Khamaj
खमाज
S G M P D N S' | S' n D P M G R G S, .N S G M P
Origins & Context
Raag Khamaj is a Khamaj thaat raga of Hindustani music, performed at night, that uses the shuddha notes with both forms of Ni: shuddha Ni going up and komal Ni coming down. Shuddha means natural, komal lowered, and a thaat is a parent scale. Khamaj is the raga the Khamaj thaat takes its name from. It is also written Kamaj, Khammaj or Khambaz.
In this notation, n is komal Ni. An apostrophe marks the upper octave and a leading dot the lower. One teaching outline gives the aroha, or ascent, as S G M P D N S', without Re. Its avaroha, or descent, is S' n D P M G R G S, .N S G M P. The vadi, the most prominent note, is Ga. Its partner, the samvadi, is Ni.
The AUTRIM project of the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the University of Amsterdam hears Khamaj most often in thumri, dadra and hori-dhamar, and seldom in khayal. In these lighter forms, it notes, singers often add komal Ga and tivra Ma.
KalaSudha presents Hindustani musicians in concert and releases their recordings. Its academy teaches ragas online and in local workshops, and each course is built by its instructor with KalaSudha.
Technical Details
Melodic structure and movement patterns
Aroha (Ascent)
S G M P D N S'
Avroh (Descent)
S' n D P M G R G S, .N S G M P
Pakad (Catch Phrase)
G M P D, G M G, P S' N S', n D P, M P M G, R S
Additional Notes
Phraseologies
Key for these phrases: n is komal Ni and an apostrophe puts a note in the upper octave.
The AUTRIM project names Ga and Ni as important notes and Pa as a resting note. It hears the glides D M G and D G M G as highly characteristic. The ascent usually skips Re and takes shuddha Ni, and komal Ni follows in the descent, as in S' n D P.
AUTRIM adds that instrumentalists often play Khamaj from Ma, mixing in elements of Manj to give Manj Khamaj. Ma then takes over as the tonic.
Common Phrases
Around the World
Global connections and equivalent scales
With Sa on C, Khamaj uses C, D, E, F, G and A, with B going up and B flat coming down. George Howlett matches its core form to the Mixolydian mode, the major scale with a lowered seventh.