Yaman (raga)

Yaman's Jati is a Sampurna raga (ideally, yaman is audav sampoorna raag because of the structure- N,RGmDNR'S' NDPmGRS) and in some cases Shadav; the ascending Aaroha scale and the descending style of the avroha includes all seven notes in the octave ( When it is audav, the Aroha goes like N,RGmDNS' , where the fifth note is omitted; Pa but the Avaroha is the same complete octave). All the scale notes (called swaras) in the raga are Shuddha, the exception being Teevra Madhyam or prati madhyamam (sharp fouth). The notes of the raga are considered analogous to the western Lydian mode, which was the predominant scale used in classical antiquity, before being usurped by those of the pre-Modern era.

None of th three great treatises of music, accept the existence of tivra ma,

Not to be mistaken, Raag Yaman is slightly different from Raag Yaman Kalyan. Both have almost the same base, but they are sung differently. The Aroha and Avaroha of Yaman Kalyan goes like this: SRGmPDNS' S'NDPm GMGRN,RS

Vadi is ga, Samvadi is ni.

It is wrong to say that Kalyan has no specific phrases or particular features, many musicians avoid Sa and Pa in ascend or treat them very weakly in yaman. One often applies N⁰ R G M⁺ D N S' in ascent and S' N D M⁺ G R S in descend[1]).
Sa is avoided in beginning the ascend such as N⁰ R G M⁺ P D N S'

There is some discussion whether Yaman and Kalyan really just are different names for the same raga, or that these are actually 2 ragas. Joep Bor says "Kalyan (today usually referred to as Yaman)",[2] Kaufmann[3] says that Yaman and Kalyan are just different names, but insists that rāga Yaman-Kalyan is different as natural Ma is occasionally inserted between two Ga, like Ga Ma Ga Re Sa, while in all other instances tivra Ma (Ma⁺ is used as in Kalyan). S. Bagchee[4] agrees with Kaufmann. As Bor,

kaufmann and Bagchee are not practising, professional and traditional musicians and artistes with training from qualified musicians for several hundred (+practising) hours and knowing a few dozens of bandishes/ compositions of north Indian Hindustani classical music in raag yaman, thus their opinions and observations needs to be accepted with a pinch of salt. A sensible analysis of large data of the raag, honesty and truthful introspection lead any sane musicians to think, that the name of the raags yaman and kalyaan are different so their tonal movements shall be different for kalyaan is more akin to shuddha kalyaan not yaman in any case. The influence of kalyaani of Carnatic and almost blind following of Pt Bhatkhande as well as unquestionable trust and faith to guru (music teachers) caused this confusion. People erratically believe that if natural Ma is occasionally added in a concluding figure leading to Sa, the raga is known as Yaman-Kalyan.[2] Practically, yaman has a raagaanga very much different from kalyaan raagaanga resembling colours of shuddha kalyaan. The use of shuddha ma must be restricted as a vivaadi swar (limited use) or grace note for yaman kalyaan otherwise there is a chance of it becoming yamani, yamni bilaawal, jaimini kalyaan. Moreover, neither of Kalyaan or yaman has shuddha ma in its main body thus use of shuddha ma does not create yaman kalyaan. ideally there is no raag at all in Indian music that is recognized as any type of kalyaan because of shuddha ma, thus yaman kalyan becomes a misnomer or pure lie because of shuddha ma in the tonal structure of yaman.
Kalyan is mixed with several ragas that has either of kalyaan ang or yaman ang:

• Hem Kalyan
• Khem kalyaan
• Kohri kalyaan
• Kesari kalyaan
• Gaud Kalyaan
• Panch Kalyaan
• Adbhut Kalyaan
• Shyam Kalyaan
• Shree kalyaan
• Hindol Kalyan
• Shiv kalyaan
• Saraswati kalyaan
• Laxmi Kalyaan
• Husseini kalyaan
• Jaimini Kalyaan
• Gorakh Kalyan
• Maru Kalyan
• Raam Kalyan
• Poorva Kalyan
• Puriya Kalyan
• Shuddha Kalyan
• Yaman Kalyan
• Bhoop kalyaan
• Jait kalyaan
• Nat kalyaan
• Hameer kalyaan
• Nand kalyaan
• Aanandi kalyaan
• Kaamod kalyaan
• Kedar kalyaan
• Chhayaa kalyaan
• Deepak kalyaan
• Pyaar kalyaan
• Miyaan ki kalyaan
• Ravi kalyaan
• Shankar kalyaan
• Sohni kalyaan
• Chandra kalyaan
• Bilaas khaani kalyaan
• Bhog kalyaan
• Raini Kalyaan
• Shankaraa kalyaan

Yaman raga mixing in other ragas:

• Yamani
• Kalaavati yaman
• Yaman Bhoopaali
• Yamsan Chhaayaa
• Yamani Hindol
• Yamani Basant
• Yamani Bilawal

Thaat: Kalyan is type raga of Kalyan thaat. In thaat Kalyan, all notes are shuddha (natural) except teevra (sharp) Ma.

Yaman is regarded one of the grandest and most fundamental ragas in Hindustani music. It is one of the first ragas taught to students but it also has great scope for improvisation. Raag elaboration can focus more on mandra and madhya saptak, thus the key note chosen for yaman is preferred to be a higher tone.

Ragas in the Kalyan thaat, including Yaman, should be performed during the first quarter of the night.

Kalyan is described by Meshakarna(1570) as "lord in white garments and pearl necklace on a splendid lion-throne, under a royal umbrella, fanned with whisk, chewing betel"[2]

A song text is:[2]

Hey friend, without my lover
I don't find peace
At any moment of the day;
Since my lover went away
I spend my nights counting the stars

• Amir Khan – Shuddh Kalyan, Yaman, and Yaman Kalyan
• Rashid Khan – bandish in vilambit ektal (India Archive Music IAM CD 1003)
• Ravi Shankar in matta tal: "The Genius of Pandit Ravi Shankar", Oriental Records Inc, New York AAMS CD108
• Imrat Khan "Nordindische Ragas, Live"
• Ghulam Abbas Khan Vilambit and Drut 'Dharohar' by Mystica Music
• Zia Mohiuddin Dagar on Nimbus Records, LS5871 / NI7047/8