The Shiv aarti — and, if you already know Om Jai Jagdish Hare, a song you can play this minute. The two aartis share a melody note for note; only the words change. That shared tune is the backbone of North Indian household aarti, and learning it once unlocks several songs.
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 | S S S Ṇ | S ROm jai Shiv OmkaraR G M | P P D P M | G M RSwami jai Shiv OmkaraThe same notes as Western keys
| Line | Keys | Sargam |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C C · C C C B↓ · C D | S S · S S S Ṇ · S R |
| 2 | D E F · G G A G F · E F D | R G M · P P D P M · G M R |
Harmonium notes in Hindi — हिंदी में सरगम
| सा सा · सा सा सा ऩि · सा रे | ॐ जय शिव ओंकारा |
| रे ग म · प प ध प म · ग म रे | स्वामी जय शिव ओंकारा |
Reading the harmonium notation
Harmonium notation and harmonium notes mean the same thing — different sites use different words for the same rows of letters. What follows is sargam, the Indian system, where every note carries a name instead of a letter. The table above gives the Western key for each one.
- S R G M P D N — Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni: the seven swaras. With Sa on C they are the white keys running up from C.
- A dot under the letter — the octave below. This song uses Ṇ, which sits to the left of your starting Sa.
- | — a phrase break, put there so the line is readable. It is not a bar line and you do not pause on it.
Om Jai Shiv Omkara uses 7 of the twelve keys in the octave: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni. Every note in Om Jai Shiv Omkara is a white key — no komal, no tivra anywhere in it, which is why it reads so cleanly on paper.
How to play it
- If you know Om Jai Jagdish, you know this. The melody is identical. Play the notes you already have and change the words — the fastest second song any harmonium beginner can add.
- Drone on Sa. Set the drone to your Sa. This melody circles Sa constantly, and the drone is what turns the circling into devotional weight rather than repetition.
- Learn the dip. The one distinctive move in line 1 is the drop to the Ni below Sa and straight back. Play S Ṇ S until it feels like one gesture rather than three notes.
Common questions
What are the harmonium notes for Om Jai Shiv Omkara?
With Sa on C: line 1 is S S · S S S Ṇ · S R, line 2 is R G M · P P D P M · G M R. All white keys; Ṇ is the Ni below Sa.
Is Om Jai Shiv Omkara the same tune as Om Jai Jagdish Hare?
Yes — note for note. The two aartis share a melody and differ only in their words. Several other household aartis use the same tune, which is why it is worth learning properly once.
Do I need any black keys?
No. The whole opening sits on white keys, which is part of why this tune became the standard vehicle for household aarti texts.
Is harmonium notation the same as harmonium notes?
Yes. Both names describe the same thing, and you will find Om Jai Shiv Omkara published under either one. This page gives the notation three ways so you can use whichever you read fastest: sargam, Western key names, and Devanagari. Om Jai Shiv Omkara draws on 7 of the twelve keys in the octave — Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni.
Where to go next
- Om Jai Jagdish Hare — harmonium notes with the same follow-along player.
- Jai Ambe Gauri — 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.