Kamas

Kamas is a Janya Raga derived from Harikambhoji (Melakarta 28) in Carnatic music. Its swaras are drawn from the parent scale Harikambhoji, and the way it selects, omits or bends those swaras is what gives it a character of its own. Use the arohanam and avarohanam above as your starting point: play the scale slowly on the harmonium, hold each swara until the pitch settles, and only then sing it back.

Rasa: shringara — love in its lighter register. Kamas is a janya of Harikambhoji, using both nishadams and omitting rishabham in the ascent. Its movement is light and its phrases resolve quickly, so it does not accumulate the weight that a raga like Bhairavi does.

It appears constantly in padams, javalis, thillanas and film music, where the sentiment is romantic rather than devotional.

Start with the plain arohanam and avarohanam in slow speed, holding each swara until it is steady. Once the scale is secure, practise it against a shruti drone and only then move to gamaka-laden phrases. Whenever a phrase feels uncertain, go back to the scale and check yourself swara by swara before building speed.