The Good Stuff!

The first step in learning to sing anything, be it Naats, Songs, Opera or Qawali is to match your voice with an instrument that is playing a note. The same note has to keep playing so the student can listen to how high or low the sound is and then make the same sound with his own voice.

I spent £300 to get a harmonium. I would advise you to get one as well if you're really serious about learning. But if you don't have that much money or wanna learn as a hobby then there are FREE alternatives. But I have to emphasize that there is nothing in the free alternatives option that comes even close to a harmonium. 

The problem is that our society have degraded the harmonium and label it as something that "uncivilized" members of our culture use.This is not the case.

            All Naat Khwaans own and use a harmonium on a daily basis to perform vocal practices. 

Anyways, back to the free stuff!

Download piano software from the link below and we'll go on to the next step.

Click Here 

 to get free Piano Software.

Once you have installed it, run the program. Go to the second tab on the top where is says instruments and click on it. Choose instrument number 20 which should be the Reed Organ.

Alternatively, if you have an iPhone, iPod or iPad then you can download a harmonium app from the App store.
Just click Here. The app costs 69p to buy.

If you understand the theory then you shouldn't have a problem identifying where the "Sa"s are.

The following instructions are for the piano software.

Press G on your keyboard and a sound should start. Keep it pressed. Match your voice with the sound until you feel a 3D sound around you which means that your sound and the sound of the instrument is the same. If you don't hear your voice matching properly with the sound then it is CRUCIAL that you match your voice before you move one. Concentrate on the sound nd notice the slight minor differences between your voice and the one coming from your computer. Make sure you match it exactly. If you mess it up now and rush through it, then you have no chance afterwards. This step has to be perfected.



I must also emphasize that the majority of Naats are classified as Light-Classical Music. The singer of  Light-Classical Music doesn't really stick to one Raag. He/She can nix and match Raags to make something that sounds good. It doesn't really have to stick to the notes of one Raag.
So what I am trying to say is that I will classify Naats by the overall Raag feel. Every composition made by someone is made using one Raag at the start. They make changes later but always start with one Raag in mind. My post will determine what Raag runs through the whole Naat. Even though it is not pure. 

Basics of Raag

I have written quite a bit about the theory and my reason is that I want people interested in learning Naats to actually get to reading Naats instead of spending too much time learning theory, getting bored and eventually given up. You will have to keep coming back to check up but it will take you a minimum of  two three visits to this page before you fully grasp everything that's written here.
You may just skim through this page if you want but if you don't understand this then you won't be able to use the next post which explains how you can use it to read Naats.

The Seven Surs. 

We have 7 names for the musical notes. All music theories have the same 7 notes with different names.

The Western and Arabic music system use the french names which go like this:

Do----Re---Mi---Fa---Sol---La---Si and back to Do.

The Indian Music system uses these names:

Sa---Ray---Ga---Ma---Pa---Da---Ni and back to Sa.

Below is a table which brings all these together:

To start learning Raag all you have to do is learn the names by heart forward and backward.

Now, if you went through my post History of Raag, then you are aware that I mentioned something about 7 or 12 notes. Well in this post I am going to explain to you what I meant.

There is one "Sa" and one "Pa". Everything else (Ray, Ga, Ma, Da, Ni) are all doubles. So two "Ray"s, two "Ga"s etc.

In the doubles we have names so we can tell the difference. So the first Ray is called Komal (which mean half) and the second is called Shudd (which means full) Ray. Although we tend not to say Shudd with the Shudd notes. So we would call the Komal Ray a "Komal Ray" but the Shudd Ray we would just call "Ray". The piano diagram below should make it easy to understand.

So the scale starts from "Sa" and goes like this:

Sa-Komal Re - Re - Komal Ga - Ga - Ma - Tivra Ma - Pa - Komal Da - Da - Komal Ni - Ni - Sa.

These names run throughout the piano and any musical instrument for that matter. On a piano you will see that there are two black keys then three black key. The same way  this pattern of the keys run through the whole piano, in exactly the same way the 12 notes keep running throughout to the end of the string or in this case the end of the piano. From one Sa to the next Sa is a whole scale which we would call a Saptak.

By combining these 12 notes in different ways we make different modes/scales/groups. A group is what we call a Raag. Each Raag is different and has its own mood when someone sings in that mode/group.  If there is something you don't understand in the picture or anything else, don't worry. You will fill in these gaps all by yourself as we learn more. For now just spot the names that I mentioned in the picture.

You might have also noticed that there is one note that is called "Tivra Ma" instead of "Komal". So I am going to explain it here.

The default scales goes like this: Sa - Re - Ga - Ma - Pa - Da - Ni - Sa.  All Shudds (Full Notes)

A few decades ago, the Shudd Ma (Ma on the picture)was the Komal Ma. Which meant that the Tivra Ma (on the picture) was the default. Please look at the picture to understand this before you read on.
Then the white people invaded and brought their musical system with them. So to make both musics work together the positions of the "Ma"s were changed.
The Komal Ma became the Shudd Ma (default) and the old Shudd Ma was now called Tivra Ma.
Phew! So after you've spent 2 years to learn that, you can look at the next paragraph.

So how do we make a Raag?

Well, here's an example. Its called Raag Bhairavi and it's one of the fundamental Raags that teachers start off with. It goes like this:

Sa - Komal Re - Komal Ga - Ma - Pa - Komal Da - Komal Ni - Sa.

Notice that we only used one of each. We did not use both Komal and Shudd forms in the same Raag. Both  forms are used in different conditions but that's for the advanced theory. Just remember that you cant use both forms of the same note in a Raag. For now.

So we understand the basics and we even made a Raag. If you sit on a Piano and play the notes of Raag Bhairavi you will notice that they all sound in place. Before learning the theory you were probably hitting both forms of the same note whenever you played which made it sound really bad. Well now you know better.

As this is a basics post I want to make a reference here about how I will write the names of the notes.

    Sa--Komal Re--Re--Komal Ga--Ga--Ma--Tivra Ma--Pa--Komal Da--Da--Komal Ni--Na--Sa.
 
    S           r            R           g          G      m          M        P            d          D        n            N      S


Please note that the Shudd Ma is noted with a lowercase "m" instead of a capital M.


So if you understood that then you know which Raag I am giving a reference to below. Which Raag is this?


                                                        S--r--g--m--P--d--n--S


Now that you understand the theory you want to know how you can use it to learn to sing Naats. Well for that all you have to do is click Here

History of Raag

Hazrat Dawood Alaihisalam was given the Muajaza (miracle) of Sur vocal singing. He used to recite the Zabur Shareef (Psalms of David/Dawood) so beutifully that the animals used to to stop to listen to him.
Shaytaan understood the miracle that was revealed and broke it down into the 7/12 musical notes (you will understand this better after understanding musical theory).
The drum to provide the rhythm and the flute to play the musical notes.
We accidentally perceive music to be Haram when it is used in Makkah & Madina. We don't use musical instruments but we do sing the words. Naat are read with Raag and so is the Holy Quran. Even the Azaan in Makkah & Madina are based on a fixed musical system or scale.
Our neighbors in Inndia have given Music a bad name by using it in other ways. This is what shaytaan wanted. To break down a Miracle of Allah into easy to use components so the public can use it and then have his followers (the Shayateen) whisper bad ideas into the minds of men so they may earn eternity in Hell.

Two other examples:

The miracle that many Prophets and Saints acquired by the will of Allah to see far away land whilst sitting in the same place:           Television!

The Miracle of Hazrat Umar Farooq Rathi Yallahu Taala Anhu to make an Islamic army far away hear his voice whist he was giving Khutbah for Jumma:          Radio-Telephone!


We raise and lower our voices throughout the day. When we are angry our voices tend to go high pitched. When we feel lazy we tend to speak in a low pitch. So we sing without meaning to. Learning Raag gives a person control over how much they raise or lower their voices.
 And that's it!

Raag Darbari

                                        Raag Darbari

                              All Naats on this page are composed in Raag Darbari.

The notes of Raag Darbari are:
Going up:  n-S-R-g-R-S----M-P-d-n-S
Coming down: S-d-n-P-M-P-g-M-R-S. 

                               Main Nazr Karun Jan-o-Jogar
                                           

                                                     

Naat Sarkar Ki Parta Hoon Mein

Raag Kafi

All Naats on this page are composed in Raag Kafi. 


The notes of Raag Kafi are:


S-R-g-M-P-D-n-S.



Zameen Meli Nahin Hoti

                                                                                                                                                                                     













Zameen Meli Nahin Hoti










Rukhay Sarkar Sa Koi Nazara

Rab Farmaya Mehbooba

Raag Bhairavi

All Naats on this page are composed in Raag Bhairavi. The notes of Raag Bhairavi are:


S-r-g-M-P-d-n-S.








Mustafa Jan-e-Rehmat Pe Lakhon Salam










Aye Saba Mustafa Se Keh Dena

Mein Lajpalaan De 




This composition is in Sindhi Bhairavi which uses both Re and both Dha (Komal & Shudd).
The notes used in this Raag are:


S-r-R-g-M-P-d-D-n-S. 



                    Mein Lajpaalaan de lar lage-aan 
Mien      La  j      p a       laan         De   Lar  ra     La  ge     aaan         
S R         S    n     S g       P M g      g       g    M       d    P     m P m       




            Meray toon gham paray re-an day. 
Meray     toon       gham      pa       ray         Re-an day 
G  R         S n            S         M      g M g         r       S

Welcome to My Blog!

Assalaamu-Aliakum Wa Rahamatullahi Wa Barakatuh.

This is my first post and would to point out why I have created this blog.
When I first started to learn Raags from my teacher I was given songs in Hindi to remember the Raag by and to remember how the Raag flowed (chalan).
I want to eliminate that because even though the people don't know which Indian song you're copying,your attention as a Naat reader goes towards the songs.
This blog is a reference for me and hopefully for all students who wish to recite the beautiful praise of our Holy Master Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam.

I will start my posts by identifying Naats composed in the most common Raags and will continue to add to those as I understand and decrypt more.
My blog is designed for those people who already have a basic understanding of Raag and how they are used in Naat reading. If you are a beginner with no former knowledge of Raags and are interested in reciting the praise of Sayyiduna Rasoolullah Sallalahu Alaihi Wasalam in a most beautiful way then please let me know by commenting and I will create another post highlighting the basics and if the need arises advanced theory of music.