Abstract

ndian Musicology defines 22 distinct shrutis (microtones), 12 swa- rasthanas (semitones) and 7 swaras (tones). By implementing the mathematical concepts like cycle of fourths and fifths, these shrutis acquire a discrete frequency ratio which justifies the Bharatha’s 22 shrutis experiment. Indian classical music defines the 7 swaras and each swara is associated to an animal/bird call. The Grama system in Indian music distributes the 22 shrutis amongst the 7 swaras. We based our work on the Shadja Grama system. The traversal of pitches in a swara are more important in understanding the swara as compared to the fre- quency ratio. This shows us that swaras have peculiar properties and an identity independent of the octave.

Abstract

Ragas are a fundamental concept to the Indian Classical music which provides immense scope for artists to improvise aesthetically. Classification of ragas have been studied since the inception but even the best models in practice have ambiguities in the classification of certain ragas and this has troubled many musicians and musicologists. We have constructed a new model to classify ragas which adheres to all the existing conventions and resolves these ambiguities.