Swar

Swar 

In Indian classical music, a Swar (or Svara) is a musical note. 

The term is derived from Sanskrit, meaning "self-shining," and refers to a sound that is pleasing, stable, and has the resonance to be used as a musical note. 

It is the fundamental building block of melody and the basis for all musical compositions.

Within a single octave (saptak), there are 12 swaras in total: seven pure notes and five altered notes.

Types of Swaras

The 12 swaras are primarily categorized into two main types based on their immovability or movability.

1. Achal Swar (अचल स्वर) - Immovable Notes

• Achal means "fixed" or "immovable." These are the notes whose pitches do not change. They are the same in every raga and every scale.

• There are only two Achal Swaras:

  • Sa (Shadja): The tonic or base note, which serves as the anchor for the entire scale.

  • Pa (Pancham): The perfect fifth, a note that is always a stable, consonant interval from Sa.

• These two notes are the foundation of any raga and are always rendered in their pure (shuddha) form.

2. Chal Swar (चल स्वर) - Movable Notes

• Chal means "movable." These are the notes that can be altered or moved from their natural position.

• There are five Chal Swaras:

  • Re (Rishabh)

  • Ga (Gandhar)

  • Ma (Madhyam)

  • Dha (Dhaivat)

  • Ni (Nishad)

• These five notes can be of two further types: Shuddha or Vikrut.

Sub-types of Chal Swaras

A. Shuddha Swar (शुद्ध स्वर) - Natural Notes

• Shuddha means "pure" or "natural." These are the five Chal Swaras when they are in their original, unaltered position.

• Together with Achal Swaras, the seven shuddha notes form the Shuddha Thaat (or Bilawal Thaat), which is the base scale for Hindustani music.

• The seven Shuddha Swaras are: Sa,Re,Ga,Ma,Pa,Dha,Ni.

B. Vikrut Swar (विकृत स्वर) - Altered Notes

• Vikrut means "altered" or "changed." These are the notes that have been moved from their shuddha position.

• There are five Vikrut Swaras: four Komal and one Teevra.

  • Komal Swar (कोमल स्वर) - Flat Notes:

    • Komal means "soft" or "flat." These notes are sung or played at a slightly lower pitch than their natural (shuddha) counterpart.

    • There are four Komal Swaras: Komal Re, Komal Ga, Komal Dha, and Komal Ni.

    • In notation, a horizontal line is placed below the note to indicate it is komal (e.g., Re​).

  • Teevra Swar (तीव्र स्वर) - Sharp Note:

    • Teevra means "sharp." This note is sung or played at a slightly higher pitch than its natural (shuddha) counterpart.

    • There is only one Teevra Swar: Teevra Ma.

    • In notation, a vertical line is placed above the note to indicate it is teevra (e.g., M′).

In summary, an octave contains 12 total swaras:

• 7 Shuddha Swaras: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni

• 4 Komal Swaras: Komal Re, Komal Ga, Komal Dha, Komal Ni

• 1 Teevra Swara: Teevra Ma