This piece is an audava raga (also know as pentatonic in western music).
A raga is classical music that was primarily made for arts, for both spiritual and entertainment purposes in Hinduism. In Hindustanic, the most common way to classify a raga is under ten parents scales referred to as thaat. A thaat is a seven-note scale including one each of the seven notes sa re ga ma pa dha ni (the Indian equivalents of do re mi fa so la ti in western music). Raga is important to Hinduism, as some Hindus believing that music is itself a spiritual pursuit and a means to liberation. Ragas in the Hindu tradition, are believed to have a natural existence. Artists don’t invent them, they only discover them. Music appeals to human beings, according to Hinduism, because they are hidden harmonies of the ultimate creation.
A raga has a given set of notes, on a scale, ordered in melodies with musical motifs. A musician playing a raga may traditionally use just these notes, but is free to emphasize or improvise certain degrees of the scale. It’s kind of like a solo in a jazz band, you can stick to the sheet music or follow the chords and improvise.
Provide Feedback