In Indian classical music, musical notes are called "swaras". The seven basic "swaras" of the scale are named "," and are abbreviated to Sa, Ri (Carnatic) or Re (Hindustani), Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni and written S, R, G, M, P, D, N. Collectively these notes are known as the "sargam" (the word is an acronym of the consonants of the first four "swaras"). "Sargam" is the Indian equivalent to solfège, a technique for the teaching of sight-singing. The tone Sa is not associated with any particular pitch. As in Western moveable solfège, Sa refers to the tonic of a piece or scale rather than to any particular pitch.