Pahadi
पहाड़ी
S R G P D S' | S' D P G R S
Origins & Context
Raag Pahadi is a light raga of Hindustani music, performed in the evening, that rests on five notes, S R G P D, and is usually heard in mishra, or mixed, form. George Howlett glosses the name as "of the hills". He matches its core to Bhupali. Howlett names no thaat, or parent scale, and no source read here gives one, nor a vadi or samvadi.
In this notation, an apostrophe marks the upper octave and lowercase g is komal, or lowered, Ga. Howlett gives the aroha, or ascent, as S R G P D S' and the avaroha, or descent, as S' D P G R S. He hears the mixing mostly on the way down, and a liking for the lower and middle octaves.
Howlett writes that Pahadi is thought to derive from Kashmiri or Bengali folk tunes, and hears playful and subtle shades in it. Komal Ga slips in as an ornament, as in G g G.
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 R G P D S'
Avroh (Descent)
S' D P G R S
Pakad (Catch Phrase)
G P D S', D P G g G S
Tanpura Tuning
P - S - S - .S
Additional Notes
Phraseologies
Key for these phrases: lowercase g is komal Ga, and an apostrophe puts a note in the upper octave.
George Howlett gives the catch phrases G P D S' and D P G g G S. Komal Ga enters only as an ornament, as in G g G. He finds the five core notes usually mixed with others, especially coming down, and the raga drawn to the lower and middle octaves.
Common Phrases
Around the World
Global connections and equivalent scales
With Sa on C, the core of Pahadi uses C, D, E, G and A. George Howlett gives the major pentatonic scale as its jazz translation, and Carnatic Mohanam as an approximate counterpart.