Sikh Music - Raga: Melodic Scales

Raga: Melodic Scales

Ragas have a direct relationship to human moods and the following are the connections between Ragas and feeling:

1. Soohi – joy and separation
2. Bilaaval – happiness
3. Gaund – strangeness, surprise, beauty
4. Sri – satisfaction and balance
5. Maajh – loss, beautification
6. Gauri – seriousness
7. Aasa – making effort
8. Gujri – satisfaction, softness of heart, sadness
9. Devgandhari – no specific feeling but the Raag has a softness
10. Bihaagra – beautification
11. Sorath – motivation
12. Dhanasari – inspiration, motivation
13. Jaitsree – softness, satisfaction, sadness
14. Todi – this being a flexible Raag it is apt for communicating many feelings
15. Bhairaagi – sadness, (The Gurus have, however, used it for the message of *Bhakti)
16. Tilang – this is a favourite Raag of Muslims. It denotes feeling of beautification and yearning.
17. Raamkali – calmness
18. Nat Narayan – happiness
19. Maali Gaura – happiness
20. Maaru – giving up of cowardice
21. Tukhari – beautification
22. Kedara – love and beautification
23. Bhairav – seriousness, brings stability of mind
24. Basant – happiness
25. Sarang – sadness
26. Malaar – separation
27. Jaijawanti – viraag
28. Kalyaan – Bhakti Ras
29. Vadhans – vairaag, loss (that is why Alahniya is sung in this Raag when someone passes away)
30. Parbhati – Bhakti and seriousness
31. Kaanra – Bhakti and seriousness

In addition to raag names, there exists an indication in the titles of hymns called ghar. The precise meaning of ghar is not fully understood, although recent research proposes it refers to raag variants.