These episodes aim at introducing the viewer to the aesthetics of Indian Classical Music so as to make the genre more approachable to the common public.  (Anuja)

Enjoy!

Thanks Mits:

Anuja Kamat explains what is a Raag?

Very Interesting, gives me a wider sense of Raag: and there are so much of raags in  the hindi film music: Guess I will never learn the intracacies of Raag too much complications unless ofcourse if  I go back to school to learn and who knows maybe I will find some nice lady who will be my teacher and give me the impetus to concentrate on raags 

Mitsbhai, I know you will be touching on this later  as this might be a subject by itself.

The second episode consists of the discussion of the following topics:
1) Concept of Swara according to Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet
2) Carnatic music concept of Swara: http://appreciateindianmusic.blogspot...
3) Western music v/s indian music theory of swara: http://appreciateindianmusic.blogspot...

This episode talks about the concept of Saptak or octave:
1. Meaning of Saptak
2. Use in Indian Music
3. Saptak on tempered scale instruments (harmonium, keyboard, piano)
4. Saptak and vocal registers

1) Facts about harmonium + parts and functioning of the harmonium
2) The concept of dcales
3) The concept of shrutis (to know more about shrutis,visit my blog: http://appreciateindianmusic.blogspot... )

In this episode, Smt. Shuchita Athalekar ji throws light on the concept of raag and helps the viewers understand the trend of a Hindustani Shastriya Sangeet performance concert.

The terms related to raag, like bada khyal, chhota khyal, tarana, bandish, asthayi/ sthayi, mukhada, antara, alap/ alapi, madhya laya gayaki and taan are explained with proper demonstration.

Episode 6 concerts on the alankaars (ornamentations) of Indian music. They are as follows:
1) Meend
2) Khatka
3) Zamzama
4) Murki
5) Andolan
6) Gamak (and kampit gamak)

This episode concentrates on the aspects of Carnatic music and also gives a comparison of Carnatic music (South Indian) to that of Hindustani Music (North Indian). The following is covered in this episode:
1. Concept of raag in Carnatic and Hindustani music.
2. Forms of Carnatic music to explore a raag- (Krithi, Varnam, Padam, Javali, Tillana)
3. How to identify whether you are sitting in a Carnatic or Hindustani concert?
4. Trend of a Carnatic concert.
5. Elaboration of a Krithi: anibadh alap, neraval, kalpana swaram (with demo)
6. Demo of same scale in Hindustani music.

Information of taals in khyaal gayaki:
1. Teentaal
2. Ektaal
3. Jhaptaal
4. Other taals

Information of taals used in light music:
1. Keherwa
2. Roopak
3. Dadra

Question 2: What are Alankars or Paltas ?
Answer 2: Alankars or Paltas are music exercises. Student repeats a group of notes in ascending and descending order with some criteria:

For example:

Alankar 1) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni SA SA Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa

Alankar 2) SaRe, ReGa, GaMa, MaPa, PaDha, DhaNi, NiSA SANi, NiDha, DhaPa, PaMa, MaGa, GaRe, ReSa

Alankar 3) SaReGa, ReGaMa, GaMaPa MaPaDha PaDhaNi DhaNiSA SANiDha, NiDhaPa, DhaPaMa, PaMaGa MaGaRe GaReSa

Alankar 4) SaReGaMa, ReGaMaPa, GaMaPaDha, MaPaDhaNi, PaDhaNiSA SANiDhaPa, NiDhaPaMa, DhaPaMaGa, PaMaGaRe, MaGaReSa

Alankar 5) SaReGaMaPa, ReGaMaPaDha, GaMaPaDhaNi, MaPaDhaNiSA SANiDhaPaMa, NiDhaPaMaGa, DhaPaMaGaRe, PaMaGaReSA

Alankar 6) SaGa, ReMa, GaPa, MaDha, PaNi, DhaSA SADha, NiPa, DhaMa, PaGa, MaRe, GaSa

Alankar 7) SaGaReSa, ReMaGaRe, GaPaMaGa, MaDhaPaMa, PaNiDhaPa, DhaSANiDha DhaSANiDha, PaNiDhaPa, MaDhaPaMa, GaPaMaGa, ReMaGaRe, SaGaReSa

Important Note: Alankar practice must be done in right way either using harmonium or keyboard so that student recites proper notes as played on harmonium/keyboard.


Question 3: How the practicing paltas helps the music student?
Answer 3: Reciting paltas helps the student gain voice control. It helps to stay in the same scale in which the student starts. It helps to sing proper notes when student has to skip notes because of the Raaga's Structure.

This is just the first step. Follow list of Raagas on our blog and learn Swarmalika , Lakshan geet and Bandish of many raagas.

In this episode:
1. Origin and evolution of Carnatic and Hindustani
2. Intonation difference
3. Characteristics of both/ Indian classical music

Mitwah posted:

Question 2: What are Alankars or Paltas ?
Answer 2: Alankars or Paltas are music exercises. Student repeats a group of notes in ascending and descending order with some criteria:

For example:

Alankar 1) Sa Re Ga Ma Pa Dha Ni SA SA Ni Dha Pa Ma Ga Re Sa

Alankar 2) SaRe, ReGa, GaMa, MaPa, PaDha, DhaNi, NiSA SANi, NiDha, DhaPa, PaMa, MaGa, GaRe, ReSa

Alankar 3) SaReGa, ReGaMa, GaMaPa MaPaDha PaDhaNi DhaNiSA SANiDha, NiDhaPa, DhaPaMa, PaMaGa MaGaRe GaReSa

Alankar 4) SaReGaMa, ReGaMaPa, GaMaPaDha, MaPaDhaNi, PaDhaNiSA SANiDhaPa, NiDhaPaMa, DhaPaMaGa, PaMaGaRe, MaGaReSa

Alankar 5) SaReGaMaPa, ReGaMaPaDha, GaMaPaDhaNi, MaPaDhaNiSA SANiDhaPaMa, NiDhaPaMaGa, DhaPaMaGaRe, PaMaGaReSA

Alankar 6) SaGa, ReMa, GaPa, MaDha, PaNi, DhaSA SADha, NiPa, DhaMa, PaGa, MaRe, GaSa

Alankar 7) SaGaReSa, ReMaGaRe, GaPaMaGa, MaDhaPaMa, PaNiDhaPa, DhaSANiDha DhaSANiDha, PaNiDhaPa, MaDhaPaMa, GaPaMaGa, ReMaGaRe, SaGaReSa

Important Note: Alankar practice must be done in right way either using harmonium or keyboard so that student recites proper notes as played on harmonium/keyboard.


Question 3: How the practicing paltas helps the music student?
Answer 3: Reciting paltas helps the student gain voice control. It helps to stay in the same scale in which the student starts. It helps to sing proper notes when student has to skip notes because of the Raaga's Structure.

This is just the first step. Follow list of Raagas on our blog and learn Swarmalika , Lakshan geet and Bandish of many raagas.

I find this lesson most helpful for those learning to sing. It's excellent for voice training.

In this video Sa = lower G# and suitable for most female voices. lucky for me that I can go as low as lower F#. It will come with practice.

My Sa = C# and it is more suitable for male voices. Exceptions are singers like Lata, Asha, Anuradha....

Bandishes are OK for the INDIAN community. Doons are more suitable for the West Indian/ Guyanese community.