The Jazz Sax & Improvisation Blog of Saxophonist Bobby Stern - bobbysternjazz.com

Shortbook of the Month - And they called it "K A L I N D A J A"

2/21/2018

Shortbook™ of the Month:
...and they called it "Kalindaja"

The focus of this month's Shortbook™ features a beautiful, exotic (where is she?), and not all too unfamiliar sounding triad pair / hexatonic scale (or "pitch collection", as is the fashionable term), which can be said to be derived from several different sources - both theoretical & cultural.

From a Western point of view, it can be derived from the 5th mode of Harmonic Minor (or Major) while omitting the minor or Major 3rd, as the case may be, of its parent scale (in parenthesis, below).

As an example, the 5th mode of F Harmonic Min or Maj. = C - Db - E - F - G - (omit Ab or A) - Bb
This creates a hexatonic (6 note) scale.

The exact same tonal configuration is realized - as a triad pair - by coupling a Major triad with the minor triad one whole step below it (eg. C Maj & Bb min or C-E-G & Bb-Db-F).

From a Carnatic (South Indian) point of view, this janya raga or "derived scale" comes directly from the 14th Melakarta "Vakulabaranam", which is the Carnatic 7-note tonal equivalent of the Western 5th Mode of Harmonic Minor, as previously described.

Omitting the sixth scale degree, or "da", leaves us with our 6 note janya raga....and they called it Kalindaja (pronounced Ka - LIN - da - DSHA)...and therefore, so shall we.

Yagapriya and the Tonnetz

3/18/2017

The Tale of Yagapriya and the Tonnetz

Yagapriya and the Tonnetz

This is the tale of Yagapriya and the Tonnetz. Yagapriya was a fair maiden who, while bathing her lovely body in the sun sparkled waters of the stream back in the woods, didn't fail to catch the eye of the dashing young Prince Tonnetz, and....(CUT!) ...OK, let's go! Take #2...

Yagapriya is the 31st raga, out of a total of 72, in the Carnatic (South Indian) Melakarta system of seven-note parent ragas, from which other smaller ragas are derived.

Besides its Carnatic origin, this post was inspired as much by my belated introduction to the Neo-Riemannian “Tonnetz” (German for “tone network” and pronounced "tone netz"), which clearly illustrates Yagapriya's internal intervallic and chordal relationships.

I had never heard of the Tonnetz before receiving an email recently from Uruguayan mathematics researcher and amateur guitarist Alfonso Artigue, who's interest in both disciplines lead him to the discovery of the relationship between the Tonnetz and the Yagapriya raga. He had found an earlier post I had done on the scale and contacted me about his discovery. I Thank you, Alfonso!. Yagapriya thanks you, too.

Korner Karnataka #7 - Melakarta #45 - Shubhapantuvarali

3/15/2016

A Little Shubhap in Your BeBop?
Melakarta #45 - Shubhapantuvarali

In this post we'll take a look at Melakarta #45 - Shubhapantuvarali (that's shoo-bop pahn-too-vah-rahlly....no really!). "Shubhap" (for short) has the same tonal DNA as another Melakarta, namely, #36 - Chalanata, which is the subject of an earlier post. It might be helpful to check that out for some pertinent background info, as well as any of the other posts in this category (hey, why not? - they're FreeB's).

Due to the process known as graha bedham, which changes the śruti, or tonic, of a scale (Melakarta) to a different note within that scale, Melas #36 and #45 have the same tonal makeup, with each containing the exact same interval relationships. Only the starting point is different in each case.

This is the same type of relationship found between, for example, the Major scale and any of its modes (Dorian, Phrygian, etc.) - same 7 scale tones; different tonic.

As with the other posts on the subject, the objective here is to investigate the usage of these Carnatic (South Indian) Melakartas (there are 72 in all), as one would treat any 7 note western scale - as a melodic improvisational tool.

Korner Karnataka #6 - Melakarta #36 - Chalanata

12/11/2015

Mela Down Easy With #36
Chalanata

I recently stumbled upon this scale, not quite knowing if it belonged to the 72 scale South Indian Carnatic Melakarta family or not. I discovered that it was, in fact #36 - Chalanata, the sixth ragam of the sixth chakra, or group of six, and is from the same chakra as the subject of an earlier post, #31 - Yagapryia.

Checking it out from a Western point of view as a tool for improvisational vocabulary, which is my main intention; Chalanata is a seven note symmetrical scale; the two tetrachords being built off of the exact same interval scheme.

C - D# - E - F / G - A# - B - C
1 1/2 1/2 1/2 1 1 1/2 1/2 1/2

The sound of Chalanata should already be pretty familiar to many, as 5 of its seven scale tones form a much used minor pentatonic scale:

In C: C - D# - F - G - A# = C minor pentatonic (aka 5th mode of Eb Maj. pentatonic).

Korner Karnataka #5 - Take A Ride on the "South Indian Line"

6/27/2014

All Aboard!
Take A Ride on the "South Indian Line"

"People get ready, there's a train a-comin''. Don't need no ticket, just get on board " - Curtis Mayfield

(...and If you actually get to where you're goin' in one piece. you'd better thank the Lord!)

The exercise here is a page from my personal workbook (as is most of the stuff I post, I guess).

In order to kill two birds with one stone, I thought I'd create` these lines for myself as a method to get closer and more personal with this odd meter Carnatic composition "South Indian Line", and post them here, to share with my fellow masochists.

Korner Karnataka #4 - Mela #18 - Hatakambari

9/19/2013

I thought I'd do another Melakarta post, this time featuring #18 - Hatakambari. If you're not hip to what a Melakarta is, then please check out my post from June 7th, 2013 entitled "Korner Karnataka #2 - Melakarta #15, Double Harm. Maj. & Graha Bedham", where a complete set of mp3 drone pitches can be downloaded, to facilitate in practicing these scales.

The Melakarta presented here, is related to #15 in that they are from the same "chakra", or group of six, and share the same lower tetrachord. In fact, the only difference between the two is the sixth step, or "da", of #18 being raised two semitones from D1 to D3, or in the key of C, from G# to A#. This scale could also be seen as "Ionian b2, #6", in western terms

Korner Karnataka #3 - "Yagapriya", The Jazz Version

6/13/2013

Let's take a look at a very hip sounding scale, Melakarta #31, known as Yagapriya. As you can see on the keyboard graphic to the left, Yagapriya has an unusual interval makeup:

1 1/2 steps - half step - half step - whole step - half step - half step - 1 1/2 steps

The interval scheme of the second four notes (tetrachord) is the reverse of the first four notes, separated by a whole step.

Yagapriya can also be thought of, in western terms, as 4 triads: (In C) C Maj., C min., F Maj., & F min.

Korner Karnataka #2 - Melakarta #15, Double Harm. Maj. & Graha Bedham

6/7/2013

A Melakarta, in Carnatic (South Indian) Music is a scale consisting of seven notes (swaras), which among meeting other qualifications, must include a root (Sa) and a perfect fifth (Pa).

The individual swaras of a Melakarta are identified with syllables, similar to Western solfege:
Sa - Ri - Ga - Ma - Pa - Da - Ni - Sa
(Do Re Mi Fa Sol La Ti Do)

There are 72 Melas, organized into 12 chakras (groups) of 6 Melas each. The second-half group of 36 Melas is identical to the first half, except that each of the Melas belonging to the second half has a raised 4th degree (M2).

Korner Karnataka - Charlie Mariano - Konnakol/Solkattu & Prof. Dave King

5/29/2013

Charlie Mariano with his nadaswaram in the early 1970's

One of the legendary alto saxophonist Charlie Mariano's greatest and lasting legacies has been exposing an entire generation of Western musicians (including yours truly), primarily in Europe, to the highly intricate beauties of South Indian (Carnatic) Classical Music culture.

Carnatic Music probably contains the most sophisticated, mathematically derived rhythmic system on the planet. It's no wonder that the city of Bangalore, Karnataka, a megalopolis of 8.5 million people, is considered the "Silicon Valley" of India.

"But with all that math", you ask yourself, "can the music swing"?

Oh man, and how!!

Mariano himself was first exposed to this deep musical culture in the late 1960's on a trip to Malaysia, and began serious study of the Nadaswaram, the popular Carnatic double reed instrument, with a teacher/guru named M. Muthaiah, in India.

One of the musicians, originally introduced to Carnatic music through Charlie Mariano, and who has really gotten into it seriously, is bassist and long time friend Dave King. Dave is originally from Louisville, KY, and is currently a professor at the University of Music and Performing Arts in Mannheim, Germany.