Rabindranath Tagore wrote and set Jana Gana Mana in 1911, and it became India's national anthem in 1950. On the harmonium it is a beautifully strict exercise: the opening line moves in even beats, uses only natural notes, and asks you to hold one key — Ga — steady through nine of its fourteen notes. If your bellows arm wavers, this line will tell you.
The opening line in sargam
Sa is on C. Syllable by syllable:
Ja-na ga-ṇa ma-na a-dhi-na-ya-ka ja-ya he
Every syllable takes one even beat; only the final M on "he" is held. The whole line is three white keys — C, D, E — until the very last note reaches F.
The same notes as Western keys
| Sargam | Keys | Lyric |
|---|---|---|
| S R | C D | Jana |
| G G · G G | E E · E E | gana mana |
| G G G G G | E E E E E | adhinayaka |
| R G · M | D E · F | jaya he |
हिंदी में — सरगम
Getting the anthem's discipline right
- Count before you play. The anthem's character is its evenness — fourteen equal beats. Play it against a steady count (or the 🐢 slow mode) before you try full speed.
- Hold Ga without re-striking. Where the lyric repeats syllables on the same note, singers re-articulate but the key stays down and the bellows keep the tone alive. Practise re-pumping without the pitch dipping.
- Land the R G M close. "Jaya he" is the line's only cadence — three rising notes. Give the final M its full held length; cutting it short is the most common mistake.
- The scale behind it is all-shuddha — Bilawal thaat, the major scale. See the 10-thaat table for where that sits among the parent scales.
Common questions
What are the harmonium notes for Jana Gana Mana?
The opening line, with Sa on C: S R · G G · G G · G G G G G · R G · M. Three independent published sources agree on it note-for-note.
Which raga is Jana Gana Mana based on?
It is commonly described as set in raga Alhaiya Bilawal — Bilawal thaat, the all-natural-notes parent scale — and the opening line's pure shuddha movement is consistent with that.
How fast should it be played?
The customary full rendition takes about 52 seconds, which implies a steady, even pulse. On this page's player the tempo is set to that character; use 🐢 Slow while learning, then return to full speed.
Where to go next
- All song notes — every song we publish, each with a follow-along player.
- Vande Mataram — the national song's opening phrase in sargam.
- The harmonium notes chart — sargam, komal and tivra, and the 10-thaat system.
- The beginner guide — bellows, drone, and your first five-minute practice.