Bilaval is an India musical raga (composition) that appears in the Sikh tradition from northern India and is part of the Sikh holy scripture called Sri Guru Granth Sahib or SGGS for short. Every raga has a strict set of rules which govern the number of notes that can be used; which notes can be used; and their interplay that has to be adhered to for the composition of a tune. In the SGGS, the Sikh holy Granth (book) there are a total of 31 raga compositions and this raga is the sixteenth raga to appear in the series. The composition in this raga appear on a total of 64 pages from page numbers 795 to 859.
Bilaval had become the basic scale for North Indian music by the early part of the 19th century. Its tonal relationships are comparable to the Western C - major scale. Bilaval appears in the Ragmala as a ragini of Bhairava, but today it is the head of the Bilaval thata. The Ragmala gives Bilaval as a putra (son) of Bhairav, but no relation between these two ragas is made today.
Bilaval is a morning raga to be sung with a feeling of deep devotion and repose, often performed during the hot months. Over 170 hymns were composed to this raga by Guru Nanak, Guru Amar Das, Guru Ram Das, Guru Arjan and Guru Tegh Bahadar.
- Aroh: Sa Re Ga, Ma Pa, Dha, Ni Sa
- Avroh: Sa Ni Dha, Pa, Ma Ga, Re Sa
- Pakar: Ga Re, Ga Ma Dha Pa, Ma Ga, Ma Re Sa
- Vadi: Dha
- Samvadi: Ga
|Kirtan:||Raga · Taal · Ragmala · Classical Music · Sangeet · Dhuni · Asa di Var · Simran · Shabad · Rababi · Dhadhi|
|Ragas:||Asa · Bairari · Basant · Bhairon · Bihagara · Bilaval · Devagandhari · Dhanasari · Gauri · Gond · Gujari · Jaijavanti · Jaitsri · Kalian · Kanara · Kedara · Maajh · Malaar · Maru · Nat Narain · Prabhati · Ramkali · Sorath · Suhi · Tilang · Todi · Tukhari · Vadahans|
|Ragis:||Harjinder Singh · Maninder Singh · Amolak Singh · Balwinder Singh · Harbans Singh · Anoop Singh · Niranjan Singh · Amrik Singh · Snatam Kaur ·Kamaljit Kaur · Dileep Kaur · Joginder Singh · SS Maskeen|
|Saaj:||Harmonium · Tabla · · Tanpura · Taus · Rabab · Sarangi · Dilruba · · Saranda · Sarode · Sitar · Santoor · Pakhawaj · Dhadh · Dholak ·|