Melakarta 3 · Indu chakra · M1 · vivadi
Ganamurti
गानमूर्ति
Ganamurti is the 3rd melakarta raga. Its scale is S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N3.
Hear it from musicians
Signature phrases for Ganamurti, 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, Ganamurti is built from a minor second, a diminished third, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth, a minor sixth, a major seventh. In Carnatic terms that is S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N3; in Hindustani sargam, S r R m P d N.
| Degree | Swara | Interval |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | S | unison (1) |
| 2 | R1 | minor second (m2) |
| 3 | G1 | diminished third (d3) |
| 4 | M1 | perfect fourth (P4) |
| 5 | P | perfect fifth (P5) |
| 6 | D1 | minor sixth (m6) |
| 7 | N3 | major seventh (M7) |
How Ganamurti harmonizes
Stack thirds on each note of Ganamurti and these chords appear. Home is the chord on Sa; the chord on Pa is the dominant that pulls back to it.
- Isus2 Csus2 suspended secondhome
- V♭5 G(b5) major flat fivedominant
- VII· B(cluster) clusterdominant
- II Db majorpredominant
- iv Fm minorpredominant
- VI♭5 Ab(b5) major flat fivecolour
- III· Ebb(cluster) clustercolour
Learn the method in how to harmonize a raga.
Music to learn in Ganamurti
Ganamurti 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 Ganamurti
What is the Ganamurti raga?
Ganamurti is melakarta number 3 in the 72-raga system of Carnatic music. Its scale is S R1 G1 M1 P D1 N3.
What are the janya ragas of Ganamurti?
Ganamurti is heard mainly as a parent scale; much Carnatic repertoire lives in the janya ragas of other melakartas.