A – Raga CDs of the Months (12/2015): Five minus 1 – Raga Malashree

The Ragas and Ragams of North and South Indian Classics can exhibit most diverse combinations in the ascending and descending scale. In our time the Indian music maestros, vocalists and instrumentalists present some few hundred Ragas from thousands of combinations to the audience and listeners. The 5 notes (Andav), 6 notes (Sadava) or 7 notes Ragas (Sapta) are established.

In India one meets the opinion among musicologists and musicians as facts that Ragas with at least five notes (Audav/Sanskrit = five (5)) have to be played. The November show of IMC – India meets Classic will start @ Radio RaSA (and worldwide as Internet radio) the proof with rare  audio documents that it is not like that.

dates of broadcasting…

27th December 2015 – 05:00 pm EST (11:00 pm CET) @ Radio FRO (A)
(premiere: 21st December 2009 (04:00 pm EST) @ Tide Radio)
broadcasting plan | streaming (Internet Radio & Mobile Radio) | podCast

Our topic „five minus 1″ lets suspect that there must exist 4 notes ragas in Indian Classics also. The ancient Raga Malashree or Malshree is the representative of this category, a Raga of North Indian Classics, the Hindustani music. Its phonetically identical namesake Malasri is even a 3 note Raga.

Raga Malasri scala on key note C : C E G C | Sa – Ga – Pa – Sa’ ( 1 3 5 )
Raga Malashree plus 7th pitchNi (1 3 5 7)

Raga MalaShree regularly possesses four (4) notes, Svarantara (popular type). The 1st, 3rd, 5th and 7th pitch is played: SA – Ga – Pa and Ni. It is a kind of major triad with an extended 7th pitch, in Jazz a major seven (maj 7).

The name Malashri appears in India also as maiden name. Malashri originates from Sanskrit and means „marvelous garland “.

Ragamala paintings from Rajasthan (India):
Malasri Ragini – 3rd wife of male Raga Bhairava (morning raga)

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left: c. 1650, artist: unknown  (British Library) | right: c. 1605, artist: Nisaruddin (Los Angeles County Museum of Art)

The „Garland of Ragas“ is illustsrated by motives and a kind of story telling in the Indian miniature painting, the Ragamala-s.  IMC – India meets Classic presented the special composition form in one of it’s former shows.

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Raga Malasri (3 notes) and Malshree (4 notes):

the selected key note is C the scale has 3 (Malasri) or 4 (Malshree) notes plus the octave

the scale is ascending

the default scale keynote is C

scale on C (see displayed graphically) : C E G (B) C

scale intervals in semitone or half steps from key note : 0 4 7 (11) 12

note to note interval : M3 m3 P4 (Malasri) or M3 (Malshree)

interval quality : dd: doubly diminished, d: diminished, m: minor, P: perfect, M: major, A: augmented, dA: doubly augmented

(Source: Dolmetsch.com – http://www.dolmetsch.com/pianochords.htm)