MODES AND SCALES IN

INDIAN MUSIC
The scale forms the basis of all music.  This article will look at the
differing concepts of scale in both theNorth and South Indian
systems of music.

It is well known that Indian music is based upon the concept

of seven notes (sapta swar).  Theses notes are: Shadj, Rishabh,
Gandhar, Madhyam, Dhaivat, and Nishad; yet they are commonly
abbreviated to Sa, Re (Ri), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni.  The positions of
these notes may vary considerably, therefore there should be a way
to describe these scales.  This is called "mode" in English, "that" in
Hindi and "mela" in the south Indian languages.

The concept of that or mela extends back to Bharat's time, where

it was referred to as "jati".  There were 18 jatis, 11 of which were said
to be mixed, while seven were called "shuddha".  The term Shuddha
in Sanskrit means "pure".  The term shuddha was applied because
they were all related by a simple process of modulation known as
"murchana".

Murchana is easily understood by the following illustration.  We

see that if we start with a scale, in this case Bilawal-
Dhirashankarabaranam (natural scale), we may produce a number of
other scales by simply shifting the tonic.  This fundamental
relationship is why the ancients called them "Shuddha".

THE PROCESS OF MURCHANA (Modulation)

Bilawal-
S R G M Dh
Dhirashankarabar          Pa       Ni Sa    *    *    *    *    *    *
a e a a a
anam
Kafi- S R G M Dh
*             Pa    Ni    Sa    *    *    *    *    *
Kharaharapriya a e a a a
Bhairavi- S R G Dh
*    *          Ma    Pa    Ni    Sa    *    *    *    *
Hanumantodi a e a a
Kalyan- R Dh
*    *    * Sa       Ga    Ma' Pa       Ni    Sa    *    *    *
Mechakalyani e a
Khammaj- *    *    * *    Sa    Re    Ga Ma    Pa    Dh    Ni    Sa    *    *
Harikamboji a
Asavari- Dh S
*    *    * *    *    Sa    Re Ga    Ma    Pa       Ni       *
Natabhairavi a a
Dh S
(nonexistent) *    *    * *    *    *    Sa Re    Ga    Ma    Pa       Ni   
a a

An important conceptual shift occurred somewhere between

1000ad and 1500ad.  The process of relating scales by murchana
(e.g., shuddha jati) was downgraded and the process of relating
scales by an alteration of the internal intervals (e.g., mixed jatis) was
adopted. This shift was probably precipitated by two events.  First
was the fixing of the interval for the 5th.  We see from the previous
illustration that it was possible to have a "Komal Pa" (i.e., diminished
5th).  When it was no longer acceptable to have this komal pancham,
the system was forced to change.  Another disadvantage of this
system was that after modulation, the scale would have to be slightly
retuned because the intervals on each position were not exactly the
same.  For whatever reasons, the process of looking at scales as a
function of internal intervals became the new paradigm for Indian
musicologists.

The master of this new paradigm was Venkatmukhi Swami who is

very important to the South Indian musicians.  In 1660 he published
his Chaturdandiprakashika in which he outlined his system of 72
mela.  This process is demonstrated quite simply in the following
illustration.  We see in the chart that there are 6 permutations of both
the lower and upper tetrachords.  When we multiply them together we
get 36 different combinations.  These 36 are then doubled by the use
of tivra ma (augmented 4th) to yield 72 different combinations.  This is
the origin of the 72 mela.

VENKATAMUKHI SWAMI'S APPROACH TO SCALES

Lower Tetrachord   Upper Tetrachord
Sa Re - - Ga Ma       Pa Dha - - Ni Sa
Sa - Re - Ga Ma       Pa - Dha - Ni Sa
Sa - Re Ga - Ma       Pa - Dha Ni - Sa
Sa Re - Ga - Ma       Pa Dha - Ni - Sa
Sa Re Ga - - Ma       Pa Dha Ni - - Sa
Sa - - Re Ga Ma       Pa - - Dha Ni Sa
 This process is very effective in providing a theoretical base for
south Indian music.  It is clear, scientific and unambiguous.  However
the situation is a bit different in the North.

Hindustani sangeet has been slow to develop a scientific

approach to scales.  It would seem easy to simply adopt the 72
melkarta system; unfortunately this is not so easy.  We see in the
previous illustration that the last two permutations of each group of
tetrachords contain chromaticisms which are not possible in the
Northern system.  Therefore, when the disallowed permutations are
removed, we get 32 possible scales instead of 72.  This 32 that
system seems to be the clearest approach to north Indian scales. 
Unfortunately it is seldom used.

Most musicians follow the system laid down by V.N. Bhatkhande. 

To his credit we must say that prior to his work, the theoretical system
was even worse.  It was dominated by archaic concepts of rag, ragini,
putra rags etc.  This may have been quaint and colourful, but it was
worthless as a scientific system.  Bhatkhande was brave enough to
abandon the raga-ragini approach and introduce a scientific system
of that (i.e., mela).  Unfortunately his numbers were off.  He seems to
have been well aware of the 32 possible modes produced by the
previous process, however, he took an unfortunate decision in his
treatment of unutilized thats.  Whereas Venkatmukhi Swami took the
position that he had "discovered" new melas, Bhatkhande took the
view that these thats were irrelevant and cast them out.  This would
have been excusable if he had stopped there, but unfortunately he
continued to cast out thats, even some in common usage.  Of more
than a dozen modes in use during his time, Bhatkhande arbitrarily
decided that he would use only ten.

The consequence of this arbitrary decision was unfortunate. 

Today about 20 modes are in common use, but music teachers go
through the futile attempt to cast the rags into 10 scales.  Such
attempts are arbitrary, unscientific and weaken the theoretical
background of the average music student.  There is a movement in
many places to rectify the situation.  It does no great violation to the
system to increase the number of thats, and this is exactly what many
musicologists are doing.  But it may be a long time before this is the
norm.
 This article has shown how important scales are in Indian music. 
They may be called scale, that, or mela but conceptually they are all
the same.  They describe the character of the seven notes.  Over the
last few millenniua, India has seen numerous approaches to scales,
but today India has two.  There is the north Indian system based upon
10 thats and the South Indian system based upon 72 melas.