Valaji or Valachi is a rÃÂgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a pentatonic scale (audava or owdava rÃÂgam, which means "of 5"). It is a janya rÃÂgam (derived scale), as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes). The equivalent of Valaji in Hindustani music is KalÃÂvati.
Valaji is a symmetric rÃÂgam that does not contain rishabham or madhyamam. It is a pentatonic scale (audava-audava rÃÂgam in Carnatic music classification). 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 shadjam, antara gandharam, panchamam, chathusruthi dhaivatham and kaisiki nishadham)
Valaji is considered a janya rÃÂgam of Chakravakam, the 16th Melakarta rÃÂgam, though it can be derived from other melakarta rÃÂgams, Harikambhoji, Vagadheeswari, Ramapriya, Vachaspati or Nasikabhooshani, by dropping both rishabham and madhyamam. Since Chakravakam is lowest in ordinal number among these 6 melakarta scales, Valaji is associated with it.
Valaji is a pleasing scale, but has only a few compositions in classical music. It has been used to score film music as well. Here are some popular kritis composed in Valaji.
This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rÃÂgam.
Valaji's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields another pentatonic rÃÂgam Abhogi. 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 more details and illustration of this concept refer Graha bhedam on Abhogi.