The Krishna aarti, and the most musically interesting of the household aartis. It opens high — up on Pa rather than down on Sa — and then walks all the way down an octave. That descent is the whole character of the song, and it is the first aarti that will teach your right hand to travel.
The sargam, line by line
Sa is on C. Capital letters are shuddha (natural) swaras, lowercase is komal (flat), and a dot under a letter — written here as Ṇ — means the octave below. Each ▶ plays just that line on the keyboard above; turn on 🐢 Slow while you learn.
P P P M PAarti Kunj Bihari Kin n D P M G RShri Girdhar Krishna Murari KiThe same notes as Western keys
| Line | Keys | Sargam |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | G G G F G | P P P M P |
| 2 | B♭ B♭ A G F E D | n n D P M G R |
हिंदी में — सरगम
| प प प म प | आरती कुंज बिहारी की |
| ऩि ऩि ध प म ग रे | श्री गिरिधर कृष्ण मुरारी की |
How to play it
- Start with your thumb high. Unlike most aartis this one begins on Pa, not Sa. Put your thumb on Pa before you play a note, or you will run out of fingers on the way down.
- The komal Ni is the song. Both published notations mark the Ni as komal — the B♭ black key. Play it as a natural B and the aarti stops sounding like itself. This is the one black key you must not miss.
- Take the descent slowly. n n D P M G R walks down six steps. At speed it blurs; at practice tempo each step should sound like a deliberate footfall. Use the slow toggle until every step is even.
Common questions
What are the harmonium notes for Aarti Kunj Bihari Ki?
With Sa on C, the opening is P P P M P, then a descent n n D P M G R using komal Ni (B♭). Two independent published notations agree on all twelve notes.
Which black key does it use?
Only one: the komal Ni, B♭, at the top of the descent. Everything else in the opening is a white key.
Why does it start on Pa instead of Sa?
Because the melody is built as a descent. Starting on the fifth gives the line an octave of room to fall through, which is what gives this aarti its sweep compared with the Sa-centred household aartis.
Where to go next
- Om Jai Jagdish Hare — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- Jai Ganesh Deva — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- Happy Birthday — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- All song notes — every song we publish, each with a follow-along player.
- The harmonium notes chart — sargam, komal and tivra, and the 10-thaat system.