Notation Systems and Writing Swarlipi of Gats and Sargams
Notation questions ask you to convert sound into a written swarlipi that another musician can reproduce: correct swara symbols, octave marks, komal/tivra signs, and alignment of notes with matras and vibhags.
Symbols you must use
- Seven swaras: S R G M P D N. Komal R, G, D and N are underlined; tivra Ma is marked with a vertical stroke or asterisk.
- A dot above = taar saptak; a dot below = mandra saptak.
- Vertical bar | separates vibhags; double bar || marks sam; 0 marks khali; tali numbers are written above the line.
Two systems
- Bhatkhande: relative (movable) Sa; komal by underline, tivra Ma by a stroke; the system of Hindustani Sangeet Paddhati and most modern textbooks.
- Paluskar: fixed Sa = C; komal swaras numbered 1, 2, 3 and tivra Ma as 4; associated with the Gandharva Mahavidyalaya tradition.
Writing a gat or sargam
- Fix the taal, write one vibhag per bar, place one swara per matra, use a dash for a sustained note, and mark sam clearly. Gat notation usually gives the sthayi first, then the antara.
Worked example - 16-matra sargam in Yaman, Teentaal S R G M^ | P M^ G R | S - R G | M^ P D N || Reasoning: each vibhag holds four matras; sam falls on the first S; tivra Ma is marked every time; the line ends on Ni so it can resolve to Sa. If the M were left unmarked, the line would read as Bilawal and lose the raga's identity.
Traps: mixing Paluskar numerals with Bhatkhande underlines in one answer; forgetting the tivra mark; writing khali as a rest; leaving sam unmarked; not aligning notes to matras, so the gat cannot be counted.