Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian

Ragas corresponding to each mode of the major scale

1. Raga Shankarabharanam - ionian (major scale) 2. Raga - dorian 3. Raga - phrygian 4. Raga - lydian 5. Raga Harikamboji - mixolydian 6. Raga - aeolian 7. (locrian scale without pa - not a raga)

Swaras and intervals for each mode of the major scale Below is each mode of the major scale, starting from the C major scale, finding each mode by using the same scale notes and starting from a different note each time. Along with the notes are given, the swara and the intervals of each scale note. Swaras and intervals give us patterns which can then be used to find that particular mode/scale/raga starting from any note. 1. We use C major scale to find the swara and interval pattern of each mode 2. Now the swara or interval pattern can be used to find the raga or mode starting from any root note. In the second part, the modes/ are compared.

First mode

C major scale / Raga Shankarabharanam.: C D E F G A B C

C D E F G A B

Sa Ri2 Ga3 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni3

R M2 M3 4 5 M6 M7

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Second mode

D dorian scale /Raga Kharaharapriya: D E F G A B C D

D E F G A B C

Sa Ri2 Ga2 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni2

R M2 m3 4 5 M6 m7

Third mode

E phrygian scale/ Raga Hanumatodi : E F G A B C D E

E F G A B C D

Sa Ri1 Ga2 Ma1 Pa Dha1 Ni2

R m2 m3 4 5 m6 m7

Fourth mode – Lydian

F lydian scale / Raga Kalyani: F G A B C D E F

F G A B C D E

Sa Ri2 Ga3 Ma2 Pa Dha2 Ni3

R M2 M3 #4 5 M6 M7

Fifth mode – Mixolydian

G mixolydian scale/ Raga Harikamboji : G A B C D E F G

G A B C D E F

Sa Ri2 Ga3 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni2

R M2 M3 4 5 M6 m7

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Sixth mode – Aeolian (natural )

A aeolian scale/ Raga Natabhairavi : A B C D E F G A

A B C D E F G

Sa Ri2 Ga2 Ma1 Pa Dha1 Ni2

R M2 m3 4 5 m6 m7

Each mode raga starting from C Below is the sequence of notes along with the corresponding swaras and intervals starting from C as the root.

Swaras and notes starting from C

C C# D D# E F F# G G# A A# B

Sa Ri1 Ri2/ Ri3/ Ga3 Ma1 Ma2 Pa Dha1 Dha2/ Dha3/ Ni3 Ga1 Ga2 Ni1 Ni2

R m2 M2 m3 M3 4 #4 5 m6 M6 m7 M7

Using the above table, we find out each mode or raga starting with the C note as root.

1.C major scale / Raga Shankarabharanam

Sa Ri2 Ga3 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni3

R M2 M3 4 5 M6 M7

C D E F G A B

2.C dorian scale /Raga Kharaharapriya

Sa Ri2 Ga2 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni2

R M2 m3 4 5 M6 m7

C D Eb F G A Bb

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

3.C phrygian scale/ Raga Hanumatodi

Sa Ri1 Ga2 Ma1 Pa Dha1 Ni2

R m2 m3 4 5 m6 m7

C Db Eb F G Ab B

4.C lydian scale / Raga Kalyani

Sa Ri2 Ga3 Ma2 Pa Dha2 Ni3

R M2 M3 #4 5 M6 M7

C D E F# G A B

5.C mixolydian scale/ Raga Harikamboji

Sa Ri2 Ga3 Ma1 Pa Dha2 Ni2

R M2 M3 4 5 M6 m7

C D E F G A Bb

6. C aeolian scale/ Raga Natabhairavi

Sa Ri2 Ga2 Ma1 Pa Dha1 Ni2

R M2 m3 4 5 m6 m7

C D Eb F G Ab Bb

The numbers in parantheses is the mode number. For example, Kalyani starts from the 4th note of the major scale, is the 4th mode and therefore will be written as Kalyani(4). Wherever possible, all these different connections will be included, so that we remember and have a better understanding of the field.

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Comparing the modes/ ragas The three major scales – Raga Shankarabharanam (1), Raga Kalyani (4), Raga Harikamboji (5)

Any scale with the third note a major third, is a major scale.

Shankarabharanam C D E F G A B

Kalyani C D E F# G A B

Harikamboji C D E F G A Bb

Shankarabharanam R M2 M3 4 5 M6 M7

Kalyani R M2 M3 #4 5 M6 M7

Harikamboji R M2 M3 4 5 M6 m7

#4 (sharp fourth) of Shankarabharanam gives Kalyani b7 (flat seventh) of Shankarabharanam gives Harikamboji Just one note difference from Raga Shankarabharanam for either of the other two major scales.

The three minor scales – Raga Natabhairavi (6), Kharaharapriya (2), Hanumatodi (3)

A scale is called a minor scale if the third note is a minor third.

Natabhairavi C D Eb F G Ab Bb

Kharaharapriya C D Eb F G A Bb

Hanumatodi C Db Eb F G Ab Bb

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Natabhairavi R M2 m3 4 5 m6 m7

Kharaharapriya R M2 m3 4 5 M6 m7

Hanumatodi R m2 m3 4 5 m6 m7 Raga Hanumatodi has all minor intervals. Raga Natabhairavi has all minor intervals except 2nd (big Ri) Raga Kharaharapriya has all minor intervals except 2nd and 6th – in other words, only the third and seventh intervals are minor.

Harikamboji and Kharaharapriya

Harikamboji

R M2 M3 4 5 M6 m7 Kharaharapriya

R M2 m3 4 5 M6 m7

Change the third note in Harikamboji to a minor third, to get Kharaharapriya. Harikamboji, is a major scale because it has the major 3rd note. The third when changed to a minor 3rd, the scale becomes a minor scale – kharaharapriya.

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Chords by comparison – major scales Chords for the three major scales from one

Using the major scale chords with one note changes, we can play chords for Kalyani and Harikamboji. This makes it easier for us because we need to remember or find out chords for the major scale only. The chords for the other ragas can be playedd by changing just one note.

Kalyani chords from Shankarabharanam Chords

We know the chords of the C major scale: C Dm Em F G Am Bdim Use these chords with the one note changed to play chords for Kalyani or Harikamboji

Kalyani is different from the major scale only by the 4th note. Sharpen the 4th of the major scale and we have kalyani. Change F to F# and we have C kalyani. To play the chords of C kalyani, for example, all we need to do is, change any F to F# in any of the above chords.

C major scale C Dm Em F G Am Bdim chords

Notes of chords of C E G D F A E G B F A C G B D A C E B D F C major scale

Notes of chords of C E G D F# E G B F# A G B D A C E B D C Kalyani (F to F#) A C F#

C Kalyani chords C D Em F#dim G Am Bm

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Chords of Harikamboji from Shankarabharanam chords

C Shankarabharanam : C D E F G A B C C Harikamboji : C D E F G A Bb C Change the B to a Bb to get the chords of C Harikamboji from chords of C major scale (Shankarabharanam)

C major scale C Dm Em F G Am Bdim chords

Notes of chords of C E G D F A E G B F A C G B D A C E B D F C major scale

Notes of chords of C E G D F A E G F A C G Bb A C E Bb D C Harikamboji (B Bb D F to Bb)

C Harikamboji C Dm Edim F Gm Am Bb chords

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

Chords by comparison – minor scales Chords for Raga Kharaharapriya and Raga Hanumatodi can be found from the chords of the natural minor scale (Raga Natabhairavi)

C major and A natural minor as basis

A natural minor is the 6th mode of the C major scale. The A natural minor which uses the same notes as the C major scale, only starting from A instead of C. Since C major scale does not have any sharps or flats, neither does A natural minor. A natural minor chords are same as that of the C major scale.

C major scale chords: C Dm Em F G Am Bdim A natural minor chords: Am Bdim C Dm Em F G Look at the above sequence of chords for A natural minor, and you can use it to find the chords for natural minor from any root or Raga Natbhairavi starting from any pitch.

Sequence of chords of natural minor: Minor- dim – major – minor – minor – major - major

C natural minor (C natabhairavi) notes : C D Eb F G Ab Bb Chords of C natural minor: C minor – D dim – Eb major – F minor – G minor – Ab major – Bb major

Kharaharapriya chords from Natural minor chords

C Natural minor Natabhairavi notes : C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Kharaharapriya notes : C D Eb F G A Bb Change Ab note to A in each chord of C natural minor (Natabhairavi) where the Ab note appears, to get chords of C Kharaharapriya.

Chords for Songs, Scales, Indian Raga

C natural minor Cm Ddim Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb chords

Notes of chords of C Eb D F Eb G F Ab G Bb Ab C Bb D C natural minor G Ab Bb C D Eb F

Notes of chords of C Eb D F A Eb G F A C G Bb A C Bb D C Kharaharapriya G Bb D Eb F (Ab to A)

C Kharaharapriya Cm Dm Eb F Gm Adim Bb chords

Hanumatodi chords from Natural minor chords

C Natabhairavi (natural minor) notes : C D Eb F G Ab Bb C Hanumatodi notes : C Db Eb F G A Bb Change D note to Db in each chord of C natural minor (Natabhairavi) where the D note appears, to get chords of C Hanumatodi.

C natural minor Cm Ddim Eb Fm Gm Ab Bb chords

Notes of chords of C Eb D F Eb G F Ab G Bb Ab C Bb D C natural minor G Ab Bb C D Eb F

Notes of chords of C Eb Db F Eb G F Ab G Bb Ab C Bb C Kharaharapriya G Ab Bb C Db Eb Db F (D to Db)

C Hanumatodi Cm Db Eb Fm Gdim Ab Bbm chords