A raga is a melodic FRAMEWORK in Indian classical music — built from swaras (the seven basic notes: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni, equivalent to Do-Re-Mi), organized within a saptak (octave) — a raga is MORE than simply a scale; it specifies particular ASCENDING/descending note patterns, emphasized notes, and characteristic melodic PHRASES that give it a distinct musical identity and mood.

• ›Recognizing a raga as a SPECIFIC melodic framework (NOT merely a generic 'scale' in the Western sense) is the chapter's foundational conceptual distinction — this richer definition is essential for correctly understanding everything else in this chapter