Modern Indian Music Notation
as developed at the Ali Akbar College of Music
Shudha = Natural
Tivra = Sharp
Komal = Flat
The notes of the octave have names that are abbreviated into single letters. The upper case print: “G” or “GA” means natural and is called “Shudha G”. There is only one sharp or Tivra note and that is “Tivra MA ” – the sharpened 4th. The Natural 4th is called “Shudha ma”.
Lower case print means flatted – “Komal g”.
The names of the notes in the twelve note octave from India music, and Western music.
|
SHRUTI NAME |
INDIAN |
WESTERN |
SOLFEGE |
|
Shadaj ———– |
SA – S |
C |
DOH |
|
Komal Rishabh — |
re – r |
Db or C# |
|
|
Rishabh ———- |
RE – R |
D |
RE |
|
Komal Ghandar — |
ga – g |
Eb or D# |
|
|
Ghandar ——— |
GA – G |
E |
MI |
|
Madhayam —— |
ma – m |
F |
FA |
|
Tivra Madhayam – |
MA – M |
Gb or F# |
|
|
Pancham ——– |
PA – P |
G |
SOL |
|
Komal Dhaiwat — |
dha – d |
Ab or G# |
|
|
Dhaiwat ——— |
DHA – D |
A |
LA |
|
Komal Nishad — |
ni – n |
Bb or A# |
|
|
Nishad ———- |
NI – N |
B |
TI |
|
Shadaj ———- |
SA – S |
C |
DOH |
The TEN THAATS of North Indian Classical Music
|
Bilawal —- |
SRGmPDNS |
|
Khamaj —- |
SRGmPDnS |
|
Kafi ——– |
SRgmPDnS |
|
Asavari —- |
SRgmPdnS |
|
Bhairavi — |
SrgmPdnS |
|
Bhairav —- |
SrGmPdNS |
|
Kalyan —– |
SRGMPDNS |
|
Todi ——- |
SrgMPdNS |
|
Purbi ——- |
SrGMpdNS |
|
Marwa —– |
SrGMPDNS |
. .
A dot above a note means Upper Octave (Taar). GA or G
A dot below a note means Lower Octave (Mandra). GA
˙
Two dots below means 2 octaves below Middle Octave. GA
˙˙
No dots means Middle Octave (Madhaya) GA
Three Octaves of Bilawal That
In the modern notation system the beats are marked with a scoop underneath. Each beat can be divided of into micro-beats of: one, two, three, four, or more micro-beats. Below is an melodic example in Bilawal Thaat. It is in the 8 beat rhythm cycle (Tala) called Kahava.
Kahava has two tals of 4 beats each. The first beat is Sum – the struck beat which is marked with +, and is shown with a clap of the hands. In Kahava the half way beat (fifth beat) is Kali – the unstruck beat which is marked with O, and is shown by a wave of the hands. The phrase marks show a syncopated figure of: 123’123’123’123’1234, an often used sixteen note rhythmic pattern.
Below is a melodic example in Bhaivav That. It is in a seven beat rhythm cycle called Roopak. In Roopak the first bar of 3 beats is Kali Tal. It is shown with “0” over the first beat. The second and third tals of 2 beats each are marked with a “2” and “3” respectively.
There are several hundred talas and new ones are still being composed. Some of the most common are:
Tintal 16 beats 4+4+4+4
Jhaptal 10 beats 2+3+2+3
Roopak tal 7 beats 3+2+2
Kahava tal 8 beats 4+4
Ektal 12 beats 2+2+2+2+2+2
Dadra tal 6 beats 3+3
Chowtal 12 beats, 2+2+2+2+2+2
Charchar tal 14 beats 3+4+3+4
Dhammar tal 14 beats, 5+2+3+4
Sitarkhani tal 16 beats 4+4+4+4 (each tal has syncopated 8th note 3-3-2 beat pattern)
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