Raga
रागSanskritSay it: raa · ga
- aa ee oo ē ō — long vowels: hold them twice as long
The melodic framework a composition lives in.
MusicBharatanatyamKuchipudiOdissiKathak
Meaning
A raga is a melodic structure — a set of notes with rules about ascent, descent, emphasis and characteristic phrases — that gives a piece its particular colour and mood. It is more than a scale: two ragas can share the same notes and remain quite different in feeling.
Also written: ragam