Bhavapriya

Hear it from musicians

Signature phrases for Bhavapriya, 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, Bhavapriya is built from a minor second, a minor third, a augmented fourth, a perfect fifth, a minor sixth, a minor seventh. In Carnatic terms that is S R1 G2 M2 P D1 N2; in Hindustani sargam, S r g M' P d n.

How Bhavapriya harmonizes

Stack thirds on each note of Bhavapriya and these chords appear. Home is the chord on Sa; the chord on Pa is the dominant that pulls back to it.

• i Gm minorhome
• VII· Db/F major, first inversiondominant
• v° Ddim diminisheddominant
• IIsus4 Absus4 suspended fourthpredominant
• IVsus2♭5 C#sus2(b5) suspended second flat fivepredominant
• III Bb majorcolour
• VI Eb majorcolour

Learn the method in how to harmonize a raga.

Music to learn in Bhavapriya

Bhavapriya 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.

Notated to play along

Each opens in Stage mode on a real staff, with the sung syllables under the notes. Loop it, change Sa, and play or sing along.

• Sri Kanta Neeyeda · Tyagaraja · Adi tala
• Iha Prasanno Bhava · Melaragamalika · Maha Vaidyanatha Iyer · Adi tala