40 Principles of Hindustaani Classical Music

(According to Pt. Bhatkhande)

The principles of Indian classical music are well
explained by these 40 principles put together by
Pandit Bhatkhande.
1> The Shuddha Saptak (The basic scale) is taken as
Bilaval That.
2>. All the raags are divided based on the number of
notes in the Aaroha and Avaroha as odav
( Raag of 5 Notes), Shadav (raag of 6
notes), Sampoorna (Raag of 7 notes)
3>. A raag cannot have less than 5 or more than 7
notes (out of 12 notes including Komal and teevra)
4>. The combination of Odav, Shadav, Sampoorna in
the aaroha or aavaroha make 9 types of raag based
on the number of notes in it.
5.> Each raag is based on a thaat, and has Aaroh,
Avaroh, Vaadi, Samvaadi, samay, ras, thaat.
6>. A samvaadi is always fourth or fifth from the
vaadi. If vaadi is in the poorvanga samvaadi will be
in the uttarang and vice versa.
7>. By changing the vaadi swar a morning raag can
be changed into an evening raag.
8>. To enhance the beauty of the raag a vivaadi
note can be used very rarely.
9>. Each raag has a vaadi. The raag is identified as a
poorva raag or uttar raag based on the vaadi note.
10>.Raags can be classified into 3 categories :
a) Raag with Komal Re, Komal Dha
b) Raags with Shuddha Re, Shuddha Dha
c) Raags with Komal Ga, Komal Ni.. Normally in the
Pratah kaalin sandhi prakash raag, Re and Dha are
never absent. And in Sayam kaalin sandhi prakash
raag Ga and Ni are normally not absent.
11>. Ma indicates whether the Raag will be sung at
day time or at night.
12>. The raags with Komal Ga ,Ni are performed at
afternoon or at mid night.
13>. After the Sandhiprakaash raag mainly raags
with Re, Ma, Dha, Ni shuddha are performed.
14. Sa, Ma, Pa are the important notes in raags of 3
rd prahar of day and the night.
15. Teevra Ma is found mainly in Raags of the night.
It's found rarely in the day time raags.
16. The vaadi is one of the notes-- Sa, Ma, Pa, in
raags that can be sung at all the times.
17. Ma, and Pa can not be simultaneously absent
from a raag.
18. Each raag must consist of the note Sa.
19. No two forms of the same note are taken one
after the other in a raag. There are exceptions such
as Raag Lalit though, to this rule.
20. The raag's beauty is enhanced more if sung at
the designated time .
21. Teevra Ma and Komal Ni come together very
few times.
22. The raags in which both the Ma appear are
similar in nature. The aaroha is different but the
avaroha is quite similar.
23.In the raags sung at 1st prahar of the night, and
which have both the Ma, Shuddha Ma is taken in
both aaroha as well as the avaroh but Teevra Ma is
taken mainly in aaroh.
24. In raags of 1st prahar of the night aarohi Ni and
Avarohi Ga are Vakra. Ni in the avaroha is not
emphasized.
25. In Indian classical music as opposed to the
Karnatak classical music, the swar is more
important than the Taal.
26. The poorv raag show their special characteristics
in the aaroha , where as the uttar raag show their
special characteristics in the avaroh.
27. Each thaat can produce poorva and uttar raags.
28. In the raags of the serious, calm nature Sa , Ma ,
Pa seem to have a prominent place.They are more
effective in the Mandra Saptak. Whereas in the
raags of light mood, this is not found to be so.
29. While entering from one thaat into another
thaat, Para Mel Praveshak raags (raags on the
border of the two thaats) are rendered.
30. The sequence normally followed is sandhi
Prakash Raag then raags with Re Dha shuddha then
the raags with Ga , Ni komal.
31. Sandhi Prakash Raag invoke Karun , Shant ras.
The raags with Re, Ga , Dha shuddha
invoke Shrungaar and Hassya ras. The raags with
Komal Ga, Ni invoke Veer, Roudra Ras.
32.The raags which have Komal Ni normally have
Shuddha Ni in the aaroha. For example Kaphi and
Khamaj.
33. When two to four notes are together
they cannot be called a raag . They can at best be
called a taan.
34. In raag notes can be prominent , or insignificant
(insignificant does not mean absent though).
35. After twelve at night and twelve in the morning
Sa, Ma, Pa start assuming importance gradually.
36. In the raags sung in the afternoon,Aaroha either
does not consist of Re and Dha or they are
insignificant. In these Raags Ga and Ni really shine
with full glory.
37. The raags with Sa, ma, Pa as Vaadi are of serious
nature.
38. In the dawn time raags Komal Re and Komal Dha
are predominant and dusk time raags have the
prominence of Shuddha Dha and Shuddha Ni.
39. The combination NiSa ReGa immediately
establishes Dawn - Dusk time raag.
40. Poorva raags are more elaborate in the aaroha
and uttar raags are more elaborate in the avaroh.