14 NOTES ON THE PRINCIPLES 
^, K, IT, ^, FT. 
Sa, Ri, Ga, Ma, Pa, Da, Xi. 
(C. D. E. F. G. A. B.) 
They have no means, however, of showing at what pitch, 
or in which octave, the notes must be played or sung. This 
must be learnt orally in the case of each melody from their 
rausic-teachers. 
They have no signs to represent accidentals, as we 
have, ^, b, \\, X, bh, t|b, but fhey do 
not often require them, as they seldom'eniploy them in the 
course of a piece. To determine the nature of the mode of 
the scale (Raga) the melody belongs to (having distinctive 
names for the 72 varieties of their scale), all they have to 
do is to write the name of the scale at the head of the tune, 
and it will indicate to them the natitre of each interval of 
the scale the tune is derived from ; just as if we say such a 
piece is in G- Major, we know that every F in the piece, 
is to be sharpened unless contradicted by an accidental ; 
in cases where they employ a few accidentals, (though 
only allowed as a licence) they have to be learnt orally, like 
the pitch or key of the piece. Embellishments, such as 
shakes, gi-ace notes, turns, etc., are in most cases com- 
municated orally or by tradition. 
Having- names for every kiud of rhythm or measure (which 
they call Tala), they mention the name of the measure at the 
beginning of the piece, together with the name of the Raga 
or scale, and this gives them a general idea of the time of 
the composition ; but the exact value of each note is not 
clearly indicated. It is learnt in the same way as the pitch 
of the melody, i.e., from those who teach music. 
M. Seshagiri Shastriar, M. A. Assistant Professor of 
Vernacular Literature in the Presidency College, Madras, 
