Notation Writing and Reading: Paluskar and Bhatkhande Systems
What the exam tests
This domain tests whether you can write a simple phrase so another musician can read it, and whether you can explain the difference between the two notation systems used in school syllabi. Expect short notation exercises and symbol-identification questions.
Core rules
- Both systems use the swara names Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni and mark komal and tivra forms, octave register and tala divisions.
- Bhatkhande notation is widely printed in school texts. It uses a sign for sam, numbered tali signs, a zero for khali, vertical lines for vibhags, dots for upper and lower octaves, and marks for komal and tivra swaras.
- Paluskar notation uses the same swara material but a different convention for tal signs and phrase spacing. Learn the convention your textbook uses; do not mix the two in one answer.
- A notation line must show the matra count, the vibhag division and the position of sam.
Worked example
Write a 16-matra Teental exercise: S R G M | P D N S | S N D P | M G R S. Mark sam with a cross at matra 1, tali at matras 5 and 13, and khali with a zero at matra 9. The four vibhags are 4+4+4+4. The reasoning is that the horizontal lines divide the cycle into vibhags, while the signs identify sam, tali and khali. The exercise is not a raga bandish; it only demonstrates notation.
Traps
Do not omit the octave dot when the phrase crosses into tar saptak. Do not mark every vibhag as tali. Do not place khali at matra 1 in Teental. Do not use Paluskar and Bhatkhande symbols interchangeably in a single line.