Suryakantam or Sooryakantam (pronounced sà «ryakÃÂntam) is a rÃÂgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is the 17th melakarta rÃÂgam (parent scale) in the 72 melakarta rÃÂgam system of Carnatic music. It is called ChÃÂyÃÂvati in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.
It is the 5th rÃÂgam in the 3rd chakra Agni. The mnemonic name is Agni-Ma. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gu ma pa dhi nu. Its ' structure (ascending and descending scale) is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):
This scale uses the swaras, shuddha rishabham, antara gandharam, shuddha madhyamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham and kakali nishadham. As it is a melakarta rÃÂgam, by definition it is a ' rÃÂgam (has all seven notes in ascending and descending scale). It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Gamanashrama, which is the 53rd melakarta scale.
ChÃÂyÃÂvati is the 17th Melakarta in the original list compiled by Venkatamakhin. The notes used in the scale are the same, but the actual ascending scale is different, where-in the panchamam is not used.
Suryakantam has many janya rÃÂgams (derived scales) associated with it, of which Vasanta, Sowrashtram and Bhairavam are popular in concerts. See List of janya rÃÂgams for those associated with Suryakantam.
Here are a few common compositions sung in concerts, set to Suryakantam.
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rÃÂgam.
Suryakantam's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields 2 melakarta rÃÂgams, namely Senavati and Latangi. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rÃÂgam. For further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Suryakantam.