Gayakapriya


Gayakapriya is a rāgam in Carnatic music. It is the 13th Melakarta rāgam in the 72 melakarta rāgam system of Carnatic music.
It is called Geyahejjujji in Muthuswami Dikshitar school of Carnatic music.

Structure and Lakshana

It is the 1st rāgam in the 3rd chakra Agni. The mnemonic name is Agni-Pa. The mnemonic phrase is sa ra gu ma pa dha na. Its structure is as follows :
As it is a melakarta rāgam, by definition it is a sampoorna rāgam. It is the shuddha madhyamam equivalent of Dhavalambari, which is the 49th melakarta.

Asampurna Melakarta

Geyahejjujji is the 13th Melakarta in the original list compiled by Venkatamakhin. The notes used in the scale are the same, but the ascending scale is different and vakra. It is an shadava-sampurna raga.
Gayakapriya has a few minor janya rāgams associated with it, of which Kalagada is heard occasionally in concerts. See List of janya rāgams to see all the rāgams associated with Gayakapriya.

Compositions

Here are a few common compositions sung in concerts, set to Gayakapriya.
Muthuswami Dikshitar's composition Ramachandra bhakthum is set to Geyahejjujji rāgam.

Related rāgams

This section covers the theoretical and scientific aspect of this rāgam.
Gayakapriya's notes when shifted using Graha bhedam, yields a minor melakarta rāgam Dhatuvardani. Graha bhedam is the step taken in keeping the relative note frequencies same, while shifting the shadjam to the next note in the rāgam. For further details and an illustration refer Graha bhedam on Gayakapriya.