julie Andrews \u2018<strong>Doe A Deer A Female Deer<\/strong>\u2019 in the iconic film \u2018The Sound of Music\u2019.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed aligncenter is-type-video is-provider-youtube wp-block-embed-youtube wp-embed-aspect-16-9 wp-has-aspect-ratio\"><div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"&quot;Do-Re-Mi&quot; - THE SOUND OF MUSIC (1965)\" width=\"640\" height=\"360\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/drnBMAEA3AM?feature=oembed\" frameborder=\"0\" allow=\"accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share\" referrerpolicy=\"strict-origin-when-cross-origin\" allowfullscreen><\/iframe>\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Unlike <\/strong>in <strong>any other system<\/strong> in the world, in<strong> Indian classical music<\/strong>, the mnemonics of the 7 notes\u2014Shadja, Rishabh, Gandhar, Madhyam, Pancham, Dhaivath, and Nishad\u2014are <strong>not just mnemonics but an integral part of performance tools and aesthetics<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni are <strong>used in compositions and brilliant improvisation<\/strong> in Hindustani and Carnatic music. They are also occasionally used in <strong>film compositions<\/strong> and definitely in the new genre of Indian <strong>fusion music<\/strong>, which employs a number of melodic and rhythmic improvisational techniques and skills of Indian classical music.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Command over the Swara mnemonics<\/strong> is a f<strong>undamental skill<\/strong> that enables an Indian classical music learner and musician to <strong>understand, decode<\/strong>, and <strong>create music<\/strong>\u2014literally, the ability to <strong>think in notes<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Intense and complex Swara exercises<\/strong> give the learner this i<strong>ntimacy with note identities<\/strong>, apart from an array of other musical and vocal benefits. In human <strong>cognitive psychology<\/strong>, intimacy with any <strong>identity <\/strong>comes from the <strong>deep association of a form with a name<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While notes are universal to all music, the <strong>practice of Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni<\/strong> gives the Indian classical musician an <strong>uncanny ability<\/strong> to <strong>relate to notes<\/strong> in a manner that <strong>can be understood only when one acquires and experiences that ability<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learn and Understand Music to Engage with it Meaningfully<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Swara-s <\/strong>are a <strong>manifestation of Science<\/strong> in Nature. <strong>Students <\/strong>and practitioners of art need to <strong>understand the science behind the art<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The <strong>objective understanding of Swara<\/strong> can lead a student to <strong>explore deeper<\/strong> into understanding and experiencing the <strong>science of Sruti-s<\/strong>, the <strong>22 microtones<\/strong>, and how the principle of <strong>Samvada <\/strong>(consonance) can help us understand the <strong>logic and aesthetics in the grammar of raga-s<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>This foundational <strong>knowledge enhances technical proficiency <\/strong>and nurtures a deeper, more <strong>intuitive connection with music<\/strong>. By understanding the logic behind Swara-s, Sruti-s, and Samvada, students begin to <strong>experience music not just as an art form<\/strong> but as a <strong>living, breathing manifestation of Nature<\/strong>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Musical notes or Swara-s are the alphabets of music. Their existence and appeal to our ears are based on scientific principles of sound: Not just students of music, but any music lover should be interested in knowing the what, why, and wherefore of this art that gives him or her such unlimited joy.&nbsp; We can [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":5714,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[335],"tags":[90,91,140,333],"class_list":["post-5707","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-alchemizing-music-concepts-for-students","tag-carnatic-and-hindustani-music","tag-carnatic-classical-music","tag-indian-classical-music","tag-indian-music"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v25.2 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>An Introduction to Swara In Indian Music | Artium Academy<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Discover the concept of Swara in Indian music with Artium Academy. 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