Carnatic Ragas Meet Western Chords: A Piano Tutorial

Learn how to harmonize any Melakarta raga on piano with Jason Zac of Nathaniel School of Music — turn 72 ragas into playable chords. 🌐 The app in this video — Melakarta Sphere, all 72 ragas in 3D, free, no signup: https://melakarta.nathanielschool.com Ever wondered how to harmonize a raga on piano? This lesson shows how the 72 Melakarta ragas are built and how to turn each one into playable chords. We walk through the logic behind the system: Sa and Pa stay fixed, the perfect fifth is always kept, and you choose from three Re, three Ga, two Ma — Shuddha Madhyama (the perfect fourth) and Prati Madhyama (the augmented/sharp fourth) — three Dha and three Ni. That simple maths gives every heptatonic scale under the sun. You'll see the twelve chakras (Indu, Netra, Agni, Veda, Bana, Rutu, Rishi, Vasu, Brahma, Disi, Rudra, Aditya) and hear how ragas map to Western modes: Kharaharapriya against Dorian and the Kafi thaat, Hanumatodi leaning Phrygian, and Mayamalavagowla (the 15th Melakarta), also called the double harmonic major. We also touch Harikambhoji (Mixolydian) and Charukesi (Mixolydian flat 6), then harmonize each raga into triads and seventh chords, including cluster and augmented shapes. This is for pianists who only know major and minor, and for Carnatic musicians curious about Western harmony. Play along, pick a raga, build its chords, and tell us your favourite in the comments. 🏫 Courses, Workshops or Private lessons ➡️ https://forms.gle/fsbhFKSgJbZ5xZEr8 ============================= 📹 Our Video Courses (Everything for Life Bundle) - https://learn-music.nathanielschool.com/ 🏡 Visit our Channel for more Tutorials & Performances - https://geni.us/NathanielYouTube ============================= ▶️ Related Videos & Playlists 📂 Indian Music Theory - Carnatic Ragas - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT-EsBVRojlfDQ078y6R438k 📚 Indian Classical Music - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT-uvkwcbt1C4RbIJ8t1n3vm 🗂️ The Major Scale Understood with ALL Intervals - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT-E6rHuGKoYQk_8-jOw3_Bh 📋 Minor Scales - Theory, Exercises & Compositions - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT_8KkjOUBofqzyhbgGkROE- 🎶 Cadences & Chord Progressions - https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLrNNL05e9FT_sKjWd1c7K_S55cZ15jAKI ============================= 🎓 Learn Music With Nathaniel School of Music & Jason Zac: https://nathanielschool.com 📚 All our YouTube lessons (1000+) categorised by skill level, topic & genre all in one place: https://free-music-lessons.nathanielschool.com ⏳ Chapter markers 00:00 - What Does It Mean to Harmonize a Scale? 🎹 00:33 - The Melakarta Concept in One Idea 00:44 - Why Sa and Pa Stay Fixed 00:56 - Augmented Fourth vs Diminished Fifth 01:09 - Keeping the Perfect Fifth 01:33 - What Harmonize Really Means 🎵 01:40 - Harmonizing for Collaboration 02:12 - Scaling from Triads to Seventh Chords 02:50 - Kharaharapriya ≈ Dorian & Kafi Thaat 03:03 - Melakarta as Heptatonic Thaats 03:52 - The Melakarta Sphere Mode 🌐 04:11 - Selecting Hanumatodi 04:27 - Janya Ragas Explained 04:37 - Playing the Scale with Tanpura 05:01 - Arohana, Avarohana & Both 05:15 - Swing Feature for Western Players 05:28 - Hanumatodi Sounds Phrygian 05:57 - Reading the Interval Labels 07:07 - Brain Mode: The Mind Map 07:46 - The Chakra Navigator 07:58 - Twelve Chakras Named 08:11 - Grid & Mandala Modes 08:36 - Indu Chakra: Kanakangi 09:52 - Building Re from C 10:39 - Building Ga: Diminished to Major Third 11:25 - Netra Chakra: Very Phrygian 11:37 - Agni Chakra: Middle Eastern Colour 11:46 - Veda Chakra: All Things Minor 13:02 - Mayamalavagowla = Double Harmonic Major 13:26 - Bana Chakra: Where the Major Lives 13:37 - Harikambhoji (Mixolydian) & Charukesi 13:43 - Charukesi: Mixolydian Flat 6 🎶 14:03 - Rutu Chakra 14:12 - The Prati Madhyama Hemisphere 14:38 - Rishi to Aditya Chakras 15:30 - Listen Mode: Sing a Raga 16:46 - Drills Mode for Swaras 16:54 - Stage Mode: Kritis & Sections 17:15 - Adjusting Tempo & Instruments 18:02 - Western Mode: Visualize the Scale 18:44 - Chords for Any Raga 🎹 20:05 - Inversions & Chord Colors 20:21 - Function: Tonic, Subdominant, Dominant 20:32 - Raga Fit & Janya Chord Options 22:08 - Tanpura, Talas & Practice Setup 23:30 - Wrapping Up: Harmonize Any Raga 💰 Donate on PayPal: https://geni.us/DonatePayPal 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/jasonzac 📞 +917760456847 (Mobile & WhatsApp) 📧 Customised & Private Classes: music@nathanielschool.com 🎧 Listen to Jason Zac Music: https://riffs.jasonzacmusic.com/ #MelakartaRagas #CarnaticMusic #PianoHarmony