HarmoniumPlay it hereFree
An online harmonium, with sargam on the keys
Play it with a finger, the mouse or your computer’s keys. Set your Sa and every key is named from it: Sa, Re, Ga upward, the komal notes on the black keys. Then let the harmonium play a line for you to sing back.
Sa is C♯ kali ek. Press a key and hold it; the reed sounds while you do.
On a computer: A S D F G H J K play Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Ṡa; W E T Y U the komal notes and tivra Ma; Z X C mandra Pa, Dha and Ni.
Sargam on the keys
A harmonium has no fixed Sa. Whichever key you choose as Sa, the other swaras sit at the same distances above it: Re two keys up, Ga four, Ma five, Pa seven, Dha nine and Ni eleven, counting the black keys. The komal notes are the keys just below Re, Ga, Dha and Ni, and tivra Ma is the key just above Ma.Komal and tivraKomal means flat: a semitone below the shuddha note. Tivra Ma is a semitone above shuddha Ma. In written sargam a line under a swara marks it komal, and a tick marks tivra Ma.
Here are the keys for the two Sa most singers use. Most men who sing khyal practise near C♯, and most women near G♯.
| Swara | Name | Sa at C♯ (kali 1) | Sa at G♯ (kali 4) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sa सा | Sa | C♯ kali 1 | G♯ kali 4 |
| Ṟe रे॒ | Komal Re | D safed 2 | A safed 6 |
| Re रे | Re | D♯ kali 2 | A♯ kali 5 |
| G̱a ग॒ | Komal Ga | E safed 3 | B safed 7 |
| Ga ग | Ga | F safed 4 | C safed 1 |
| Ma म | Ma | F♯ kali 3 | C♯ kali 1 |
| Ma′ म॑ | Tivra Ma | G safed 5 | D safed 2 |
| Pa प | Pa | G♯ kali 4 | D♯ kali 2 |
| Ḏha ध॒ | Komal Dha | A safed 6 | E safed 3 |
| Dha ध | Dha | A♯ kali 5 | F safed 4 |
| Ṉi नि॒ | Komal Ni | B safed 7 | F♯ kali 3 |
| Ni नि | Ni | C safed 1 | G safed 5 |
Kali and safed
Many teachers give a Sa by its harmonium name rather than its letter. They count from C: the white keys are safed (C is safed 1, D safed 2, and so on to B, safed 7) and the black keys are kali (C♯ kali 1, D♯ kali 2, F♯ kali 3, G♯ kali 4, A♯ kali 5). So “kali 4 se gao” means “sing with Sa at G♯”.Which Sa is yours?Count five keys up from the lowest note you can sing clearly. How to find your Sa walks through it, with a keyboard to try.
Sing it back
The harmonium is how most teachers give a line to a student: they play it, the student sings it back. This one does the same. Choose a line and press play: it plays the line in your Sa, then leaves a gap the same length for you to sing it back. Choose Sing along to sing with it instead.
The harmonium plays a line, then waits: sing it back in the gap.
Practising with a harmonium
- Drone first.Start the tanpura at your Sa and sing a long Sa until it sits on the drone without wavering.
- One key, one note.Press Re, listen, sing it; then Ga. Sing each note after you hear it, not while it plays.
- Then a line.Play Sa Re Ga Ma and sing it back. Go up the scale and come down the same way.
- Slow before fast.Speed comes last. A line sung slowly and in sur is worth more than a fast one that slips.
Questions
Can I play a harmonium online for free?
Yes. The harmonium on this page plays recorded harmonium reeds in your browser: free, with no account and nothing to install. It works on a phone, a tablet or a computer.
Can I play it with my computer keyboard?
Yes. A S D F G H J K play Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni and taar Sa from your Sa. W E T Y U play komal Re, komal Ga, tivra Ma, komal Dha and komal Ni. Z X C play mandra Pa, Dha and Ni.
Which key is Sa on a harmonium?
Any key can be Sa. A singer picks the key that suits their voice: C♯ (kali 1) is the most common Sa for men and G♯ (kali 4) for women. How to find your Sa shows how to choose yours.
What do kali 1 and safed 1 mean?
They are harmonium names, counted from C. White keys are safed: C is safed 1, D safed 2, E safed 3. Black keys are kali: C♯ is kali 1, D♯ kali 2, F♯ kali 3, G♯ kali 4 and A♯ kali 5.
How do I play sargam on a harmonium?
Press your Sa, then count up: Re is two keys above Sa, Ga four, Ma five, Pa seven, Dha nine and Ni eleven, black keys included. Set your Sa on this page and every key is named for you.
Is there a harmonium app for riyaz?
Sangat is a riyaz app for Hindustani singing: its harmonium plays each line in your Sa and waits for you to sing it back, over a real tanpura and tabla. It runs in the browser at getsangat.com. There is also an iPhone app on the App Store, and in India an Android app on Google Play.
