Svara
A musical note named Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha or Ni.
The seven basic svara names are shadja, rishabha, gandhara, madhyama, panchama, dhaivata and nishada. Their short forms are S R G M P D N.
Variants in notation
Sa and Pa have fixed relationships to the tonic. Ri, Ga, Ma, Dha and Ni have named variants. Trailing digits distinguish them: G2 means sadharana gandhara, while G3 means antara gandhara.
The twelve pitch positions support sixteen theoretical names: R2/G1, R3/G2, D2/N1 and D3/N2 share positions in the scale model. Their role and spelling depend on the raga.
Full svara key
| Symbol | Name |
|---|---|
| S | Shadja |
| R1 | Shuddha Rishabha |
| R2 | Chatusruti Rishabha |
| R3 | Shatsruti Rishabha |
| G1 | Shuddha Gandhara |
| G2 | Sadharana Gandhara |
| G3 | Antara Gandhara |
| M1 | Shuddha Madhyama |
| M2 | Prati Madhyama |
| P | Panchama |
| D1 | Shuddha Dhaivata |
| D2 | Chatusruti Dhaivata |
| D3 | Shatsruti Dhaivata |
| N1 | Shuddha Nishada |
| N2 | Kaisiki Nishada |
| N3 | Kakali Nishada |
Compare these names in the 72 Melakarta scales.