1036 One of my fads is to design some easier methods for adopting and practising 'sthira sriti system' for Indian Music both Hindusthani and CarnATic

Trigger for writing this particular blog post No. 1036: A very enthusiastic-learned friend has sent a pdf file named 'shruti.pdf'. This Essay of 12 pages deals with a system of 22 shritis for Indian Music, envisaged by one Shri Subhash Kak. The Essay is dated 19th Sept. 2001. The Essay is very technical in nature. I am an ordinary person, who has some musical knowledge, both theory and practice (Hindusthani Sitar, and Carnatic Flute), but not enough to comprehend the finenesses, precisions and subtleties of the technicalities discussed in the Essay. Besides, sadly enough, I am unable to spare adequate time for an in depth analysis and study of the subject matter. I have uploaded this shruti.pdf file, at my free sub-domain web-page courtesy x10hosting.com. Aficionados and Connoisseurs of the technicalities of these 22 shrutis of Indian Music, can download the Essay of Shri Kak, clicking the following link: Click here to go to http://ayyo.x10.mx/download.php?file=shruti.pdf. After downloading and studying the Shruti.pdf file, if my valued Readers have any Comments/Views/Observations to make, they are welcome to write their comments in the comments window below. Criticism is also welcome.

Question: With your limited knowledge of Indian Music, what can you say about the Shritis?

Ans: In my limited knowledge, we can have two contexts for Shriti (also spelt as shruti).

1. Reference to AdhAr ShaDjam, i.e. the Note which is regarded as 'sa in Indian System' and say 'C' in the Western System. The position and frequency of the other Notes will be determined on the basis of 'sa' or 'C'. All the Musicians both the Vocalists, and Accompanying Instrumentalists follow the same Note as 'sa', so that there will be harmony in their team work.

2. In Carnatic Music, there are terms known as 'chatu-shriti' rishabham (Western note d), and 'chatu-shriti dhaivatam'. The word 'chatu or chatur' means four. That means A chatushriti rishabham will have 4 shritis. I take this to mean that 'chatushriti rishabham (d)' will be at a distance of four shritis from 'sa' (c). Form this logic, we get that 'shuddha rishabham (c#)' of Carnatic Music (kOmal rishabh of Hindusthani Music (c#)' will be at a 2 shritis distance from Adhar ShaDjam. From this, for a long time, my mind has been lingering around the idea that there should be two more notes between 'c' and 'd' i.e. shaDjam and chatushriti rishabham. They have to be Ekashriti Rishabham (one shriti distance from 'sa') has to come between Shadjam and Suddha rishabham, and trishriti rishabham (three shriti distance from 'sa' 'c'), i.e. between 'Suddha rishabham' and 'chatushriti rishabham'.

These 1 shriti rishabham, and 3 shriti rishabham may be very subtle, for ordinary ears to distinguish from other rishabhams.

That revised sequence will be : sa, 1ri, 2ri (shuddh rishabh in Carnatic Music, and kOmal rishabh in Hindusthani Music) , 3ri 4ri, then gandhArs (d#).

About 'shat shriti dhaivatam' in Carnatic Music which = sAdhAraNa gandhAram in C-Music, and kOmal gandhAr in H-Music:--

After 4 shriti ri (chatushriti rishabham), and before 6 shriti ri (sAdhAraNa gandhAram or kOmal Gandhar), there should be a 5 shriti rishabham i.e. panchashriti rishabham. As 6s rishabham and s-gandhAram/komal gandhAr are same, the concept of shaT-shriti rishabham may appear to be somewhat superfluous.

Now, further revised sequence will be:
sa, 1ri, 2ri, 3ri, 4ri, 5ri, NO SHATSRITI RISHABHAM, then d# (sAdhAraNa gandhAram or kOmal gandhAr).

Derivation from this: For rishabham, there can be 5 shritis, and probably we should have 5 five notes. But, because already millions of Musical Works have been written with '12 notes', and thousands of musical instruments have been designed since several Centuries, and millions of pieces of musical instruments have been made, we may say that there can be more shritis, probably even 22 as discussed in the above pdf file. But 12 notes appear to be the maximum for all the three systems i.e. Western Music, Hindusthani Music, and Carnatic Music.

A similar analysis, we may have to make '1 shriti dhaivatam' and '3 shriti dhaivatam', distance to be calculated from 'pa panchamam'.

That sequence will be: pa, 1dha, 2dha (shuddh Dhaivat in Carnatic Music, and kOmal Dhaivat in Hindusthani Music, 3dha, 4dha (chatur-dhaivat in Carnatic Music and Shuddh Dhaivat in Hindusthani Music), then proceed to Nishad ni (a#).

Question: Will your 'sthira Sri sangItam' be devoid of Shriti?

Ans: First of all, I do not claim any ownership-pioneership for the Sthira Shriti SangItam. There were Great Musicians (Telugu: endarO mahAnubhAvulu) before me. It has just occurred to my mind about two years back, when I was on my 'riyAz' (practice, Sanskrit, Hindi, Telugu: 'sAdhana'). Since then, I have been experimenting with it.

Shriti (Harmony with primary tone 'sa' (C)) is accomplished in Indian Music, both Hindusthani and Carnatic, by using a drone-- deep humming sound generator, such as a small harmonium box, or a tamboora, or a shehnai-mini-nadasvaram like instrument, or of late, an Electronic Shriti Box. Depending on the voice of the Singer, the drone is set to c(1), c#(1.5), d(2), d#(2.5), e(3), f(4), f#(4.5), g(5), g#(5.5), a(6), a#(7), b(7.5). This drone-shriti sound is taken as 'adhAr shaDj'. All other Notes in the Octave will be decided on the basis of the AdhAr ShaDjam.

In the Sthira Shriti SangItam, I envisage, the Artists may, always, have to take the AdhAr shaDjam as 'sa or c' of No. 1 shriti. A Drone of one shriti may be used consistently, and the Artist may have to adhere to it consistently. Even if a drone-instrument is not available, the Artist may have to memorise in hise mind the 'sa' of 1 shriti, and as far as possible try to stick on to it.

Question: Do you want to dispense with other Shritis?

Ans: Not exactly. My idea is based on what is known as 'graha bhedam'. When a rAgA is played/sung in a Shriti other than 1 (C), it may have to be given a New RAgA name. This is not my creation. This practice already exists, upto a limited extent. For example, in Carnatic Music, we have what are known as mUrchanA rAgas.

First set of existing 5 note MUrchana RAgAs: 1. Mohana (Bhopali or BhUp) 2. Hindolam (Malkhauns) 3. Suddh Dhanyasi 4. Suddh sAvEri (Durga) 5. MadhyamAvati (MEgh).

About my methods of sthira shriti music, they require about ten blog posts. I shall try to present them, whenever I find time. My priorities are Marxism and Atheism.

To come back and continue adding / deleting / modifying.