Question

Everything in nature has a rhythm or sound vibration, even our heartbeat. Speak to your music teacher and find out about the origin of the seven swaras (notes) of Indian classical music.

Answer 1

The seven basic swaras, known as Sapta Swara, are:

Swaras	Full Name	Traditional association with natural sounds
Sa	Shadja	Peacock
Re	Rishabha	Bull
Ga	Gandhara	Goat
Ma	Madhyama	Heron/Crane
Pa	Panchama	Cuckoo
Dha	Dhaivata	Horse
Ni	Nishada	Elephant

These notes form the basic musical scale of Indian classical music. Their full names are Shadja, Rishabha, Gandhara, Madhyama, Panchama, Dhaivata and Nishada.

Traditional accounts associate each swara with the sound of an animal or bird. These associations helped explain the connection between music and sounds found in nature.