"Reverse-Engineering of Songs: "Play music instruments without formal learning

From: Rajesh S To: Macemates
Sent: Friday, April 15, 2005
Subject: if u r a fan of semi-classical Indian songs.
"Reverse-Engineering of Songs: "Play music instruments without formal learning
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear All,
If you like to play any harmonic or string music instrument without formal learning in some days/weeks time..If yes, please continue reading!

When you listen to recorded film songs (in any Indian language), if you try to identify the raagam used in those Indian-songs (especially Tamil, Telugu, Kannada and Malayalam), you can find that most of the hit songs in film industry are composed mostly in the raagams 'Neelaambari', 'SindhuBhairavi', 'Naatta', 'Malayamaarutham', 'Jog', 'Kharaharapriya', Kaanada', 'Hindolam', 'Hamsadhwani', 'Amrithavarshini', 'Mohanam' 'Anandabhairavi', etc. Even in Hindi songs, many hit songs use very similar (or lighter variants) to these above listed raagams.

I hope you know the concept of 'octave' in all types of music (western or eastern). i,e; the space between start of two adjacent periodic frequency reference levels which are eight musical notes apart.

In eastern (or Carnatic Classical; i guess its applicable to hindustani music also):
'sa' - plane base one // S
'ree' - 2 differenct types // R
'ga' - 2 to 3 different types (low to high frequency) // G
'ma' - 2 different types (low to high frequency) // M
'pa' - plane and only one form // P
'dha' - 2 differenct types (low to high frequency) // D
'nee' - 2 to 3 differenct types (low to high frequency) // N
'sa' - plane and only one form which is the dupicate of the base (starting) 'sa' with double frequency ofit. // S

Eastern = {S, R, G, M, P, D, N}
S: no sub-freqency variant.
R: R1 (low freqency R) and R2: (high frequency R)
G: G1 (low freqency G), G2: (medium frequency G), and G3: (high frequency G)
M: M1: (low freqency M) and M2: (high frequency M)
P: no sub-freqency variant.
D: D1: (low freqency D) and D2: (high frequency D)
N: N1 (low freqency N), N2: (medium frequency N), and N3: (high frequency N).

Western = {C, D, E, F, G, A, B}.,,with sub-frequency names of C-sharp/D-minor...

As you know already, these are called the 'saptha' (means seven) 'swarams' of music coding system; similar to 0's and 1's in machine language which runs in any CPU or micro-controller.
Similarly, using those above 'saptha swarams' and its variations and combinations, musicians make many 'ragams'.In computer engineering terms, its some pattern of bits in memory or register of a CPU to achieve a particular output.

For example: compare a high-level language C or C++ with a song written in any speaking language (a high level language to represent a song).

The machine code we generate after compiling the C/C++ program is in combination of bits (0's and 1's). The machine code (or feeling or emotion generating code) of the song is the combination of the above 'swarams' (each swaram is a name for a particular value of relative frequency of sound generated).

If just a '0' and '1' (only two 'swarams'!) can make uncountable combinations of machine code, programming languages and software applications, just imagine what may be the depth and breadth music can make using 7 'swarams' and its variations in N-number of combinations and repeating varied-cycles.

Let us consider the ragam 'MOHANAM',
the 'swarams' used are,
the order of 'aarohanam of ragam is:
1.'sa' // S
2. 2nd type of 'ree'// R2
3. 3d type of 'ga' // G3
4. 'ma' not used (fobidden or prohibited for this raagam) // --
5. 'pa' // P
6. 2nd type of 'dha' // D2
7. 'nee' not used (fobidden or prohibited for this raagam) // --
8. double frequency 'sa'. // the duplicate of first one to mark end of one cylce of octave.

In Carnatic Classical theory, the basic waveform from base frequency swaram to top frequency in an octave is called 'aarohanam'; and in the reverse order its called 'avarohanam'.
Raagam Mohanam's
'aarohanam' is {S, R2, G3, --, P, D2, --, S}.
avarohanam' is {S, --, D2, P, --, G3, R2, S}.

The uniqueness of ragam-MOHANAM is emphasized by highlighting more short-wave-vibrations!/'gamakams' in R2 and D2. This additional attribute is called "raaga-bhaavam' about the related 'gamakams' are on R2 and D2.

Each adjascent key on the keyboard/piano is at a frequncy difference of 20 Hz. So, if we start the octave (or base 'sruthi' at 240 Hz), the values of frequency of the keys on the keyboard for ragam Mohanam is{240Hz, 280, 320, 340, 380, 420, 480Hz}.
Note: On keyboard, G2and G3 got same key as well for N2 and N3

Now let us reverse-engineer a sample song to find out the group of above listed 'swarams' using your fingers in organ or piano.

While listening to any of your favorite and familiar semi-classical or light indian song,

#1. find out the base key (base 'sruthi' or the matching frequency for the base 'sa' of that song) on organ/piano or guitar/violin.

#2. listen to the first two lines of that song many many times (in some dozen times) with that base key pressed all the time to tune your music sensors in brain to synchronize with the frequency variation of the song.

#3. once you are able to locate the offset or relative ups and downs of frequency of singing of each word of the lyrics of the song compared to the base key you identified, start trying to find out the key(s) on rightside or leftside of the base key to match the frequency of singing of the next coming words in that song.

Soon you will find a back and forth flow of finger movements to the right and left of the base key and now you can realize that some of the in-between keys on the organ you are not using during that frequency matching action. Like in the raagam 'MOHANAM', its not allowed to use the swarams 'ma'/M and 'nee'/N and the low frequency variants of 'ree'/R1, 'ga'/G1&G2, and 'dha'/D1.

The keys which you find not matching the frequeny of the lines of song are the above type of prohibited 'swarams' of thatragam. And you continue doing lot of trial and error along with you also sing with the playback singer in the recorded music.After these repeated trial and error excercises to reach somewhat similar imitation of the song using organ, you note down or just put some identification marks on the keyboard with a pencil) that what all keys, comes in beteen the base 'sa'/S and double frequency 'sa'/S at rightside of base key and between the base 'sa' and the half-frequency 'sa' at the leftside of the base key, which you SHOULD NOT TOUCH and what all keys you SHOULD TOUCH (or press) for playing this song in organ.

By this time, you know the valid keys in the organ to play that particular song and try to follow the song with many practice sessions by running you fingers over those valid keys according to the up and down flow of the song.

In some weeks, you will surprise self that you are able to reproduce that song on the music instrument without listening to the original singer of the record or without knowing the original raagam of the song.

#4. find out the name of 'raagam' from the keys (which are representation of a valid 'swaram' in the octave) you identified. For that you need the help of carnatic classical music theory books or websites.

For a quick reference of theories at,
http://www.karnatik.com/ragasm.shtml

A unique raagam name is given for each basic pattern of 'swarams' between base 'sa' to double frequency 'sa'.

In Carnatic music, there are 72 main raagams using all the seven swarams without missing a single swaram of the octave. andthere are so many variants of 'raagams' by deleting one or more inbetween (between base 'sa' and double frequency 'sa') 'swarams' and make a new 'ragam'.
For example, in MOHANAM, 'ma'/M and 'nee'/N are not used along with using ONLY the high frequency variants of 'ree'/R2, 'ga'/G3, and 'dha'/D2. There hundres or thousands of such derived raagams used in easter classical music in India.

And my best wishes to you all for your this divine hobby of hearts, feelings and emotions of goodness. If possible, have a joined pracitice with someone in your company or friends circle at your place of residence who already knows bit on playing organ/piano or any music instrument (western or eastern). Once you get the basic fundamentals of 'swarams' and 'aarohamam'-'avarohanam', you can encode and decode any song with ease in some weeks WITHOUT formal schooling and years of music practice.

For the Malayalam movie-song lovers,if you want to have a feel of the wide range of 'ragam' spectrum used in our Indian film songs by the popular music directors in India, please learn from our peer/Guru,
http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/4725/index.html
and a raagam-wise listing of hundreds of movie songs below:http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/4725/ragky.html

Start swimming in your music pool!
cheers:-)
best wishes,
Rajesh Sulabha