Keeravani (pronounced ) is a rÃÂgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 21st Melakarta rÃÂgam in the 72 melakarta rÃÂgam system of Carnatic music. The 21st melakarta rÃÂgam as per Muthuswami Dikshitar school of music is .
This rÃÂgam is a popular scale in western music as well. The Western equivalent is the Harmonic minor scale. It is said to be borrowed into Hindustani music from Carnatic music.
It is the 3rd rÃÂgam in the 4th chakra Veda. The mnemonic name is Veda-Go. The mnemonic phrase is sa ri gi ma pa dha nu. Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
The notes used in this scale are chathusruthi rishabha, sadharana gandhara, suddha madhyama, panchama, suddha dhaivatha, kakali nishadha.
As it is a melakarta rÃÂgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rÃÂgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Simhendramadhyamam, which is the 57th melakarta.
Keeravani has many janya rÃÂgams (derived scales) associated with it. KalyÃÂna vasantam is a popular janya of Keeravani. See List of janya rÃÂgams for full list of rÃÂgams associated with Keeravani. Other popular janya ragams include Chandrakouns, SÃÂmapriya and Vasantamanohari.
Many composers have composed songs in Keeravani. A few of them are listed here.
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rÃÂgam.
Keeravani's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 3 other major melakarta rÃÂgams, namely, Hemavati, Vakulabharanam and Kosalam. For further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Keeravani.