What is a Raag?

Classical music is based on the system of scales or modes known as raags. A raag can be broadly defined as a series of musical notes which are systematically organised within a scale. Each raag has a certain set of notes which have to be adhered to. The ascending order of musical notes are called the 'Aaroh' and the descending order is known as 'Avrohi'. Raags can use both flat or sharp notes and the number of notes within each scale can vary. Each raag has a note which is most frequently used and this is known as the 'vaadi', the note which supports the 'vaadi' is known as the 'samvadi'. A Raag may be characterized by phrases of notes known as 'pakar' which describe the movement known as 'chalan' of the raag.