Khamaj (Devanagari:खमाज,Urdu: کھماج) is one of the ten Thaats (parent scales) of Hindustani music. It is also a specific raga within the Khamaj thaat.
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Many ghazals and thumris are based on Khamaj. It utilizes the shuddha (pure) form of Ni on the ascent, and the komala (flat) form of Ni on the descent, creating a key asymmetry in compositional and improvisational performance.
Khamaj Thaat
The parent-scale or Thaat of Khamaj, notated in sargam notation, has the following structure: Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa. In Western terms, assuming the tonic (Sa) to be at C, the scale would be: C D E F G A B-flat C. Khamaj thaat is thus equivalent to the mixolydian mode in Western classical music.
The Carnatic music equivalent of the Khamaj Thaat is Harikambhoji, the 28th Melakarta raga.
Raga Khamaj
According to Prem Jialal Vasant, Raga Khamaj, the specific improvisational scale based on this mode, has the following structure:
Aroha (ascending structure)-S G M P D N S' Avroha-S'n D P M G R S
If Sa is tuned to C, then this would translate as C B-flat A G F G A E F D C.
There is no universally-accepted pakad for Raga Khamaj, although some consider the phrases
This raga has been explored more in the lighter forms of Hindustani Classical Music such as Thumri, Tappa etc. Yet a few compositions in Dhrupad and Khayal are found as well.
Compositions in Raga Khamaj – In Dhrupad, Sadra, Khayal, Thumri & Tappa styles :
Hindi Film Songs based on Raga Khamaj :
The Narsinh Bhajan "Vaishnav jan to" is also based on Khamaj.
The Sargam Geet is as follows: set to teentaal, that is sixteen beats:
This is the Prelude to the Sargam Geet, the underscore signifies the avagraha i.e. prolongation of the previous note by one beat for one _ and
three beats in case of _ _ _