Notation Systems and Swaralipi Writing
What the exam tests
Notation Systems and Swaralipi Writing tests whether you can read and produce a clean sargam line that another singer could reproduce.
Core rules
- Both Bhatkhande and Vishnu Digambar systems encode the same information: swara name, komal or tivra alteration, octave, matra, vibhag, sam and khali. The difference is the sign convention and textbook layout, not the raga.
- In Bhatkhande-style notation, shuddha swaras are usually capital letters S R G M P D N; komal Re, Ga, Dha and Ni are lowercase or marked; tivra Ma is marked distinctly; a dot below lowers to mandra and a dot above raises to tar. Sam is marked ×, khali 0, other tali by number.
- Write a legend at the top of any answer if your signs could be ambiguous.
Worked example
Write the phrase S R G M^ P in Teental. Put S on matra 1, R on 2, G on 3, M^ on 4, P on 5; leave 6-16 as dashes if the phrase is incomplete. Mark sam at 1 and khali at 9. If the same phrase is written without matra numbers, it cannot be checked against the tala. The reasoning: notation is a coordinate system, so pitch and time must both be visible.
Traps
Do not mix lowercase komal signs from one system with octave dots from another without a legend. Do not write tivra Ma as shuddha Ma. Do not omit sam and khali. Do not let a phrase exceed the avartan; carry it to the next line with the tala count.