Gaud Malhar
गौड़ मल्हार
S R G M, R P, M P D N S' | S' n D n P M, G R G (R)S, R G M
Origins & Context
Raag Gaud Malhar is a Malhar-family raga of Hindustani music, performed at night or in the rains, that uses shuddha notes with komal Ni in the descent. Shuddha means natural and komal lowered. One teaching outline places it in Bilawal thaat, a parent scale, while George Howlett tags its thaat as inexact. It is also written Gaur Malhar.
In this notation, lowercase is a komal note, an apostrophe the upper octave and a note in brackets a grace note. The aroha, or ascent, is S R G M, R P, M P D N S'. The avaroha, or descent, is S' n D n P M, G R G (R)S, R G M. The vadi, the most prominent note, is Ma, and the samvadi, its partner, is Sa. The AUTRIM project of the National Centre for the Performing Arts and the University of Amsterdam also names Ma and Sa, and lets phrases end on Ma or Pa.
Howlett calls the raga an ancient blend of Shuddha Malhar and the now-dormant Gaud. AUTRIM hears the Malhar phrase R P stressed here, and notes that n P can recall Brindavani Sarang or Bahar, while Dha keeps Gaud Malhar distinct.
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 M, R P, M P D N S'
Avroh (Descent)
S' n D n P M, G R G (R)S, R G M
Pakad (Catch Phrase)
S R G M, R G M G M, G R G (R)S, M P D n P, M P D N S'
Additional Notes
Phraseologies
Key for these phrases: lowercase letters are komal notes, an apostrophe puts a note in the upper octave, and a note in brackets is a grace note.
Shuddha Ni rises and komal Ni falls. The AUTRIM project allows komal Ni only as in M P D n P or S D n P, and notes a type that adds komal Ga to shuddha Ga, preferred in the dhrupad tradition. The outline used here opens its ascent with a Gaud phrase, S R G M, moves into Malhar with R P, and closes its descent through Bilawal or Shuddha Malhar phrases.
Common Phrases
Around the World
Global connections and equivalent scales
With Sa on C, Gaud Malhar uses C, D, E, F, G and A, with both B and B flat. George Howlett gives the jazz Bebop Dominant scale, 1 2 3 4 5 6 b7 7, as its translation, the same eight notes.