Rag Sarang or vrindavani (Brindabani) Sarang is also the sweetest of all Sarangs. Since I am in the process of learning this rag (instrumental – on sitar), through out my waking hours, it keeps playing inside my mind, I have not learnt many ragas (Started learning about an year and half ago) but Des and Brindabani sarang are going in “my favourite” bunch I am sure.
Brindabani Sarang, as the name suggests, originated in Mathura region and is the flagship rag of the Sarang family. It is an early afternoon raga of rainy season and today, when I sat for my class, the time and weather was perfect.
this is one of MY favourite ragas, too…we have a carnaticized version called Brindaavana Saarangaa (I am spelling it phonetically) which is not exactly the same.
I dreamt of learning the sitar many years ago, but then the “rational thinking” that Tarique talked about, which I rebutted in his LJ, came in the way! How tough is it to learn an instrument? I came up to a certain level on the veena, which my mother played very well; but alas, it’s all gone now…
Enjoy your classes! And I hope it rains, hard, soon…Bangalore is cloudy and cool and rainy, and it is absolutely Saawan Bhaadon weather…I will think of you as I practice my music (vocal, Carnatic) for an upcoming chamber concert next week, for and her family, esp her one-year old son.
Brindabani Sarang
I am also learning this raag (on flute) since 3 months now. Would love if you could share your technical thoughts and opinions on the rendition. I have little knowledge but keen interest in Hindustani Classical Music.
Re: Brindabani Sarang
Please identify yourself 🙂
My Identity
Hi,
Am not an LJ user.. Browsing yours though due to a common interest in music and Urdu poetry.
Can furnish you more personal details over email if you wish.
Regards,
Varun Nagpal
another flautist speaks (AFS)
This is a typical sarang without a Ga. It also has no Dha.
The notes are Sa Ri ma Pa ni Sa+. Therefore all the notes are shudh except for Ni which is komal. However shudh Ni is often invited in its exposition but never to the extent that it supplants the komal Ni. Typical movements in it are characterised by Ri Pa and Ri ma meend and vice versa, but particularly the former.
western explanation.
This is a raaga in a pentatonic mode which has no third and sixth intervals. All notes are major except for the 7th interval which is minor. It is, in fact, the 2nd gapped mode in the pentatoniic major scale. In expert exposition, accidental major seventh is acceptable.
There are many raagas in this scale. What typifies Brindabani Sarang are movements with glissandi from the 2nd to the 5th and from the 2nd to the 4th intervals and vice versa, but especially the former.
There are several other factors that evince the uniqueness of this raaga which cannot be explained simply from a scalar perspective. That, however, is not the intention of this post. The intention is to advise any reader, who is not familiar with Brindabani Sarang,of its scale.
AFS
Re: another flautist speaks (AFS)
Thank you for such a nice explanation. I would like to know your identity. I find it awckward talking to someone whose name I dont know 🙂
Re: SaReMaPaNi
to me looks like Megh Mahalar in some bits and Brindabani Sarang in some places -but I am no expert 🙁