Hindustani Notation (Sargam)
What Is Hindustani Notation (Sargam)?
Hindustani notation uses the sargam syllables — Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni — to name the seven scale degrees of North Indian classical music. Like Carnatic notation, it uses uppercase and lowercase letters to distinguish between natural (shuddha) and altered (komal or tivra) forms of each swara. In Tunable, the twelve chromatic pitches are displayed using the same S/r/R/g/G/m/M/P/d/D/n/N abbreviation system.
Sa (the tonic) and Pa (the fifth) are fixed and immovable — they anchor the scale regardless of raga. The other five swaras each have two forms: komal (flat, lowercase) and shuddha or tivra (natural or sharp, uppercase). The exception is Ma, where the natural form is lowercase (m) and the raised form (tivra Ma) is uppercase (M).
Hindustani music organizes pitches into ragas through the thaat system, formalized by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande in the early 20th century into 10 parent scales. Each raga has prescribed ascending (aroha) and descending (avaroha) patterns, characteristic phrases (pakad), and associations with specific times of day, seasons, and moods — all communicated through sargam syllables.
Note Names
| Degree | Hindustani | English |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Tonic) | S | C |
| ♯1/♭2 | r | C♯/D♭ |
| 2 | R | D |
| ♯2/♭3 | g | D♯/E♭ |
| 3 | G | E |
| 4 | m | F |
| ♯4/♭5 | M | F♯/G♭ |
| 5 | P | G |
| ♯5/♭6 | d | G♯/A♭ |
| 6 | D | A |
| ♯6/♭7 | n | A♯/B♭ |
| 7 | N | B |
Where It's Used
- North Indian classical (Hindustani) music performance and education
- Vocal training for Hindustani khyal, dhrupad, and thumri styles
- Northern India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, and Nepal
- Sitar, tabla, sarod, santoor, bansuri, and harmonium instruction
- Bollywood and Indian film music notation and rehearsal
History & Origin
Hindustani sargam shares its ancient roots with the Carnatic system, both descending from the Samaveda and Natya Shastra traditions. The Hindustani and Carnatic systems diverged significantly during the medieval period (13th–16th centuries) as North Indian music absorbed Persian and Central Asian influences through the Delhi Sultanate and Mughal courts. The legendary musician Tansen (16th century) is often credited with shaping the Hindustani tradition. The modern theoretical framework was largely systematized by Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande (1860–1936), who categorized hundreds of ragas into 10 parent scales called thaats, creating an accessible classification system that remains the standard for Hindustani music education today.
How It Compares
The same twelve chromatic pitches in Hindustani Notation (Sargam) vs other notation systems:
| English | Hindustani | Carnatic | French (♯) |
|---|---|---|---|
| C | S | S | Ut |
| C♯/D♭ | r | r | Ut♯ |
| D | R | R | Re |
| D♯/E♭ | g | g | Re♯ |
| E | G | G | Mi |
| F | m | m | Fa |
| F♯/G♭ | M | M | Fa♯ |
| G | P | P | Sol |
| G♯/A♭ | d | d | Sol♯ |
| A | D | D | La |
| A♯/B♭ | n | n | La♯ |
| B | N | N | Si |
Using Hindustani Notation (Sargam) in Tunable
Tunable supports Hindustani Notation (Sargam) alongside 14 other notation systems. Switch notation in Settings → Tuner → Notation to display all note names, scale degrees, and chord roots in Hindustani Notation (Sargam) throughout the app.
FAQ
What is the difference between Hindustani and Carnatic sargam?
The seven base syllables are nearly identical (Hindustani uses Re where Carnatic uses Ri), but the musical frameworks differ: Hindustani uses 10 thaats while Carnatic uses 72 melakartas. Performance practices, ornamentation styles, and raga interpretations are distinct traditions that developed separately over centuries.
What are the 10 Hindustani thaats?
The 10 thaats are Bilawal (equivalent to the Western major scale), Khamaj, Kafi, Asavari, Bhairavi, Bhairav, Kalyan, Marwa, Purvi, and Todi. Each thaat defines a parent scale from which multiple ragas are derived.
How is Sa tuned in Hindustani music?
Sa is not fixed to a specific frequency like Western A=440 Hz. The singer or instrumentalist chooses their own Sa based on their vocal range or instrument. The tanpura (drone instrument) is tuned to this chosen Sa, and all other swaras are relative to it — making Hindustani sargam inherently a relative pitch system.