9.3 The seventy-two melakarta scheme
Explain how seventy-two parent scales are generated, and find any one of them by number.
Take the twelve positions, allow every workable combination of ri and ga below and da and ni above, keep sa and pa fixed and choose one of the two mas, and seventy-two scales fall out. It is a complete system built in the seventeenth century and it is why this music can be discussed at all.
Work through these
Say how the seventy-two are generated from the sixteen swara names.
Melakarta · ReferenceFind the melakarta number of a raga you already play.
Say what changes at the halfway point of the scheme.
Sign in to keep your progress.
Free resources
Links last checked 30 Aug 2026.
Stuck here?
Ask a mentor. A real person answers, and they can see exactly which topic you're on. Usually within a couple of working days.
Checking your session…
Topics shown in module order.