Hamsanadam

Hamsanadam (pronounced hamsanādam) is a rāgam in Carnatic music (musical scale of South Indian classical music). It is a pentatonic scale (audava rāgam, which means "of 5"), as it is sung in current days.^[1] It is a derived scale (janya rāgam), as it does not have all the seven swaras (musical notes), from the 60th Melakarta rāgam Neetimati.^[1]

Hamsanadam

Arohanam	S R₂ M₂ P N₃ Ṡ
Avarohanam	Ṡ N₃ P M₂ R₂ S

Structure and Lakshana

Hamsanadam scale with shadjam at C

Hamsanadam, as it is sung now-a-days, is a symmetric scale that does not contain gandharam and dhaivatam. It is called an audava rāgam,^[1] in Carnatic music classification (as it has 5 notes in both ascending and descending scales). Its ārohaṇa-avarohaṇa structure is as follows (see swaras in Carnatic music for details on below notation and terms):

• ārohaṇa : S R₂ M₂ P N₃ Ṡ^[a]
• avarohaṇa : Ṡ N₃ P M₂ R₂ S^[b]

This scale uses the notes shadjam, chatusruti rishabham, prati madhyamam, panchamam and kakali nishadam.

Other structures

Earlier structure of this scale were as follows:^[1][2]

• Ascending scale : S R₂ M₂ P D₃ N₃ Ṡ^[c]
• Descending scale : Ṡ N₃ D₃ N₃ P M₂ R₂ S^[d]

In the above, shatsruti dhaivatam is added in the scale compared to current usage (shadava scale with 6 notes in ascendinga and descending scale), with a vakra prayoga (zig-zag descending scale).^[1][2]

Graha bhedham

Hamsanadam's notes when shifted using Graha bhedham, yields three pentatonic rāgams, Gambhiranata, Neela and Bhupalam. Graha bhedham is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For more details and illustrations of this concept refer Graha bhedham on Gambhiranata.

Popular compositions

Hamsanadam has a few popular compositions:

• Kalyana Rama by Oothukkadu Venkata Kavi
• Bantureethi Koluvu by Tyagaraja
• Neeye Paramukham by Papanasam Sivan
• Kripanidhe by Muthiah Bhagavatar
• Paasa Vendume by Dandapani Desikar
• Bharama Ee Baluni and Dasha Shata Dala by G N Balasubramaniam
• Ezhiludai Hamsanaadham by Thanjavur Sankara Iyer
• Vishwa Prakashunaku by Annamacharya
• Paramananda Varada by Meesu Krishna Iyer

Film Songs

Language:Tamil

Year	Movie	Song	Singer	Composer
1964	Karnan	Iravum Nilavum (based on Ragam ShudhaSarang similar)	T. M. Soundararajan, P. Susheela	Viswanathan–Ramamoorthy
1970	Jeevanadi	Aruvi Magal (based on Ragam ShudhaSarang similar)	K. J. Yesudas,Soolamangalam Rajalakshmi
1974	Sirithu Vazha Vendum	Konja Neram Ennai (based on Ragam Saranga similar)	T. M. Soundararajan, S. Janaki	M. S. Viswanathan
1978	Nizhal Nijamagiradhu	Ilakanam Maarudho (based on Ragam ShudhaSarang similar)	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Vani Jairam
1981	Ninaivellam Nithya	Kanni Ponnu	Malaysia Vasudevan, P. Susheela
1985	Thendrale Ennai Thodu	Thendral Vanthu Ennai Thodum	K. J. Yesudas,S. Janaki	Ilaiyaraaja
1988	Naan Sonnathey Sattam	Oru Devathai Vanthu (based on Ragam ShudhaSarang similar)	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, Asha Bhosle
1989	Idhayathai Thirudathe	Om Namaha	Mano, S. Janaki
1990	Ooru Vittu Ooru Vanthu	Sorgame Endraalum	Ilaiyaraaja, S. Janaki
1992	Solaiyamma	Thamirabarani Aaru	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, S. Janaki
1992 (?)	En Uyir Shanthi	Medhuva Medhuva (Varuma)	Mano, K. S. Chithra, Composed by - Konnadi Edvinsan
1993	Maathangal Ezhu	Meetu Ennai (Pallavi Anupallavi only)	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam, K. S. Chithra
1996	Love Birds	Malargaley Malargaley (Based on Shudhasarang,Saraswati)	Hariharan, K. S. Chithra	A.R.Rahman[3]
1998	Pooveli	Oru Poo Ezhuthum Kavithai	P. Unnikrishnan, K. S. Chithra
2000	Hey Ram	Isaiyil Thodangudhamma	Ajoy Chakrabarty
2002	Thulluvadho Ilamai	Vayathu Vaa Vaa	Srinivas, Harini	Yuvan Shankar Raja
2003	Anbe Sivam	Poo Vaasam	Vijay Prakash, Sadhana Sargam	Vidyasagar
2006	Ilakkanam	Thiruve Ninai Kaathal Kandene	Madhu Balakrishnan	Bhavatharini
2007	Pallikoodam	Manasu Marugudhe	Narayanan,Subhiksha – Thenmozhi	Bharadwaj
2008	Vallamai Tharayo	Mangalam Pongidum	S. P. Balasubrahmanyam
2014 [unreleased]	Vaaraayo Vennilaave	Uyir Ennum	Madhushree, Rita, Senthildass Velayutham	Karthik Raja
2015	Kaththukkutti	Kalakkattu Kannaala	Ranjith, Cicily	Aruldev
2018	Kaali	Arumbey	Nivas,Janaki Iyer	Vijay Antony
		Yugam Noorai	Vedala Hemachandra, Sangeetha Rajeshwaran
2020	Nishabdham	Pudhu Unarve	Karthik, Harini	Gopi Sundar
2023	Aneethi	Malardhan Vizhundhadhu	Hesham Abdul Wahab, Ravi.G	G.V Prakash Kumar

Tamil Serial Title Song

Year(s)	Serial Name	Song	Singer	Composer
2005-2007	Malargal	Arisi Mavale Kolam Podu	Sangeetha Rajeshwaran, Vijay Antony	Vijay Antony

Language:Telugu

Year	Movie	Song	Composer	Singer
2004	Anand	Yamuna Theeram	K. M. Radha Krishnan	Hariharan, K. S. Chitra
		Yedhalo Gaanam
2020	Nishabdham	Madhuramite	Gopi Sunder	Najim Arshad, Harini (singer)

Notes

1. Alternate notations:

   • Hindustani: S R M̄ P N Ṡ
   • Western: C D F♯ G B C
2. Alternate notations:

   • Hindustani: Ṡ N P M̄ R S
   • Western: C B G F♯ D C
3. Alternate notations:

   • Hindustani: S R M̄ P Ṉ N Ṡ
   • Western: C D F♯ G A♯ B C
4. Alternate notations:

   • Hindustani: Ṡ N Ṉ N P M̄ R S
   • Western: C B A♯ B G F♯ D C