ragas

South Asian scales

Ragas are melodic frameworks in Indian classical music—scales combined with specific rules about which notes to emphasize, how to move between them, and what mood to evoke.

Each raga has a distinct character and is traditionally associated with particular times of day or seasons.

A musician doesn't simply play a raga but explores and improvises within its structure: She performed an evening raga as the sun set.

instruments

sitar

Indian plucked lute

sarodIndian fretless stringed instrument
veenaGourd-resonated plucked strings
tablaIndian paired hand drums

harmonium · violin

melodic

scale

Measure of relative size

swaraIndian classical tone
shrutiIndian microtonal pitch interval
pitchFrequency of sound

intervals · drone · octave · ornamentation · microtones · mood · tone · intonation

spiritual

meditation

Focused attention practice

devotionDeep, loyal commitment
moodPrevailing emotional condition
contemplationSustained reflective attention

prayer · transcendence · divine · temple · sacred · morning · evening · seasonal · healing · emotional

maestros

Ravi Shankar

Legendary Indian sitar player

performance

concert

Live musical performance

recitalSolo musical performance
renditionPerformed version of work
soloistUnaccompanied performer

virtuoso · maestro · accompaniment · ensemble · stage · audience · applause · live · programme · festival

Carnatic

swara

Indian classical tone

Hindustani

dhrupad

Ancient Indian vocal style

ragas

sitar

scale

meditation

Ravi Shankar

concert

swara

dhrupad

ragas

Opposites

Categories

Family