"Saptak" in Indian classical music

"Saptak" is just a part of notes in which they are divided into. There are 3 types of saptak.

1) Mandra saptak 

2) Taar saptak 

3) Madhya saptak 

These 3types of saptak are only saptak in music. Basically, it is known to be a high octave lower octave and mid octave. Saptak known as an octave in music. It makes a very sensual difference between high -mid-low octave because different frequency for different notes, and according to that feeling starts to build up.

• The 1-2-3 octave is meant to be lower octave and 4 known as middle octave nd some times 5 also. But from 5-6 octave known as a higher octave.

• Octave starts from Note "C" to next "C" it should be taken as 1 octave.

Different singers have different capabilities to sing in octaves, some times there would singers like Jagjit Singh usually choose to perform in the lower scale, and in modern days its trend to sing higher octave. We see in different genres different use of pitch differs but sometimes it depends on singer or artist too. 

1.  Mandra saptak  - we can say that mandra saptak means lower octave in music. mandra saptak is lower than "madhya saptak" or middle octave. when we go down the sound-producing is heavier than normal, sound is heavily sounding and giving little intense feel because of its nature. The music and musicality are all about how melodious you can sound some group of notes. the mandra saptak in lower and intense but it is hard in singing for some of them because it needs good practice to perform them. The legendary artist likes Jagjit Singh known for their style of singing, musicians know very well that he used to create and sing their song more on range of mandra saptak to madhya saptak. Jagjit Singh was a melodious singer when he performs some magic happens because they exactly know what he is doing in that era, singers use to sing in higher octaves which were alike trend but Jagjit Singh comes with lower octave.
2. Madhya saptak - Middle octave is known as madhya saptak. The 4th octave known to be the middle octave. MIddle octave start from note c of 4th octave. The madhya saptak is as a common octave where we practice because it is very comfortable are where we easily reach on every note, once you understand and produce sound in middle octave or madhya saptak then it is easy to learn other octaves by practice. Madhya is basic to learn but help in learning, it is the octave from where a common human being produces sound when they speak.
3. Taar saptak - high octave or taar saptak is next octave from madhya saptak. As name taar saptak is a higher range note octave. The note sounds a little thin. singers in India, when they sing high notes it was better in some singer vocal texture, but when you see blues, jazz or western style singer of different countries their vocal texture get thin in high notes and octave, but there range in higher octaves are great. legendary classical singer "Begam Parween Sultana" she is an extraordinary singer, she was known for her singing in the higher octave, she uses to sing in higher octaves only. She has great capability to perform in a higher octave only because it is really hard to perform in a higher octave only.

• Saptak consists of many scales which create different atmosphere and feeling, musician and singer or composer use these different octaves in music, composition and through instrument according to need of a song. 

This concept in music is very useful in the making of any composition/track or in singing also. when you know the saptak you can prepare when you sing any songs because the mind gets alert that this is a high scale note and the next 5th note is a lower scale. In the end, the saptak is just a positioning of the same scale of notes which has different frequencies. So, these are the only saptaks in music or in Hindustani classical music.

"Saptak"  in INSTRUMENT 

Saptak in instrument gets importance because different instrument tuned in a different scale, for instance, if see string instrument bass guitar tuned into lower scale, acoustic guitar tuned into middle octave like C4, the soprano size ukulele is tuned into the higher scale and same with classical guitar also, if we see some wind instrument then mostly wind instrument have an option for all scale but soothing like the brass sound is usually sound great in the lower scale, where flute instrument love to be in higher scale because where they get fully opened sound. 

Not only melody instrument, but percussion instruments like drums also have a different scale or " saptak " like kick usually found in a lower scale where hi-hats same as name, it is in higher scale, where snare found to be somewhere around middle octave. Cymbal is a very loud sounding percussion it is also on a higher scale. 

So in both melody and percussion instruments "saptak" falls because it is the basic in the music. We have heard different human being have different voices and textures but if you see that is because every voice is on different scale and notes, a child has higher than a normal teenager, while teenager has near the middle and higher scale or saptak, adult from 30 to till life end scale of voice getting deeper means lower scale, 

having bad habits like smoke or drink cause a bad affect on health as well as voice, so singers are very careful about their habits because it is tough to get into a higher scale as well as on a lower scale in you have some smoke or drinking habits. The best thing is to use normal distilled water and eat not too oily, spicy, sour. eat healthy make your voice strong and powerful for giving more best output desirable.

keep practice and enjoy the music. Don't take pressure to learn music, stay calm, and do hard work because hard work is the only stair of success.