Melakarta 6 · Indu chakra · M1 · vivadi
Tanarupi
तानरूपी
Tanarupi is the 6th melakarta raga. Its scale is S R1 G1 M1 P D3 N3.
Hear it from musicians
Signature phrases for Tanarupi, 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, Tanarupi is built from a minor second, a diminished third, a perfect fourth, a perfect fifth, a augmented sixth, a major seventh. In Carnatic terms that is S R1 G1 M1 P D3 N3; in Hindustani sargam, S r R m P n 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 | D3 | augmented sixth (A6) |
| 7 | N3 | major seventh (M7) |
How Tanarupi harmonizes
Stack thirds on each note of Tanarupi and these chords appear. Home is the chord on Sa; the chord on Pa is the dominant that pulls back to it.
- Isus2 Gsus2 suspended secondhome
- V♭5 D(b5) major flat fivedominant
- VIIsus2♭5 F#sus2(b5) suspended second flat fivedominant
- II· Fm/Ab minor, first inversionpredominant
- IVsus4 Csus4 suspended fourthpredominant
- III· D/A major, second inversioncolour
- VI· E#(cluster) clustercolour
Learn the method in how to harmonize a raga.
Music to learn in Tanarupi
Tanarupi 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 Tanarupi
What is the Tanarupi raga?
Tanarupi is melakarta number 6 in the 72-raga system of Carnatic music. Its scale is S R1 G1 M1 P D3 N3.
What are the janya ragas of Tanarupi?
Tanarupi is heard mainly as a parent scale; much Carnatic repertoire lives in the janya ragas of other melakartas.