Modern Indian Notation

The notes of the octave have names that are abbreviated into single letters. The upper case print: "G" or "GA" means natural and is called "Shudha G". There is only one sharp or Tivra note and that is "Tivra MA " - the sharpened 4th. The Natural 4th is called "Shudha ma".
Lower case print means flatted - "Komal g".

The names of the notes in the twelve note octave from India music, and Western music.

SHRUTI NAME	INDIAN NOTATION	WESTERN NOTATION	SOLFEGE
Shadaj -----------	SA - S	C	DOH
Komal Rishabh --	re - r	Db or C#
Rishabh ----------	RE - R	D	RE
Komal Ghandar --	ga - g	Eb or D#
Ghandar ---------	GA - G	E	MI
Madhayam ------	ma - m	F	FA
Tivra Madhayam -	MA - M	Gb or F#
Pancham --------	PA - P	G	SOL
Komal Dhaiwat --	dha - d	Ab or G#
Dhaiwat ---------	DHA - D	A	LA
Komal Nishad ---	ni - n	Bb or A#
Nishad ----------	NI - N	B	TI
Shadaj ----------	SA - S	C	DOH

Bilawal ----	SRGmPDNS
Khamaj ----	SRGmPDnS
Kafi --------	SRgmPDnS
Asavari ----	SRgmPdnS
Bhairavi ---	SrgmPdnS
Bhairav ----	SrGmPdNS
Kalyan -----	SRGMPDNS
Todi -------	SrgMPdNS
Purbi -------	SrGMpdNS
Marwa -----	SrGMPDNS

                                                                                    .         .
A dot above a note means Upper Octave (Taar).   GA or G

A dot below a note means Lower Octave (Mandra).    GA
                                                                   ˙
Two dots below means 2 octaves below Middle Octave.     GA
                                                       ˙˙
No dots means Middle Octave (Madhaya)   GA

In the modern notation system the beats are marked with a scoop underneath. Each beat can be divided of into micro-beats of: one, two, three, four, or more micro-beats. Below is an melodic example in Bilawal That. It is in the 8 beat rhythm cycle (Tala) called Kahava.
Kahava has two tals of 4 beats each. The first beat is Sum - the struck beat which is marked with +, and is shown with a clap of the hands. In Kahava the half way beat (fifth beat) is Kali - the unstruck beat which is marked with O, and is shown by a wave of the hands. The phrase marks show a syncopated figure of: 123'123'123'123'1234, an often used sixteen note rhythmic pattern.

Below is a melodic example in Bhaivav That. It is in a seven beat rhythm cycle called Roopak. In Roopak the first bar of 3 beats is Kali Tal. It is shown with "0" over the first beat. The second and third tals of 2 beats each are marked with a "2" and "3" respectively.

There are several hundred talas and new ones are still being composed. Some of the most common are:

Tintal 16 beats 4+4+4+4
Jhaptal 10 beats 2+3+2+3
Roopak tal 7 beats 3+2+2
Kahava tal 8 beats 4+4
Ektal 12 beats 2+2+2+2+2+2
Dadra tal 6 beats 3+3
Chowtal 12 beats, 2+2+2+2+2+2
Charchar tal 14 beats 3+4+3+4
Dhammar tal 14 beats, 5+2+3+4
Sitarkhani tal 16 beats 4+4+4+4 (each tal has syncopated 8th note 3-3-2 beat pattern)

Perfect Third Studios
Drake N.S.W. Australia 2469
(02) 6737 6884