- Pt. Vijay Bakshi
Einstein's Relativity of Motion - where we stand, and deliver!
While travelling in a train, there is an illusion that the surrounding scenery and are rushing backwards. Though, along with our fellow travellers, we are hurtling along at, hopefully, magnificent speeds - we appear to be stationary vis-a-vis other passengers.
But for a couple of kids standing at the side of the tracks, it is obviously, to their eternal delight, that the train is in motion. Whether the kids are out just for a chance to wave at the train, or marvel, once again, at this gentle mechanical giant - standing next to each other they appear stationary to each other. But, if by some childish magic they were to ascend into outer space, it might obvious that the Earth is not stationary but revolving around it's own axis while circumambulating around the Sun - which is going through it's own motions.
The key here is the relativity of motion. The passengers consider themselves stationary, while the kids at the side of the tracks, and everyone else not in the train, know that the train is in motion. Consequently, motion is not objective - it needs a context. Let us apply this principle in music.
Relativity of Shadja - co-motion!
Imagine that an vocalist is performing alaap* in Raag Kalavati. A person in the audience is sitting far enough from the stage that the tanpura cannot be heard. Only the mesmerising performance of the vocalist can be heard. Another person joins, and asks the first about the raag being performed. The first person informs that it is Raag Abhogi. It will be easy to dismiss that person as ignorant of music - but unwise. For without the context of the Shadja - the note which the tanpura drones in the background - it is virtually impossible to identify a raag. So if our audience member, who could not hear the tanpura, is technically not incorrect. He just assumed another Shadja.
Based on the vocalist Shadja, Raag Kalavati consists of the following swars:
Sa Ga Pa Dha ni Sa Ga Pa
But if we change to Shadja to the swar Pa(Pancham) we get the following result:
Ma Dha Sa Re ga Ma Dha Sa
These swars resemble Raag Abhogi.
*Alaap is an unmetered gradual Raag introduction and expansion.
Quantum Leaps of Shadja - either here or there!
Let us do an exercise which will illustrate the above point. Write down in a line the 12 swars that are commonly used - seven shuddha swars, 4 komal, and Teevra Madhyam.
Below this line - write Sa directly below re(Komal Rishabh), and then fill in the remaining swars. On subsequent lines keep moving the Sa by one place. The table below depicts this exercise. It has three lines that are filled. Create your own version.
Fill it up and your very own quick-reference moorchana table is ready. Starting from any swar and moving sequentially forward creates a moorchana. The concept of moorchana is discussed in ancient texts as well.
Each of us if familiar with a Samvadini - a keyboard based musical instrument. Usually novices are confused about which key is Shadja. Due to knowledge of moorchana we can now answer confidently - any key can be considered Sa. Classical vocalist usually denote their natural Shadja by referencing a key. eg. I sing in Kaali 1 (C#).
When a composer informs a singer that the song 'is in madhyam' - the composer is implying that the Shadja is to be moved to Shuddha Madhyam swar for the song.
Sounds New - lets resonate!
Moorchana is used to create new raag's. Pt. Ravi Shankar created new raags viz. Parameshwari, Rangeshwari, Gangeshwari, etc., based on moorchana's of Raag Saraswati. Also, moorchana can be used to compose songs or create music pieces between two verses of a song.
Here is a little exercise for you. Raag Bhoop consists of the following swars:
Sa
Re - Shuddha Rishabh
Ga - Shuddha Gandhaar
Pa - Pancham
Dha - Shuddha Dhaivat
The moorchana of Raag Bhoop gives swars of other raags. Your task is to find them. You can either use the table that you created above or the SaRas app for Android devices. The app should make your search easy, and it can be put other uses of moorchana as well - as it has 12 tanpura's to suit your specific needs.
If you have any queries - feel free to contact me on vvb.saakaar@gmail.com.
Einstein's Relativity of Motion - where we stand, and deliver!
While travelling in a train, there is an illusion that the surrounding scenery and are rushing backwards. Though, along with our fellow travellers, we are hurtling along at, hopefully, magnificent speeds - we appear to be stationary vis-a-vis other passengers.
But for a couple of kids standing at the side of the tracks, it is obviously, to their eternal delight, that the train is in motion. Whether the kids are out just for a chance to wave at the train, or marvel, once again, at this gentle mechanical giant - standing next to each other they appear stationary to each other. But, if by some childish magic they were to ascend into outer space, it might obvious that the Earth is not stationary but revolving around it's own axis while circumambulating around the Sun - which is going through it's own motions.
The key here is the relativity of motion. The passengers consider themselves stationary, while the kids at the side of the tracks, and everyone else not in the train, know that the train is in motion. Consequently, motion is not objective - it needs a context. Let us apply this principle in music.
Relativity of Shadja - co-motion!
Imagine that an vocalist is performing alaap* in Raag Kalavati. A person in the audience is sitting far enough from the stage that the tanpura cannot be heard. Only the mesmerising performance of the vocalist can be heard. Another person joins, and asks the first about the raag being performed. The first person informs that it is Raag Abhogi. It will be easy to dismiss that person as ignorant of music - but unwise. For without the context of the Shadja - the note which the tanpura drones in the background - it is virtually impossible to identify a raag. So if our audience member, who could not hear the tanpura, is technically not incorrect. He just assumed another Shadja.
Based on the vocalist Shadja, Raag Kalavati consists of the following swars:
Sa Ga Pa Dha ni Sa Ga Pa
But if we change to Shadja to the swar Pa(Pancham) we get the following result:
Ma Dha Sa Re ga Ma Dha Sa
These swars resemble Raag Abhogi.
*Alaap is an unmetered gradual Raag introduction and expansion.
Quantum Leaps of Shadja - either here or there!
Let us do an exercise which will illustrate the above point. Write down in a line the 12 swars that are commonly used - seven shuddha swars, 4 komal, and Teevra Madhyam.
Below this line - write Sa directly below re(Komal Rishabh), and then fill in the remaining swars. On subsequent lines keep moving the Sa by one place. The table below depicts this exercise. It has three lines that are filled. Create your own version.
 |
| Table 4.1 Moorchana of 12 swars exercise |
Fill it up and your very own quick-reference moorchana table is ready. Starting from any swar and moving sequentially forward creates a moorchana. The concept of moorchana is discussed in ancient texts as well.
Each of us if familiar with a Samvadini - a keyboard based musical instrument. Usually novices are confused about which key is Shadja. Due to knowledge of moorchana we can now answer confidently - any key can be considered Sa. Classical vocalist usually denote their natural Shadja by referencing a key. eg. I sing in Kaali 1 (C#).
When a composer informs a singer that the song 'is in madhyam' - the composer is implying that the Shadja is to be moved to Shuddha Madhyam swar for the song.
Sounds New - lets resonate!
Moorchana is used to create new raag's. Pt. Ravi Shankar created new raags viz. Parameshwari, Rangeshwari, Gangeshwari, etc., based on moorchana's of Raag Saraswati. Also, moorchana can be used to compose songs or create music pieces between two verses of a song.
Here is a little exercise for you. Raag Bhoop consists of the following swars:
Sa
Re - Shuddha Rishabh
Ga - Shuddha Gandhaar
Pa - Pancham
Dha - Shuddha Dhaivat
The moorchana of Raag Bhoop gives swars of other raags. Your task is to find them. You can either use the table that you created above or the SaRas app for Android devices. The app should make your search easy, and it can be put other uses of moorchana as well - as it has 12 tanpura's to suit your specific needs.
If you have any queries - feel free to contact me on vvb.saakaar@gmail.com.
Great reading.
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