Vande Mataram — Bankim Chandra Chattopadhyay's hymn, adopted as India's national song — opens with one of the most recognisable six-note phrases in Indian music. On the harmonium it is a lesson in restraint: a slow climb out of Sa, then a gentle rocking between Ma and Pa that carries the long "Maa". The full song below is 11 lines, and apart from one black key it stays entirely on the naturals — all the expression lives in the timing.
The song in sargam, line by line
Sa is on C. Ṡ and Ṙ are the Sa and Re an octave above; lowercase n is komal Ni, the one black key in the whole song. Each ▶ plays just that line; turn on 🐢 Slow while learning.
S R | M P M PVande MataramM P | N Ṡ N ṠVande MataramṠ Ṙ n D P | P D M G RSujalam suphalamR P M M | G R G SMalayaja sheetalamS R M P M P | P n D PShasyashyamalam MataramM P | N Ṡ N ṠVande MataramM P N N | N N Ṡ N Ṡ N ṠShubhra jyotsna pulakita yaminimN N N Ṡ N Ṡ | Ṡ Ṙ Ṡ n | n D n D PPhulla kusumita drumadala shobhinimR R M G R | R n D n D P D PSuhasinim sumadhura bhashinimM P N N N N | N Ṡ N ṠSukhadam varadam MataramM P | N Ṡ N ṠVande MataramThe rise skips Ga entirely — Sa to Re, then straight up to Ma. That skipped third is what gives the opening its yearning quality; play S R G M P and you will hear how ordinary it becomes.
The same notes as Western keys
| Line | Keys | Lyric |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | C D · F G F G | Vande Mataram |
| 2 | F G · B C↑ B C↑ | Vande Mataram |
| 3 | C↑ D↑ A♯ A G · G A F E D | Sujalam suphalam |
| 4 | D G F F · E D E C | Malayaja sheetalam |
| 5 | C D F G F G · G A♯ A G | Shasyashyamalam Mataram |
| 6 | F G · B C↑ B C↑ | Vande Mataram |
| 7 | F G B B · B B C↑ B C↑ B C↑ | Shubhra jyotsna pulakita yaminim |
| 8 | B B B C↑ B C↑ · C↑ D↑ C↑ A♯ · A♯ A A♯ A G | Phulla kusumita drumadala shobhinim |
| 9 | D D F E D · D A♯ A A♯ A G A G | Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim |
| 10 | F G B B B B · B C↑ B C↑ | Sukhadam varadam Mataram |
| 11 | F G · B C↑ B C↑ | Vande Mataram |
Harmonium notes in Hindi — हिंदी में सरगम
| सा रे · म प म प | Vande Mataram |
| म प · नि सां नि सां | Vande Mataram |
| सां रें नि ध प · प ध म ग रे | Sujalam suphalam |
| रे प म म · ग रे ग सा | Malayaja sheetalam |
| सा रे म प म प · प नि ध प | Shasyashyamalam Mataram |
| म प · नि सां नि सां | Vande Mataram |
| म प नि नि · नि नि सां नि सां नि सां | Shubhra jyotsna pulakita yaminim |
| नि नि नि सां नि सां · सां रें सां नि · नि ध नि ध प | Phulla kusumita drumadala shobhinim |
| रे रे म ग रे · रे नि ध नि ध प ध प | Suhasinim sumadhura bhashinim |
| म प नि नि नि नि · नि सां नि सां | Sukhadam varadam Mataram |
| म प · नि सां नि सां | Vande Mataram |
Underlined नि is komal Ni; सां and रें are the upper-octave Sa and Re.
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.
- Lowercase letters — komal, meaning flattened by a semitone. A komal swara is a black key.
- A dot over the letter — the octave above. This song uses Ṡ and Ṙ, to the right 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.
Vande Mataram uses 8 of the twelve keys in the octave: Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, komal Ni, Ni. Vande Mataram is not all white keys, which is exactly what the lowercase letters above are marking.
Watch it played
The same notes as on this page, sounded on the harmonium with the keys lighting up as they go — useful for checking your timing against the written line.
Making it sound like Vande Mataram
- Give "Maa" its length. The first M under "Maa" is held — in most renditions it is the longest note of the phrase. Let the bellows swell slightly into it.
- Rock, don't march, through M P M P. The four notes are a gentle oscillation, not four separate strikes. Keep the keys legato — release each only as the next sounds.
- Drone on Sa. Against a Sa drone, the phrase's refusal to touch Ga becomes audible as colour. The classic opening is widely described as raga Desh, whose ascent skips Ga exactly like this.
- Loop the phrase. The song repeats "Vande Mataram" — practise the return from the final P back down to S until the join is seamless.
Common questions
What are the harmonium notes for Vande Mataram?
The familiar opening, with Sa on C: S R · M P M P. The full song is eleven lines, all of them above, each cross-checked against five independently published notations.
Which raga is it set in?
Raga Desh, and the notation shows it twice over: the ascent skips Ga, and Ni is shuddha going up but komal coming down. Every source we checked marks the komal Ni in the same places, which is also the strongest sign they are all notating the same traditional setting.
Is this the A. R. Rahman version?
No — "Maa Tujhe Salaam" is a separate modern composition and is not notated here. This page covers the traditional setting of the national song, the one published in standard sargam sources, which is long in the public domain.
Is harmonium notation the same as harmonium notes?
Yes. Both names describe the same thing, and you will find Vande Mataram 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. Vande Mataram draws on 8 of the twelve keys in the octave — Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, komal Ni, Ni.
Where to go next
- All song notes — every song we publish, each with a follow-along player.
- Jana Gana Mana — the complete national anthem, all 13 lines 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.