The Basic Swaras

There are seven basic notes in Carnatic music:


Shadjam (Sa)
Rishabam (Ri)
Gandharam (Ga)
Madhyamam (Ma)
Panchamam (Pa)
Dhaivatham (Da)
Nishadam (Ni)

Sa is the basic note and the rest of the notes are successively higher to the basic Sa. This gives an ascending scale of seven notes. Once the seventh note or the higher Sa is reached, the notes begin to descend in frequency from Sa to Ni to Da and so on by the same interval.

Converting the Seven Swaras to twelve Swaras (or sixteen swaras)

• Note that the swaras Sa and Pa do not admit variations and are called fixed notes or achala swaras.

• The notes with Suddha in their names -- Suddha Rishabha and Suddha Madhyama - refer to the lowest pitch of the corresponding note - the Rishabha or Ri and Madhyama or Ma, respectively.

• These twelve swaras become sixteen swaras with the addition of four more swaras called Vivadi (or tainted) swaras. These additional swaras occupy the same nominal swarasthana or frequency position as some of the swaras from the group of twelve swaras. In other words, the sixteen swaras are formed basically by calling the same swara by two different names.. Depending on the a raga scale used, a swaram may be called by a different name (e.g. Shatsruti Rishaba is the new name given to Sadharana Gandhara; Suddha Gandhara is the new name given to Chatussruti Dhaivata; Shatsruthi Dhaivata is the new name for Kaisiki Nishada; and Suddha Nishada is the new name for Chatussruti Dhaivata)

Overall View of the Swara Positions:-