Raga for All Instruments- Learn Raga Music Foundations

This course is the perfect entry point for musicians and vocalists of all backgrounds to begin a journey into Hindustani Raga music. Not only will you gain a clear understanding of the foundations of raga music in one compact course, you’ll also begin improvising and performing in the timeless evening raga, Yaman. Below are some of the key points we'll cover.

• The Core Concepts of Raga Music

  
  

• How to Improvise in Rag Yaman

  
  

• Detailed Composition in Rag Yaman

  
  

• How to Improvise with Rhythmic Cycles

  
  

• Raga Forms such as Pakar, Chalan, Taan, Alap, Paltas and Compositions

  
  

• After finishing this course you will be able to perform Rag Yaman

Is this course right for me?

Raga for All Instruments is intentionally created to be accessible to any musician or vocalist regardless of your experience or background.

• Suitable for Musicians and Vocalists of any instrument / style

• Taught in the key of “C”

• Requires no prior experience with raga music or improvisation required (basic comfort on your instrument with scales recommended)

• Great for students already learning raga music seeking a compact resource of clear material.

FAQ'S

• Shouldn’t I be learning this music from a master who is from India? - This music tradition has been passed down for over a thousand years through a direct teacher-student relationship. I’m fortunate to have learned under India’s greatest musical lineages. I find that my background in Western music allows me to translate information more clearly and efficiently to students who are not accustomed to the Indian tradition.

• I’ve never improvised. Is this for me? - The principles of raga music are an amazing guide for someone looking to begin melodic improvisation. In this course, you’ll learn compositions and fixed exercises that guide you into improving with the raga.

• Can I really play raga on any instrument?- Yes and no. The basic musical scales as played on any instrument have many meeting points with Hindustani scales. You can play the essence of a raga on any instrument. However, to get all of the nuances and subtleties of a raga, an instrument that can bend and is not limited to equal temperament is optimal.

• How long does it take to learn a raga? - Traditionally, you can spend years practicing one raga. It just depends how deep you want to go. But by the end of this course, you’ll have a good grounded understanding of Rag Yaman which is a very important raga that has been performed by masters for over 1000 years.

• Why is only 1 raga taught in this course?- By learning the framework of how raga music is structured through a detailed study of one raga, you can now approach learning more ragas with much greater ease.

• I thought I had to devote my whole life to learning this music? - Well, you certainly can devote a lifetime of study to this music but it’s not needed to gain value. Whether you can practice for 20 minutes a day or 3 hours a day, the musical principles of this tradition will deepen your musical perspective.

• There’s a lot of conflicting information on Raga music out here, how do I know what I need to learn first? - This course brings together the essential bits that you’ll need to know without overwhelming you with too much information.

• Do I have to learn a new language? The terminology used to teach Hindustani music comes from Sanskrit and Hindi but I can assure you that it’s fun and easy to learn some new words and phrases.

• What does Hindustani mean? There are two main classical music systems in India; Hindustani and Carnatic. Hindustani is from the Northern region and Carnatic from the Southern. Hindustani is influenced by the Moghuls from Persia and that’s what sets it apart from Carnatic. Both utilize ragas but have a very different approach. My study and practice is from the Hindustani tradition.