Chords of Raga Kalyani
The one note difference between natural minor scale and Raga Kharaharapriya
(image made using the Raga app)
Chords can be found for Raga Kalyani, in two ways:
- as a mode of the major scale (the 4th mode of C major scale is F kalyani scale)
- as a scale with just one note different from the major scale (major scale has the perfect 4th interval while kalyani has the sharp 4th)
The same two approaches are possible with Raga Kharaharapriya also.
Raga Kharaharapriya
The long list of janya ragas of Raaga Kharaharapriya makes clear it's prominence and importance in Indian classical music. Raga Shree, Kanada (Alaipayuthey), Abheri, Abhogi are all popular names.
Kharaharapriya is a melakarta raga, which means ascending and descending note are the same, in the linear order from Sa to Ni. A scale definition, without any written note order or note skip rules as with the janyas.
Intervals and notes of Kharaharapriya
Arohana of Kharaharapriya: S R2 G2 M1 P D2 N2 S
Avarohana of kharaharapriya : S N2 D2 P M1 G2 R2 S
Use the Indian notation to Western notation relation chart to find the intervals of Raga Kharaharapriya.
- root
- major 2nd
- minor 3rd (so it is a minor scale)
- perfect 4th
- fifth
- major 6th (one note difference from the natural minor scale)
- minor 7th
Notes of A minor Kharaharapriya vs A natural minor
Starting from A note as the root, below are the notes of Raga Kharaharapriya:
| Interval | root | major 2nd | minor 3rd | perfect 4th | fifth | major 6th | minor 7th |
| Note | A | B | C | D | E | F# | G |
A natural minor scale has a minor 6th (F note) while kharaharapriya has a major 6th (F#) note. (Natural minor scale has the same notes as Raga Natabhairavi)
We chose A natural minor for the comparison, since A minor is the cleanest or simplest natural minor, with no sharpened or flattened notes. Start with any natural minor and shift the 6th note one up, and you have the notes of Kharaharapriya scale.
Chords of Raga Kharaharapriya by changing one note
The diatonic chords (chords using the scale notes) of A natural minor scale are same as that of C major scale, because A natural minor and C major scale both have the same notes, they just start from different positions.
C major scale: C D E F G A B C
A natural minor: A B C D E F G A
A kharaharapriya : A B C D E F# G A
Chords of Kharaharapriya will be same as that of the chords of C major scale, except that any F note in the chords should be changed to F#.
Chords of C major scale / A natural minor scale
| Chord | C major | D minor | E minor | F major | G major | A minor | B dim |
| Note | C E G | D F A | E G B | F A C | G B D | A C E | B D F |
Chords of A Kharaharapriya
Change any F to F# in the notes of the chords of C major/ Aminor above.
| Chord | C major | D major | E minor | F# dim | G major | A minor | B minor |
| Note | C E G | D F# A | E G B | F# A C | G B D | A C E | B D F# |
Notes of D Kharaharapriya vs D Dorian
| Interval | root | major 2nd | minor 3rd | perfect 4th | fifth | major 6th | minor 7th |
| Note | D | E | F | G | A | B | C |
None of the notes have a sharp or a flat, indicating the possibility that D Kharaharapriya is a mode of the C major scale – C major scale is the major scale whose notes do not have any sharps or flats.
D being the second note of the C major scale, and since D kharaharapriya has no sharp or flat notes, Raga kharaharapriya can be concluded to have the same notes as the second mode of the major scale – the Dorian mode.
Chords of Raga Kharaharapriya based on mode relation
D dorian has the same diatonic chords as the C major scale. They both have the same notes – all alphabets, no flats or sharps.
So the chords of D dorian, same as that of C major, can be used for D Kharaharapriya:
Chords of C major scale / D dorian/ D kharaharapriya
| Chord | C major | D minor | E minor | F major | G major | A minor | B dim |
| Note | C E G | D F A | E G B | F A C | G B D | A C E | B D F |
Find chords for Dorian scale/ mode
In the case of the C major scale, Dorian starts on D note, the second note of the C major scale. (Dorian is the 2nd mode of the C major scale)
For any Dorian scale, the root of the major scale is two notes before the root of the Dorian scale.
In the case of D Dorian, we know it is C (C – C# – D)
In the case of E Dorian, the major scale will start from D (D D# E – D is two notes before E). Therefore D major scale chords can be used for E kharaharapriya.
G# Dorian will be part of F# major scale (F# – G – G#). F# major scale chords for G# kharaharapriya.
F Dorian will be part of Eb major scale. (Eb – E – F). Eb major scale for F Kharaharapriya.
More Raga – Chord relations?