i would like to know more about ragas. how can we differentiate them?

-- geetha sri (geethasri_p@yahoo.com), March 08, 2003

Answers

There are arohana/avarohanas of over 5000 ragas available. Ragas are classified according to the notes used. There are 72 parent scales in CM called melas and only 10 in HM called thaats. Generally speaking, any CM raga uses only one of the madhyamas. There are exceptions. In HM both madhyams are often used. Identifying a particular raga comes with experience. Normally one associates a song with a particular raga. Ragas are not mere scales. Nor are they modes. They have ascending and descending notes(usually no less than 5).The notes are not rendered stuccato but are sort of joined together with slides, slurs and gamakas to produce a pleasing effect. In HM ragas are designated as morning ragas, afternoon ragas, evening ragas and night ragas. In CM most ragas can be sung at any time. In HM the composition(text) is incidental whereas in CM they form an important part of the concert. Some hindustani rags have found a place in CM (Yamankalyan, Behag, Tilang, Jog, Bageshri etc) and many Carnatic ragas have been borrowed by hindutani musicians (Hamsadhvani, Charukesi, Shanmukhapriya, Simhendramadhyam, Sarasvati, Arabhi etc).

-- Lakshman (luzchurch@hotmail.com), March 08, 2003.

It is difficult to explain how to differentiate ragas.

You have to keep hearing a set of songs in a select set of ragas and try to find out the common thread in all the songs of the same raga.

If you have a musical ear and some sruthi gnaanam, it will come over a period of time.

-- Sri (sridhar@hotmail.com), September 04, 2003.