What is a raga?
A raga is a melodic framework from Indian classical music. It's more than a scale: it sets which notes are used, how the melody climbs and falls, which phrases define it, and the mood (rasa) it's meant to create. Many Hindustani ragas also belong to a time of day or a season.
Two ragas can share exactly the same notes and still sound different, because they move differently. That's why each raga page shows both the notes and the movement.
Reading the notes
Indian music names notes relative to the home note, Sa, like movable do. Pick any key for Sa and everything shifts with it.
| Sargam | Name | From C |
|---|---|---|
| S | Sa | C |
| r / R | komal Re / shuddha Re | D♭ / D |
| g / G | komal Ga / shuddha Ga | E♭ / E |
| M / M' | shuddha Ma / tivra Ma | F / F♯ |
| P | Pa | G |
| d / D | komal Dha / shuddha Dha | A♭ / A |
| n / N | komal Ni / shuddha Ni | B♭ / B |
Lowercase means komal (flat). M' means tivra (sharp) Ma. In the aroha and avaroha, a dot below a note means the lower octave and a dot above means the upper octave. Carnatic Nattai uses R3 (D♯) and D3 (A♯), which are shown by those names.
Aroha and avaroha
The aroha is how the raga ascends and the avaroha is how it descends. They often skip notes or zigzag. For example, Bihag skips Re and Dha going up. Playing a raga "correctly" starts with following these paths rather than running the scale straight.
Hear it your way
Every raga page has an instrument picker: sitar, bansuri (bamboo flute), santoor (hammered strings), harmonium, piano and electric keys. Your choice is remembered. Turn on the Drone for a tanpura playing Sa and Pa underneath, the way ragas are traditionally heard.
Each page also has a Good to know box: stories and traditions about the raga, how many notes it uses, and which Western scale or Carnatic parent scale shares its notes.
Chords that fit
Ragas are traditionally played over a drone, not chords. For fusion, film and pop, each raga page lists chords built only from the raga's notes. Home chords contain Sa, so they work best at resting points. If no major or minor chord fits, you'll see sus, diminished or power chords instead.
Using the MIDI in your DAW
- Pick your key with the Sa menu so the files match your track.
- Open a raga and tap Download MIDI. Set the tempo, then download the aroha and avaroha, the chords, the drone, or everything as a zip. Each chord also has its own download button.
- Drag the .mid file onto a MIDI track in your DAW. This works in Ableton Live, FL Studio, Logic Pro, GarageBand, Cubase, Studio One, Reaper and Bitwig.
- Put the drone on a pad, string or tanpura patch, the chords on keys, and use the aroha and avaroha as your note palette for melodies.
Tips for scale tools
- Ableton Live 12, FL Studio, Logic: their built-in scales rarely match a raga exactly. Drop the aroha-avaroha clip into the piano roll as a guide, or use it to see which keys to stay on.
- Keep the drone going while you write. It keeps Sa in your ear, which is what makes a melody sound like a raga.
Coming next
Pakad phrases (each raga's signature moves) as MIDI clips, a chord progression generator, more ragas, and a plugin for your DAW. Sign up below to hear when they're ready.