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Steps

Method 1: All Keyboards

1. 1

Identify the repeating pattern of keys on the piano. Find the note "C" on your keyboard, as shown in the image below. This is the first note of the C Major scale: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, and back to C.

Introducing Major Scale in Desi Style

For centuries, most Western music has been based on major and minor scales. That is one of the things that make it instantly recognizable as Western music. Most of the music of Eastern Asia is based upon thaat and ragas. A scale is a list of all the notes that begins with a specific key. Major scales all follow the same interval pattern. The simple, sing-along, nursery rhymes and folk songs we learn as children, the cheerful, toe-tapping pop and rock we dance to or Qomi Tarana, Pak Ser Zameen: Most music in a major key has a bright sound that people often describe as cheerful, inspiring, exciting, or just plain fun. In C Major Scale you may play the song "ik pyar kaa nagma hai". It consists all the white keys from any starting C to the next. C. Music in a particular key tends to use only some of the many possible notes available; these notes are listed in the scale associated with that key. The notes that a major key uses tend to build "bright"-sounding major chords. They also give a strong feeling of having a tonal center, a note or chord that feels like "home" in that key. The "bright"-sounding major chords and the strong feeling of tonality are what give major keys their pleasant moods. In this lesson we will learn all about the major scale. Although we will use a keyboard, the lesson should be of use to anyone who wants to learn about one of the most important and useful scales in music.

In a keyboard you will see the familiar repeating pattern of notes. Starting from one C and moving upwards to the next produces the notes: C D E F G A B C

Learn all the note names on a keyboard. The white key to the left of two black keys is always a C, now moving to the next white keys on the right we have D - E - F - G - A - B then back to C again. These note names just keep repeating. The name of the black keys (and some white keys as well) varies depending on whether it's a sharp or a flat. For example, the black key next to C may either be a C# or a Db. If you've played these C D E F G A B C notes on your keyboard - you've just played a Major Scale. This is the scale known as C Major. C Major is the most common scale in all Western music and there are eight notes in C Major scale. To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a major scale:

Major Scale = whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - whole step - half step or w - w - h - w - w - w – h Or we can write

whole whole half whole whole whole half

step step step step step step step

1 to 2 to 3 to 4 to 5 to 6 to 7 to 8

Now, assign numbers to each note of a major scale, always assign number one to the root note. For example, in the C major scale the root note is C with number 1 and other numbers will be assigned as follows:

C = 1

D = 2

E = 3

F = 4

G = 5

A = 6

B = 7

C = 8

So, based upon this sequence a C major scale would be comprised of the following tones: C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C (in a single octave).

Understanding Tones and Semitones

To understand how to find other major scales we need to look more closely at the construction of our C Major Scale. Have a look at the keyboard again. By adding in the black notes, we can see that there are actually 12 notes between one C and the next. The distance from one of these 12 to its neighbor is known as a semitone. If you have a keyboard, try playing up the keyboard from one C to the next, playing all 12 notes.

Notice how some notes of the C major scale have another note in between them (eg. from C to D there is a black note in between), whereas some don't (e.g. from E to F). The gap from C to D consists of two semitones, and is known as a tone. This pattern of tones and semitones is how the scale gets its particular colour. The major scale is formed out of the following mixture of tones and semitones or we can say a major scale consists of 7 different notes. The intervals from note to note of the major scale in any key are:

tone - tone - semitone - tone - tone - tone - semitone

Finding other major scales in desi style.

To find any other major scale, you simply repeat the pattern of tones and semitones, starting from the note in question.

For example, let's try D major Scale which is: D E F# A B C#

1 First note D

2 Tone higher: E

3 Tone higher: F#

4 Semitone higher: G

5 Tone higher: A

6 Tone higher: B

7 Tone higher: C#

8 Semitone higher: D

(Just in case you're not clear, F# indicates the black note immediately above the F)

Many students of keyboards dread scales. But without the knowledge of scales, you will never be able to create your original melodies. Scales teach you correct fingering patterns.

Practice each hand separately, before attempting to play both hands! The fingering for the RH is: ascending 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5 and descending 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1. As you ascend, tuck your thumb under your third finger and complete the scale using finger numbers 1 2 3 4 5. When you descend, cross your third finger over your thumb and complete the scale using finger numbers 3 2 1. LH fingering: ascending 5 4 3 2 1 3 2 1 and descending 1 2 3 1 2 3 4 5. The same instructions apply regarding tucking the thumb under the second finger when descending and crossing the third finger over the thumb when ascending.

Throughout your study of the keyboard, especially when you are learning new music, or an exercise, it is important that you practice each hand separately at first. Once your finger muscles have memorized the movement (s) you may then practice with both hands. But remember to practice slowly at first. How can you run, if you can’t walk?

Getting Use to Keyboard Finger Movements:

Place your right hand on a tabletop or your thigh. Slowly, tap each finger, starting with your thumb and proceed with fingers 2-5. (I.e. 1-2-3-4-5, 1-2-3-4-5 etc.)

Repeat this at least ten times. Raise your fingers very high.

Now practice starting with your 5th finger and proceed with fingers 4-1. (i.e. 5-4-3-2-1, 5-4-3-2-1 etc.) Have you noticed that when you’re tapping fingers 1-5, you are moving up; and on the other hand when you are tapping fingers 5-1, you are moving down. These 5-finger movements are needed to play the keyboard well. Now here’s where the fun begins! Repeat the instructions above using your left hand. That’s right. If you are “right-handed”, your left hand is naturally weaker than your right. So, remember, a keyboardist is only as good as his weaker hand. Therefore, you must spend more practice-time using the weaker hand/fingers

Major scales in all 12 keys with flats and sharps

Fingering Scales

I. General Fingering Rules

1. The fingering always alternates 123 1234 (or 321 4321) so that the same fingering pattern repeats every octave.

2. The thumb always stays on the white keys and never on black keys.

3. The fourth finger always plays a black key (when there is a black key to be played in the scale).

4. The fifth finger is only used in practice of scales in all 3 octaves together.

5. When working out scale passages in the literature, consider alternatives that put the fingering patterns in alignment between the hands (thumbs happening together somewhere in the scale).

II. Fingerings Scales

1. These are just the fingering patterns: Feel free to use finger 5 when appropriate (first note, last note, turning around).

2. Feel free to revert to traditional fingerings, especially when performing the melodic minor scale ascending and descending.

3. In western scale “C” major contain white keys only, so we also use fifth finger in practice of scales.

Major & Minor Desi Scale Fingering Chart

Major Scales Natural Minor Scales

Key Fingering Key Fingering

RH C major 12312341 A minor 12312341

LH 14321321 14321321

RH G major 12312341 E minor 34123123

LH 32132143 14321321

RH D major 12312341 B minor 34123123

LH 21432132 13214321

RH A major 12312341 F# minor 34123123

LH 21321432 43213214

RH E major 12312341 C# minor 34123123

LH 14321321 32143213

RH B/Cb major 12312341 G#/Ab minor 34123123

LH 13214321 32132143

RH F#/Gb major 23412312 D#/Eb minor 31234123

LH 43213214 21432132

RH C#/Db major 23123412 A#/Bb minor 41231234

LH 32143213 21321432

RH Ab major 34123123 F minor 12341231

LH 32143213 21321432

RH Eb major 31234123 C minor 12312341

LH 32143213 21321432

(14321321)

RH Bb major 41231234 G minor 23412312

(12312341)

LH 32143213 21321432

(14321321)

RH F major 12341231 D minor 23123412

(12312341)

LH 32143213 21321432

(14321321)

Chords

Chords are used to play along with the melody of a song. There are many different types of chords; the most common are major and minor chords. Or a chord is a group of notes, which are played together. On electronic keyboards, it is possible to play a chord using only one finger in the extreme left octave. Find the auto bass chord section (eg. Yamaha Keyboards), or Casio-chord section (eg. Casio keyboards), or chord intelligence (eg. Rolland or Kawai keyboards) and select the single finger position. This will allow you to play chords using only one or two fingers. On electronic keyboards, chords can also be played with three, four or sometimes more fingers. Chords are usually played with the left hand and the melody is played with the right. Keyboard Chords, are formed by combining two or more scale notes. You know the notes that comprise all 12 major scales and you can play these scales smoothly and not quickly. Begin combining the scale notes to form chords. We will begin our study with the simplest and most common type of piano chords, the triad.In Western music, most harmony is based on chords. In other words chords are groups of notes built on major or minor triads (3 notes). In traditional triadic chords, there are always at least three notes in a chord. The notes of the chord may be played at the same time, or may overlap, or may be played separately but in a quick enough succession that they will be "heard" as a chord.

Major & Minor Chord Fingering

Shown above is the left and right hand with each finger numbered. Remember the finger numbers, as I will be using them in this section.

Left Hand

The simplest fingering for a three-note chord such as C major chord with the left hand is 5-3-1, that is, pinky, middle finger and thumb. The pinky would go on the C, the middle finger on the E and the thumb on the G. This fingering can be used for all major and minor chords on the keyboard regardless of whether they have black keys or not. The same fingering can be used for playing all major and minor chords.

Right Hand

The same fingering reversed can be used for playing C major chord with the right hand, 1-3-5. So in this case the thumb goes on C, the middle finger on E and pinky on G. The same reversed fingering can be used for playing all major and minor chords.

Exercises

Try working out and playing these chords and playing with either hand to test out this fingering. You can play each hand separately or play both hands together:

C Major

E Major - Notice that the fingering still works even though G# is a black key.

G Minor - B flat is a black key in this chord.

A flat Minor - This is a tricky one, its notes are A flat, B and E flat.

Chord Progression

A series of chords played one after another is a chord progression. Musicians may describe a specific chord progression e.g. "two measures of G major, then a half measure of A minor and a half measure of D seventh", or we simply say "G, A minor, D seventh" in short.

Major Chords

As the name implies a triad is composed of 3 notes from the major scale. We shall begin with the major triad. A major triad consists of the 1st, 3rd, and 5th notes or tone of a major scale. You will also see this referred to as the root (1st), major third (3rd), and perfect fifth (5th). So, based upon this C major chord would consist of the notes C, E, and G of the C major scale. The symbols for a major triad are Major, M, or Maj. Whenever you see these names or symbols following a keyboard note (C, D, Eb, F#, etc.) you know it is referring to major triad chords. Or if you are just given the note (C, D, etc.) it is inferred to be a major triad. Now, when you practice major chords, it is recommend that you form them using the 1st, 3rd, and 5th fingers of your right hand. Thumb (1st), middle finger (3rd), and pinky (5th). Your left hand will form these chords using the 1st, 3rd, and 5th fingers also, but the numbering is pinky (1st) middle finger (3rd) and thumb (5th).

C

1 D

2 E

3 F

4 G

5 A

6 B

7

Your First Chord

Now that you've got the melody down you want to make it sound a bit more like a keyboard piece by adding something with your left hand to it. That something is going to be chords. The reason for choosing Silent Night as your first piece is because it only contains three chords, and they are all of the same type like Major. Remember, a chord is a just two or more note played at the same time, for the purposes of this song we are going to be using three note chords also known as triads. So what are the chords you need to know? C Major, F Major and G Major, I will now show you how to play each of these chords on the keyboard. To play the chord simply press the keys marked for the chord. So to play C Major I would press C, E and G at the same time.

C Major

F Major

G Major

The next thing you need is a "chord with", this is a way of telling you where the chords come with respect to the melody and lyrics.

So to start you off, you would play the first note of the song (G) with your right hand while at the same time playing the C chord as given above with your left hand. Now simply keep holding the C chord while you play the first line of the song. When the melody gets up to the section where the G chord is simply play a G chord in your left hand and continue with the melody in the right. Continue this all the way through until you can play the whole song with chords in your left and melody in your right hand at the same time.

Playing Major Chord any where in the Keyboard:

Now you are going to know how to play Major chord anywhere on the keyboard. Say we wanted to work out the major chord G Major the process is as follows (its probably best to practice this at the keyboard). Find the note G on the keyboard this is known as the root note of the chord.

G major chord

Next count up 4 half tones from G to get you to B, this is the second note of your chord. Now count up 3 half tones from B to get you to D. This is your G major chord G-B-D. So the Major chord consists of the root note, a note 4 half tones above the root note, a note 3 half tones above the middle note. That’s it! As soon as you read that you just learnt all the major chords on the keyboard. The Major chord consists of the interval of 4 half tones followed by an interval of 3 half tones.Lets try another one, work out the A Major chord.

Find the root note, in this case A.

Count up 4 half tones from A to get C#.

Count up 3 half tones from C# to get E

And we have the A major chord, A - C#

How to find Chords in different desi keyboards rhythm section.

Yamaha and Technics Keyboard Chord Section:

To play G7 Chord on this type of keyboards, press lowest G key with the fourth finger of your left hand, together with the white key immediately to its left, using your fifth finger.

Casio Keyboard Chord Section

To play a G7 chord on this type of keyboard, press the lowest G key with the fourth finger of your left hand, together with the two white keys to its right, using your third and second fingers.

Kawai and Roland Keyboard Chord Section

To play G7 chord on this type of keyboard, press the lowest G key with the fourth finger of your left hand, together with the second key to its left, using your fifth finger.

When you add chords to a song, the keyboard also allows you to have a bass and drum accompaniment at the same time. Chords are indicated by chord symbols, which are written above notations of songs.

Chords in auto accompaniment section:

1. Setup the one finger chord function on your keyboard.

2. Select a disco, or tabla style beat from the rhythm section.

3. Find the switch called synchro/start (e.g: Yamaha keyboards).

4. Press the C chord key and release it immediately. Your keyboard will begin playing a C chord with bass and drum accompaniment, and continue playing until you press another key, or the stop button. Look in your owners manual if you need more help to use this feature.

How Minor Scales Are Formed

The sound of the minor scale generally makes people think of "Indian music" - although in truth, the scale isn't used much in that genre. A natural minor scale consists of 7 different notes. These intervals from note to note are:

tone - semitone - tone - tone - semitone - tone – tone

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

If we learn the formula of building all major and minor scales then we can make chords ourselves. Learn scales that are fundamentals of music and play songs with them. A natural minor piano scale is also known as a relative or related minor scale. To find the relative minor scale of any major scale, locate the 6th tone (note) in a major scale and you will have found it's related minor. For example, C major scale is composed of C, D, E, F, G, A, B, C (octave). The 6th note of the C major scale is A. Therefore A minor is the relative or related minor of a C major scale. This means that both A minor and C major are comprised of the same tones or notes. If you start at A on any on the keyboard and play all the white notes to next octave A, then you can count the series of whole and half steps which make up a natural minor scale. The sequence is whole step, half step, whole step, whole step, half step, whole step, and whole step.

To simplify, you can memorize this formula to form a minor scale = whole step - half step - whole step - whole step - half step - whole step - whole step or w - h - w - w - h - w - w.

Practice these keyboard scales with both hands until you can move smoothly or not necessarily quickly from beginning to end and back again in all 12 keys. When you practice your scales, you should use the fingering technique outlined in these lessons. This technique works with major and minor keyboard scales and will help with your finger movements and control. So get to it and practice these natural and minor scales. While the Major scale is considered the foundation of western music theory, the next most important is probably the Minor scale, also known as the Pure Minor or Natural Minor scale. The terms "major" and "minor" are essential concepts in music, and as with chords, they arise from the third degree of the scale. All major scales and chords include a major third degree (four semitones), giving them a strong, assertive feel.

All minor scales and chords include a minor third degree (three semitones) instead, giving them a gentle, melancholy or sad feel. When the Major scale was introduced earlier, you may have wondered why the key of C has the special privilege, compared to the other keys, of containing only natural notes. Why not for example, the key of A, which is our first alphabetical letter? Also, why do single semitone intervals occur only between B/C and E/F, while there are two semitones between all the other natural notes? It seems that centuries ago, when letters were first given to notes, the Natural Minor scale was considered the most important. Note letters were therefore allocated to suit the intervals of the Natural Minor scale. As you can see above, this means that the A Natural Minor scale contains all natural notes, the same as the C Major scale. The Natural Minor scales with other root notes all have at least one sharp or flat note. This makes a lot more sense. It also offers insight why it has the name of "Natural" minor, compared to the other minor scales, which have different names, and different patterns of intervals

Minor scales in all 12 keys with flats and sharps

Musical Emotions

The psychological effects of the major and minor scales, and their respective tonalities, can be understood as the emotional corollaries of these underlying ideas. The major scales revolve around the ideas and the concomitant emotions of order, purity, devotion, submission and worship. The minor scales revolve around the ideas and the related emotions of sacrifice, humanity, complexity and partnership. Minor scale songs show sorrow, grief and sadness

List of 700 Indian Songs Scale, Styles & Tempo Information In Excel:

Note:- Almost all famous Indian film songs can be played with these 40 styles. List of 700 Indian songs with information of their western scales, psr style to select, tempo to fix and mfd will be provided for free with 40 styles package if payment is made through western union. It is a great research work of Salesh Pujara who was once accordion player of Kalyanjee Anandjee and now playing tyros in UK. Salesh Pujara performed accordion for the films Muqadar Ka Sikandar, Amar Akbar Anthony and Naseeb etc.

Download MS Excel List:

700 Songs Scale, Style, Tempo Information in MS Excel for Yamaha, PSR, Download Demo List

If you know the scale of song then you can play that song yourself:

List of 700 famous Indian film songs scales, tempo, yamaha psr styles to play and mfd will be provided with the purchase of western style e.book.

Keyboard Lessons | Previous Page | Page 2 of 12 | Next Page

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Now Introducing Major Scale in Desi Style. Why learn keyboard in desi style free. Listen

o Note the pattern of white keys: three white keys enclosing two black keys, and four white keys enclosing three black keys.

o You can also see it this way: the black keys repeat a five-key pattern of two black keys separated by one white key, then two white keys, then three black keys separated by one white key, then two white keys.

o This pattern is constant on all keyboards. Every note on the keyboard is represented in this single 12-note octave—they're just higher or lower in pitch.

2. 2

Identify the black keys. Using the image below, identify and learn the black keys on the keyboard.

o Note that each black key has two possible names. For example, there is C sharp (C♯) and D flat (D♭). What you call this note depends on what key you are in or what chord you are playing. Here are the names of the notes on the black keys:

o 1st black key in the group is C♯ or D♭

o 2nd black key in the group is D♯ or E♭

o 3rd black key in the group is F♯ or G♭

o 4th black key in the group is G♯ or A♭

o 5th black key in the group is A♯ or B♭

o Notice that to find the note of a black key, you either go to the white key immediately before (to the left of) it and use a sharp sign, or you go to the white key immediately after (to the right of) it and use a flat sign.

3. 3

Find the octave the note is in. Use the image below as a reference.

o Start by finding Middle C. This note belongs in the octave 4, and is highlighted in red, above.

o Go down or up to reach the octave that your key is in, decreasing or increasing the octave number respectively as you go.

4. 4

Learn what the notes look like. Learning what the written notes look like can also help you understand the relationship of the notes.

o Here is a chart showing what the white notes look like, musically, starting at C4 (the C in the 4th octave).

o Here is a chart showing what the black notes look like, musically, starting at C♯4. On the top line, the notes are written as sharps. On the bottom line notes are written as flats. Though they look different, they sound exactly the same.

Method 2: 88-Key Keyboards and Pianos

1. 1

Start at the first key to the left. This is the lowest note playable and it is designated A0 (the A at the zeroth octave).

2. 2

Go up (to the right) the keyboard using only the white keys. The keys you'll encounter are detailed as follows:

o First (left-most or lowest) white key is: A0

o 2nd white key is: B0

o 3rd white key is: C1

3. 3

Follow the pattern. Notice and repeat the following pattern for the remainder of the white keys, starting at the third white key:

o 3rd white key is: C1

o 4th white key is: D1

o 5th white key is: E1

o 6th white key is: F1

o 7th white key is: G1

o 8th white key is: A1

o 9th white key is: B1

o 10th white key is: C2

o Notice how, after reaching B1, the pattern will repeat again for the next higher octave: C2. This pattern continues up the keyboard: C2 to C3, C3 to C4, and so on.

4. 4

Learn the black keys. Starting at the lowest black note on the keyboard—at the leftmost side—the first black key is A♯0 or B♭0.

o The symbol ♯ is read as sharp', and the symbol ♭ is read as flat.

5. 5

Move up (to the right) in the keyboard, you'll find the following group of 5 black keys immediately after the first black key:

o 2nd black key is C♯1 or D♭1.

o 3rd black key is D♯1 or E♭1.

o 4th black key is F♯1 or G♭1.

o 5th black key is G♯1 or A♭1.

o 6th black key is A♯1 or B♭1.

o As with the white keys, the black keys continue the same pattern up the keyboard.

Edit Video

Edit Tips

• Memorize all the white and black notes for one octave—C to C. Once you have those memorized, they are exactly the same for every octave on the keyboard. Whether your keyboard has 2 octaves or 8, it's all the same!

• When starting to learn the piano, spend time watching your hands and learning the right position. Practice the proper posture when playing as this is very important as you progress. It is always harder to undo bad habits!

Edit Warnings

• Do not write the names of the notes directly onto a piano or keyboard. Some keyboards have the note names written already so if you really want that feature, buy one of those. However, the practice itself is not recommended. While it may seem easier at first, It will become a crutch that will actually slow down your progress.

Edit Things You'll Need

• A Piano or Keyboard.

• You might want to print the diagrams above at first.

• The dedication of some time to learning and memorizing the notes on the keyboard.

Edit Related wikiHows

• How to Read Music

• How to Choose a Piano

• How to Play the Piano

• How to Be Good at Piano

• How to Play Middle C on the Piano

• How to Choose Between Digital or Acoustic Piano

• How to Learn the Piano Keyboard

Edit Sources and Citations

• Piano key frequencies - Wikipedia

• Pitch (Music) - Wikipedia

Article Info

Categories: Piano and Keyboard

Recent edits by: K53_PDX, Analogous Mind, Steve

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Features of a Raga in Indian Music

by Mukul Shri Goel

The Raga in Indian classical music is a musical atmosphere – defined by a set of properties – that imparts a distinctive melodious sound to all the diverse compositions that are based on it. The set of properties that characterize a raga include the allowable notes and order of their application (ascend and descend; aroha and avroha), the key groupings of notes (pakad), the most prominent note (vadi), the second most significant note (samvadi), the parent scale (thaat), the time (hours and/or season), and the nature or mood (prakriti).

For the purpose of learning more about these basic characteristics of a raga, let’s take an example of a simple yet celebrated raga – Vrindavani Sarang.

(Key: Musical Notes on the Higher Octave are in Bold, Notes on a Lower Octave are in Italics, Komal (soft) notes are Underlined, Shuddha notes are in regular script, a comma denotes a slight pause at the musician’s discretion.)

The Allowable Notes and their Order

Out of the twelve notes on the keyboard, Raga Vrindavani Sarang uses six notes; namely, Sa, Re, Ma, Pa, Ni, and Ni. However, there exists a condition: shuddha nishad (Ni) is to be used only in the ascend, and komal nishad (Ni) is allowed during the descend only. This condition makes five notes permissible while ascending (from Sa to higher notes) and five notes allowable while descending (from Sa to lower notes), making the raga a member of the audav-audav (five note-five note) family (jaati). Ga, Dha or teevra Ma can never be used.

On satisfying these conditions and arranging the notes in their natural order, the aroha (ascend) for this raga becomes:

Ni Sa Re, Ma Pa, Ni Sa

And the avroha (descend) becomes:

Sa Ni Pa, Ma Re, Sa

Prominent Notes and Preferred Progression

You must have noticed the slight pauses after Re and Pa in the above aroha-avroha sequences. The reason for pausing at these notes in a presentation is that these two notes demand special status in Raga Vrindavani sarang – they are to be used prominently for an authentic display of this raga. Because Re is the most important note of the raga (vadi note), the longer one holds this note in a performance, the easier it is form the atmosphere of the raga. Similarly, the second most significant note (samvadi note) is Pa. Such relative importance of notes must be kept in mind during both raga-based composing and improvising (alaap/ taan).

The preferred note progression, pakad, for Raga Vrindavani Sarang is as follows:

Ni Sa Re, Ma Re, Pa Ma Re, Sa

Repeated use of these key groupings of notes can highlight the uniqueness of this raga and prevent the performer from entering the domains of closely associated ragas, either from its parent scale (thaat Kafi ) or the sarang-group. In the pakad, you can again note the significance of the note ‘Re’ for this raga.

The Timing and Mood

The time of this raga is ‘afternoon.’ Even though the rule regarding time is not strictly followed by many musicians, it is believed that the vibrations of Vrindavani Sarang would be more effective in creating the desirable effect on its listeners if it is performed in the afternoon. Besides, this raga is more suitable for the monsoon (rainy) season. Because the name of this raga has originated from the town of Vrindavan, where Krishna enacted many divine plays (leelas) during His incarnation, devotional songs are often composed in this raga. The mood of this raga is believed to be devotional. Though lyrics in classical presentations are regularly short so that the mood and intricacies of the raga can be focused upon, lyrics, while composing, must be chosen to match this feel of the raga.

A Composition

A traditional composition (chhota khayal) with a devotional flavor, commonly taught to beginners in Hindustani Classical Music, is given below.

Lyrics

Ban-ban dhoondhan jaaoon. Kithoon chhip gaye Krishna Murari.

Sheesh mukut aur kanan kundal, bansi dhar man rang firat Girdhari.”

(Implied Meaning: Having searched numerous places in the material world, the devotee wonders where Lord Krishna, adorned with a crown on the head, earrings, and a flute, is hiding.)

Sthayi (part 1)

Antara (part 2)

The rhythmic cycle (taal) involved in this khayal is – Teentaal (16 beats), the most popular taal of Hindustani classical music. From the perspective of percussion, the major ‘pulse’ (sam; first beat) in a teentaal composition can be felt after every 16 beats. (This is the moment where most members of the audience nod their head.) Minor pulses (internal divisions) in this cycle can be felt every four beats. The song is set to medium-fast tempo.

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DiscussThe Melekartha System is the most scientific system of creation and classification of ragas and forms the basic of the classical carnatic music system.

Melakartha system uses a powerful scientific algorithm to create the fundamental 72 ragas of the carnatic music system. All other ragas in the carnatic music system are derived from one/more of these 72 ragas. The derived ragas are called janya ragas.

Classical Instruments

In the Melakartha system we divide the 12 keys of an octave (in the keyboard) into 7 swaras as follows:

1. Shadjama

S = Shadjama = First key of the octave

2. Rishaba

R1 = Shudhdha Rishabha = Second key of the octave

R2 = Chathushruthi Rishabha = Third key of the octave

R3 = Sathshruthi Rishabha = Fourth key of the octave

3. Gandhara

G1 = Shudhdha Gandhara = Third key of the octave

G2 = Sadharana Gandhara = Fourth key of the octave

G3 = Anthara Gandhara= Fifth key of the octave

4. Madhyama

M1 = Shudhdha Madhyama = Sixth key of the octave

M2 = Prathi Madhyama = Seventh key of the octave

5. Panchama

P = Panchama = Eigth key of the octave

6. Daivatha

D1 = Shudhdha Daivatha = Nineth key of the octave

D2 = Chathushruthi Daivatha = Tenth key of the octave

D3 = Sathshruthi Daivatha = Eleventh key of the octave

7. Nishadha

N1 = Shudhdha Nishadha = Tenth key of the octave

N2 = Kaishika Nishadha = Eleventh key of the octave

N3 = Kaakali Nishadha = Twelveth key of the octave

You can see above that R2=G1, R3=G2, D2=N1 and D3=N2. The reason for this lies in the Melakartha algorithm.

Melartha Algorithm

The Melakartha algorithm is as follows:

• A Melakartha Raga has all the 7 swaras in it.

introduction

The term "Indian Classical Music" refers to two related, but distinct, traditions rooted in antiquity. Both are very much alive in India today. The North Indian style is known as "Hindustani", while the South Indian tradition is referred to as "Carnatic". This page deals mainly with Hindustani Classical Music, about which I know a little bit. While I also appreciate Carnatic music, I do so as an outsider.

What is Hindustani Classical Music? Like any kind of music, it is hard to say in a few words. But let me try, in case the reader is totally unfamiliar with this music.

The basic scale of Hindustani music is similar to the western 12-note scale. The main difference is that the Hindustani scale is not tempered. Thus, the intervals between consecutive notes are not equal. Indeed, they can be varied slightly to suit the particular raga that is being performed. The same note, in different ragas, may have slightly differing positions. The notes themselves have names as in Western music, and here they are:

Hindustani: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni

Western: Do Re Mi Fa So La Si

These seven notes are like the white keys on a piano keyboard. There are intervals between them: to be precise, there are five intermediate notes. The one between Sa and Re is called "Komal Re" (like Re flat), between Re and Ga is "Komal Ga" (like Mi flat), between Pa and Dha is "Komal Dha" (like La flat), and between Dha and Ni is "Komal Ni" (like Si flat). That accounts for four notes. The fifth lies between Ma and Pa Carnatic on Keyboard

In the carnatic music system we distribute the 12 keys of an octave among the 7 swaras of a raga. The seven swaras are sa,re,ga,ma,pa,dha,ni.

Sa & Pa have one key associated with them each ie., the First and Fifth white key respectively.

Ma can take any of the two keys ie., either third black key or fourth white key.

Ri and Ga can share any two of the four keys between Sa (First white key) and Ma (Third black key).

Similarly Dha and Ni can share any two of the four keys after Pa (Fifth white key).

See below for details of representing the twelve keys of an octave in Carnatic keyboard notes.

 s - Shadjama - First key in an octave

 r1 - Shuddha Rishaba - Second key in an octave

 r2 - Chatushruthi Rishaba - Third key in an octave

 r3 - Satsruthi Rishaba - Fourth key in an octave

 g1 - Shuddha Gaandhaara - Third key in an octave

 g2 - Saadhaarana Gaandhaara - Fourth key in an octave

 g3 - Anthara Gaandhaara - Fifth key in an octave

 m1 - Shuddha Madhyama - Sixth key in an octave

 m2 - Prathi Madhyama - Seventh key in an octave

 p - Panchama - Eighth key in an octave

 d1 - Sudhdha Dhaivatha - Ninth key in an octave

 d2 - Chatusruthi Dhaivatha - Tenth key in an octave

 d3 - Shatsruthi Dhaivatha - Eleventh key in an octave

 n1 - Sudhdha Nishaadha - Tenth key in an octave

 n2 - Kaisiki Nishaadha - Eleventh key in an octave

 n3 - Kaakali Nishaadha - Twelveth key in an octave

The above notations refer to middle octave of the keyboard.

Higher octave (octave immediately above) notations will also be the same as above except that they will be in capital letters.

For instance: n3 in higher octave shall be written as N3

Lower octave notations will also be same as above except that they will be underlined.

For instance: n3 in lower octave shall be written as n3

Octave above the higher octave (i.e the second higher octave) will be indicated with a capital letter and an overscore above the note.

For instance: n3 in second higher octave shall be written as N3.

Carnatic-Western Keyboard Map

Below is a mapping of keys between classical Indian and Western notations:

Indian Notation Western Equivalent Keyboard key

s C First key in an octave

r1 C# (C Sharp) Second key in an octave

r2 / g1 D Third key in an octave

r3 / g2 D# (D Sharp) Fourth key in an octave

Indian Classical Music: Tuning and Ragas

Module by: Catherine Schmidt-Jones. E-mail the author

Summary: For the Western listener, a basic introduction to the tuning and scales used in the classical music of India.

Links

[hide links]

Prerequisite links

• Tuning Systems

• Modes and Ragas

Supplemental links

• Scales that Aren't Major or Minor

• Harmonic Series

Introduction

The music of India sounds quite exotic to most Western audiences. Two major reasons for this are the differences between the two traditions in tuning and scales. The following is a short introduction to these differences, meant for someone who has a basic understanding of Western music theory but no knowledge of the Indian music tradition. For an introduction that concentrates on music appreciation and avoids music theory, please see Listening to Indian Classical Music. (For more about Western scales and tuning, please see Major Keys and Scales, Minor Keys and Scales, and Tuning Systems.)

The term Indian Classical Music encompasses two distinct but related traditions. The Northern Indian tradition is called the Hindustani tradition. The Southern Indian tradition is called Carnatic. (As with many Indian words, there are a variety of spellings in common usage in English, including Karnatak and Karnatik.) Both traditions feature a similar approach to music and music theory, but the terms used are often different. For example, where the Hindustani tradition has that, the Carnatic has mela. The following discussion focuses on the Hindustani tradition, as it is more familiar to the rest of the world.

Ragas

One reason that Indian music sounds so different to the Westerner is that the major/minor tonal system is not used. Harmony, and specifically tonal harmony, has been the basic organizing principle in Western music - classical, folk, and popular - for centuries. In this system, a piece of music is in a certain key, which means it uses the notes of a particular major or minor scale. The harmonies developed using those notes are an integral, basic part of the development and form of the music. Most of the complexity of Western music lies in its harmonies and counterpoint.

The music of India does not emphasize harmony and does not feature counterpoint. In fact, most Indian classical music features a single voice or instrument on the melody, accompanied by drone and percussion. There is no counterpoint and no chord progression at all. Instead, the interest and complexity of this music lies in its melodies and its rhythms. (Just as Indian music can seem confusing and static to someone accustomed to listening for harmonic progressions, Western melodies - based on only two types of scales - and Western rhythms - based on only a few popular meters - may sound overly similar and repetitive to someone accustomed to Indian music.)

Western music divides an octave into the twelve notes of the chromatic scale. But most pieces of music mainly use only seven of these notes, the seven notes of the major or minor key that the piece is in. Indian music also has an octave divided into twelve notes. These twelve notes are called swaras; they are not tuned like the notes of the chromatic scale (please see below). Also similarly to Western music, only seven notes are available for any given piece of music.

But there are important differences, too. Western scales come in only two different "flavors": major and minor. The two are quite different from each other, but any major key sounds pretty much like any other major key, and any minor key sounds basically like every other minor key. This is because the relationships between the various notes of the scale are the same in every major key, and a different set of relationships governs the notes of every minor key. (Please see Major Keys and Scales and Beginning Harmonic Analysis for more on this.)

The seven-note thats of Indian music, on the other hand, come in many different "flavors". The interval pattern varies from one that to the next, and so the relationships between the notes are also different. There are ten popular thats in Hindustani music, and Carnatic music includes over seventy mela.

Note:

Although the first note of an Indian scale is often given as C, Indian thats and ragas are not fixed in pitch; any raga may actually begin on any pitch. The important information about each that and raga "scale" is the pattern of intervals, the (relative) relationship between the notes, not absolute frequencies.

Some Example That

Figure 1: Here are the scale notes for some that. For ease of comparison, it is assumed that each raga is beginning on a (Western) C. Notice that the pattern of half step, whole step, and minor third intervals is unique to each that. Do you notice anything else? (Answer is below, in the section on tuning.)

Making for even more variety, a piece of Indian classical music may not even use all seven of the notes in the that. The music will be in a particular raga, which may use five, six, or all seven of the notes in the that. And a that can generate more than just three ragas (one pentatonic, one hexatonic, and one full raga). For example, Bilawal raga includes all 7 notes of Bilawal that (which corresponds to the Western C major scale). Meanwhile, Deshkar and Durga are both five-note ragas that are also based on Bilawal that. Deshkar omits the two notes (Ma and Ni) corresponding to F and B; and Durga omits the two notes (Ga and Ni) corresponding to E and B.

Further confusing the issue for the novice, the two traditions often use the same name for completely different ragas, and there can be disagreement even within a tradition as to the name or proper execution of a particular raga. Ragas may be invented, combined, borrowed from other traditions, or dropped from the repertoire, so the tradition itself, including the "theory", is in many ways more fluid and more varied than the Western tradition.

It is also important to understand that a raga is not just a collection of the notes that are allowed to be played in a piece of music. There are also rules governing how the notes may be used; for example, the notes used in an ascending scale (aroha) may be different from the notes in a descending scale (avaroha). Some notes will be considered main pitches, the "tonic" or "most consonant" in that raga, while other notes are heard mostly as ornaments or dissonances that need to be resolved to a main note. Particular ornaments or particular note sequences may also be considered typical of a raga. The raga may even affect the tuning of the piece.

If this seems overly complicated, remember that the melodic and harmonic "rules" for major keys are quite different from those of minor keys. (Consider the melodic and harmonic minor scales, as well as the tendency to use different harmonic progressions.) This actually is quite analogous; the big difference is that Indian music has so many more scale types. Since the nuance and complexity of Indian music are focused in the melody rather than the harmony, it is this large number of scales that allows for a great and varied tradition.

Those who are particularly interested in modes and scales may notice that there is a rough correlation between some Hindustani thats and the Western church modes. For example, the pattern of intervals in Asavari is similar to that of the Aeolian mode (or natural minor scale), and that of Bilawal is similar to the Ionian mode (or major scale). Some thats do not correlate at all with the Western modes (for example, take a close look at Purvi and Todi, above), but others that do include Bhairavi (similar to Phrygian mode), Kafi (Dorian), Kalyan (Lydian), and Khamaj (Mixolydian). Even for these, however, it is important to remember the differences between the traditions. For example, not only is Asavari used in a very different way from either Aeolian mode or the natural minor scale, the scale notes are actually only roughly the same, since the Indian modes use a different system of tuning.

Tuning

The tuning of modern Western Music is based on equal temperament; the octave is divided into twelve equally spaced pitches. But this is not the only possible tuning system. Many other music traditions around the world use different tuning systems, and Western music in the past also used systems other than equal temperament. Medieval European music, for example, used just intonation, which is based on a pure perfect fifth. (Please see Tuning Systems for more about this.)

The preferred tuning system of a culture seems to depend in part on other aspects of that culture's music; its texture, scales, melodies, harmonies, and even its most common musical instruments. For example, just intonation worked very well for medieval chant, which avoided thirds, emphasized fifths, and featured voices and instruments capable of small, quick adjustments in tuning. But equal temperament works much better for the keyboard instruments, triadic harmonies, and quick modulations so common in modern Western music.

In India, the most common accompaniment instrument (as ubiquitous as pianos in Western music) is the tanpura. (There are several alternative spellings for this name in English, including taanpura and tambura.) This instrument is a chordophone in the lute family. It has four very long strings. The strings are softly plucked, one after the other. It takes about five seconds to go through the four-string cycle, and the cycle is repeated continuously throughout the music. The long strings continue to vibrate for several seconds after being plucked, and the harmonics of the strings interact with each other in complex ways throughout the cycle. The effect for the listener is not of individually-plucked strings. It is more of a shimmering and buzzing drone that is constant in pitch but varying in timbre.

And the constant pitches of that drone are usually a pure perfect fifth. You may have noticed in the figure above that C and G are not flatted or sharped in any of thats. Assuming tuning in C (actual tuning varies), two of the strings of the tanpura are tuned to middle C, and one to the C an octave lower. The remaining string is usually tuned to a G (the perfect fifth). (If a pentatonic or hexatonic raga does not use the G, this string is tuned instead to an F. The pure perfect interval is still used however, and you may want to note that a perfect fourth is the inversion of a perfect fifth.) So a just intonation system based on the pure fifth between C and G (or the pure fourth between C and F) works well with this type of drone.

Pure intervals, because of their simple harmonic relationships, are very pleasing to the ear, and are used in many music traditions. But it is impossible to divide a pure octave into twelve equally spaced pitches while also keeping the pure fifth. So this brings up the question: where exactly are the remaining pitches? The answer, in Indian music, is: it depends on the raga.

Indian music does divide the octave into twelve swaras, corresponding to the Western chromatic scale. Also, just as only seven of the chromatic notes are available in a major or minor scale, only seven notes are available in each that. But because just intonation is used, these notes are tuned differently from Western scales. For example, in Western music, the interval between C and D is the same (one whole tone) as the interval between D and E. In Indian tuning, the interval between C and D is larger than the interval between D and E. Using the simpler ratios of the harmonic series, the frequency ratio of the larger interval is about 9/8 (1.125); the ratio of the smaller interval is 10/9 (1.111). (For comparison, an equal temperament whole tone is about 1.122.) Western music theory calls the larger interval a major whole tone and the smaller one a minor whole tone. Indian music theory uses the concept of a shruti, which is an interval smaller than the intervals normally found between notes, similar to the concept of cents in Western music. The major whole tone interval between C and D would be 4 shrutis; the minor whole tone between D and E would be 3 shrutis.

In some ragas, some notes may be flattened or sharpened by one shruti, in order to better suit the mood and effect of that raga. So, for tuning purposes, the octave is typically divided into 22 shrutis. This is only for tuning, however; for any given that or raga, only twelve specifically-tuned notes are available. The 22 shrutis each have a specific designation, and the intervals between them are not equal; the frequency ratios between adjacent shrutis ranges from about 1.01 to about 1.04.

As mentioned above, there is a great variety of traditions in India, and this includes variations in tuning practices. For example, Dhrupad, a very old form of North Indian music, can be considered as dividing the octave into 84 rather than 22 microtones, including unusual variations on the C and G drone pitches which are not based on the pure intervals.

In spite of the fact that these tunings are based on the physics of the harmonic series, Indian music can sound oddly out of tune to someone accustomed to equal temperament, and even trained Western musicians may have trouble developing an ear for Indian tunings. As of this writing, one site devoted to helping Western listeners properly hear Indian tunings was The Perfect Third.

Note Names

As mentioned above, Indian music, like Western music, recognizes seven notes that can be sharped or flatted to get twelve notes within each octave. A flatted note is called komal. A sharped note is called teevra.

Indian Note Names

Figure 2: Since Indian scales are not fixed to particular frequencies, remember that it is more accurate to consider these scale names as being compared to a "moveable do" system (in which "do" may be any note) than a "fixed do" (in which do is always the C as played on a Western piano).

Acknowledgements and Suggested Resources

The author is grateful to Dr. S. S. Limaye, a professor of electronics at Ramdeobaba Engineering College and amateur musician, who provided much of the information on which this module is based. Thanks also to other corespondents who have offered encouragement as well as further explanations and clarifications. Any insights provided here are thanks to these very kind contributors. Any errors due to misunderstanding are my own.

Suggested Reading

• B. Subba Rao's 4-volume Raga Nidhi (Music Academy, Madras, 1996) is an encyclopedic resource that describes in detail both Hindustani and Karnatak ragas.

Online Resources available as of this writing

• This Hindustani Classical Music site included audio examples closely linked to explanations intended for

Keyboard or piano have the same keys so, these lessons are for both instruments. Many websites claim to have courses that you can purchase that will teach you how to "play piano by ear" or "learn the chord method", this book contains the same information as those courses and what's best is explained in a simple manner. Lots of people really would like to play the keyboard or piano, the most popular instrument. They don't know one note from another. They do know they love music and want to learn how to use chords and scales to play popular tunes of Indo-Pak. Many, many music lessons, charts, books, and explanations are available in websites and in bookstores. Which to choose? With books, you have to stop, turn the page, go back to another page, and try to keep the pages from flipping if the book doesn't lie flat or not in spiral binding. Web sites need scrolling or clicking the "back" or "forward" buttons. This e.book will provide you practical information about music-playing, as well as detailed material on the most convenient charts and graphics so you, too, can play your favorites music now. Be happy and don't worry.

You cannot find all information about keyboard chords, scales and fingerings in a single book. Western music books are being sold in parts. You are bound to purchase part two or three. The most important thing you can do is to make a commitment to learn the piano or keyboard. This means putting in the effort over the course of several weeks to learn and practice the theory taught on these pages. This article was initiated along with a set of articles on Western and Indian form of Music. This is an attempt to explain things to a newbie who has just got a keyboard and wants to romance with it. In my opinion, both Western and Indian music forms are complex subjects and any simplification will indeed be a tough task. Frankly, my expertise in both forms is limited and through my constant exposure over the period of years I have learnt few basics of both. It is indeed a great pleasure to share the knowledge that I have acquired from different resources and tried to compile this comprehensive book.

Listening to music is a pleasure that most get from birth. This increases to a great extent when you understand the basics and appreciate. Music can be defined as collection of small pieces of regular sound played at predefined time interval. An ingenious collection of these notes played over a period of time results in a melody. Hence both western and Indian or for that matter any form of regular music has a set of basic notes from which they grow, something like alphabets. There is a new concept evolving called “computer music” where a musician explores beyond the basic notes that are defined in music. In cakewalk and Cubase SX3 it is possible to explore beyond basics.

Let us see more on Notes - “Notes” what are they? Note can be technically explained as a sound frequency. Actually the sound that is produced when you press a key on musical keyboard is called as “NOTE”. It does not matter if you press the white key or the black key. Each key plays a predefined frequency. The note gets its shape by the amount of time you hold down the key and release it. This is called the note length or duration. Hence to make a “tune” or a “melody” or “song” you should play a bunch of these notes at proper duration and length. Before going more into it, let us explore the keyboard.

Sound Waves

Musical notes, like all sounds, are made of sound waves. The sound waves that make musical notes are very evenly spaced waves, and the qualities of these regular waves - for example how big they are or how far apart they are - affects the sound of the note. A note can be high or low, depending on how often (how frequently) one of its waves arrives at your ear. When scientists and engineers talk about how high or low a sound is, they talk about its frequency. Frequency is the number of cycles per second. The higher the frequency of a note, the higher it sounds. They can measure the frequency of notes, and like most measurements, these will be numbers, like "440 vibrations per second."

All sound waves are traveling at about the same speed, which is the speed of sound. So waves with a shorter wavelength arrive at your ear, quicker than longer waves.

Since the sounds are traveling at about the same speed, the one with the shorter wavelength arrives our ear faster because it has a higher frequency, or pitch. In other words, it sounds higher. The word that musicians use for frequency is pitch. The shorter the wavelength, the higher the frequency and the higher the pitch of the sound. In other words, short waves sound high and long waves sound low.

Sound Pitches

The interval between two notes is the distance between the two pitches - in other words, how much higher or lower one note is than the other. This concept is so important that it is almost impossible to talk about scales, chords, without referring to intervals. So if you want to learn western music theory, it would be a good idea to spend some time getting comfortable with the concepts and practicing identifying intervals.

Scientists usually describe the distance between two pitches in terms of the difference between their frequencies. Musicians find it more useful to talk about interval. Intervals can be described using half steps and whole steps. For example, you can say, B natural is a half step below C natural, or "E flat is a step and a half above C natural". But when we talk about larger intervals in the major/minor system, there is a more convenient and descriptive way to name them.

Naming Intervals

The first step in naming the interval is to find the distance between the notes. Count every space in between the notes. This gives you the number for the intervals. To find the interval, count spaces between two notes as well as all the spaces in between. The interval between B and D is a third. The interval between A and F is a sixth. Seconds, thirds, sixths, and sevenths can be major intervals or minor intervals. The minor interval is always a half step smaller than the major interval.

* Major and Minor Intervals1 half-step = minor second (m2)

* 2 half-steps = major second (M2)

* 3 half-steps = minor third (m3)

* 4 half-steps = major third (M3)

* 8 half-steps = minor sixth (m6)

* 9 half-steps = major sixth (M6)

* 10 half-steps = minor seventh (m7)

* 11 half-steps = major seventh (M7)

Tonal Center

A scale starts with the note that names the key. This note is the tonal center of that key, the note where music in that key feels "at rest". It is also called the tonic, and it's the "do-re-mi". For example, music in the key of A major almost always ends on an A major chord, the chord built on the note A. It often also begins on that chord, returns to that chord often, and features a melody and a bass line that also return to the note A often enough that listeners will know where the tonal center of the music is, even if they don't realize that they know it.

Learning the notes of the Keyboard and Piano in desi style

Before we can learn how to play scales chords it is vital that we learn the notes on keyboard and how they relate to each other. The best way to describe the notes on the keyboard is by comparing them to the notes of the alphabets. The first seven notes of the keyboard are ( A - B - C - D -E - F - G ). Each note differs with each other in sound. Below are all seven notes of the keyboard. Notice that the seven notes of keyboard repeat themselves over and over again. That the notes sound the same but the pitch differs. For example if you play C and move to the right until you find the next C, you will notice that if you play them simultaneously, both notes sounds the same but one is higher than the other.

Middle C marks the center of the keyboard. As you will notice the C Major is the easiest and simplest scale of the twelve. In C Major Scale you may play the song "ik pyar kaa nagma hai". It consists all the white keys from any starting C to the next. C. The diagram 1 below represents the C major scale in all three octaves. C major can be written as ( C maj, CM ).

A standard semi professional music keyboard has 48 keys. You will see 4 sets of 12 keys and total 48 keys. One of these 12 set of notes is technically called an octave. Western music is based on logarithmic division. An octave is divided into 12 equal intervals such that the logarithm of the frequency ratio of two neighboring intervals is the same. This interval is called a semi tone. There are 12 mutuall