C Todi Raga Bass Scale
Bass scale — fretboard diagramAdvanced
C Todi Raga Scale — Notes and Intervals
The C Todi Raga scale is a meditative morning Raga from the Indian classical tradition. On Bass, its notes are C, Db, Eb, F#, G, Ab, B. It is associated with deep reflection and philosophical contemplation, using its unique notes to evoke a mood of gentle, serious introspection. Commonly used in Indian Classical, World, Meditation, Film Scores. Notable players include Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee. Traditionally used over a drone (tanpura). In Western harmony, try over sustained root notes or minimal chord changes.
Notes: C, Db, Eb, F#, G, Ab, B
Intervals: 1P, 2m, 3m, 4A, 5P, 6m, 7M
Degrees: 1 b2 b3 #4 5 b6 7
Formula: H-W-WH-H-H-WH-H
Number of notes: 7
Musical Character
A morning raga associated with deep philosophical contemplation. In the Indian system, specific ragas are tied to times of day — Todi is for the hours of introspection at dawn.
Genres & Notable Artists
Genres: Indian Classical, World, Meditation, Film Scores
Notable players: Ravi Shankar, Nikhil Banerjee
How to Use the C Todi Raga Scale
Traditionally used over a drone (tanpura). In Western harmony, try over sustained root notes or minimal chord changes.
Origin & Background
One of the ten fundamental thaats (parent scales) in North Indian classical music. Associated with dawn and philosophical contemplation.
How to Play C Todi Raga on Bass
On bass, locate C on the A string at fret 3. Use a one-finger-per-fret approach starting from the root and span two to three strings. Keep your fretting hand relaxed and practice shifting between positions cleanly.
The C Todi Raga scale contains both sharps and flats (1 sharp, 3 flats), which is common in altered and exotic scales. This scale does not follow a traditional major or minor key signature, so reading from sheet music may require accidentals.
Practice Routine
Begin by playing the C Todi Raga scale ascending and descending at 100 BPM using a metronome, one note per beat. Once comfortable, practice in thirds (C-Eb, Db-F#) to build intervallic familiarity. Spend 5 minutes daily on this pattern before increasing tempo by 10 BPM.
Exotic scales like the Todi Raga often work best as a melodic layer over a single root drone on C. Let the unique intervals speak for themselves without frequent chord changes. This scale is especially effective in film scores contexts.
Bass Tips
On bass, use the C Todi Raga scale to build walking bass lines by targeting chord tones on strong beats and using scale tones as approach notes. This is the foundation of functional bass playing. Aim for a meditative quality in your phrasing to match the natural character of this scale.
Related Scales
The C Todi Raga scale contains 7 notes (C, Db, Eb, F#, G, Ab, B). Use the interactive fretboard above to explore this scale on Bass with different tunings and fret ranges.
CAGED Positions & Patterns for C Todi Raga
The C Todi Raga scale can be played in 5 CAGED positions across the fretboard, each based on an open chord shape (C, A, G, E, D). As a 7-note scale, it also lends itself to 3-notes-per-string (3NPS) patterns that facilitate legato playing and diagonal shifting. Use the pattern selector above to isolate each position.