Ragams

Ragam, also spelled ragam, is the melodic framework for improvisation and composition in Indian classical music, especially in the Carnatic (South Indian) tradition. A ragam defines a set of notes, characteristic phrases, and rules for how those notes can be used to evoke a mood or atmosphere. The name derives from Sanskrit raaga, meaning color, hue, or mood.

Ragas have a defined ascending and descending scale, called arohana and avarohana, typically using a subset of the seven notes (swaras: sa re ga ma pa dha ni). They may be sampurna (seven notes in ascent and descent), or use fewer notes in one or both directions (audava, shadava). Each ragam has unique phrases or prayogas and ornamentation called gamakas, which give it its distinctive character. Ragams are broadly categorized into melakarta ragas, which are parent scales, and janya ragas, which are derived from melakarta scales; the system includes 72 melakarta ragas.

Ragas are associated with rasa, or emotional mood, and in some traditions with times of day, seasons, or occasions. A performance typically features alapana, an unmetered exploration of a ragam, followed by composed pieces such as kritis or varnams, and later swara-ornamentation. Ragas provide the framework within which improvisation and fixed compositions interact.

Examples of well-known ragams include Mohanam, Shankarabharanam, Kalyani, Hindolam, and Todi. The Carnatic tradition emphasizes precise melodic rules, signatures, and ornamentation styles, while also allowing creative improvisation within the ragam's boundaries.