Raag Bihaag Lesson by Aradhana Karhade (WITH NOTATION!)

Aradhana Karhade is a voice culture expert and music educator from Hyderabad. She also happens to be an A-graded artiste of All India Radio, who aims to make music education accessible to all. Her YouTube series of tutorials is based on that very premise – making music lessons available to all. She holds a firm belief – age doesn’t matter if you really want to achieve something. The same is true of music.



Raag Bihaag Lesson | Raag Bihaag Tutorial by Aradhana Karhade

Learn how to sing raag bihaag in this wonderful tutorial by Aradhana ji. We received a lot of requests for Raag bihag lesson, so here it is!

We’ve got English captions for those who don’t understand Hindi – the video is in Hindi language. Apart from the good old captions, we’ve also uploaded the full Raag bihag notation in this description. Before you start learning/singing/practicing with this how to sing raag bihaag video, here are a few guidelines that’ll help you make the most of this tutorial.

We’ve used the standard notation. For example, ‘Ma’ = normal Madhyam. Ma* = Teevra Madhyam. ‘ma’ (in lowercase) = Madhyam of the lower octave.

This bandish, “Baalam Re” is set to Teental, which is basically a 16-beat cycle. The relevant start-stop places are mentioned in the video itself.

Taal Teental -

Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Dhin Dhin Dha | Dha Tin Tin Ta | Ta Dhin Dhin Dha |


Raag Bihaag – full notation:



Aaroh: ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’

Avroh: Sa’ Ni (Dha Pa) (Ma* Ga) Ma Ga, Re Sa

Chalan: 1) Sa, Sa Re Sa ni, ni Sa, Sa, ni Sa Ga, Ga ni ni Sa – Sa Ga, Ga Ma Ga, Pa, Pa Dha Ma* Pa Ma* Ga Ma Ga, Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga, Ga Ma Ga, Re Sa, Sa Re Sa ni, ni Sa, pa ni Sa Ga Re Sa

2) ni Sa Ga Ma – Ga, Pa, Pa, Dha Ma* Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga, Ga Ma Pa Ni, Ni Sa’, Sa’ Ni Dha Pa, Pa Dha Ma* Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga, Sa Ma Ga Pa Ma* Dha Ma* Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga, Ga Ma Ga – Re Sa

Sthaayi – Notation:

The Sthaayi starts from the 13th beat of Teentaal, i.e. after "Dha tin tin ta"

Ga Ma Pa Sa’ Ni Dha Pa, Pa Pa Ma* Ga Ma Ga –
Pa Pa Ma* Ga – Re Sa Sa, ni Sa Re Sa ni, pa ni ni Sa Ga, Pa Ga Ma Ga Sa,
Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa.

Antara Notation:

The antara of this bandish starts from the 9th beat of Teental, i.e., after (dha dhin dhin dha)x2

Sa Sa Sa Ma Ga Pa – Pa Ni Ni Sa’ Sa’ Sa’ Sa’ Re’ Sa’
Ni Ni Sa’ Re’ Ni Sa’ Ni Ni Dha Pa Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga – Re Sa
pa ni ni Sa Ga, Pa Ga Ma Ga Sa, Ga MA Pa Ni Sa’ Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa

Sthaayi – Lyrics:

Baalama re, mor’e mana ki
Chita ho-vana de re, so-vana de re,
Meeta piyarava


Antara – Lyrics:
Tum Sada Ranga ji naa jaao bidesava
Sukha nindariya sovana de re
Ho-vana de re, meeta piyarava

Sthaayi ke Alaap:
Open-ended Alaaps:

There are two kinds of alaaps: close-ended and open-ended. Open ended alaaps aren’t created keeping in mind the taal. Basically, these are free-flowing alaaps – they have no specific start point and endpoint. You can start whenever you want and end wherever you want to. You should be proficient with the Taal of the bandish (teentaal, in this case) to nail these kind of alaaps.

1. Sa, Sa Re Sa ni, ni Sa, pa ni Sa Ga – Re Sa
2. Sa, ni Sa Ga, Ga, ni ni Sa, Sa Ga, Ga Ma Ga, Ga – Re Sa
3. Sa, ni Sa Ga, Ga Ma Ga, Pa, Pa Dha Ma* Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga
Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga, Ga Ma Ga – Re Sa. Sa Re Sa ni, ni Sa.
4. Sa, ni Sa Ga Ma Ga, Pa, Pa, Dha Ma* Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga,
Ga Ma Pa Ni, Ni – Dha Pa, Pa Dha Ma Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga,
Ga Ma Pa Ma – Ga, Ga Ma Ga, Re Sa.
5. Ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ga Ma Pa, Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga Re Sa -
Sa Ga, Ga Ma, Ma Pa, Pa Dha Ma* Pa, Ma* Ga Ma Pa Ni,
Ni Sa’ Ni Dha Pa, Pa – Ma* Ga Ma Ga, Ga Ma Pa Ma Ga – Re Sa.


Antare ke Alaap:

Open ended alaaps aren’t created keeping in mind the taal. Basically, these are free-flowing alaaps – they have no specific start point and endpoint. You can start whenever you want and end wherever you want to. You should be proficient with the Taal of the bandish (teentaal, in this case) to nail these kind of alaaps.

1. Ga Ma Pa Ni, Ni Sa’, Sa’ Ni Dha Pa, Ma* Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ – Pa Ni Sa’ Re’ Re’ Sa’.
2. Sa’, Ni Sa’ Re’ Sa’ Re’ Ni Sa’, Ni, Ni Dha Pa, Ma* Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ni, Ni Sa’ – Pa Ni Sa’ Ga’ Re’ Sa’.


Antare ke Taane:

These taans start from the 4th matra of teental.

1. Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ni Sa’
2. Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Re’ Sa’ Ni Sa’
3. Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ga’ Re’ Sa’ Ni Sa’
4. Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ga’ Re’ Sa’ Sa’ Re’ Sa Ni Dha Pa Pa Dha Pa Ma*
Ga Ma Ga Re Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ [Sadaa ranga (ji naa jaa) x3]

Sthaayi ke Taane:

These taans start from the fifth matra of Teental.

1. ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Dha Pa Ma* Ga Ma Ga Re Sa ni Sa
2. ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa ni Sa
3. ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Re’ Sa’ Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa
4. ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ga’ Re’ Sa’ Sa’ Re’ Sa’ Ni Dha Pa
5. ni Sa Ga Ma Pa Ni Sa’ Ga’ Re’ Sa’ Sa’ Re’ Sa’ Ni Dha Pa
Pa Ni Sa’ Re’ Sa’ Ni Dha Pa, Pa Ni Ni Ni Dha Pa, Pa Dha Pa Ma*
Ga Ma Ga Ma Pa Ma, Ga Ma Ga Re Sa ni Sa


Raag Bihaag Lesson by Aradhana Karhade