Web Harmonium
Harmonium Notes
Harmonium Notes and Sargam Guide
This page is a simple map for harmonium notes: the seven Sargam names, the changed notes, the laptop key positions, and the next pages to use when you are ready for songs.
The seven Sargam notes
The main harmonium notes are Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. On this web harmonium, the beginner laptop row starts with e for Sa, r for Re, t for Ga, and y for Ma.
Komal and tivra notes
Komal notes are lowered notes. Re, Ga, Dha, and Ni can be komal. Tivra means sharpened; Ma is the note that can become tivra. Sa and Pa stay fixed in normal Sargam practice.
How to find Sa before reading notes
Sa is a chosen home pitch, not one fixed piano key for every singer. Start the shruti box, hum a relaxed note in the middle of your speaking range, and adjust the drone until that note can be held without reaching. Match the same pitch on the harmonium, then treat that key as Sa for the session.
Check the choice by singing Pa and the upper Sa. If the upper Sa is strained, lower the starting pitch. If the lower notes disappear below your comfortable range, raise it. Write down the chosen key so the next practice session begins from the same reference.
Laptop keyboard mapping
Use the letter row for the main notes and the nearby number keys for changed notes. If you want a focused walkthrough, open the laptop harmonium guide.
Practice scales first
- Start with Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa.
- Repeat slowly until every note returns cleanly to Sa.
- Add one changed note at a time, such as komal Ga or tivra Ma.
- Move into one short melody from the song library.
Three short Sargam drills
- Neighbour drill: Sa Re, Re Ga, Ga Ma, then reverse. Listen for equal space between each pair.
- Return-home drill: Sa Re Ga Re Sa, then Sa Re Ga Ma Ga Re Sa. Keep the final Sa quiet and settled.
- Changed-note drill: play Ga–komal Ga–Ga and Ma–tivra Ma–Ma slowly. Hearing the comparison is more useful than memorising the key colour.
Use the Sargam tuner for one held note at a time. A moving display is normal during the start and end of a note; judge the stable middle rather than chasing every flicker.
Use notes with songs
Once the note names feel familiar, browse harmonium song notes for bhajan, Bollywood, ghazal, and qawwali practice. Keep the online shruti box running if you want a steady Sa while you practise.