Chalanata

Hear it from musicians

Signature phrases for Chalanata, 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, Chalanata is built from a augmented second, a major third, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth, a augmented sixth, a major seventh. In Carnatic terms that is S R3 G3 M1 P D3 N3; in Hindustani sargam, S g G m P n N.

How Chalanata harmonizes

Stack thirds on each note of Chalanata 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♭5 B(b5) major flat fivedominant
• V+ Gaug augmenteddominant
• IIsus2 D#sus2 suspended secondpredominant
• IVsus4 Fsus4 suspended fourthpredominant
• iii Em minorcolour
• VI· A#(cluster) clustercolour

Learn the method in how to harmonize a raga.

Janya ragas of Chalanata

These child ragas are born from Chalanata by dropping notes or bending the path: Nattai, Gambhiranata. 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 Chalanata

Chalanata 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.