Indian Music: Basic Components

Svara: 

• The basic scale (grama) of Indian music is heptatonic and it has seven notes. 
• It has seven notes or svara- saa, re/ri, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni which Indian musicians collectively designate as saptak or saptaka.

Sruti

• A shruti is the smallest gradation of pitch available, while a swara is the selected pitches from which the musician constructs the scales, melodies, and ragas. 
• The Natya Shastra identifies and discusses twenty-two shruti and seven swara per octave.

Raga

• It is a collection of pitches, kind of like a scale or mode in Western music. 
• Each raga is defined, however, not only by the pitches themselves but also by specific formulas for using them. 
• It has been named and classified in Matanga’s Brihaddeshi.

Tala

• The word ‘Tala’ finds its derivation from the Sanskrit root ‘tal’, meaning the base or pivot upon which a thing rests.
• In Sangeet Ratnakar, defining ‘Tala’ Pt. Sarangadeva says, ‘Tala’ has been derived from the Sanskrit root ‘tal’, which is the base upon which an object is fixed.
• In the same way, ‘Tala’ is the base upon which vocal, instrumental music and dance are established.

Thaat

• Thaat is a system of classification of ragas in different groups.

Rasas

• The reason behind the creation of ragas was to evoke emotional responses in the performer and the audience. 
• These emotions, which are evoked through the singing and playing of instruments are called Rasas.