Introduction to Indian Classical Music!

Explore the listening fundamentals of Indian classical music with a Spotify and YouTube playlist of vocal and instrumental pieces. Feel the music first, be patient with longer recordings.

Configure the Tanpura app to pitch C, use an external speaker, sit in Sukhasan, and listen to surroundings and your voice to focus on the overall drone before singing.

Explore sacred om sound in Indian music, called omkar or om, built on root note as a platform, with three parts: o, aou, and umm—from the navel to the nose.

Explore singing the notes sa, pa, and sa' against the tanpura, and recognize the sa' octave as the start of a new saptak while expanding your vocal range without strain.

Tune your tanpura to C and explore your vocal range, about one and a half octaves, through mindful practice, avoiding throat strain and screaming while learning sur and musical notes.

Learn basics of sur and shruti: 22 audible shrutis, 12 used in music, seven shudh sur—sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni—forming the saptak or octave, plus vikrut sur.

Practice singing the seven shudh surs in ascending and descending orders, using Aakar pronunciations, pitch awareness, and tools like the vocal pitch monitor app and tanpura for accurate pitch.

Engage in a 5-minute daily routine to practice surs with the tanpura, singing om, sa, and pa across octaves, while meditating and refining voice control and vocal range.

Explore improvisation in Indian classical music through palta patterns, practicing ascending and descending notes, aroha and avaroha, and vocalizing in aakar to boost improvisational skills.

Explore lay and rhythm in Indian classical music, linking natural rhythm patterns to tempo and mood, and discover the tabla as a key rhythm instrument.

Explore teentaal, the 16-beat taal at the heart of Indian classical rhythm, with bol sounds dha, dhin, taali and khali, and palta practice with aroha and avaroha on sa-re-ga-ma.

Explore how raag uses the twelve notes as colors to evoke seasons and times of day, creating unique personalities and emotions beyond mere scales.

Explore Raag Kafi, a popular Indian classical raag from folk traditions, sung in all seasons with seven notes; learn its aroha, avaroha, pakad, and paltas, including komal ga and ni.

Explore raag yaman, a popular Indian classical raag taught in the guru-shishya tradition, featuring tivra ma, paltas and tanpura practice, and precise aroha and avaroha sequences.

continue exploring Indian classical music and practice the notes and paltas learned in this class. share feedback and visit paltas.in to explore a tool for creating paltas and personalized progress.