Suryakantam

Hear it from musicians

Signature phrases for Suryakantam, 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, Suryakantam is built from a minor second, a major third, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth, a major sixth, a major seventh. In Carnatic terms that is S R1 G3 M1 P D2 N3; in Hindustani sargam, S r G m P D N.

How Suryakantam harmonizes

Stack thirds on each note of Suryakantam 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
• V♭5 G(b5) major flat fivedominant
• VII· B(cluster) clusterdominant
• IV F majorpredominant
• II+ Dbaug augmentedpredominant
• iii Em minorcolour
• vi Am minorcolour

Learn the method in how to harmonize a raga.

Janya ragas of Suryakantam

These child ragas are born from Suryakantam by dropping notes or bending the path: Vasantha. Each card shows the three things that make a janya itself: how many notes it keeps, which way its road runs (any vakra turn is ringed in red), and how it glides between swaras. See how janya ragas work.

Music to learn in Suryakantam

Suryakantam 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.