Sikh Ragas
Raga (singular rag or raga, plural raga or ragas) is a complex structure of musical melody used in India and should not be confused with scales.
A raga is basically a set of rules of how to build a melody. It specifies a scale, as well as rules for movements up and down the scale, which notes should figure more and which notes should be used more sparingly, which notes take which ornamentation, which notes must be bent, which notes may be bent, phrases to be used, phrases to be avoided, and so on. The result is a framework that can be used to compose or improvise melodies in, so that melodies in a certain raga will always be recognisable yet allowing endless variation.
The underlying scale is a five, six or seven tone-scale. In the seven tone-scale the second, third, fourth, sixth, and seventh notes can be sharp or flat, making up the twelve notes in the Western scale. However, ragas can specify microtonal changes to this scale: a flatter second, a sharper seventh, and so forth. Furthermore, such variations can occur between styles, performers or simply follow the mood of the performer. There is no absolute pitch; instead, each performance simply picks a ground note, and the other scale degrees follow relative to the ground note.
Every time of the day, morning, afternoon, evening and night, has its specific ragas.
Also See Kirtan, Sikh Kirtan, Taal, Ragmala
Ragas in Alphabetical Order
The following are the ragas that are mentioned in the SGGS:
No. | Name of Raga | Order in SGGS | Page Range | Page Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Asa | 4 | 347 to 489 | 142 |
2 | Bairari | 13 | 719 to 721 | 2 |
3 | Basant | 25 | 1168 to 1197 | 29 |
4 | Bhairon | 24 | 1125 to 1168 | 43 |
5 | Bihagara | 7 | 537 to 557 | 20 |
6 | Bilaval | 16 | 795 to 859 | 64 |
7 | Devagandhari | 6 | 527 to 537 | 10 |
8 | Dhanasari | 10 | 660 to 696 | 36 |
9 | Gauri | 3 | 151 to 347 | 196 |
10 | Gond | 17 | 859 to 876 | 17 |
11 | Gujari | 5 | 489 to 527 | 38 |
12 | Jaijavanti | 31 | 1352 to 1353 | 1 |
13 | Jaitsri | 11 | 696 to 711 | 15 |
14 | Kalian | 29 | 1319 to 1327 | 8 |
15 | Kanara | 28 | 1294 to 1319 | 25 |
16 | Kedara | 23 | 1118 to 1125 | 7 |
17 | Maajh | 2 | 94 to 151 | 57 |
18 | Mallar | 27 | 1254 to 1294 | 40 |
19 | Mali Gaura | 20 | 984 to 989 | 5 |
20 | Maru | 21 | 989 to 1107 | 118 |
21 | Nat Narain | 19 | 975 to 984 | 9 |
22 | Prabhati | 30 | 1327 to 1352 | 25 |
23 | Ramkali | 18 | 876 to 975 | 99 |
24 | Sarang | 26 | 1197 to 1254 | 57 |
25 | Sri | 1 | 14 to 94 | 80 |
26 | Sorath | 9 | 595 to 660 | 65 |
27 | Suhi | 15 | 728 to 795 | 67 |
28 | Tilang | 14 | 721 to 728 | 7 |
29 | Todi | 12 | 711 to 719 | 8 |
30 | Tukhari | 22 | 1107 to 1118 | 11 |
31 | Vadahans | 8 | 557 to 595 | 38 |
Ragas in Order of Number of Pages
The following are the ragas that are mentioned in the SGGS shown in order of number of pages devoted to the raga:
No. | Name of Raga | Order in SGGS | Page Range | Page Count |
---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Gauri | 3 | 151 to 347 | 196 |
2 | Asa | 4 | 347 to 489 | 142 |
3 | Maru | 21 | 989 to 1107 | 118 |
4 | Ramkali | 18 | 876 to 975 | 99 |
5 | Sri | 1 | 14 to 94 | 80 |
6 | Suhi | 15 | 728 to 795 | 67 |
7 | Sorath | 9 | 595 to 660 | 65 |
8 | Bilaval | 16 | 795 to 859 | 64 |
9 | Maajh | 2 | 94 to 151 | 57 |
10 | Sarang | 26 | 1197 to 1254 | 57 |
11 | Bhairon | 24 | 1125 to 1168 | 43 |
12 | Mallar | 27 | 1254 to 1294 | 40 |
13 | Gujari | 5 | 489 to 527 | 38 |
14 | Vadahans | 8 | 557 to 595 | 38 |
15 | Dhanasari | 10 | 660 to 696 | 36 |
16 | Basant | 25 | 1168 to 1197 | 29 |
17 | Kanara | 28 | 1294 to 1319 | 25 |
18 | Prabhati | 30 | 1327 to 1352 | 25 |
19 | Bihagara | 7 | 537 to 557 | 20 |
20 | Gond | 17 | 859 to 876 | 17 |
21 | Jaitsri | 11 | 696 to 711 | 15 |
22 | Tukhari | 22 | 1107 to 1118 | 11 |
23 | Devagandhari | 6 | 527 to 537 | 10 |
24 | Nat Narain | 19 | 975 to 984 | 9 |
25 | Kalian | 29 | 1319 to 1327 | 8 |
26 | Todi | 12 | 711 to 719 | 8 |
27 | Kedara | 23 | 1118 to 1125 | 7 |
28 | Tilang | 14 | 721 to 728 | 7 |
29 | Mali Gaura | 20 | 984 to 989 | 5 |
30 | Bairari | 13 | 719 to 721 | 2 |
31 | Jaijavanti | 31 | 1352 to 1353 | 1 |
See Also
Kirtan: | Raga · Taal · Ragmala · Classical Music · Sangeet · Dhuni · Divan · Asa di Var · Jatha · Simran · Shabad · Tuk · Rababi · Dhadhi |
Ragas: | Asa · Bairari · Basant · Bhairon · Bihagara · Bilaval · Devagandhari · Dhanasari · Gauri · Gond · Gujari · Jaijavanti · Jaitsri · Kalian · Kanara · Kedara · Maajh · Malaar · Mali Gaura · Maru · Nat Narain · Prabhati · Ramkali · Sarang · Sri · Sorath · Suhi · Tilang · Todi · Tukhari · Vadahans |
Ragis: | Harjinder Singh · Maninder Singh · Amolak Singh · Darshan Singh · Balwinder Singh · Harbans Singh · Anoop Singh · Niranjan Singh · Amrik Singh · Avtar Singh · Snatam Kaur ·Kamaljit Kaur · Dileep Kaur · Joginder Singh · SS Maskeen |
Saaj: | Harmonium · Tabla · · Tanpura · Taus · Rabab · Sarangi · Dilruba · · Saranda · Sarode · Sitar · Santoor · Pakhawaj · Dhadh · Dholak · Dool |