Glossary · glossary · 1 min read
Vikrit swara
विकृत स्वर; a note with two forms
A vikrit swara is a note with an altered form as well as its natural form. You meet these forms in ragas, melodic frameworks shaped by note choices: Yaman uses raised Ma, while Bhairav uses lowered Re and Dha.
By John, Music lover from Bangalore · Reviewed by BRR · Last reviewed 29 Sept 2026
Vikrit swara
A vikrit swara is a note that has an altered form as well as its natural one. Re, Ga, Dha and Ni each have a lowered form, called komal. Their natural form is called shuddha. Ma has a raised form, called tivra, beside its natural form.
Sa and Pa stay fixed: they do not have these altered forms. So the seven basic notes do not all behave alike. Re, Ga, Dha and Ni can be natural or lowered; Ma can be natural or raised.
Where you meet vikrit swara
Yaman uses tivra Ma, the raised form of Ma. Bhairav uses komal Re and komal Dha, the lowered forms of Re and Dha. These choices help define each raga, a melodic framework shaped by its choice of note forms.
This is where vikrit swara, a note with an altered form alongside its natural one, matters to the listener. The note name is only part of the picture. Which form the raga uses is the first thing to notice.
Keep going
- Sa Re Ga Ma: sargam explained for beginners · Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha and Ni are Indian music’s seven basic notes; sargam means singing or writing melodies with these syllables. To read and sing sargam, choose your home Sa, follow the note names and octave marks, and recognise the natural, lowered and raised forms.