Yaman is a popular evening raga from northern India. This webpage was created to help musicians learn Yaman. The materials on this page are applicable whether you are a bansuri player, a vocalist, or an instrumentalist playing any type of instrument that can produce notes of the chromatic scale (i.e. most instruments!).
The scale of Yaman is:
NRGMDNS (arohi: ascent)
SNDPMGRS (avarohi: descent)
That's:
Low Ni, Shuddh Re, Shuddh Ga, Teevra Ma, Shuddh Dha, Shuddh Ni, High Sa
High Sa, Shuddh Ni, Shuddh Dha, Pa, Teevra Ma, Shuddh Ga, Shuddh Re, Sa
The scale is pentatonic (5 notes) in ascent and heptatonic (7 notes) in descent. Raag Yaman is best learned AFTER you have spent time learning the Kalyan scale, as Yaman's scale is derived from Kalyan.
Download The Yaman Exercises PDF
Enter your email to receive Dr. Kerry Kriger's transcription of a Yaman lesson taught to him by Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao in the mid 2000's.
Yaman - Introductory Scale Exercises
In this video tutorial, Bansuri Bliss Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger teaches two important Yaman scale exercises. The video was recorded on an F flute (+8 cents) in Manassas, Virginia on August 16th, 2019.
Bansuri Lesson In Raag Yaman from Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao
In this flute lesson, Bansuri Bliss Founder Dr. Kerry Kriger teaches an important Yaman scale exercise that he learned from his guru, bansuri master Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao. This exercises will help you understand the structure of Yaman, which is one of the most commonly heard ragas from northern India. Dr. Kriger's bamboo flute is at F flute (+8 cents) and the video was recorded in Manassas, Virginia on August 16th, 2019.
Get More Yaman Lessons In The Bansuri Bliss Membership Site
You can deepen your Yaman practice by becoming a Bansuri Bliss Member, for which you will gain access to a variety of Yaman lessons (as well as lessons in many other ragas), including:
Yaman Alap
Yaman - Introductory Scale Exercises (PDF)
Yaman - Introductory Scale Exercises - Part 1 (Video)
Yaman - Introductory Scale Exercises - Part 1 (Audio)
Yaman Exercise from Pandit Vijay Raghav Rao (Video)
Yaman - Introductory Scale Exercises - Part 2 (Audio)
Yaman - Exercise from Irfan Ahmed Khan (PDF)
With compositions in teental, rupak and matta coming soon!
Yaman Questions Answered
Q:
"Hello, In Yaman, one should avoid SR or NR?"
-- Antonio A., Bansuri Bliss Member
A:
"Hi Antonio.
Never play SR
Always play NR
You can play NS but must descend afterwards.
Also...
Never play PD
Always play MD
You can play MP but must descend afterwards."
-- Kerry
If you have a question about Yaman, please leave it in the comments section below!