Writing and Reading Notation
What this domain covers
This section tests your ability to read a notated passage and to write one: aligning swaras to matras, recognising a raga from notation, and spotting errors in a given line.
Core rules
- Read the tala first: identify matra count, vibhag, sam, and khali. Then read the swara line.
- Check the raga's signature: tivra Ma in Yaman; komal Re and Dha in Bhairav; komal Ga and Ni in Kafi.
- Duration is shown by spacing, dashes, or horizontal lines. A dash usually holds the previous swara; it does not mean a new note.
- Octave dots change the register, not the pitch class. A dot below Sa means mandra Sa; above means tar Sa.
- A correct answer must be internally consistent: the number of matras must equal the tala cycle, and the vibhag marks must fall at the right matras.
Worked example
A line reads: "S R G M(t) | P D N S' | ..." in Teentaal. Reasoning: the first vibhag has four matras and ends at matra 4; the vertical line is the vibhag mark. M(t) is tivra Ma, so the scale is Kalyan/Yaman. S' is tar Sa. If the line is said to be Bhairav, it is wrong because Bhairav requires komal Re and komal Dha, not tivra Ma. To write the next vibhag, continue with a Yaman phrase such as "Ni Dha P M(t)" and keep four matras.
Traps
Do not ignore the vibhag line. Do not treat a dash as a rest unless the notation explicitly says so. Do not read S' as a different swara. Do not write more than four matras in a Teentaal vibhag without showing a subdivision.