Swar, Sargam, Notation and Swaralipi Writing
What this domain tests
This domain tests the 12 swars, the three saptaks, sargam writing, and standard swaralipi conventions. You should be able to notate an aroh, avroh or short phrase with correct komal/teevra marks and taal alignment.
Core rules
- The 12 swars are Sa, komal Re, Re, komal Ga, Ga, Ma, teevra Ma, Pa, komal Dha, Dha, komal Ni, Ni. Sa and Pa are fixed; Ma alone has a teevra form.
- Saptaks are mandra (lower), madhya (middle) and taar (upper). A dot below indicates mandra; a dot above indicates taar.
- Sargam uses the syllable names: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni. In notation, komal swars are marked (commonly underlined or lower-case), teevra Ma with a vertical stroke or apostrophe, and octave dots show register.
- Swaralipi aligns swars to matras and vibhags. Sam is marked X, khali 0, and other tali points with numbers; a dash may show sustain.
Worked example
Write the aroh of Raag Bhairav. Bhairav takes komal Re and komal Dha; all other swars are shuddh. Using lower-case for komal: S r G M P d N S'. Reasoning: the raag's identity depends on komal Re and komal Dha, so writing plain Re or Dha would produce a different scale and misrepresent the raag. The aroh must also show the upper Sa as taar S'.
Traps
Do not make Sa or Pa komal. Do not write teevra Ma as komal Ma. Do not omit octave dots in aroh/avroh. Do not place swars without matra alignment. Do not use inconsistent komal marks within one answer.