How Many Thaats are There in Hindustani Music

There are ten thaats in Hindustani music: Bilawal, Kalyan, Khamaj, Bhairav, Poorvi, Marwa, Todi, Miya-Malhar, Puriya-Dhanashri and Kafi.

In Hindustani music, there are ten different thaats. Each one is named after a different raga, and they each have their own unique sound. The ten thaats are Bilawal, Kafi, Khamaj, Asavari, Bhairav, Purvi, Marwa, Todi, Darbari Kanada, and Miyan Malhar.

Each one of these has its own distinctiveness that sets it apart from the others.

Thaats in Hindustani Music

In Hindustani music, a thaat is a melodic mode. The term thaat is used in several ways, including to refer to the ten basic melodic modes used in North Indian classical music, as well as to refer to specific ragas within those modes. The ten thaats are Bilawal, Kafi, Khamaj, Asavari, Bhairavi, Purvi, Marwa, Todi, Miyan ki Malhar and Darbari.

Each of these thaats has its own unique scale and characteristic sound. For example, the Bilawal thaat features a bright and cheerful sound due to its use of major notes (shuddha swaras), while the dark and moody Darbari thaat employs mostly flat or minor notes (komal swaras). Ragas can be classified according to which thaat they belong to.

For instance, the popular raga Yaman belongs to the Kafi thaat, while Raga Bageshree belongs to the Asavari thaat. Knowing whichthaat a particular raga belongs to can help you understand its overall mood and feel. While the term “thaat” is most commonly used in relation to Hindustani music from North India , it also exists in Carnatic music from South India .

In Carnatic music , however , there are only six main melodic scales or parent scales (called jatiswarams ), as opposed to ten in Hindustani music . These six Carnaticthaats are named after their corresponding jatiswarams : sampurna-thanam , audava-thanam , shadava-thanam , suddha-thanam , vakra-thanamand misra-thanam .

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Who Proposed 10 Thaats in Hindustani Music?

In Hindustani music, the thaat system was proposed by Vilayat Hussain Khan in the early 20th century. This system is used to classify melodic structures (rags) into 10 distinct parent scales, which are further divided into a total of 100 different Ragas. Each Raga has its own unique melody and feel, which is determined by the notes that are used in the scale.

The thaats provide a way to organize and understand the vast repertoire of Hindustani music. The 10 thaats are as follows: 1. Bilawal – A major scale with no flat or sharp notes.

2. Kafi – A minor scale with no flat or sharp notes. 3. Asavari – A major scale with one flat note (Bb). 4. Bhairav – A minor scale with one flat note (Bb).

5. Khamaj – A major scale with one sharp note (F#). 6. Purvi – A minor scale with one sharp note (F#). 7. Marwa – A major scale with two flats (Bb and Eb).

8. Todi – A minor scale with two flats (Bb and Eb).

What are the 7 Ragas?

In India, music is classified into two main categories: Hindustani and Carnatic. Of these, Hindustani music is further divided into two sub-categories: Khayal and Dhrupad. And of these, Khayal is the most popular form today.

Each of these types of music has its own set of ragas (or melodic scales), which provide the framework for composition and improvisation. The 7 ragas are as follows: 1) Bilawal: The Bilawal raga is considered to be the foundation or starting point for all other ragas.

It is a very simple scale consisting of just 5 notes (sa re ga ma pa dha ni). This raga is typically associated with happy, positive emotions. 2) Kafi: The Kafi raga consists of 7 notes (sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa’).

It has a very characteristic sound that evokes images of the countryside and nature. This raga is often used in film scores to create a rustic or rural atmosphere. 3) Khamaj: The Khamaj raga also consists of 7 notes (sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa’), but differs from Kafi in its use of flat (komal) second and sixth scale degrees.

This gives Khamaj a softer, more romantic sound than Kafi. 4) Asavari: Asavari is a pentatonic scale consisting of just 5 notes (sa re ga ma dha ni). It has a very pure sounding melody which makes it suitable for devotional or spiritual pieces.

Asavari also has a close association with the color white. 5) Bhairav: Bhairav is another pentatonic scale, but unlike Asavari it uses all natural (shuddh)notes except for one flat third scale degree. This gives Bhairav a slightly darker sounding melody which can be quite powerful when played loudly.

But it can also sound quite beautiful when played softly with delicate ornamentation. Bhairav gets its name from Shiva, who was known as “Bhairava” or “the terrible one.” In fact, this raga is sometimes known as “Shiva’s Raga” because it evokes such strong feelings of devotion and reverence.

How Many Shrutis are There in Hindustani Music?

In Hindustani music, there are twelve Shrutis. Each Shruti corresponds to a certain pitch, and each pitch can be divided into three parts: the tonic (Sa), the dominant (Pa) and the subdominant (Ma). The tonic is the starting note, while the other two notes are played in between.

In between these two octaves lies what is called the “middle octave”, which consists of four notes: B , C , D and E . These four notes do not have any specific name or identity associated with them and are simply used as connecting points between the lower and upper octaves. The term “Shruti” comes from the Sanskrit word meaning “to hear”.

In Hindustani music theory, it is said that there are 22 Shrutis in total – 12 in theoctave plus an additional 10 in between. However, only 12 of these 22 Shrutis are actually used in practice. This leaves us with a total of 12 notes that make up the Hindustani chromatic scale.

How Many Taals are There in Hindustani Music?

In Hindustani music, there are two types of Taals – the Dadra and the Keharwa. The Dadra is a six beat Taal, while the Keharwa is an eight beat Taal. Each type of Taal has its own unique rhythm, which can be used to create different kinds of compositions.

Thaat System in Hindustani Classical Music

Conclusion

In Hindustani music, there are ten different thaats, which are essentially melodic frameworks. Each thaat has a specific set of notes that create a unique scale. The different thaats allow for a great deal of creativity and expression in Hindustani music.