S-R-g-m-P-D-n-S

---

Desi (not to be confused with Desh) is a diffuse raga lineage, spanning several intertwined variants. Generally prakriti with Kafi, it may also follow the komal dha swara set of Asavari, as well as arriving in double-Dha form (Parrikar also discusses a rare double-Re variant known as ‘Utari Desi / Komal Desi’, likely connected to a lost Todi-ang). Generally focusing on madhya-taar saptak, the raga favours vakra motions such as SPDmP, RgSRnS – with Re and Pa rendered emphatically, and ma often employed ornamentally. While popular amongst khayal vocalists, it remains rare on the instrumental stage, although Ravi Shankar’s interpretations are effective. Also see the related Barwa, Bahaduri Todi, & Lanka Dahan Sarang – as well as an intriguing set of Picasso’s animal sketches, seemingly captioned by one of the Dagar Brothers with: “When every swara is tamed in Dhrupad like Picasso did with his bulls…this Desi emerges” (listen to their rendition).

---

• Raga Megalist (365+) •

राग देसी

Search | Glossary | Tags

• Hindustani Raga Index •

Aroha: SRmPDmPnS

Avroh: SPDPdmP, RgSRnS

---

Chalan: e.g. S(g)RgRSR(n)S; (m)RmP; DPdmP(m)gR; RmPDmPS; RgSRnS; RnSP; DPmP; dmPRmP(m)g; Rg(R)SR(S)nS (Bor/Sadolikar)

—Aditya Modak (2020)—

---

[refrain, e.g. 1:41] R(SRSnS)R, (m)RP (gRg)Rg R(SR)S, (RS)R (g)S\n S(n)SS, RPmP(mP), D(n)PmP (P)mP, (m)Rg (RS)R S(n)S; mm(nP), mP(Sn)S\nP P(m)P, D(n)mP (m)Rg (RS)R S(n)S, RP (gRg)Rg R(SR)S, (RS)R…

---

• Classifiers •

Explore hidden inter-raga connections: swara geometries, melodic features, murchana sets, ragangas, & more (also see the Full Tag List):

---

Swaras: -4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10+

Sapta: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Poorvang: SRGM | SRG | SRM | SGM

Uttarang: PDNS | PDS | PNS | DNS

Varjit: Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni

Double: rR | gG | mM | dD | nN

Thaat: 10 | 32 | Enclosed | Inexact

Chal: All-shuddha | All-komal | Ma-tivra

Gaps: Anh. | Hemi. | 3-row | 4-row | 5-row

Symmetries: Mirror | Rotation | Palindr.

---

Aroha: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Avroh: Audav | Shadav | Sampurna

Jati: Equal | Balanced | Av.+1 | Av.+2

Samay: Morning | Aftern. | Eve. | Night

Murchana: Bhup. | Bihag | Bilaw. | Charu.

Raganga: Bhairav | Malhar | Kan. | Todi

Construction: Jod | Mishra | Oddball

Origin: Ancient | Carnatic | Modern

Dominance: Poorvang | Uttarang

Prevalence: A-list | Prachalit | Aprach.

• Prakriti: Kafi thaat, Kafi, Bageshri, Bhimpalasi, Shahana, Dhanashree, Hussaini Kanada, Mudriki Kanada, Raisa Kanada

–Proximate Forms–

Khamaj = ‘Desi shuddha Ga‘

Patdeep = ‘Desi shuddha Ni‘

Ahiri = ‘Desi komal re‘

Darbari = ‘Desi komal dha‘

Sindhura = ‘Desi double Ni‘

(n.b. these are just ‘scalar similarities’, with nothing particular implied about phraseological overlap)

–Swara Geometries–

---

• Core form: S–R–g–m–P–D–n–S

• Reverse: SRgmPDnS (=itself)

• Negative: 2-3-2-2-3 (e.g. Durga)

• Imperfect: 1 (Dha)

• Detached: none

• Symmetries: mirror (S—M)

• Murchanas: Bilawal set

---

• Quirks: ‘palindromic‘ (same intervals forwards & backwards) • ‘maximal‘ (swaras are optimally ‘spread out’)

---

–Global Translations–

---

• Carnatic: ~Kharaharapriya

S-R₂-G₂-M₁-P-D₂-N₂-S

• Jazz: Dorian

1-2-b3-4-5-6-b7-8

• Pitch classes (‘fret-jumps’):

0-2-3-5-7-9-10-0

(2–1–2–2–2–1–2)

---

o • o o • o • o • o o • o

---

• Tanpura: Sa–Pa (+Pa)

• Names: Desi, Deshi, Des, Desi Todi (not Desh)

• Transliterations: Hindi (देसी)

—Moinuddin & Aminuddin Dagar (1965)—