Carnatic Swaras and Western Notes -Comparison
No. Carnatic Swara Name Note in the Western System
1 Sa or Shadja C (Do)
2 Suddha Rishabha D flat (Re)
3 Chatussruti Rishabha D
4 Sadharana Gandhara E flat (Mi)
5 Antara Gandhara E
6 Suddha Madhyama F (Fa)
7 Prati Madhyma F sharp
8 Panchama or Pa G (So)
9 Suddha Daivata A flat (La)
10 Chatussruti Dhaivata A
11 Kaisiki Nishadha B flat (Ti)
12 Kakali Nishadia B
What is an octave?
An octave is doubling the pitch of a swara by a factor of 2. Take a look at a keyboard. You will notice the C key. In Carnatic music, the C key is called one kattai or a pitch of one. In a keyboard, the C key is followed by D, E, F, G, A, and B keys. The B key is again followed by another C key. That is, the range between a lower C to the next high is one octave. The range that begins from the next C until the next higher B is reached is Octave 2 and so on.
In Western Music, the interval between two keys or frequencies between two keys (.e.g. D and E) are of fixed intervals.However, in Carnatic music, the intervals between two keys are not absolute intervals but relative intervals or nominal intervals.
In the keyboard, there are black keys in between the white keys that represent pitches (e.g. C, D, etc.) These black keys represent half piches or frequencies between two swaras or notes (e.g. between C and D). In a keyboard, there are five white keys in between the seven black keys that represent the primary notes. The twelve notes are formed when we add the seven primary notes to the five half-notes or in-between frequency notes.
The twelve divisions are common both to Carnatic music and Western music.
Notation in Indian Music
There are two basic ways to write music - Staff notation and script notation.
Western music uses the Staff notation approach. In this approach, music is written on five parallel lines. The position of the note on the line and the space between lines indicate pitch.
The script notation is common to Indian music including, Carnatic music. In script notation, music is written on straight lines. The pitch, intervals and related measures are indicated by using additional symbols. The following will give a basic understanding of the script notation.
Duration (time) Swaras or Notes
1) akshara or unit time s r g m p d n
2)aksharas S R G M P D N
3)aksharas s, , r , , g , , m , , p , , d , , n , ,
or
S , R , G , M , P , D , N ,
(Comments::::Each comma represents one aksharam or unit time)
4) akshara s, , , r , , , g , , , m , , , p , , , d , , n , , ,
or
S , ,R , ,G , ,M , ,P , ,D , ,N , ,
5)Reducing the time ___
s s
===
s s (Comments::::::: One horizontal line on top of swaras indicate that the time is one-half and two lines on top denote that the time is one-quarter and so on.)
6)Sthayi or pitch . . . .
s r g m and
s r g m
. . . .
and
s r g m g (Comments::::::::::A dot on the top of a note indicates that it belongs to the higher octave and a dot below the note indicates that it belongs to the lower octave. Without a dot, indicates middle range or manthra sthayi.)
7)Swara type
The sixteen swaras that we discussed earlier, are represented using the following vowel notations.
Swara Notation
Suddha Rishabha......................................................................ra
Chatussruti Rishbha....................................................................ri
Shatsruti Rishbha.......................................................................ru
Suddha Gandhara......................................................................ga
Sadharana Gandhara..................................................................gi
Antara Gandhara.......................................................................gu
Suddha Dhaivatam.....................................................................dha
Chatussruti Dhaivatam...............................................................dhi
Shatsruti Dhaivatam......................................................................dhu
Suddha Nishadam.......................................................................na
Kaisiki Nishadam.........................................................................ni
Kakali Nishadam........................................................................ni
Sudha Madhyamam...................................................................ma
Prati Madhyamam......................................................................mi
Shadjam (single type).................................................................sa
Panchamam (single type)..............................................................pa
No. Carnatic Swara Name Note in the Western System
1 Sa or Shadja C (Do)
2 Suddha Rishabha D flat (Re)
3 Chatussruti Rishabha D
4 Sadharana Gandhara E flat (Mi)
5 Antara Gandhara E
6 Suddha Madhyama F (Fa)
7 Prati Madhyma F sharp
8 Panchama or Pa G (So)
9 Suddha Daivata A flat (La)
10 Chatussruti Dhaivata A
11 Kaisiki Nishadha B flat (Ti)
12 Kakali Nishadia B
What is an octave?
An octave is doubling the pitch of a swara by a factor of 2. Take a look at a keyboard. You will notice the C key. In Carnatic music, the C key is called one kattai or a pitch of one. In a keyboard, the C key is followed by D, E, F, G, A, and B keys. The B key is again followed by another C key. That is, the range between a lower C to the next high is one octave. The range that begins from the next C until the next higher B is reached is Octave 2 and so on.
In Western Music, the interval between two keys or frequencies between two keys (.e.g. D and E) are of fixed intervals.However, in Carnatic music, the intervals between two keys are not absolute intervals but relative intervals or nominal intervals.
In the keyboard, there are black keys in between the white keys that represent pitches (e.g. C, D, etc.) These black keys represent half piches or frequencies between two swaras or notes (e.g. between C and D). In a keyboard, there are five white keys in between the seven black keys that represent the primary notes. The twelve notes are formed when we add the seven primary notes to the five half-notes or in-between frequency notes.
The twelve divisions are common both to Carnatic music and Western music.
Notation in Indian Music
There are two basic ways to write music - Staff notation and script notation.
Western music uses the Staff notation approach. In this approach, music is written on five parallel lines. The position of the note on the line and the space between lines indicate pitch.
The script notation is common to Indian music including, Carnatic music. In script notation, music is written on straight lines. The pitch, intervals and related measures are indicated by using additional symbols. The following will give a basic understanding of the script notation.
Duration (time) Swaras or Notes
1) akshara or unit time s r g m p d n
2)aksharas S R G M P D N
3)aksharas s, , r , , g , , m , , p , , d , , n , ,
or
S , R , G , M , P , D , N ,
(Comments::::Each comma represents one aksharam or unit time)
4) akshara s, , , r , , , g , , , m , , , p , , , d , , n , , ,
or
S , ,R , ,G , ,M , ,P , ,D , ,N , ,
5)Reducing the time ___
s s
===
s s (Comments::::::: One horizontal line on top of swaras indicate that the time is one-half and two lines on top denote that the time is one-quarter and so on.)
6)Sthayi or pitch . . . .
s r g m and
s r g m
. . . .
and
s r g m g (Comments::::::::::A dot on the top of a note indicates that it belongs to the higher octave and a dot below the note indicates that it belongs to the lower octave. Without a dot, indicates middle range or manthra sthayi.)
7)Swara type
The sixteen swaras that we discussed earlier, are represented using the following vowel notations.
Swara Notation
Suddha Rishabha......................................................................ra
Chatussruti Rishbha....................................................................ri
Shatsruti Rishbha.......................................................................ru
Suddha Gandhara......................................................................ga
Sadharana Gandhara..................................................................gi
Antara Gandhara.......................................................................gu
Suddha Dhaivatam.....................................................................dha
Chatussruti Dhaivatam...............................................................dhi
Shatsruti Dhaivatam......................................................................dhu
Suddha Nishadam.......................................................................na
Kaisiki Nishadam.........................................................................ni
Kakali Nishadam........................................................................ni
Sudha Madhyamam...................................................................ma
Prati Madhyamam......................................................................mi
Shadjam (single type).................................................................sa
Panchamam (single type)..............................................................pa
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