By now you’ve met two important characters: raag and thaat. They share the same notes, but they are not the same thing. So what’s the difference?
Thaat – the parent scale
- Built from the 12 possible swars (7 shuddha, 4 komal, 1 teevra Ma), arranged into a simple, straight list of seven notes.
- Has no fixed phrases or emotional story – it’s just a framework.
- Not performed as music in concerts. We don’t say “Today I’ll sing Thaat Kalyan.”
Raag – the musical personality
- Must belong to (or be categorized under) some thaat.
- Has its own Aaroha/Avaroha, Vaadi/Samvaadi, Pakad, and characteristic phrases.
- Has an associated mood, time-of-day, and performance practice.
- Is what you actually sing or play in a concert.
In short, thaat is like the
Many raags can come from the same thaat, just as many recipes can come from the same basic ingredients. Those raags may feel completely different from each other even though, on paper, they share the same seven notes.