If you know “Do Re Mi” from Western solfège, you already understand the idea of Sargam. In Indian music, we use the syllables Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni instead of Do Re Mi Fa So La Ti.
Sargam as a learning tool
Beginners sing scales and patterns in sargam to:
- Train the ear to recognize intervals.
- Learn the positions of notes in different saptaks.
- Practice raag-specific patterns (alankars) with clarity.
For example, a simple sargam exercise in a major-like scale would be: Sa Re Ga Ma | Pa Dha Ni Sa | Sa Ni Dha Pa | Ma Ga Re Sa.
Sargam in performance
Advanced artists also use sargam creatively in concerts:
- As a form of taan – very fast sargam phrases executed with rhythmic precision.
- To clarify complex phrases: singing the same pattern first in “aa aa” and then explicitly in sargam.
Bol-Sargam
Bol-sargam means mixing lyrics (bol) and sargam within the same improvisation. An artist might sing part of a phrase using the words of the bandish, and then switch to swar names mid-line.
This creates:
- Interesting rhythmic patterns.
- Clear mapping between melody and scale degrees.
- A feeling of “thinking aloud” musically – very literally “khayal”.
In film music, you sometimes hear playful sargam sections as a nod to classical training – for example, a character singing “Sa Re Ga Ma…” in a light, catchy way. Underneath the fun, it’s the same serious tool that classical musicians use daily.