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The
Shrutis
"The music masters of old did
not stop with this statement of the general sentiments and
value of the notes. They delved deeper and sought to establish
the emotive values of all possible microtones also. For this
purpose, a veena with twenty-two strings was made and each
string was tuned to a Shruti to facilitate the
determination of its emotional value in relation to the main
note which was the natural note, produeced with ease and
representing a mental state of felicity and equanimity. The
result of these investigations are reflected in the names that
were given to the individual shrutis and a study of these
names would indicate their emotive value....
"With an analysis it
should now be easier to find the emotional value of the
scales: According to an ancient Indian text, Shadaja
[the 'C' note of the scale] comprises Tivra, Kumudvati and
Manda shrutis and so it has been called the key to the Shanta
Rasa. Rishabha [the 'D' note of the scale] contains
Dayavati, Ranjani and Raktika shrutis and so has been assigned
for Adbhuta Rasa. Gandhara [the 'E' note of the scale]
takes Roudri, Krodhi, and Vajrika shrutis and is related to Roudra
Rasa. Madhyama [the 'F' note of the scale] has Prasarini
Priti and Marjani shrutis and so is associated with love.
Panchama [the 'G' note of the scale] Kshiti, Rakta, Sandipani
and Alapini are the keys to the sentiment of eroticism.
Madanti, Rohini, Ramya and Ugra and Kshovini go to Make
Dhaivata [the 'A' note of the scale] and Nishada [the 'B' note
of the scale] notes respectively which have been named to
express Bibhatsa and Karuna Rasas.
"The main element responsible
for emotion in music is the tonal relationship of notes, which
is based on the sonant-consonant relationship with the
fundamental notes of the drone. The use of consonant notes
makes the music brighter and livelier and enhances its
pleasingness, while the use of dissonant notes tends to make
music discordant and hence dull and morose.
"The closer the harmonic
relationship of a note with the tonic, i.e. the drone, the
greater is the degree of its consonancy; and the farther this
harmonic relationship with the tonic the greater is the degree
of dissonancy. With these two points in view we can classify
the individual character of each note in relationship to the
tonic note:
| Absolute
consonance |
Unison and
Octave |
| Perfect
consonance |
G and F |
| Medial
consonance |
F and Fb |
| Imperfect
dissonance |
D and A |
| Complete
dissonance |
Db, Ab, Bb, f# |
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