Much more has happened since this article was written. Check out the app directly at Ragalicious

 

With the new Raga app, now you get to use two interfacesguitar and keyboard. There is an option to use both the guitar and keyboard interfaces. (all 72 melakartas, huge 870 janya ragas)

These apps make it easy for you to start playing, composing and improvizing with Indian ragas by doing all the work to find the Swara or note pattern of each raga and mapping it directly on the guitar or keyboard, ready for you to play, with no room for errors.

Click on the Guitar App tab to read more about how the App will help you with playing ragas on the guitar. See the Keyboard App tab if you are interested in playing Ragas on the keyboard.

[tab name=Guitar App]

The need

You want to play Raagas, Indian classical on the guitar.

You want to use Indian scales, ragas for your playing, composition, improvisation, jamming or performance.

You want to be able to play Indian classical songs on the guitar using the swara charts of the compositions freely available on the internet and printed books.

But…

Guitar is not a linear instrument when playing melodies.

The relation between strings makes playing scales and songs on the guitar by looking at the swara or note pattern of a raga, a bit confusing.

There are no ready made sources that show you clearly which fret on which string gives you which raga.

Even if you knew how to play the raga, it is easier to play a raga and its composition when the swaras are shown on the exact fret and string. The app makes sure that there are no mistakes while mapping the raga on the fretboard.

What if

Within a few minutes you gain access to an app that solves all these difficulties for you? One that serves you

  • 800+ janya ragas
  • along with the 72 melakartas
  • showing the note and swara on each fret that the raga can be played on, doing all the work for you without mistakes
  • with buttons to show you different combinations of fret positions possible

The janya list

The app gives you access to a valuable list of 870 janya ragas to choose directly from or search with a convenient search box.

Now if you find a song you want to play, look at the raga, and it will be in the app.

  • You don't have to worry about finding the notes of the raga by search.
  • You don't have to bother to look up what the swara notation means and which western interval to play.
  • Most often songs are based on janya ragas and not melakarta ragas. Now, you don't have to spend time finding which melakarta raga is the parent to this specific raga.

The all notes button

Any good instruction material shows the scale notes on which the song is played. Improvisation books and lead playing books show all the notes of the scale on the fretboard over which the scale can be improvised, with the root note marked.

Knowing all the frets on which a scale or raga can be played, brings freedom. Sooner or later, it becomes second nature to focus only on the scale frets while the other frets are unconsciously dimmed out.

Knowing which frets the raga or scale is to be played on reduces the options for trial and error when finding a melody or playing a classical composition. This helps save your focus, energy and time to use on what matters.

Guitar is an instrument where a note on any fret will have an equivalent in the vicinity on another string. You have more than one option to play the same note, you just find the right fret on a different string. Start to understand these relations, and they start getting internalized, giving you freedom outside of a rigid scale fingering pattern, allowing you to choose the string and fret, letting your play with improved freedom and skill. The three fingering patterns + the all note button will guide you.

The all note button is a handy tool while exploring the raga or scale, learning a song, and as an educational tool that will help you internalize useful playing skills and methods for a lifetime of music.

Click to try all the features and get familiar with the app

This app was brought to life by Prasanth who has been with CA, Yahoo and Amazon. He plays the guitar too. We started making this app because we felt the need in our own musical lives. We have been playing Indian classical based music since childhood. If you suggest any improvements to the app, any other features you may like once you start using the app, we will be eager to listen to them and code it in, because it makes things better for all of us. Together, we will watch the app grow 🙂

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[tab name=Keyboard App]

The need

You want to play Raagas, Indian classical on the keyboard or piano.

You want to use Indian scales, ragas for your playing, composition, improvisation, jamming or performance.

You want to be able to play Indian classical songs on the keyboard using the swara charts of the compositions freely available on the internet and printed books.

But…

Finding the notes of each raga by search takes effort.

The notes of the raga are often given in Indian classical notation, which you have to then map to western notes.

There are no ready made sources that show you clearly which key corresponds to which classical note of that particular raga, in that particular pitch.

Even if you knew how to play the raga, it is easier to play a raga and its composition when the exact key for the swara is shown to you.

It is a strenuous process to remember the Indian notes, their western equivalent, map it for the particular raga from the particular root note or pitch and then play without errors.

What if

Within minutes you gain access to an app that solves all these difficulties for you? One that serves you

  • 800+ janya ragas
  • along with the 72 melakartas
  • showing the exact notes of your chosen raga, from the pitch you desire, clearly on the keyboard.

The janya list

The app gives you access to a valuable list of 870 janya ragas to choose directly from or search with a convenient search box.

Now if you find a song you want to play, look at the raga, and it will be in the app.

  • You don't have to worry about finding the notes of the raga by search.
  • You don't have to bother to look up what the swara notation means and which western interval to play.
  • Most often songs are based on janya ragas and not melakarta ragas. Now, you don't have to spend time finding which melakarta raga is the parent to this specific raga.

Who is it for and not for

The keyboard is a 'color coded' but linear instrument. A search on wiki will give you the notes of any janya raga.

If you can find the notes of any janya raga and find the corresponding keys, then you this app is not essential for you.

Yet, if you like the comfort and ease of having a tool that will immediately, without the need for a search and without the chance of any error, show you the exact positions on the keyboard for you to play, then this app will be an apt fit for your need.

For someone who wants to play Indian scales or ragas, and compositions based on them, this app is useful because, once you have the app showing you the key positions, any song can be played from the swaras or notes of the composition available on the internet or in readily available music books.

Click to try all the features and get familiar with the app

This app was brought to life by Prasanth who has been with CA, Yahoo and Amazon. We started making this app because we felt the need in our own musical life to have an app that will help us at playing Indian raga based music on western instruments. The app started with the guitar interface. Then we started getting requests for keyboard mapping of Indian ragas. If you suggest any improvements to the app, any other features you may like once you start using the app, we will be eager to listen to them and code it in. :)That will make lives better for all of us and together, we will watch the app grow.

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Guarantee

For any reason you would like a refund, let us know any time in 60 days and we will be happy to return your money. Just use the contact button on the top navigation of the main site, or you can use the contact form from within the app.