Hey Music Lovers,
Today we are doing something every serious Bansuri student must pin on the wall:
The exact 12 swaras that form the entire universe of Indian Classical Music.
There are only 12 possible notes in one octave (saptak).
Out of these 12, we use 7 main (shuddha) swaras and 5 altered (vikrit) swaras (komal or teevra).
The 12 Swaras (Notes)- Full Names, Type, Characteristics & Flute Holes Positioning
S.No. | Swara (Short) | Full Traditional Name | Type | Mood/ Feeling (Rasa) | Bansuri Hole Position |
1 | Sa | Shadja | Shuddha (Fixed) | Foundation, Peace, Stability, Beginning, Mother Note | Holes 1-3 closed |
2 | Re | Rishabh | Shuddha | Courage, Heroic, Noble, Longing | Holes 1 & 2 closed |
3 | re | Komal Rishabh | Komal (Flat) | Prayer, Pathos | Holes 1 & 2 closed; plus Hole 3-80% closed |
4 | Ga | Gandhar | Shuddha | Romance, Beauty, Calm, Positive | Hole 1 closed |
5 | ga | Komal Gandhar | Komal (Flat) | Mystery, Melancholy | Hole 1 closed; plus Hole 2- 80% closed |
6 | Ma | Madhyam | Shuddha | Joy, Playfulness, Serene, Balanced | Hole 1- 80% closed |
7 | Ma# | Teevra Madhyam | Teevra (Sharp) | Passion, Intensity, Restlessness | Holes 1-6 open |
8 | Pa | Pancham | Shuddha (Fixed) | Strength, Grandeur, Balance, Father Note | Holes 1-6 closed |
9 | Dha | Dhaivata | Shuddha | Devotion, Bright, Cheerful | Holes 1-5 closed |
10 | dha | Komal Dhaivata | Komal (Flat) | Yearning, Seperation, Introspection | Holes 1-5 closed; plus Hole 6-80% closed |
11 | Ni | Nishad | Shuddha | Love, Tenderness, Optimistic | Holes 1-4 closed |
12 | ni | Komal Nishad | Komal (Flat) | Bhakti, Surrender | Holes 1-4 closed; plus Hole 5- 80% closed |
| Sa’ | Shadja (Higher Octave) |
|
| Holes 1-3 closed |
Ultimately, the true mood of Indian classical music emerges not just from individual notes but from how they are combined, phrased, and rendered in a specific raga to create a profound aesthetic experience.
Quick Memory Trick
Fixed forever → Sa and Pa (never komal or teevra)
Only one sharp → Ma# (teevra)
Four komal (flat) possible → Re, Ga, Dha, Ni
Total = 7 shuddha + 4 komal + 1 teevra = 12 swaras
Your 5-minute Daily Swara Sadhana (Do This For 30 Days)
1. Sing or play each of the 12 swaras slowly with tanpura as background music.
2. Say the full name out loud: “Shadja… Rishabh… komal Rishabh…”
3. Feel the mood change when you reach komal or teevra notes.
4. End with long Sa and feel everything settle back to peace.
Do this every morning → in one month you will hear the difference between shuddha and vikrit swaras even in your dreams.
Screenshot & Save This Chart
Keep it beside your practice spot.
In six months you will know all 12 swaras like your own heartbeat.
The entire ocean of Indian classical music lives inside these 12 notes.
Master them — and every raga will open its door for you.
See you in our next blog!
Your fellow swara traveller!
P.S. Tag one friend who still gets confused between komal and teevra — gift them this map!