DIFFERENCE BETWEEN RAAG AND THAAT
Ø
RAAG
A group of minimum of 5
notes (swars) and maximum of 7 notes (swars) which is pleasing to hear is
called raag. or raag is a series of 5 or more musical notes upon which a melody
is constructed.
v
"Abhinava
Raag Manjari' has defined Raag as follows:
'A combination of note
(swar) and varna (note group) which entertains us, is called raag'.
Ø
Characteristics
of Raags
In past, music exponents
considered 10 characteristics of raag of which some of them still exist in
modified form such as Grah (the starting point of composition), Nyas
(emphasising note), hexatonic, pentatonic etc.
Ø
Characteristics
in modern times the following are accepted:
1.A group of notes
(swars) which is pleasing to listen, is called raag. The first characteristic
of raag is that it must be pleasing.
2. Raag should consists
of minimum 5 or maximum 7 notes (swars). No raag is possible having less than 5
notes (swars).
3.Every raag is a
product of some Thaat. For example raag Bhopali is product of Kalyan Thaat and
raag Bageshwari is produced from Kafi Thaat.
4."Shadaj" is
base note (swar) therefore no raag is possible without it.
5. In every raag, at
least M or P, should be there. Both of them together is never prohibited in any
raag. If in some raag 'P' and natural (suddha) M is not there then it must
contain sharp (teevra) M. In Bhopali raag, M is not there. In Malkosh P is
absent. But there are no raags where both M and P are missing.
6. In every raag,
ascendant (aaroha), descendant (avaroha), sonant (vadi), subsonant (samvadi),
identifying notes (pakad), time etc. are essential.
7.It is a rule that in
any raag both flat and natural note (swar) should not be used oneafter another.
For example flat (komal) 'Rishab' & natural (suddha) R and flat (komal) G
& natural (suddha) G should not appear together in any raag. It is
permitted to use one in ascendant (aaroha) and other in decendant (avaroha)
together. For example in Khamaj raag natural N is in ascendant and flat N is
descendant.
Ø
Thaat:
Out of 12 notes
(swars), 7 main notes (swars) in a group and sequence is called Thaat and from
this raags are produced. Thaat are also called 'Mail'. stated that a group of
seven notes which can produce raag is called 'Mail' or Thaat..
Characteristics of
Thaat 1.In each 'Thaat' maximum and minimum 7 notes (swars) are required. This
is because without 7 notes (swars) no Thaat is complete.
2. Apart from 7 notes
(swars), all notes should be in natural sequence. For example 'S' should be
followed by 'R' and 'R' by 'G' etc. It is possible that any Thaat may have any
form of note (swar). Apart from natural (suddha) notes, modified (vikrit) notes
can also be used. For example in 'Bhairava Thaat, flat R and D is used. While
in Kalyan Thaat Sharp M (Teevra M) is used.
3. It is not essential
that each Thaat must have both ascendant (Aaroha) and descendant notes
(Avaroha), because in every Thaat there is no difference between ascendant
(Aaroha) and descendant (Avaroha). Only by viewing ascendant (aaroha) or
descendant (avaroha) we can determine Thaat.
4. Thaat is neither
sung nor played therefore there is no need of vadi- samvadi, pakad (identifying
notes), alaap, taan etc.
5.Thaat has natural power
to produce raag but is never sung or played, therefore Thaat does not need
melody.
Number of Thaats: In
North Indian Music (Hindustani Sangeet) there are only 10 Thaats (Mail). From
these all raags are produced. In the modern era Pt. Vishnu Narain Bhatkhandey
has propounded and propogated Thaat system and said that Thaats are ten in
number.
v
They
are as following:
1. Bilaval Thaat: In this every
note (swar) has to be natural (suddha).
2.Kalyan Thaat: Only M is sharp (teevra) other notes
(swars) are natural (suddha).
3. Khamaj Thaat: N flat (komal) and other notes (swars)
are natural (suddha).
4.Ashavari Thaat : G, D, N flat (komal) and remaining
notes (swars) are natural (suddha).
5.
Kafi Thaat: G, N flat (komal) remaining notes
(swars) are natural (suddha).
6.
Bhairavi Thaat : R, G, D, N flat (komal) and
remaining notes (swars) are natural (suddha).
7.
Bhairav Thaat: R, D flat (komal) and remaining notes
(swars) are natural (suddha).
8.
Marwa Thaat : R falt (komal), M sharp (teevra) and
remaining notes (swars) are natural (suddha).
9.
Purvi Thaat : R, D flat (komal), M natural (suddha),
M sharp (teevra) and remaining notes (swars) are natural (suddha).
10.
Todi Thaat: R, G, D flat (komal), M sharp (teevra)
and remaining notes (swars) are natural
(suddha).
Ø Comparision
between Thaat and Raag 1.Thaat is created from
octave and raag is from Thaat. Hence Thaat is consider as father of raag. 2. Thaat always has 7
notes (swars) i.e. it is heptatonic. But it is not essential in case of raag.
There are 9 kinds of raag. 3. Thaat is not sung
where as raag can be sung and played. 4.Raag has to be
pleasing to listen as it is sung and played but it is not essential for Thaat
to be pleasing to ear because it is never sung. 5.In Thaat it is not
essential to have both aaroha and avaroha. Where as in raag it is essential to
have both. In Thaat aaroha and avaroha is similar but in raag it may be or may
not be. 6. In Thaat one does
not need sonant-subsonant (vadi-samvadi), time, identifying notes (pakad), nyas
etc. where as it is essential for raag, because raags are sung and played. 7. In Thaat all the
seven notes (swars) should be in a sequence. Where as it is not necessary for
raags. In Thaat it has to follow the sequence of S, R, GMPD N. But in raag one
is not bound by any such rule. It may follow or it may not follow.8. Thaats have been
named after their famous raags, from which they have originated. However, raags
have been named independently.
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