Murchhanas

 

 Melodic Rotation and the Evolution of Ragas

Murchhana is an ancient Indian classical music concept that involves the process of melodic rotation or shifting the tonic (known as Shadja or Sa) of a raga or scale to create new scales or ragas. This system, developed long before the modern Thaat (Hindustani) and Melakartha (Carnatic) systems, was essential for understanding the evolution and classification of ragas.

---

Core Concept of Murchhana

• Murchhana involves shifting the tonic (Sa) from one note to another within a foundational seven-note scale, or Gram (which refers to the parent scale).

• By shifting the tonic (Sa) to a different note within the scale, a new set of intervals (called shruti) is created. Since the intervals between the notes in the scale are not equal (because of the microtonal differences), this new tonic results in a distinct melodic structure, which can either correspond to an existing raga or potentially form a new raga.

This system laid the foundation for the later Thaat (Hindustani) and Melakartha (Carnatic) systems, which organize ragas into families based on specific scales.

---

Types of Murchhanas

Historically, murchhanas were derived from three primary Gramas (foundational tuning systems), each with seven distinct murchhanas. These Gramas were considered the root structures from which ragas evolved.

1. Shadja Grama Murchhanas

• The Shadja Grama begins with Sa as the tonic and includes the following murchhanas, starting sequentially from each note:

  1. Uttarmandra

  2. Rajni

  3. Uttarayata

  4. Shuddha-Shadja

  5. Matsrikrita

  6. Ashrakranta

  7. Abhirudgata

These murchhanas begin from different notes like Ni (lower octave), Dha (lower octave), and so on, giving each its unique flavor.

2. Madhyama Grama Murchhanas

• The Madhyama Grama begins with Ma (Madhyama) as the tonic and includes the following murchhanas:

  1. Sauveeri

  2. Harinashara

  3. Kalopanta

  4. Shuddha Madhya

  5. Margi

  • These murchhanas explore scales beginning from Ma, Ga, Re, and other notes, each offering distinct melodic possibilities.

3. Gandhara Grama Murchhanas

• The Gandhara Grama was considered a theoretical or celestial scale, not typically used in human music. It had seven murchhanas, though these are largely theoretical and were not often employed in practical music-making.

---

Variations of Murchhana

In addition to the heptatonic (seven-note) murchhanas derived from the Gramas, the concept of murchhanas was expanded to include scales with fewer notes. These variations allowed for greater flexibility and creativity in melodic exploration.

• Shadav (Hexatonic): Murchhanas with six notes, often used for more compact or simplified melodic structures.

• Odav (Pentatonic): Murchhanas with five notes, similar to the pentatonic scale in Western music, which has fewer intervals and is simpler but still offers significant melodic expression.

• Sadharanikruta: A process that alters the standard murchhanas by introducing chromatic notes, such as higher Gandhar and Nishad, to create new variations of the scale.

---

Modern Application of Murchhanas

In contemporary Hindustani and Carnatic music, the concept of Murchhana is primarily used theoretically to understand the relationships between different ragas that share similar interval patterns.

For instance:

• By shifting the tonic of a pentatonic raga like Bhupali (which uses the notes Sa Re Ga Pa Dha), you can derive another raga, like Megh, by shifting the tonic to Re (the second note), thus generating a new scale with the same interval structure but a different emotional flavor.

• Murchhana also helps advanced musicians master the use of microtones (shruti), which are essential for expressing the subtle nuances of Indian classical music. These shifting tonalities allow for virtuosity and provide a deeper understanding of raga formation and improvisation.

---

Conclusion

The study of Murchhanas represents a rich, ancient tradition in Indian classical music that underpins much of the raga system, allowing for the derivation of new ragas through the shifting of the tonic. This concept forms the foundation for modern raga theory in both Hindustani and Carnatic music and continues to be a valuable tool for musicians exploring the complex relationships between notes and ragas. While Murchhanas are now primarily theoretical, they provide a framework for understanding the fluidity and creativity inherent in the raga tradition, allowing for ongoing exploration and evolution in classical music.