Music/Scale/Marwa

• Marwa Thaat

  • Spelled Marva on the Launchpad. In sargam: S r G M' P D N. On C: C D♭ E F♯ G A B. Steps in semitones: 1 3 2 1 2 2 1.

  • History

    • Person/Vishnu Narayan Bhatkhande classified Hindustani ragas under ten parent scales, or thaats, in the early twentieth century, and named each after a prominent raga. Marwa is one of the ten.
    • A thaat is a classification. Ragas live inside it, each with its own phrases, ascent and descent, emphasized notes and performance time; a thaat itself is never performed.
    • The Carnatic system's equivalent parent scale is Gamanashrama, melakarta 53.

  • Use

    • Raga Marwa, a sunset raga, omits Pa entirely and centers on komal Re and Dha.
    • Ragas Puriya and Sohini use the same notes with different emphasis: Puriya dwells in the lower register around Ni and Ga, and Sohini in the upper register around high Sa.

  • Quirks

    • The thaat has both a raised fourth and a lowered second, so the tonic is approached by a half step from either side (N–S and r–S).
    • Hindustani pitches are tuned by ear against the tanpura drone and do not match equal temperament. The equal-tempered spelling on a Launchpad approximates the collection without its intonation or melodic rules.