- The 7 basic notes of the octave are represented as S R G m P D N.
- In addition to these 7 basic notes, there are four flat or komal notes (Re, Ga, Dha and Ni) and a sharp or Teevra note (Ma or Madhyam). The combination of all these notes makes 12 swaras in an octave.
- The following table illustrates the notation of all the 12 notes of the Octave:
| Sr. No. | Note | Notation |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Shadja (Sa) | S |
| 2 | Komal Rishabh (Re) | r |
| 3 | Shuddha Rishabh (Re) | R |
| 4 | Komal Gandhar (Ga) | g |
| 5 | Shuddha Gandhar (Ga) | G |
| 6 | Shuddha Madhyam (Ma) | m |
| 7 | Teevra Madhyam (Ma) | M |
| 8 | Pancham (Pa) | P |
| 9 | Komal Dhaivat (Dha) | d |
| 10 | Shuddha Dhaivat (Dha) | D |
| 11 | Komal Nishad (Ni) | n |
| 12 | Shuddha Nishad (Ni) | N |
- Upper octave notes or Tar-Saptak Swaras are shown as the note with a single quote like S’ for Tar Shadaj or Sa.
- Lower octave notes or Mandra-Saptak Swaras are shown as the note with a comma like ,N for Mandra-Saptak Nishad or Ni.
- s is used to denote a prolonged note or Avagraha while rendering for example: S s G s s M R S
- If more than one note is taken in a beat, it will be written as continuous notes like PMGM – PM where in PMGM, 4 notes have been rendered in a single beat where as in PM only 2 notes have been rendered in a single beat.
- Kan Swaras are shown in a bracket (), for example: G m P (S’)n S’, in these notes, Tar Saptak Shadj is used as a Kan Swar.