| Carnatic music |
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 Tanjavur-style tambura |
| Concepts |
| Compositions |
| Instruments |
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| Arohanam | S R₁ G₁ M₂ P D₁ N₁ Ṡ |
|---|---|
| Avarohanam | Ṡ N₁ D₁ P M₂ G₁ R₁ S |
Salagam (pronounced sālagam) is aragam inCarnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 37thmelakarta rāgam in the 72melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music. It is calledSowgandini inMuthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.[1][2][3]
It is the 1st rāgam in the 7thchakra Rishi. The mnemonic name isRishi-Pa. The mnemonic phrase issa ra ga mi pa dha na.[2] Itsārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (seeswaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
In this scale, the notesshuddha rishabham, shuddha gandharam, prati madhyamam, shuddha dhaivatham andshuddha nishadham are used. AsSalagam is amelakarta rāgam, by definition it is asampoorna rāgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is theprati madhyamam equivalent ofKanakangi, which is the firstmelakarta.
Salagam has a minorjanya rāgam (derived scale) associated with it. SeeList ofjanya rāgams for full list of rāgams associated withSalagam and othermelakartas.
A few compositions set toSalagam scale are:
Film Compositions
Adheera Adheera Song -Cobra - Ajay Gnanamuthu - A.R.Rahman (Anya Swaram G3,N3)
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Salagam's notes when shifted usingGraha bhedam, yields no othermelakarta rāgam, like all 6 rāgams in theRishi chakra (Jalarnavam,Jhalavarali,Navaneetam,Pavani andRaghupriya being the other 5). Only these rāgams have a gap of 3 notes anywhere in their scale, between G1 to M2. Such a gap does not occur in any othermelakarta by definition.Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting theshadjam to the next note in the rāgam.
