10 Thaats of Hindustani Classical Music
- In a layman’s language to define, a Thaat is like a category under which there could be number of Raags.
- A Thaat is a sequential set of seven out of 12 notes.
- A Thaat will always have only seven different notes – either in their shuddh (natural) form or in their vikrit (moulded) form.
- In Indian classical music, there are 32 Thaats, but following 10 Thaats are more prevalent.
- Vikrit Swars are shown below in Red colour.
- Notes written in Capitals are ‘Shuddh Swars’ and those written in Smalls are ‘Komal Swars’. # sign is for Tivr Madhyam.
Trick to easily remember the 10 Thaats.
Memorize this sentence – “Bhigi Kal Khoob Barish Me Kya Pata Aye Bukhar Tujhe”
Each of the first letter of the above words, represents the first letter of the following Thaats. E.g., Bhigi=Bilawal; Kal=Kalyan; Khoob=Khamaj; Barish=Bhairav; Me=Marwa; Kya=Kafi; Pata=Poorvi; Aye=Asavari; Bukhar=Bhairavi and, Tujhe=Todi.
Now memorize a phone number – 0112223344
These numbers represents the number of vikrit swars that these 10 Thaats contain. E.g., 0=Bilawal as it has got no vikrit swar. 1,1 are the next two Thaats – Kalyan and Khamaj that contain one vikrit swar each. Then 2,2,2 are the next three Thaats – Bhairav, Marwa and Kafi, that contain two vikrit swars each. Then 3,3, are the next two Thaats – Poorvi and Asavari, that contain three vikrit swars each. And lastly, 4,4, are the final two Thaats – Bhairavi and Todi, that contain four vikrit swars each.
Bilawal
S R G M P D N
Kalyan
S R G M# P D N
Khamaj
S R G M P D n
Bhairav
S r G M P d N
Marwa
S r G M# P D N
Kafi
S R g M P D n
Poorvi
S r G M# P d N
Asavari
S R g M P d n
Bhairavi
S r g M P d n
Todi
S r g M# P d N
Now with the above vikrit swars (indicated in Red) play this:
rd | rM# | gn
rM#d | gdn
rgdn | rgM#d
Watch this video on how to memorize these 10 Thaats easily, which is getting very popular.
| SOME POPULAR RAAG, THEIR THAAT, SWAR AND JAATI | |||
| Raag | Thaat | Swar (Notes) Aaroh / Avroh | Jaati* |
| Bilawal | Bilawal | S R G M P D N N D P M G R S | Sampoorna_Sampoorna |
| Yaman | Kalyan | S R G M# P D N N D P M# G R S | Sampoorna_Sampoorna |
| Des | Khamaj | S R M P N R n D P M G R S | Audav-Sampoorna |
| Tilang | Khamaj | S G M P N | Audav_Audav |
| Bhairav | Bhairav | S r G M P d N | Sampoorna_Sampoorna |
| Sohani | Marwa | S r G M# D N N D M# G r S | Shadav-Shadhav |
| Bageshri | Kafi | S R g M D n S n D M g R S | Shadav-Shadav |
| Kafi | Kafi | S R g M P D n n D P M g R S | Sampoorna_Sampoorna |
| Miyan Malhar | Kafi | S R M P D n N n P M g R S | Sampoorna_Shadav |
| Patdeep | Kafi | S g M P N N D P M g R S | Audav-Sampoorna |
| Piloo | Kafi | S G M P n N d P M g R S | Audav_Sampoorna |
| Basant | Poorvi | S r G M d N d P M G r S | Audav-Sampoorna |
| Lalit | Poorvi | S r G M M# d N N d M# M G r S | Shadav-Shadav |
| Puria Dhanshri | Poorvi | S r G M# P d N N d P M# g r S | Sampoorna_Sampoorna |
| Asavari | Asavari | S R M P d n d P M g R S | Audav-Sampoorna |
| Bhairavi | Bhairavi | S r g M P d n n d P M g r S | Sampoorna_Sampoorna |
| Chandrakauns | Bhairavi | S g M d N N d M g S | Audav_Audav |
| Malkauns | Bhairavi | S g M d n n d M g S | Audav_Audav |
| Madhuwanti | Todi | S g M# P N N D P M# g R S | Audav-Sampoorna |
| Todi | Todi | S r g M# P d N N d P M# g r S | Shadav_Sampoorna |
| *Sampoorna = usage of 7 notes | |||
| *Shadav = usage of 6 notes | |||
| *Audav = usage of 5 notes | |||
need your help is finding the raag with the following notes
S r G M m D n S (both m, no P)
Raag lalit typically has both Madhyam and no Pancham.
I am agaed 80, learning to play Hawaiian guitar,
Seems this is a very useful site….I just discovered today….
Shall visit many times down the line…