Melakarta Scales

In south Indian classical music there are 72 basic scales called melakarta ragas.
However, the melakarta ragas are not ragas but scales.
Each melakarta scale (abbreviated mela) is built from two tetrachords: one of 12
bottom tetrachords and one of 6 top tetrachords. There are 72 melas.
Each tetrachord has two stable pitches a fourth apart; the two other intervening
tones can take six different positions. The fourth in the bottom tetrachord can be
either perfect or augmented, while the top tetrachord only takes a perfect fourth.
Here are the tetrachords where the tonic note sa is set to the pitch-class C. Each
tetrachord has a number.
bottom tetrachord numbers

top tetrachord numbers

1 = C Db Ebb F
2 = C Db Eb F
3 = C Db E F
4 = C D Eb F
5=CDEF
6 = C D# E F
7 = C Db Ebb F#
8 = C Db Eb F#
9 = C Db E F#
10 = C D Eb F#
11 = C D E F#
12 = C D# E F#

1 = G Ab Bbb C
2 = G Ab Bb C
3 = G Ab B C
4 = G A Bb C
5=GABC
6 = G A# B C

Note that the bottom tetrachord numbers 1-6 convert to the other bottom
tetrachord numbers; just sharp the F and add 6.
The melas are numbered from 1 to 72. The first mela takes bottom tetrachord 1
and top tetrachord 1; mela 2 takes a bottom tetrachord 1 and top tetrachord 2;
mela 3 takes bottom tetrachord 1 and top tetrachord 3; etc.; mela 6 takes bottom
tetrachord 1 and top tetrachord 6; mela 7 takes bottom tetrachord 2 and top
tetrachord 1; mela 8 takes bottom tetrachord 2 and top tetrachord 2; mela 9 takes
bottom tetrachord 2 and top tetrachord 3; etc.; until we get to mela 72, which
takes bottom tetrachord 12 and top tetrachord 6.
Melas 1 to 36 have a natural fourth (F) and melas 37-72 have a sharped fourth
(F#)

See the next pages for a flow chart and list of all 72 melas, their Sanskrit names,,
and their set-class affiliations.
To convert a mela number to the component tetrachords:
Let N = mela number
1) If 6 divides N:
N/6 = bottom tetrachord number; 6 = top tetrachord number
2) If 6 does not divide N:
Then N/6 rounded up to next whole number = bottom tetrachord number,
and the remainder of N/6 = top tetrachord number

To convert the component tetrachord numbers to a mela number

Let N = mela number
b = bottom tetrachord number
t = top tetrachord number
N = 6(b-1) + t.




    

Flow chart for generating the 72 Melakarta

ragas (scale-classes) of Carnatic music.




   



    

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AND

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72 Melakarta scales

The

72

melakarta scale
C
C
C
C
C
C

Db
Db
Db
Db
Db
Db

Ebb
Ebb
Ebb
Ebb
Ebb
Ebb

C
C
C
C
C
C

Db
Db
Db
Db
Db
Db

Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb

C
C
C
C
C
C

Db
Db
Db
Db
Db
Db

E
E
E
E
E
E

F
F
F
F
F
F

G
G
G
G
G
G

C
C
C
C
C
C

D
D
D
D
D
D

Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb

F
F
F
F
F
F

G
G
G
G
G
G

C
C
C
C
C
C

D
D
D
D
D
D

E
E
E
E
E
E

C
C
C
C
C
C

D#
D#
D#
D#
D#
D#

F
F
F
F
F
F

F
F
F
F
F
F
E
E
E
E
E
E

F
F
F
F
F
F

G
G
G
G
G
G
F
F
F
F
F
F

of

Karnatak

Music

pcs

set-class
SC(7-20I)
SC(7-29I)
SC(7-19I)
SC(7-27I)
SC(7-24I)
SC(7-12)

mela # mela name

1
Kanakangi
2
Ratnangi
3
Ganamurti
4
Vanaspati
5
Manavati
6
Tanarupi

0135789
013578A
013578B
013579A
013579B
01357AB

SC(7-30I)
SC(7-35)
SC(7-30)
SC(7-34)
SC(7-33)
SC(7-24)

7
8
9
10
11
12

Senavati
Hanumattodi
Dhenuka
Natakapriya
Kokilapriya
Rupavati

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

0145789
014578A
014578B
014579A
014579B
01457AB

SC(7-21I)
SC(7-32)
SC(7-22)
SC(7-32I)
SC(7-30I)
SC(7-19)

13
14
15
16
17
18

Gayakapriya
Vakulabharanam
Mayamalavagaula
Chakravakam
Suryakantam
Hatakambari

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

0235789
023578A
023578B
023579A
023579B
02357AB

SC(7-29I)
SC(7-35)
SC(7-32)
SC(7-35)
SC(7-34)
SC(7-27)

19
20
21
22
23
24

Jhankaradhvani
Natabhairavi
Kiravani
Kharaharapriya
Gaurimanohari
Varunapriya

0245789
024578A
024578B
024579A
024579B
02457AB

SC(7-27I)
SC(7-34)
SC(7-32I)
SC(7-35)
SC(7-35)
SC(7-29)

25
26
27
28
29
30

Mararanjani
Charukeshi
Sarasangi
Harikhamboji
Dhirasankarabharana
Naganadini

0345789
034578A
034578B
034579A
034579B
03457AB

SC(7-17)
SC(7-27)
SC(7-21)
SC(7-29)
SC(7-30)
SC(7-20)

31
32
33
34
35
36

Yagapriya
Ragavardhani
Gangeyabhusani
Vagadhibhusani
Sulini
Chalanata

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C
Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C
G
G
G
G
G
G

scales

0125789
012578A
012578B
012579A
012579B
01257AB

G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G
G

Melakarta

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

Melakarta

scales page 1

melakarta scale
C
C
C
C
C
C

Db
Db
Db
Db
Db
Db

Ebb
Ebb
Ebb
Ebb
Ebb
Ebb

F#
F#
F#
F#
F#
F#

C
C
C
C
C
C

Db
Db
Db
Db
Db
Db

Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb

C
C
C
C
C
C

Db
Db
Db
Db
Db
Db

E
E
E
E
E
E

F#
F#
F#
F#
F#
F#

G
G
G
G
G
G

C
C
C
C
C
C

D
D
D
D
D
D

Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb
Eb

F#
F#
F#
F#
F#
F#

G
G
G
G
G
G

C
C
C
C
C
C

D
D
D
D
D
D

E
E
E
E
E
E

C
C
C
C
C
C

D#
D#
D#
D#
D#
D#

F#
F#
F#
F#
F#
F#

F#
F#
F#
F#
F#
F#
E
E
E
E
E
E

F#
F#
F#
F#
F#
F#

G
G
G
G
G
G

G
G
G
G
G
G

pcs

set-class

0126789
012678A
012678B
012679A
012679B
01267AB

SC(7- 7)
SC(7-15)
SC(7- 7I)
SC(7-38I)
SC(7-14I)
SC(7- 6I)

mela # mela name

37
Salagam
38
Jalarnavam
39
Jhalavarali
40
Navanitam
41
Pavani
42
Raghupriya

0136789
013678A
013678B
013679A
013679B
01367AB

SC(7-19)
SC(7-29)
SC(7-20)
SC(7-31)
SC(7-28)
SC(7-18)

43
44
45
46
47
48

Gavambhodi
Bhavapriya
Subhapantuvarali
Sadvidhamatgini
Suvarnangi
Dvyamani

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

0146789
014678A
014678B
014679A
014679B
01467AB

SC(7-18I)
SC(7-28I)
SC(7-20I)
SC(7-31I)
SC(7-29I)
SC(7-19I)

49
50
51
52
53
54

Dhavalambari
Namanarayani
Kamavardhani
Ramapriya
Gamanasrama
Visvambari

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

0236789
023678A
023678B
023679A
023679B
02367AB

SC(7-19I)
SC(7-30)
SC(7-22)
SC(7-32)
SC(7-32I)
SC(7-21)

55
56
57
58
59
60

Syamalangi
Sanmukhapriya
Simhendramadhyama
Hemavati
Dharmavati
Nitimati

0246789
024678A
024678B
024679A
024679B
02467AB

SC(7-24I)
SC(7-33)
SC(7-30I)
SC(7-34)
SC(7-35)
SC(7-30)

61
62
63
64
65
66

Kantamani
Risabhapriya
Lantangi
Vachaspati
Mechakalyani
Chitrambari

0346789
034678A
034678B
034679A
034679B
03467AB

SC(7-16I)
SC(7-26)
SC(7-21I)
SC(7-31)
SC(7-32)
SC(7-22)

67
68
69
70
71
72

Sucharitra
Jyotisvarupini
Dhatuvardhani
Nasikabhusani
Kosalam
Rasikapriya

G
G
G
G
G
G

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C
Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C
G
G
G
G
G
G

Ab Bbb C
Ab Bb C
Ab B C
A Bb C
A B C
A# B C

Melakarta

scales page 2