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Raag · 9 am – noon · Pathos, devotion

तोड़ीTodi

Komal Re, Ga and Dha, a tivra Ma, and a Pa touched lightly: a raag of slow, searching intensity for the late morning.

This landscape is drawn from the raag: the far mountain rises with its aaroh and falls with its avaroh, and the near hills follow its pakad.

54 madhya
About these soundsMeend makes the harmonium and santoor sounds itself. They aren’t recordings of real instruments, so they sound close, but not quite the same. They are here to let you hear how the swaras go.The tanpura and tabla are recordings of real ones.
SRGMPDNतोड़ी

Tap a swara to hear it

Thaat
Todi
Jati
Sampurna–Sampurna
Vadi and samvadi
komal Dha and komal Ga
Its hour
9 am – noon, 2nd prahar of the day
Its mood
Pathos, devotion

Todi, often called Miyan ki Todi, is a raag of the second prahar of the day, the late morning, and one of the most profound in Hindustani music. It gives its name to its thaat: komal Re, Ga and Dha, tivra Ma, and shuddh Ni. The raag lives in its slow, plaintive Re and Ga, approached gently from below, while Pa is touched lightly and often passed by.

Hear it

Aaroh
SRGMPDNS
Avaroh
SNDPMGRS
Pakad
DNSRGRSMGRGRS

How it moves

Komal Dha is Todi's vadi and komal Ga its samvadi. Its phrases circle the lower swaras with great patience:

From Dha below, by Ni and Sa, to komal Re and Ga
DNSRG
Komal Re, resting on Sa
RS
Tivra Ma down by komal Ga and Re, and home
MGRGRS
Up, passing Pa by
GMDNS
Coming down
SNDPMGRS

Its hour

1st prahar of the day, 6–9 am12nd prahar of the day, 9 am – noon23rd prahar of the day, noon – 3 pm34th prahar of the day, 3–6 pm41st prahar of the night, 6–9 pm12nd prahar of the night, 9 pm – midnight23rd prahar of the night, midnight – 3 am34th prahar of the night, 3–6 am4midnight6 amnoon6 pmnightdayTodi9 am – noon
2nd prahar of the day, 9 am – noon. Its hour’s other raags: Jaunpuri, Deshkar.

Todi belongs to the second prahar of the day, from 9 in the morning to noon. Its vadi, komal Dha, lies in the upper half of the saptak, which by Bhatkhande's observation places a raag between midnight and noon.

On the bansuri

  • S
  • R
  • G
  • M
  • P
  • D
  • N
  • S
Its swaras on the bansuri, from Sa to taar Sa: a dark hole closed, a half-dark one half closed. Every swara’s fingering, in your key →

Look-alikes

Multani has exactly Todi's swaras, but leaves out Re and Dha going up, leans on Pa, and belongs to the late afternoon:

SRGMPDNतोड़ीTodiVadi komal Dha, samvadi komal Ga · 9 am – noon
Todi’s pakad
DNSRGRSMGRGRS
SRGMPDNमुलतानीMultaniVadi Pa, samvadi Sa · 3–6 pm
Multani’s pakad
NSGMPMGRS
The same swaras: they differ in where they dwell and how they move.

Bhairavi has komal Re, Ga and Dha too, but a shuddh Ma and a komal Ni; it is Karnatic music's Todi.

SRGMPDNतोड़ीTodiVadi komal Dha, samvadi komal Ga · 9 am – noon
Todi’s pakad
DNSRGRSMGRGRS
SRGMPDNभैरवीBhairaviVadi Ma, samvadi Sa · 6–9 am
Bhairavi’s pakad
MGSRSDNS
Todi has tivra Ma and Ni; Bhairavi has Ma and komal Ni.

Practise it

  1. Long notes on komal Dha and komal Ga.
  2. The aaroh and avaroh, slowly.
  3. Paltas in its swaras, in threes.
  4. The pakad and the phrases.
Komal Dha and komal Ga, held
D–––––––G–––––––
In threes, up and down
SRGRGMGMPMPDPDNDNS
SNDNDPDPMPMGMGRGRS

All ten alankars in Todi, to hear in your Sa →

A short aalap
S–R–G–RS
DNSRG–––
RGM–GRG–
MGR–S–––
A riyaz of Raag Todi

Meend starts it with Aaroh–Avaroh, Pakad, Paltas in Todi, Aalap and Bandish, 27 minutes a day, and listens as you play: each swara of the notation lit as it is played, the time kept, a lotus grown petal by petal.

Make it my riyazor check your playing on the tuner

Questions

Which swaras are used in Todi?

Sa, komal Re, komal Ga, tivra Ma, Pa, komal Dha and shuddh Ni.

When is Todi sung?

In the second prahar of the day, the late morning.

How is Todi different from Multani?

The same swaras. Todi dwells on komal Re and Ga and touches Pa lightly, in the late morning; Multani leaves out Re and Dha going up, leans on Pa, and belongs to the late afternoon.