The 72 melakartas →

Raaga Explorer

Hindustani and Carnatic raagas: the swaras, the aroh and avroh, and the thaat, vadi, samvadi and time of day for each. Hear the skeleton scale for your Sa.

A4 = 440 Hz (shared with the tuner)
Note speed
A held Sa and the Sa above it.

Raagas and scales

Tradition

A raaga is listed under every thaat, parent or time traditionally given for it.

Pick a raaga

Choose a name from the list. Each page shows the swaras, the aroh and avroh, and what is traditionally said about thaat, vadi, samvadi and time of day.

Not sure where to start? Try Bhoopali (Hindustani), Mohanam (Carnatic), the Bilawal thaat, or the table of all 72 melakartas.

A scale is not a raaga: the aroh and avroh here are a skeleton. A raaga is defined by its characteristic phrases, emphasis and ornamentation (gamaka), which this page does not teach.

How to read this page

  • Indian names first. Swaras are counted from your Sa: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni (Hindustani) or S R G M P D N with numbers (Carnatic). Western note names are the “also known as” line. With the footer's Indian terms switch off, short English explanations follow the Indian words; switch it on to hide them.
  • Notation. Hindustani: komal (lowered) and tivra (raised, only Ma) are written out; in the written scales Re(k) means komal Re and Ma(t) tivra Ma. A swara marked upper is in the octave above, lower the octave below. Carnatic: R1, R2, R3 are the three forms of Ri, and so on; R2 and G1 share a pitch, as do R3 and G2, D2 and N1, D3 and N2.
  • Pitches are the 12-note equal-tempered picture. Traditional theory divides the octave more finely (22 shrutis), and real music bends notes; this page does not show that.
  • Hindustani and Carnatic are always labelled. Look-alike names are different raagas: Desh is not Deshkar, Hindustani Bhairavi is not Carnatic Bhairavi, Hindustani Todi is not Carnatic Todi (Hanumatodi), Hindol is not Hindolam.
  • Time of day is a tradition, not a rule. The four groups in the filter are ours; each raaga shows the times traditionally given for it.

Keyboard shortcuts

  • Spaceplay aroh and avroh, or stop
  • Aplay the aroh (going up)
  • Vplay the avroh (coming down)
  • DSa drone on or off
  • Escstop every sound
  • ← →move Sa down or up a half step
  • [ ]previous or next raaga in the list
  • /jump to the search box

Shortcuts pause while you type in a field or use a menu. Space on a focused button or link presses it as usual.

Letter, number and punctuation shortcuts can be turned off: use the Keyboard shortcuts switch in the footer, under Display. Space, Enter, the arrow keys and Esc keep working.

What is missing, on purpose

  • Raaga names in Devanagari or Tamil script: not verified yet, so not shown.
  • Eight Hindustani raagas that are still being checked (listed as “coming later”).
  • Seasons, and times of day for Carnatic ragas (Carnatic music largely does not assign them).
  • Phrases (pakad, chalan), ornaments and the finer tuning that make a raaga: a scale page cannot teach them.