svaram

Svaram, often written svara, is a term in Indian classical music that denotes a musical pitch or note. The word comes from Sanskrit and means sound or tone. In practice, svaram serves as the basic unit of melody and is used to describe the sounds that form scales and phrases.

In South Indian (Carnatic) music, the seven svaras form the core of melodic construction. The standard set is Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, usually referred to by the syllables Sa-Re-Ga-Ma-Pa-Dha-Ni. Each note may have variants (for example R1, R2, R3; G1, G2, G3; M1, M2; D1, D2, D3; N1, N2, N3) to express different tonal flavors within ragas. The tonic note Sa (shadja) provides a reference point for the others, and the precise pitch relationships define the raga’s character.

Svaram are central to both teaching and performance. They are used to teach scale, intonation, and melodic ornamentation, and to improvise melodic lines within a raga. In compositions, svaras appear as musical phrases and are sung or played to render the tonal fabric of a piece. The concept also parallels similar notions in Hindustani music, where svara likewise denotes a pitch or note in the melodic system.

Overall, svaram is a foundational concept in Indian classical music, describing the individual pitches that together create melody, structure scales, and shape the expressive possibilities of ragas.