The Ganesh aarti that opens almost every Hindu ceremony — and one of the gentlest first aartis on a harmonium. The opening line uses three adjacent white keys and never leaves them, so your hand can stay in one place while you learn to keep the bellows steady.
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.
S S R R G G G GJai Ganesh Jai GaneshG G M GJai Ganesh DevaThe same notes as Western keys
| Line | Keys | Sargam |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C C D D · E E E E | S S R R · G G G G |
| 2 | E E F E | G G M G |
हिंदी में — सरगम
| सा सा रे रे · ग ग ग ग | जय गणेश जय गणेश |
| ग ग म ग | जय गणेश देवा |
How to play it
- Keep the hand still. Sa, Re and Ga are three neighbouring white keys. Line 1 never leaves them, so put three fingers down and let them stay there — this is the aarti to learn hand position on.
- Count in Dadra. This aarti is sung in a six-beat cycle. Count 1-2-3-4-5-6 and let each syllable land on its own beat; the repeated Ga notes are where beginners rush.
- Add the drone last. Set the drone to Sa (C). Because the melody sits so close to Sa, the drone turns a plain three-note phrase into something that sounds like an aarti.
Common questions
What are the harmonium notes for Jai Ganesh Deva?
With Sa on C, the opening is S S R R G G G G — Sa Sa Re Re Ga Ga Ga Ga, three adjacent white keys. The next line opens G G M G.
Is Jai Ganesh Deva the same as Sukhkarta Dukhharta?
No. Both are Ganesh aartis and are often sung one after the other, but they are different compositions with different melodies. Sukhkarta Dukhharta is the Marathi aarti by Samarth Ramdas.
Which taal is it sung in?
Dadra — a six-beat cycle. Counting six while you play is the fastest way to stop the repeated notes running away from you.
Where to go next
- Sukhkarta Dukhharta — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- Om Jai Jagdish Hare — 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.