Yaman emerged from the parent musical scale of Kalyan. Raag Yaman is considered to be one of the most fundamental and basic ragas in Hindustani tradition. Yaman or Kalyan is an ancient Indian (Bharatiya) raag which was renamed by Ameer Khusro (1253–1325) from Kalyan to Yaman, Yaman raag originates from the Kalyaan Thaat which makes it aasreya raag of Kalyaan Thaat. These attempts were to take the Bhartiya legacy to the name of Persia as an example Bhartiya numerals are known as Arabic numerals.
Kalyan is described by Meshakarna(1570) as: “lord in white garments and pearl necklace on a splendid lion-throne, under a royal umbrella, fanned with a whisk, chewing betel”
This raga promotes romanticism, It sounds romantic.
| Thaat | Kalyan |
| Equivalent | Kalyani / Lydian mode |
| Performing Time | Evening | first quarter of the night.- 7:00PM -10:00PM |
| Arohana | Ni R Ga Ma’ Dha Ni Sa |
| Avarohana | Sa’ Ni Dha Pa Ma’ Ga Re Sa |
| Pakad | ni-Re-Ga-/Re-Ga/ni-Re-Sa/Pa-Ma#-Ga-Re/ni-Re-Sa’ (Ma is teevr) |
| Vadi | Samvadi | Ga | Ni |
| Kana swar | (Ga)Re, (Re)Sa |
Tonal movements of the notes mostly reflect zigzag motion with gap of one or several notes usually that prefer reverse order very often like: DNS’ mDN GmD RGm N,GR or MDNS’ GmDN RGmD N,RGm D,N,GR etc . Ideally, yaman should not use PR combination but can use P~R showing colour of m or G while gliding from P to R, for PR is one of the specific identification of raag kalyaan.