Indian music is known for its complex use of microtones.

But for notation and explanation, we divide

an octave into 12 semitones. We use a movable scale, which means that your octave can start anywhere
you like. Your starting point is the root of your octave, all the other notes are defined in relation to the
root. Each of the 12 notes in the octave has a unique identity, given by S, r, R, g, G, m, M, P, d, D, n, N.
Keyboard instruments make it very easy to visualize music, so if you have access to one, do make use
of it. Pick any key on the keyboard as your root. Then play 12 consecutive keys in ascending order
including both blacks and whites. The chromatic scale is not very pleasant to listen to, but it is a good
way to learn all the notes in an octave.

Octave Notated Using C as Keynote

Octave Notated Using A♭ as Keynote

 Ta
ble 1. The Chromatic Scale in Hindustani Classical Music

Let me explain some of the columns in Table 1 above. Under Note Name, you will find that with the
exception of sa and pa, all the notes have two versions each (the last sa in the table actually belongs to
the next octave). Sa and pa are given special status as fixed notes because they form a very powerful
harmonic combination. The other notes are variable and can be sung in two different ways each - either
natural (shuddha), or flat/sharp (komal/teevra) in relation to the natural. So, there are only seven
distinct note names in the chromatic scale - sa re ga ma pa dha ni.

The "Notation ID" column gives you the names of the notes as they are used in musical notation. With
the exception of sa and pa, all the other notes (re, ga, ma, dha and ni) have two notation IDs each, one
denoted by a small letter and one by a capital letter to distinguish between the two versions. Notice that
the final sa in Table 1 is notated S', with an apostrophe after it. Notes in octaves below or above your
basic octave are notated with apostrophes before or after them to show which octave they belong to.
Here are a couple of ways to notate the keyboard, using C or A♭ as the keynote.

Entire Keyboard Notated Using C as Keynote

The Basic Seven-Note Scale
The chromatic scale comprises twelve notes separated by uniform (or nearly uniform; Indian music is
based on natural temperament) intervals, but it is much easier to create pleasing melodies by combining
notes separated by non-uniform intervals. Since ragas are so central to Indian classical music, we are
always on the lookout for note combinations that offer significant melodic potential. We know of about
500 ragas in the Hindustani tradition now. Sometimes ragas fade out as they lose popularity and people
stop singing or learning them, sometimes new ragas are born out of new encounters or mixing existing
ragas to come up with surprising new melodies. A number of ragas have been derived from folk tunes
sung in various parts of India. So long as a scale is versatile enough to be developed into a full-fledged
raga, artists are happy to play with it and see where it takes them, and if the new raga stands the test of
time, it may eventually receive a place of honor alongside the other classical ragas.

But one must begin somewhere, and all new students of Hindustani classical music begin by learning
the all-natural (all shuddha) seven-note scale comprising S R G m P D N.

(Ascent: S R G m P D N S' / Descent: S' N D P m G R S)

T
able 2. The Basic Seven-Note Scale in Hindustani Classical Music

Melody Notation Symbols

Don't forget that you are free to move your octave up or down so long as the positions of the notes
relative to each other remain the same.

Apart from the notes, there are a few other symbols I use in my notation.

A hyphen ( - ) indicates smooth elongation of a vowel on the same note.

A blank cell indicates a break (nothing to be sung) for the duration of the beat(s) in question.
A colon ( : ) indicates a half-beat break in the melody. This creates a syncopation effect.
An exclamation mark ( ! ) marks a sharp break in the melody, achieved by forceful enunciation of the
preceding syllable.
A divider line or vertical bar ( | ) marks the end of one line of lyric
(The start and end points of the rhythm and melody lines do not usually coincide. Sometimes, their
lengths are different too.)
A comma ( , ) indicates a slight natural pause, or separates syllables in cases where one syllable ends
in the same vowel that the next one begins with.
Vowel sounds or nasals separated by periods ( a.a.a / i.i.i / n.n.n, etc.) mark a gamak.
(A gamak requires distinct enunciation of each instance of the vowel/nasal consonant in question).

Note that each line of melody/lyric is transcribed only once, and no information is provided about
repetition of a line or stanza. This is because there are no fixed rules for how many times a certain line
or stanza should be repeated. That depends on the singer, the context, what sounds natural in that
moment and so on.