A dot above a letter indicates that the note is sung one octave higher, and a dot below indicates one octave lower. Or, if a note with the same name-Sa, for example-is an octave higher than the note represented by S, an apostrophe is placed to the right: S'. If it is an octave lower, the apostrophe is placed to the left: 'S. Apostrophes can be added as necessary to indicate the octave: for example, ``g would be the note komal Ga in the octave two octaves below that which begins on the note S (that is, two octaves below g).
The basic mode of reference is that which is equivalent to the Western Ionian mode or major scale (called Bilawal thaat in Hindustani music). All relationships between pitches follow from this. In any seven-tone mode (starting with S), R, G, D, and N can be natural (shuddha, lit. 'pure') or flat (komal, 'soft') but never sharp, and the M can be natural or sharp (tivra) but never flat, making twelve notes as in the Western chromatic scale. If a swara is not natural (shuddha), a line below a letter indicates that it is flat (komal) and an acute accent above indicates that it is sharp (tivra). Sa and Pa are immovable (once Sa is selected), forming a just perfect fifth.
In some notation systems, the distinction is made with capital and lowercase letters. When abbreviating these tones, the form of the note which is relatively lower in pitch always uses a lowercaseletter, while the form which is higher in pitch uses an uppercase letter. So komal Re/Ri uses the letter r and shuddha Re/Ri, the letter R, but shuddha Ma uses m because it has a raised form-tivra Ma-which uses the letter M. Sa and Pa are always abbreviated as S and P, respectively, since they cannot be altered.
The chart below assumes Sa to be at C.
| Full form (Carnatic) | Abbreviated form (Carnatic) | Full form (Hindustani) | Abbreviated form (Hindustani) | Western |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shadjam | Sa | Shadj | Sa | C |
| Shuddha Madhyama | Shuddha Ma | Shuddha Madhyama | Ma | F |
| Prati Madhyama | Prati Ma | Tivra Madhyama | M'a | F# |
| Panchama | Pa | Panchama | Pa | G |
[edit]Swaras in Carnatic music
The swaras in Carnatic music are slightly different in the twelve-note system. There are three types each of Rishabha, Gandhara, Dhaivatha and Nishadha. There are two types of Madhyama, while Panchama and Shadja are invariant.
| Position | Swara | Short name | Notation | Mnemonic |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadja | Sa | S | sa |
| 2 | Shuddha Rishabha | Ri | R1 | ra |
| 3 | Chathusruthi Rishabha | Ri | R2 | ri |
| 3 | Shuddha Gandhara | Ga | G1 | ga |
| 4 | Shatsruthi Rishabha | Ri | R3 | ru |
| 4 | Sadharana Gandhara | Ga | G2 | gi |
| 5 | Anthara Gandhara | Ga | G3 | gu |
| 6 | Shuddha Madhyama | Ma | M1 | ma |
| 7 | Prati Madhyama | Ma | M2 | mi |
| 8 | Panchama | Pa | P | pa |
| 9 | Shuddha Dhaivatha | Dha | D1 | dha |
| 10 | Chathusruthi Dhaivatha | Dha | D2 | dhi |
| 10 | Shuddha Nishadha | Ni | N1 | na |
| 11 | Shatsruthi Dhaivatha | Dha | D3 | dhu |
| 11 | Kaisiki Nishadha | Ni | N2 | ni |
| 12 | Kakali Nishadha | Ni | N3 | nu |
As you can see above, Chathusruthi Rishabha and Shuddha Gandhara share the same pitch (3rd key/ position). Hence if C is chosen as Shadja, D would be both Chathusruthi Rishabha and Shuddha Gandhara. Hence they will not occur in same raga together. Similarly for two swaras each at notes 4, 10 and 11.
[edit]What The Swaras Mean
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Each shuddha swara (i.e., Sa, Re/Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha/Da, and Ni) is traditionally held to have originated in the sound of a different animal, and some have additional meanings of their own. Also, each swara is associated with one of the seven chakras of the body. Just as the swaras ascend through the saptak, so they are mapped onto the chakras in the body in ascending order. Komal notes are associated with the left side of each chakra; the left channel, Ida Nadi, is the side of emotion and intuition. Shuddha and tivra notes are associated with the right side; the right channel, Pingala Nadi, is the side of logic. Ragas, therefore, have more or less of an effect on a given chakra depending on the notes they contain.
| Swara | Expansion | Meaning | Animal | Chakra | God |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sa | Shadja (षड्जं) | Sagar (ocean) | peacock | mūlādhāra मूलाधार ([base of spine) | Ganapati |
| Re | Rishabha (ऋषभ) | Aparajit | skylark | svādhiṣṭhāna स्वाधिष्ठान (genitals) | Agni |
| Ga | Gandhara (गान्धारं) | Gagan (sky) | goat | maṇipūra मणिपूर (solar plexus and navel) | Rudra (Shiva) |
| Ma | Madhyama (मध्यमं) | middle | dove/heron | anāhata अनाहत (heart) | Vishnu |
| Pa | Panchama (पंचमं) | fifth | cuckoo/nightingale | viśuddha विशुद्ध (throat) | Naarada |
| Dha | Dhaivata (धैवतं) | Dharti (earth) | horse | ājñā आज्ञा (third eye) | Sadasiva |
| Ni | Nishada (निषादं) | outcast/hunter | elephant | sahasrāra सहस्रार (crown of the head) | Surya (Sun) |
In certain forms of Indian classical music and qawwali, when a rapid 16th note sequence of the same note is sung, different syllables may be used in a certain sequence to make the whole easier to pronounce. For example, instead of "sa-sa-sa-sa-sa-sa-sa-sa" said very quickly, it might be "sa-da-da-li-sa-da-da-li" which lends itself more to a quick and light tongue movement
