Graha bhedam

Definition

Practical demo

Example Illustration

• C as the base for Shankarabharanam is chosen for above illustration only for convenience, as Carnatic music does not enforce strict frequency/pitch structure. The Shadjam is fixed by the artist as per the vocal range or the instrument's tonic note. All the other swarams are relative to this Shadjam, falling into a Geometric progression-like frequency pattern. This note is applicable to all tables that are illustrated further below in this page.
• The 6th Graha Bhedam of Shankarabharanam has both Madhyamams and no Panchamam and hence will not be considered a valid Melakarta. This is only a classification issue with respect to Melakarta, while this structure could be theoretically used well to create good music. Hindustani classical raga Lalit has 2 Ma and no Pa, however it has different Ga and Ni than this structure
• The gaps in the above table are for the missing swara positions in these ragams, which happens to be the Sharp / Flat notes in western music.
• The 6 Melakarta ragams in above table in graha bhedam are equivalent to the western Major Scale and it's 5 consequent modes with the exception of 7th mode as it doesn't correspond to any valid Melakarta ragam.

Melakarta Rāgams

''Shankarabharanam''

''Kanakangi''

''Mayamalavagowla''

''Ragavardhini''

''Vachaspati''

''Shanmukhapriya''

''Keeravani''

''Ratnangi''

''Ganamurti''

''Vanaspati''

''Manavati''

''Sooryakantam''

''Kokilapriya''

''Gayakapriya''

''Dharmavati''

''Hatakambari''

''Naganandini''

''Gangeyabhooshani''

''Chalanata''

''Shadvidamargini''

''Janya rāgams''

''Mohanam''

• C as the base for Mohanam is chosen for above illustration only for convenience, as Carnatic music does not enforce strict frequency/note structure. The Shadjam is fixed by the artist as per the vocal range or the instrument's tonic note. All the other swarams are relative to this Shadjam, falling into a Geometric progression-like frequency pattern. This note is applicable to all tables that are illustrated further below.
• The gaps in the above table are for the missing swara positions in these ragams, which happens to be the Sharp and Flat notes along with F and B notes, in western music.
• If a Sharp / Flat key is chosen as tonic note and ONLY the black keys are played in a piano/ organ/ keyboard/ harmonium, then these 5 are the ragams played successively. That is if you have only black keys, with tonic note from C#, it is Shuddha Saveri. From D# it is Udayaravichandrika, from F# it is Mohanam, from A-flat it is Madhyamavathi and from B-Flat it is Hindolam.
• This statement is true for simplified ragam structure only. Ragams though are more complex in that there are phrases to use and phrases to avoid, gamakas, elongation of notes, a specific mood/ bhava/ rasa to be evoked while singing/ playing, etc. These cannot be captured well in scientific notations.

''Shivaranjani''

• The difference between this set and Mohanam set shown above it, is that the 3rd note differs between E and D#. Hence, Shivaranjani differs from Mohanam by one note – G2 in place of G3, Revati differs from Madhyamavati by one note – R1 in place of R2, while Sunadavinodini differs from Hindolam in all notes other than S.

''Hamsadhwani''

''Abhogi''

''Amritavarshini''

''Gambhiranata''