Flute Notes for Hindi Songs: Sa Re Ga Ma on the Flute
Published October 19, 2026 · by Flute Fingering Chart
Many people searching for flute notes for Hindi songs in Sa Re Ga Ma already know the tune by heart, and just need to know which keys to press. This guide shows how sargam lines up with the letter notes used on a Western (concert) flute, so you can play melodies by ear and from sargam notation.
Sargam and letter notes
Sargam names the seven notes of the scale. When you play a Western flute in C, the usual match is:
| Sargam | Sa | Re | Ga | Ma | Pa | Dha | Ni | Sa (upper) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Letter note | C | D | E | F | G | A | B | C |
In Indian music, Sa is not fixed: it is whichever pitch the player or singer chooses. If the song is in a different scale, Sa moves. For example, if Sa is D, then Re is E, Ga is F♯ and so on. For beginners, starting with Sa as C is simple, and it keeps you on the easiest part of the flute.
Fingerings for the Sa Re Ga Ma scale
With Sa as C, the notes are C, D, E, F, G, A, B and high C. Each has its own page with a diagram and audio. The complete pattern is on our C major scale page, which is the same ascending line as Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa.
Komal and tivra notes
Hindi film songs often use flattened (komal) or sharpened (tivra) notes. On the flute these are the black-key notes: komal Re is D♭ (C♯/D♭), komal Ga is E♭, komal Dha is A♭ (G♯/A♭), komal Ni is B♭, and tivra Ma is F♯. Browse them on the all notes page.
A short Sa Re Ga Ma exercise
Try these patterns slowly, one breath per line:
- Sa Re Ga Sa, Sa Re Ga Sa, Ga Ma Pa, Ga Ma Pa
- Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni Sa, then back down: Sa Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa
They are also a lovely warm-up for finger speed, because the notes move up and down in steps.
Finding the notes for a Hindi song
We do not publish notation for modern film songs, because their melodies are protected by copyright. Here is how to find them lawfully:
- Play by ear. Hum the tune, find Sa, then step up and down the scale until it fits.
- Use licensed songbooks or sargam notation provided by the rights holder or a teacher.
- Start with traditional melodies. Old folk tunes and bhajans in the public domain are fair game, and many are written in Sa Re Ga Ma.
A note about bansuri
The Indian bamboo flute, the bansuri, has six finger holes and is played with different fingering. The charts on this site are for the Western concert flute. The sargam note names still help, but the finger positions do not transfer.
Ready to start? Open the flute fingering chart and play C to C a few times, then try our easy songs.