Merukhand :: Practical Application

Dear Music Lover - apologies for the delay of this post. 
There is a lot of ground to cover, so let's get straight to it.

By now it must be clear as to how swar permutations are created. Now we will focus on using these permutations in raag vistaar ie. raag elaboration. First we will deal with three swar permutations and then with four.

Three Swar Permutations

1. Simple Selections
Initially, let us look for raag's that do not give importance to nyaas swars (pause/emphasis notes) and the aroha - avroha are straightforward. Some examples include Raag Malkauns, Madhukauns, Durga, Abhogi, Shivranjani, Bairagi, etc. For our purpose we will use Raag Malkauns.

2. Working with a Raag

When deriving permutations using Merukhand, each swar can used only once in each permutation. But this need not be followed during riyaaz or a recital. Practice the above 6 permutations thoroughly. The challenge is not to miss or slip up in any of the swars. 

The general idea while practicing Merukhand is simple - 

Master one set of permutations and then and only then move on to the next set. 

Any raag will offer a lot of swar sets. In Raag Malkauns here are a few sets in addition to the above - Sa ga Ma | Sa ga dha | Sa ga ni | Sa Ma dha | Sa Ma ni | ga Ma ni | ga dha ni | Sa dha ni, etc. 

So let us try another set - ga dha ni.

3. Varying Saptaks (Octaves)

So far we were reciting in the Madhya Saptak (middle/natural octave). Now we will change the saptak of individual swars and see how that goes.

4. Various Styles 

Once a set of permutations has been mastered, gradually begin to increase the tempo at which they are recited. Eventually various types of taan's  will be derived from the exercise. Eventually try reciting in aakaar rather than sargam. Finally, try using a bandish or words from it. In the demo below, we use the permutations of ga-Ma-dha trio to:
a. Increase tempo and arrive at a varkra taan.
b. Try the Dhrupad style. 
c. Use a single word from a bandish 

5. 4 Swar groups - Simple 

Now let us turn towards 4 swars. We already have used ga-Ma-dha from Raag Maalkauns. Let's add Sa to the group.

Contd...