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In the context of Indian classical music, swara is a Sanskrit word that means a note in the octave. The seven basic swaras of the scale are named shadja (षड्ज), rishabh (ऋशभ), gandhar (गांधार), madhyam (मध्यम), pancham (पञ्चम), dhaivat (धैवत) and nishad (निषाद), and are shortened to Sa, Ri (Carnatic) or Re (Hindustani), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the sargam (the word is an acronym of the consonants of the first four swaras). Sargam is the Indian equivalent to solfege, a technique for the teaching of sight-singing. The tone Sa is not associated with any particular pitch. As in Western moveable-Do solfège, Sa refers to the tonic of a piece or scale rather than to any particular note having an absolute frequency.

In Carnartic Music, swaras have prakruti and vikruti swaras. The vikruti swaras are Ri, GA, Ma, Da and No. The rest are prakruti swaras. These are SA and PA.

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