Did You Know About these Ragas in Online Carnatic Music Classes and Their Use?
Carnatic music, also known as the classical music of South India, is a popular genre of music in India. The genre of music also introduced legends like GN Balasubramanium, Vasundhara Devi and Alatur Brothers. An essential aspect of Carnatic music is ragas, and they are the essential pillars to the music, the rhythms and words in a song.
Ragas are musical frameworks of keywords, and they are in avoh patterns when arranged ascendingly and in avroh patterns when arranged descendingly. You learn more about ragas when you undertake online Carnatic music classes under a reputed academy.
Ragas in Carnatic Music for Beginners
Different Types of Carnatic Ragas
Some of the ragas in Carnatic music are as follows:
- Sampurna Ragas - The word ‘Sampurna’ stands for complete, and this is what these ragas denote. This musical framework has all the seven swaras and is the basis of the classification of ragas. The ragas are classified on the number of notes they have, and an example of this raga is Raga Bhairavi, which has all the musical notes but different singing patterns.
- Melakarta Ragas - This is also known as parent ragas in Carnatic music and is the important point of swaras in Carnatic music. It is from this set of ragas that different note combinations are formed. Though all Melakarta ragas fall under sampurna ragas, it is not the same case but the other way around.
This is because these ragas include all the seven swaras in an ascending or descending order. Due to these sequences, smaller divisions known as Janya or child ragas are adapted and sung; this is why they are called parent ragas. - Janya Ragas - Janya ragas are various sequential patterns that originate from the parent raga. They also have divisions based on the number of notes they have. It can also be said that there can be many child ragas from the same parent raga.
For instance, Kharaharapriya is a Melkarta or a parent raga, but if you remove the notes, ‘Pa’ and ‘Ni’ maintain the same pattern, and you get the child raga known as Abhogi. You get to know this in Carnatic music lessons, and when you remove the notes ‘Ga’ and ‘Da’ from the same parent raga, you get Madhyamavati raga. - Audava Ragas - Some Janya ragas only have five swaras that ascend or descend steadily and are called Audava ragas. For example, the raga Mohanam has the notes ‘Sa’ ‘Ri’ ‘Ga’ ‘Pa’ ‘Da’ in equal ascent and descent; this is an Audava raga.
- Shadava Ragas - Some Janya ragas have six swaras that ascend and descend steadily; they are called Shadava ragas. You can take Sriranjani raga as an example as it has six swaras in order and is a Shadava raga.
- Vakra Ragas - Not all ragas are classified as per their sequence; they are also categorized as per singing patterns. There are some that do not follow a specific order at all and have varying musical notes or swaras in between. They are known as Vakra ragas, which means crooked, which denotes the pattern in this classification.
You learn about this raga in Carnatic music lessons, and Vakra ragas are similar to a zig-zag pattern when they are elaborated. For instance, the Anandha Bhairavi raga has musical notes ‘Sa’ ‘Ga’ ‘Re’ ‘Ga’ ‘Ma’ ‘Pa’ ‘Da’ ‘Pa’, and these are neither descending, ascending or descending, hence the name.
In a similar way, the raga Khamas has its musical notes in the order: ‘Sa’ ‘Ma’ ‘Ga’ ‘Ma’ ‘Ni’ ‘Da’ ‘Ni’ ‘Pa’ ‘Da’ ‘Ni’ and this also sounds like a Vakra raga. It is essential to note that the Vakra ragas are a little different from each other, and you need to remember a unique way to sing each of them.
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Use of Ragas
The pure ragas in the Indian classical collection are a combination of harmonious compatibility between the seven notes and important chakras in our bodies. This is one of the reasons why it impacts our body, mind and soul. Ragas have a unique quality of affecting your emotions, resulting in your overall well-being.
For instance, even if you use happy lyrics with raga Punnagavarali, the effect could haunt listeners. Raga Nilambari can put you to sleep, while raga Bhairavi can help to provide relief from cold, sinus and toothache. Music is an art that is accessible anytime, anywhere and is an answer to many of life’s miseries.
Contact Kafqa Academy
Now that you know the different ragas in Carnatic music and where they can be used, you can take Carnatic music classes to reap the benefits. You can enroll in Kafqa academy for online Carnatic music classes, and the ragas in the music can help reduce many of your pains and miseries in life. Many trainers can teach you Carnatic music songs and help develop an interest in them.
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