What is Saptak? Saptak stands for “gamut” or ” series of seven notes”. It comprises of the set of swaras, Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, Ni which makes up a musical scale in Indian classical music. [1] It is usually practiced against a drone. What are the types of Saptak? Hindustani classical music is made up of three saptaks namely, Mandra Saptak, Madhya Saptak, and Taar Saptak. The middle scale is called Madhya Saptak. This is the most used…
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“There is actually no formula that can make anyone a top singer. Many singers who started to sing much late in life are doing good and making money. Therefore, I believe that for any field, be it music, film or fashion, the right time is when you decide on something and how passionate you are about it.Singing is something in which one needs to put a lot of soul and humility. Arrogance and judging people is what one should stay…
“In order to keep upgrading oneself as a singer, voice exercise or Riyaz is something to never give up. Also, let your family and friends be your first critiques. Let them give their opinion on your singing as well as give tips on your singing. Always be humble and learn a new thing everyday as there is no limit to learning and what you can achieve with it.” – Sonu Nigam
What is Alankar? In Hindustani Classical Music, Alankar or Alankara means ornaments or adornments. Alankara is also referred to as Palta at times. Alankar is integral to the core essence of Hindustani classical music. The earliest reference to the term Alankar can be been found in Bharata’s Natyashastra, which was written sometime between 200 BC and 200 AD. This treatise talks about the 33 types of Alankars. Other musical treatises like Sharangdev’s Sangeet Ratnakar in the thirteenth century and Ahobal’s…
What are swaras? Hindustani classical music has seven basic notes called swaras. These are Shadja, Rishabha, Gandhara, Madhyama, Panchama, Dhaivata and Nishada. We commonly come across them in their shortened forms as Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa, Dha, and Ni. Sa is the root/base note and the reference point based on which an octave is defined. Together, they are known as the sargam. The Shadja The Shadja or Sa is the root/base note with respect to which remaining swaras of…
“Taal gaya toh baal gaya, lekin sur gaya toh sir gaya” – Bharat Ratna Pandit Bhimsen Joshi. It means “Going off beat is like losing your hair, but going off pitch is like losing your head”. Sa is the foundation of the “sur” – your ability to sing notes correctly. You better get it right! 🙂 In fact, pandit ji himself practiced Sa everyday during his riyaz. Strengthen your Sur!
Everyone dreams of having a flexible body that can be twisted, turned anyway around. Well, this is possible with regular exercises in the gym and practicing yoga. Then why not aim for voice flexibility similarly, so that one is able to sing a song of any genre melodiously and attractively? This is possible by developing a flexible voice that is agile enough to render any kind of a song that has complicated passages, with good tonal quality, control and command…
All of us would love to go on a long journey in that favourite car of ours. However, the journey comes to a sudden halt because the engine seized. Why did this happen? Without oil and water, the engine suffered a wear and tear. This is a similar scenario with the human voice. Without proper vocal hygiene, the voice suffers a wear and tear after few years and the dream of a fruitful musical journey comes to an unexpected halt.…
“Human voice is the most beautiful instrument of all, but it is the most difficult to play” – Richard Strauss. What is voice culture? Voice culture primarily refers to the methodology adopted to train or control the voice to sing effectively. Many musicologists and voice experts have accepted it as science. According to one of the voice experts Dr. T. Unnikrishnan, technique of voice culture is a branch of knowledge, which deals with the techniques of right voice production. Fundamentally, it…
This article introduces you to the fundamentals of Carnatic music. It also tells you the relevance and importance of practising the beginner lessons such as sarali varase/varisai as part of your everyday practice. An introduction to swaras Swara is the most fundamental concept in Carnatic music. It plays a similar role to that of a ‘note’ in western music, but has a distinct character. There are seven swaras in Carnatic music: S for Shadja (sung as Sa), R for Rishabha (sung as…