Carnatic Ragam Bhairavi (“ragam” is Tamil for raga)
(notes by Robert Morris, Eastman)
Note: there is an important raag named Bhairavi in the Hindustani tradition that is not related to the Carnatic Bhairavi.
This video teaches a gitam (a pedagogical vocal composition for beginning students). It goes through the composition note for note, phrase by phrase, first with svaras, then with the words. Check out the ornaments on the third scale degree (ga) and the seventh scale degree (ni). To be sure, the singer is not very accomplished, but the video is useful.
Another presentation of Bhairavi.
Ascending and descending raga scale, followed by many prayogas (characteristic phrases), mention of compositions, and a performance of a Tyagaraja composition.
The lecturer Charulatha Mani uses the term "mother raga" to denote the melakarta scale from which Bhairavi is derived. That scale is called Natabhairavi and is numbered 20, the notes of which in western notation are C D Eb F G Ab Bb C. There is a raga also named Natabhairavi, but that is not only a scale. As she says, the raga Natabhairavi is not as popular as the raga Bhairavi. An important difference between Bhairavi and Natabhairavi is that the former raga also uses the natural sixth-degree in ascent, not a member of mela 20. (Such a note is called a bhashanga svara.)
Listen carefully to the ornaments in the ascending and descending scale and in the prayogas; the oscillations on the third and seventh are more or less obligatory, and on the fourth frequent. In discussing the raga notes, Mani sings some notes with oscillatory ornaments so they cover or disguise the pitch of the scale degree; she also uses the long, Carnatic note names such as chatusruti dhaivata and kaisiki nishada. Respectively, these names denote the western scale degrees natural 6 and minor 7, or in svarathanas, d2, and n2. Similarly shuddha dhaivata equals flat-6 or d1. When Mani mentions compositions, she sings the opening phrase of different compositions separated by a short rest (i.e., these are not parts of the same composition).
More examples of Bhairavi: