Raga Study: Prescribed Ragas, Aroha-Avaroha and Characteristics
Domain 4 asks you to identify prescribed ragas from aroha-avaroha, pakad, vadi-samvadi, thaat and samay, and to spot the single note that separates two similar ragas.
Ragas to know cold
Yaman: S R G M^ P D N S / S N D P M^ G R S; Kalyan; vadi Ga, samvadi Ni; evening. Bhairav: S r G M P d N S / S N d P M G r S; Bhairav; vadi Dha, samvadi Re; morning. Bhairavi: S r g M P d n S / S n d P M g r S; Bhairavi; vadi Ma, samvadi Sa. Malkauns: S g M d n S / S n d M g S; omits Re and Pa; vadi Ma, samvadi Sa; midnight. Khamaj: S G M P D N S / S n D P M G R S; vadi Ga, samvadi Ni. Des: S R M P N S / S n D P M G R S; vadi Re, samvadi Pa. Bihag: S G M P N S / S N D P M G R S; Bilawal; vadi Ga, samvadi Ni. Kafi: S R g M P D n S / S n D P M g R S; vadi Pa, samvadi Re. Hamsadhwani: S R G P N S / S N P G R S; no Ma or Dha; vadi Ga, samvadi Ni.
Worked example
Separate Bhairav from Bhairavi. Both take komal Re and komal Dha, so those two notes cannot decide the answer. Bhairav keeps shuddha Ga, shuddha Ma and shuddha Ni: S r G M P d N S. Bhairavi makes Ga and Ni komal as well: S r g M P d n S. A phrase with shuddha Ga and Ni therefore points to Bhairav, while komal Ga and Ni point to Bhairavi.
Traps
Straightening a vakra aroha; mixing Des with Khamaj, since Des omits Ga and Dha on the way up; treating samvadi as a synonym for vadi; attaching the wrong samay to morning ragas.