"The Soul of Bhairav: Journey Through Alap, Raag & Thaat for Beginners"

Sharanya naidu
Jun 2
4 min read

Hey there, music explorers! Ever wondered what makes Indian music sound so deep and moving? Today, we're diving into some basic ideas using a special tune called Bhairav. We'll talk about a part called Alap, and clear up the difference between a Raag (think of it as a specific tune) and a Thaat (a basic set of notes).

Bhairav's Vibe: Early Morning Calm

Let's start with Bhairav. This is a super old and powerful tune in Indian music. It brings out feelings of peace, quiet thought, and sometimes a bit of sadness. People often sing it early in the morning. Its unique sound comes from using slightly "flat" versions of the notes 'Re' and 'Dha'.

The notes in Bhairav are:

Going Up: Sa, flat Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, flat Dha, Ni, high Sa
Coming Down: High Sa, Ni, flat Dha, Pa, Ma, Ga, flat Re, Sa

The most important note in Bhairav is flat Dha, and the second most important is flat Re.

What's Alap? It's Like Setting the Scene

Imagine you're about to tell a story. You don't just jump right into the action, right? You might set the scene, describe the place, or introduce the mood. Alap is kind of like that in Indian singing. It's the beginning part where the singer explores the tune without any drums or beat.

During Alap, the singer:

Builds the Mood: It helps you get into the feeling of the tune. For Bhairav, an Alap immediately makes you feel calm and thoughtful.
Explores Notes: The singer slowly moves through the notes of the tune, spending time on the important ones, showing how they connect.
Shows the Tune's Style: You get to hear the special ways notes are played and how the tune usually moves. In Bhairav's Alap, you'd notice how the flat 'Re' and 'Dha' are used, giving it its special feel.
Adds a Personal Touch: Even though there are rules, the Alap lets the singer show their own understanding and feeling for the tune. It's very personal!
Gets Everyone Ready: After the Alap, the singer usually moves into a song that has a set rhythm. The Alap gets everyone ready for that.

When someone performs an Alap of Bhairav, they'll slowly and beautifully move through the notes, really highlighting those flat 'Re' and 'Dha' to create a deep, reflective mood.

Clearing Up the Confusion: Tune (Raag) vs. Scale (Thaat)

This part can trip up new learners, but it's important to get it straight.

What's a Thaat (Scale)?

Think of a Thaat as a basic set of notes or a "parent scale." It's like having a specific collection of building blocks – seven notes, some regular, some flat or sharp. But it doesn't tell you how to use them or what kind of building to make.

There are ten main Thaats in Indian music. One of them is Thaat Bhairav.

So, Thaat Bhairav means: A scale that has a flat 'Re' and a flat 'Dha', with all other notes being natural. It's just the basic recipe for the notes.

What's a Raag (Tune)?

Now, a Raag is much more detailed. While it uses the notes from a certain Thaat, a Raag has its own clear rules and special features that go way beyond just the notes.

A Raag tells you:

How to go up and down: Specific ways of moving between notes.
The most important notes: Which notes to focus on.
Signature phrases: Short, special groups of notes that immediately tell you which Raag it is.
How it moves: The style and flow of the notes.
When to play it: Many Raags are meant for specific times of day or seasons.
What it feels like: Each Raag creates a certain feeling or emotion.

So, Raag Bhairav is: A specific, well-known tune that uses the notes from Thaat Bhairav, but it also has its own special way of moving, signature phrases, its main notes (flat Dha and flat Re), and it's best sung early in the morning, making you feel devoted and serious.

Think of it this way:

Thaat Bhairav is like all the ingredients you can use to bake something (flour, sugar, eggs, etc.).
Raag Bhairav is like a specific cake recipe, telling you exactly how to mix those ingredients, bake it, and what kind of cake it will be (e.g., a rich, comforting chocolate cake).

Lots of different tunes can use the same Thaat. For example, the tune Kalingada also uses the notes from Thaat Bhairav, but it sounds completely different and has a different feel than Raag Bhairav.

Wrapping Up

Understanding Alap helps you enjoy the free-flowing, creative side of Indian music, where the singer paints a sound picture of the tune. And knowing the difference between a Raag and a Thaat helps you understand the basic building blocks and the unique personalities of these amazing tunes!

Keep listening and keep exploring! What's another tune you're curious about?

write as blog

Absolutely! Here's the blog post, written in a clear and engaging style for music learners, explaining Alap in Raag Bhairav and the difference between Raag and Thaat.