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Research draft

raga

vr.tr.raga · XCT.STA

Let an agent explain raga as a melodic framework, relay theory, classification and performance from musicological sources, describe specific ragas and families, and distinguish raga from scale, mode and composition and from the film and fusion uses of the word.

Thing Registry Cross-cutting context

Research draft, second pass

A second pass drafted this model: the structure a model of this thing needs, and what is known about it in the world. The line under this one says how the second half was obtained - researched against sources, or recalled without web access, in which case nothing here was read anywhere and every claim is a lead to verify. Unreviewed either way.

written by Claude from model knowledge without web access - no source was read, every claim is a lead to verify

Researched by: Claude

Purpose and description

Let an agent explain raga as a melodic framework, relay theory, classification and performance from musicological sources, describe specific ragas and families, and distinguish raga from scale, mode and composition and from the film and fusion uses of the word.

The melodic framework of Indian classical music, a set of notes with characteristic ascending and descending patterns called arohana and avarohana, prescribed ornaments, emphasised notes and mood, in Hindustani and Carnatic traditions with thousands of ragas including derived janya ragas in the Carnatic system, ragas using vivadi or dissonant notes, and families such as the Kanada ragas; ragas are associated with times and seasons and have inspired fusions such as Afro-raga.

What it is for: Framing melody in Indian classical music.

It can be explain the concept; relay theory and classification; describe ragas and families; distinguish related concepts.

Distinguishing features

Melodic rules

Ascent and descent patterns

Mood and time association

Two classical systems

What it looks like

Not a visible object; a melodic framework heard in performance.

Physical character

Carnatic melakarta parent ragas: 72 count

Hindustani thaats: 10 count - Bhatkhande

ragas in use: hundreds count - thousands documented

How it is recognised

Melodic framework with arohana and avarohana

Janya raga, vivadi, Kanada ragas, Afro-raga

A scale is a set of notes; a mode is a scale with a tonic; a composition is a fixed piece

Related models

is a kind of - in registry terms

mode

is a kind of - concept in registry terms

Indian classical music

is paired with - the rhythmic framework

tala

is contrasted with - a set of notes only

musical scale

In practice

Families and kinds

Hindustani ragas organised by thaat

Carnatic melakarta and janya ragas

raga families such as Kanada and Malhar

ragas with vivadi notes

seasonal and time-of-day ragas

fusion forms such as Afro-raga and raga rock

Standards and regulation

No regulation; classification systems of Bhatkhande and Venkatamakhin

Failure modes and hazards

Reducing raga to a scale

Registry aliases mixing concepts, families and fusion

Contested classifications

Also called

Afro-ragaVivadiavarohanaKanadaArohanaJanya ragaCarnatic rāgaSampurna raga

Where this came from

wikidata · CC0 1.0

Drafted structure

Bundle to layer to finding to question, as the second pass will find it: 4 bundles · 8 layers · 8 findings · 16 questions.

Understand What a raga is.

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

Definition

Definition.

  1. What is a raga, and how does it differ from a scale, a mode and a composition? definition
  2. Is the question about the concept, a specific raga, theory or fusion? boundary

Elements

Elements.

Elements

Elements.

  1. What are arohana, avarohana, vadi, samvadi, vivadi and pakad? definition
  2. Which entry fits the specific element? action
Theory Classification.

Sources.

Hindustani

Hindustani system.

Hindustani

Hindustani.

  1. How does the thaat system classify Hindustani ragas, and what are families such as Kanada? provenance
  2. Which references are standard? provenance

Carnatic

Carnatic system.

Carnatic

Carnatic.

  1. How do melakarta and janya ragas work in the Carnatic system? provenance
  2. Which sources are cited? provenance
Performance Performance.

Practice.

Improvisation

Improvisation.

Improvisation

Improvisation.

  1. How do musicians develop a raga in alap, composition and improvisation? provenance
  2. Which entry fits alap? action

Time

Time and mood.

Time

Time.

  1. How are ragas linked to times of day, seasons and moods, as the traditions describe? provenance
  2. Which entry fits rasa? action
Context History and fusion.

Context.

History

History.

History

History.

  1. How did the raga concept develop from ancient treatises to modern systems? provenance
  2. Which entry fits the history of Indian classical music? action

Fusion

Fusion.

Fusion

Fusion.

  1. How have ragas been used in jazz, rock and Afro-raga fusions? provenance
  2. Which entry fits raga rock? action

What the second pass must settle

  • Should janya raga, Kanada and Afro-raga be separate primary entries?
  • How should musicological sources be linked?
  • The registry entry has merged aliases naming theory terms, a family and a fusion genre; should they be split off?