Raga

A ''raga'' (, ; also ''raaga'' or ''ragam'' or ''raag''; ) is a melodic framework for improvisation in Indian classical music akin to a melodic mode. ''Rāga'' is central to classical Indian music. Each ''rāga'' consists of an array of melodic structures with musical motifs; and, from the perspective of the Indian tradition, the resulting music has the ability to "colour the mind" as it engages the emotions of the audience.

Each ''rāga'' provides the musician with a musical framework within which to improvise. Improvisation by the musician involves creating sequences of notes allowed by the ''rāga'' in keeping with rules specific to the ''rāga''. ''Rāga''s range from small ''rāga''s like Bahar and Sahana that are not much more than songs to big ''rāga''s like Malkauns, Darbari and Yaman, which have great scope for improvisation and for which performances can last over an hour. ''Rāga''s may change over time, with an example being Marwa, the primary development of which has been going down into the lower octave, in contrast with the traditional middle octave. Each ''rāga'' traditionally has an emotional significance and symbolic associations such as with season, time and mood. ''Rāgas'' are considered a means in the Indian musical tradition for evoking specific feelings in listeners. Hundreds of ''rāgas'' are recognized in the classical tradition, of which about 30 are common, and each ''rāga'' has its "own unique melodic personality".

There are two main classical music traditions, ''Hindustani'' (North Indian) and ''Carnatic'' (South Indian), and the concept of ''rāga'' is shared by both. ''Rāga'' is also found in Sikh traditions such as in ''Guru Granth Sahib'', the primary scripture of Sikhism. Similarly, it is a part of the ''qawwali'' tradition in Sufi Islamic communities of South Asia. Some popular Indian film songs and ghazals use ''rāgas'' in their composition.

Every raga has a svara (a note or named pitch) called shadja, or adhara sadja, whose pitch may be chosen arbitrarily by the performer. This is taken to mark the beginning and end of the ''saptak'' (loosely, octave). The raga also contains an adhista, which is either the svara Ma or the svara Pa. The adhista divides the octave into two parts or ''anga'' – the ''purvanga'', which contains lower notes, and the ''uttaranga'', which contains higher notes. Every raga has a ''vadi'' and a ''samvadi''. The ''vadi'' is the most prominent svara, which means that an improvising musician emphasizes or pays more attention to the ''vadi'' than to other notes. The samvadi is consonant with the vadi (always from the ''anga'' that does not contain the vadi) and is the second most prominent svara in the raga. Provided by Wikipedia