Swar, registers and note signs

Seven names, more than seven pitch positions

Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni are the seven swara names. Re, Ga, Dha and Ni can have komal forms; Ma can have a tivra form. In the common terminology used here, Sa and Pa are achal. This vocabulary should not be confused with a rule that every performance uses equal-tempered keyboard tuning.

Registers

Mandra, madhya and tara describe lower, middle and upper registers. The same note name may occur in more than one octave. A missing octave sign can therefore change a phrase substantially even when its sequence of letter names looks correct.

Reading notation

S R G M P D N are shuddha notes, r g d n are komal notes, and M^ is tivra Ma. ↑ marks the upper octave and ↓ the lower; unmarked notes are in the middle octave. — continues the previous sound, · marks an unsung position, and parentheses indicate grace notes.

Lyrics and syllable rows

Full lyric text, Roman transliteration, meaning and beat-aligned syllables serve different purposes. Syllable rows use Roman letters or Devanagari; each cell shows their timing, holds and repetitions. Case such as D in a lyric transliteration must not be interpreted as a swara outside the score's notation layer.

Reading in Hindi

The English and Hindi pages use the same note symbols, octave arrows and duration signs. Hindi meanings explain the lyrics without changing the music.

Shruti is not an extra piano keyboard

The inherited glossary introduces the traditional count of 22 shrutis. That should not be taken to mean 22 equal steps or 22 universally fixed frequencies to be used mechanically in every raga. Precise pitch treatment belongs with the musical tradition, phrase and demonstration under discussion.

Check your reading

Before singing a row, identify its tonic convention, altered notes, octave signs and duration marks.