Basics Guide

Notes (स्वर):

The first thing that every student of Indian Music would strive to learn is basic notes (स्वर), also called sargam (सरगम) i.e. Saa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni (सा रे ग म प ध नी).

However, these notes in their popular form are short forms or abbreviation of real notes. The abbreviations are used mainly to facilitate remembrance (स्मरण) and ease in practicing (रियाज़).

The real names of the notes are as follows:

Saa – Shadaj (षड्ज)
Re – Rishabh (ऋषभ)
Ga – Gaandhaar (गांधार)
Ma – Madhyam (मध्यम)
Pa – Pancham (पंचम)
Dha – Dhaivat (धैवत)
Ni – Nishaad (निषाद)

Saptak (सप्तक):

There are 12 (twelve) notes in a saptak (or octave)

• 7 pure (शुद्ध) notes
• 5 impure (विकृत) notes
  • 4 soft (कोमल) notes and
  • 1 sharp (तीव्र)

Saa and Pa are always pure (शुद्ध). Re, Ga, Dha and Ni are soft (कोमल) and pure (शुद्ध). Ma is pure (शुद्ध) and sharp (तीव्र).

The arrangements of these notes are as follows:

Saa – सा
Re Komal – रे (कोमल)
Re – रे
Ga Komal – ग (कोमल)
Ga – ग
Ma – म
Ma Teevra – मॅ (तीव्र)
Pa – प
Dha Komal – ध (कोमल)
Dha – ध
Ni Komal – नी (कोमल)
Ni – नी

This is how notes are when kaali 1 or C# is taken as Saa. We will update the site with diagrams on how the saptak progresses when any other note (for example, kaali 2 i.e. D# or kaali 4 i.e. G#) is taken as Saa. Any note can be taken as the beginning of a saptak.

Note:

1. Saptak in Hindi (and Sanskrit) means 7. Although there are 12 notes in a saptak there are only 7 pure notes – i.e. Saa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni (सा रे ग म प ध नी) and hence it is called saptak. Other 5 notes are impure (विकृत) notes.
2. Generally, Ma teevra is written by putting a vertical line over Ma. However due to font limitations, it is shown as मॅ i.e. by putting a curve above Ma.
3. In Western music a saptak is called an octave i.e. 8 notes which are C D E F G A B C which can be co-related to Saa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Saa (सा रे ग म प ध नी सा.).
4. You must also check how to write notes.
5. Although there are more than 3 (three) saptak in actual use, for all learning purposes there are 3 saptak:
   1. mandra saptak (मन्द्र सप्तक) – the lower octave
   2. madhya saptak (मध्य सप्तक) – the middle octave
   3. taar saptak (तार सप्तक) – the higher octave

Please also check Notation Guide to know how notes are written all throughout this site.