I have a strange trait, something that you probably share too - Always ask the question(s) "Why" and "Why not". It can be rather distracting,frustrating at times - if you know what I mean. So anyway, as I was brushing up some music theory regarding minor scales, I could not help up wonder why the three minor scales are from the same chakra called "Veda". Okay, one reason(and perhaps the only) is that it is the fourth chakra and there are four vedas. But my wicked mind cant help wondering - Perhaps the "vedas" were so important and this chakra was named so? I really don't know. By this, I don't mean the other melakarta ragams are not important. It's just the minor scales are so "HUGE", you know?
In any case, here are some facts.
The Veda chakra comprises of 19-24th melakartas in the carnatic school of music. Of the 6 melakartas in this chakra, three are most popular, even in the western school of music - what are called the "minor" scales.
Melakarta 20 - natabhairavi = natural minor
Melakarta 21 - keeravAni = harmonic minor
Melakarta 23 - gowrimanOhari = melodic minor
Note however that the melodic minor is gowri manohari while ascending and back to natabhairavi while descending.
In my future posts, I will probably write about "blue oyster cult" using natabhairavi as their favorite scale ;o)
4 comments:
equating natabhairavi/kiravani to natural/harmonic minor is like equating cricket to baseball :-p
I mean, both are played with bat and ball, but there the similarities end..
Baseball sucks! Kiravani doesn't :p
ok that was too tempting. Had to express my dislike for baseball
you are right. Similar yet not!
interesting hypothesis...(even the great Karahapriya is from 4).
I still think, however, that they were just trying to fit a quantity (vedas) to a number (4).
But, who knows for sure...
Yes. thats a great point - kharaharapriya too.
Kharaharapriya was apparently one of the first ragams ever, part of the sama veda. Maybe thats why "veda"..;)
Yes most likely its veda = 4.
Similarly -
1 = Indu = 1 moon
2 = Netra = 2 eyes etc..
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