Rag Dhun Dictionary : A Lexicon of the Melodic Scales of Indian Music (2 Vols-Set).
Contents: Vol. I: Preface. I. Introduction to the North Indian Hindustani Music: 1. Introduction to the South Indian Carnatic music.
Vol. II: Introduction to the South Indian Carnatic music: 1. Ragas of carnatic music: 1 to Z. Appendices.
Indian raga music follows a specific tonal outline that is the serial application of the notes. This book is a collection of aaroh-avaroh tonal ascent-descent of Indian ragas and dhuns, that is described using traditional solfa, e.g. SRGMPDNS SNDPMGRS which is read as sa re ga ma pa dha ni sa sa ni dha pa ma ga re sa. Its content surpasses all its predecessors and perhaps there is no single book in any language that has as many examples as given in this book. It has the skeletons of more than 6000 ragas corresponding more than 9335 entries of aaroh and a avaroh which is rich with practical information. The Oxford Encyclopaedia of Indian music has a description of about a thousand ragas worked by academicians and particularly not assessed by practicing musicians, comprising inconclusive materials on the ragas.
It has many alternate textbook examples of the raags from the works of many veterans. For those ragas, which have controversial forms and no universally acceptable tonal format, have been presented with the most acceptable raga-wise ascent descents so that the readers get proper guidance about the melody italicized entry. In the field of Indian music and lovers of Indian music, this book has tremendous potential for the benefit of students of music, practicing musicians, musicologists, music authors, researchers, music composers, music directors music teachers music programme organizers music lovers-discerning audience, anybody curious about Indian raga music, music libraries, music archives music stores music schools, music clubs, music therapists, young-adult music enthusiasts, music record companies impresarios, ethnomusicologists, music historians, music reviewers, music critics, world music artistes, fusion music artistes, music recording engineers/technicians, general schools, general libraries and so on. (jacket)
