STRINGSCALES

D kafi raga Scale — Guitar Fretboard Visualization

Low E string: F, F#, G, A, B, C, C#, D at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

A string: A, B, C, C#, D, F, F#, G, A at frets 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 12

D string: D, F, F#, G, A, B, C, C#, D at frets 0, 3, 4, 5, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12

G string: G, A, B, C, C#, D, F, F#, G at frets 0, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 10, 11, 12

B string: B, C, C#, D, F, F#, G, A, B at frets 0, 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 10, 12

High E string: F, F#, G, A, B, C, C#, D at frets 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, 8, 9, 10

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D kafi raga

The kafi raga scale is the frame of raga Kafi from Hindustani music, catalogued here as an eight note set with both 3rds and both 7ths: root, flat and major 3rd, 4th, 5th, 6th, flat and major 7th. The paired inflections mirror how the raga bends between dorian-like rest and brighter ornament. Its overall mood is gentle and romantic rather than austere.

it consists of these notes and degrees:

D

I

F

bIII

F♯

III

G

IV

A

V

B

VI

C

bVII

C♯

VII

kafi raga in all 12 keys, with chords and related scales

tip
  • Center on the dorian core (root, II, b3 (F), IV, V, VI, b7 (C)) and use the extra major 3rd and major 7th as sliding ornaments, the way the raga bends them.
  • Approach III from bIII (F) with a quarter-tone-ish curl bend; that in-between third is Kafi's gentleness on guitar.
  • Keep the rhythm lilting and vocal: this raga's home ground is light-classical and folk material, not shredding.
  • Over a two-chord vamp of the D minor tonic and the major chord on the 4th (G), all of Kafi's inflections fit.

How to play D kafi raga on guitar

Open D is the tonic here, and the A, G and B strings all fall in the scale too, so you can let four strings ring while the fretting hand works above them. Roots repeat at the 10th fret on each E string, plus 7 on the G. Fret 3 on the B string adds another. Barre options are 5 and 10, and the root box gives out at fret 14, which lets you keep everything under it in one hand position.

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