Melakarta 13 · Agni chakra · M1 · vivadi
Gayakapriya
गायकप्रिया
Gayakapriya is the 13th melakarta raga. Its scale is S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N1.
Hear it from musicians
Signature phrases for Gayakapriya, recorded by musicians in the community and curated by Jason Zac. Every phrase carries the artist’s name and link — add your own voice to this raga.
The scale and its Western intervals
Reading up from Sa, Gayakapriya is built from a minor second, a major third, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth, a minor sixth, a diminished seventh. In Carnatic terms that is S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N1; in Hindustani sargam, S r G m P d D.
| Degree | Swara | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | S | unison (1) |
| 2 | R1 | minor second (m2) |
| 3 | G3 | major third (M3) |
| 4 | M1 | perfect fourth (P4) |
| 5 | P | perfect fifth (P5) |
| 6 | D1 | minor sixth (m6) |
| 7 | N1 | diminished seventh (d7) |
How Gayakapriya harmonizes
Stack thirds on each note of Gayakapriya and these chords appear. Home is the chord on Sa; the chord on Pa is the dominant that pulls back to it.
- I C majorhome
- VII+ Bbbaug augmenteddominant
- V· G(cluster) clusterdominant
- II Db majorpredominant
- iv Fm minorpredominant
- VI+ Abaug augmentedcolour
- III· E(cluster) clustercolour
Learn the method in how to harmonize a raga.
Music to learn in Gayakapriya
Gayakapriya is met most often as a parent scale for study and improvisation. Much of its living music flows through janya ragas; a good next step is to sing its scale slowly over a tanpura and explore its phrases in the 3D sphere.
Questions about Gayakapriya
What is the Gayakapriya raga?
Gayakapriya is melakarta number 13 in the 72-raga system of Carnatic music. Its scale is S R1 G3 M1 P D1 N1.
What are the janya ragas of Gayakapriya?
Gayakapriya is heard mainly as a parent scale; much Carnatic repertoire lives in the janya ragas of other melakartas.