Learn Indian Music with Samvadini **[Hindustani] on the Internet**

Indian Instrumental Music, the running tradition for many thousands of years, is still growing and adopting more colors and expressions. The current style of presenting it in enriched form with musical expressions is unique to Indian instrumental music.

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General details

Samvadini curricula

Classical Vocal Music [Khyal]

Neo-classical Vocal [Thumri, Dadra, Chaiti, Hori]

FAQ

Details on Live Teaching

If you are a keen music lover and serious to learn and need a good music guidance, the learning through the Internet might be the answer. Here is the opportunity to learn Indian Music - with Samvadini through Internet directly from India with the renowned performing musicians.

Currently we are having eminent teachers like Professor Sanjoy Bandopadhyay, Ms. Rakhi Banerjee and Mr. Angshubha Banerjee for teaching.

Now, you may avail the opportunity to have live training through the Internet. Click to know more on live teaching.

¨ ¨ Beginners [3 month to 1-year playing experience

o o A drut composition in Behag à Text Audio

o o A few tan-s à Text Audio

¨ ¨ For students with 2 to 3-year playing experience

o o A drut gat in Behag à Text Audio

o o A few tan-s à Text Audio

Click for general program details and enrolment [One Trial Lesson for FREE!!]

Live Teaching 30 minutes per week!! [Fees slashed!!]

Live distant-teaching: thirty minutes per week

Live teaching of Indian Classical Music with Samvadini is available here. Only a few students will be acceptable to be taught under this mode. To start, we only invite registration in Samvadini. Prof. Jitendra Gore, the distinguished teacher and performer, will be teaching the students of Samvadini. There will be thirty minutes of live lesson per week where the students of any level may join. The lessons will be specific to match individual requirements.

This program is especially suitable for both beginners and quite advanced level students those require video help to understand hand movements and postures or require long discussions. The general students may opt for general mode.

The web-transmission of live teaching will depend on the effective throughput speed during the session. We do not guarantee high quality audio/video transmission. But, we shall try to keep the quality at a standard through which the thought transmission and interactions between the teacher and the student may effectively take place.

Pre-registration is necessary to join this program. To avail this course you may first join the currently available program and add US $50 to register for this live teaching program. The course fees for live teaching program is as follows:

¨ ¨ One time registration fees: US $ 50

¨ ¨ Fees for one term of 12 lessons/ 3 months [unit @ US $40]: US $ 480

Fees may be paid at the starting of a term.

Please send your payment through the Western Union.

Before payment send a mail to have further details before sending the payment.

Please send the following details along with your current performance recorded on any common media [CD/cassette tape] and send by snail mail. Please click to download the form in .pdf format.

¨ ¨ Click to mail for further queries

¨ ¨ General details

Welcome to the World of Learning Indian Music at Home through the Internet

General details

¨ ¨ The teaching programs

¨ ¨ The equipment requirements

¨ ¨ Pre-enrolment

¨ ¨ Enrolment and special offer [Two trial lessons for FREE!]

¨ ¨ Special notes

¨ ¨ Reach details for Instrumental Music [chordophones/aero-phones]

¨ ¨ Reach details for Vocal Music

¨ ¨ Reach details for Tabla

¨ ¨ Click to know the details about live teaching on the net: Register now!!

It is now possible to learn to play Hindustani music on the sitar through the Internet. Now the teaching is conducted through:

· · Posting lessons in text and audio format through the Internet [email/downloading from the supplied URL]

· · Discussion of problems and/or live teaching through Internet audio/Chat/Voice-chat [usually once in every fortnight or/and as per specific requirements of the students.]

Teaching programs

· · The 5-year teaching-learning program is split into 3-month units.

· · This program is designed for the students those have the basic knowledge of the subject, e.g., basic training in handling the instrument [Samvadini or Harmonium]. A person without any formal exposure to the subject may also join.

· · A student will be first assessed through his/her performance CD/Cassette and then s/he may be allowed to start at any higher stage, e.g. 3^rd year of this program or special consultancy program.

· · The students will normally receive one lesson per week. But, the students must submit their work for assessment before obtaining the next lesson.

· · To give considerable boost in progress a student may consider of visiting Mumbai-India for live lessons for at least 10 days [10-day crash course] every year.

The basic equipment/software requirements

Music related instrument/equipment for effective training:

1. 1. The instrument [Samvadini or Harmonium]

2. 2. Electronic tabla (Electronic Taalmala)

3. 3. Electronic drone machine (Electronic Taanpura)

Other requirements:

1. 1. Internet access to his/her computer

2. 2. The computer must have a soundcard, speakers/headphones and microphone

3. 3. A web camera connected to the computer will be required for learning through video mode.

4. 4. ADOBE Acrobat Reader [free software available at www.adobe.com/acrobat]

5. 5. Any sound editing (wave-editor)software [e.g. Cool Edit Pro, Sound Forge, or some similar software]

6. 6. Any mp3 player software and mp3 converter, e.g. Musicmatch Jukebox / Winamp Player/ Window Media Player [freeware available at www.mp3.com ]

Important

The student may submit a demo of his/her current performance duly recorded in analog tape or CD. This will be required for designing of appropriate learning program that may suit every student’s individual requirements.

Special notes:

1. Audio demo lessons will be on the Samvadini / Harmonium.

2. Teaching through Internet-video is expected to get started shortly.

3. Special consultancy program is aimed at considerably advanced students those might be looking for specialized guidance on some specific problem. This may be for a shorter period [usually not less than 3 months]. The fees for such consultancy will be separately quoted depending upon the raised area for discussion.

4. During the Crash Course program a student will be with the teacher for 1 to 2 hours every day during his/her stay in Mumbai. The fee will be INR 500 per hour and payable in Indian Rupees.

Another note: FOR THE STUDENTS OF CHORDOPHONES OR AERO-PHONES THOSE WILL BE USING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OTHER THAN SITAR FOR THEIR MUSIC EXPRESSIONS.

The students those will be using musical instruments other than samvadini or harmonium will be provided with suitable music making materials and general guidance on practicing. The technical guidance will be restricted to general advices. For advanced level techniques the students must seek live guidance of the professional touring musicians those might be reachable by the student. The lessons for these groups of students will be in text and the audio lessons will be in vocal or samvadini/harmonium tone format.

The fees and payment mode

· · US $ 20 per weekly lessons.

· · One time Registration Fees US $ 50

· · To start, students to pay Registration fees and 12 weeks’ fees in advance, i.e. US $ 290

· · All tuition fees should reach the account before the beginning of month.

· · The fees may be dispatched through Western Union [Money Transfer]

If you want to have the TRIAL LESSONS before you join you may ask for it. This is FREE!! Send your mail now-- Also use the same link to mail your queries.

Free

The students registering for training in Instrumental - Samvadini / Harmonium Music will get a highly helpful e-book on music making worth US $ 30 for free!! Please send a mail and ask for your free book after you register.

Frequently asked question [FAQ]

Answers to the general queries on the Internet based Music Teaching [IBMT]

1. 1. Is IBMT a good substitute to the traditional mode of teaching?

2. 2. Can I get additional support from the teacher apart from the weekly lessons?

3. 3. Can I ask for some specific type of lessons?

4. 4. How long do I require practicing everyday?

5. 5. Can I have the tips on playing at a high speed and with sweet sound?

6. 6. What is the required set-up?

7. 7. How are the lessons?

8. 8. How do I submit my work?

9. 9. How shall I get the lessons?

10. 10. What is the required Internet speed for this?

11. 11. Do I require to send the payments through Western Union compulsorily?

12. 12. What are the fees?


*Q1.*	Is IBMT a good substitute to the traditional mode of teaching?
*A 1.*	IBMT is definitely a good substitute to the general teaching method. The students those are receiving their music training in this mode are fully satisfied. This pedagogy system has open up the opportunities for the students those cannot reach good music teachers.

*Q2.*	Can I get additional support from the teacher apart from the weekly lessons?
*A2.*	Yes, the individual problems are taken up separately. This is one to one teaching system and to take care of problems of the individuals are the TOP PRIORITY.

*Q3.*	Can I ask for some specific type of lessons?
*A3.*	The teachers usually assess the students’ performances and observe the improvement graph. The lessons are chosen on the specific requirements of the students. So, if a student requests for some specific type of lesson then the teacher will assess the students’ performance and decide if that lesson is appropriate for the student.

*Q4.*	How long do I require to practice everyday?
*A4.*	It all depends on the level of your performance. If you are a beginner then 30 minutes practicing per day should be enough. If you are an advanced student then you may have to practice more to really feel the touch.

*Q5.*	Can I have the tips on playing at a high speed and with sweet sound?
*Q5.*	You will be provided with special tips with the lessons that will explain the additional techniques that you will require to play the item nicely.

*Q6.*	What is the required set-up?
*A6.*	1. . You require a multimedia PC at home and microphones at home. 2. You will require some sound editing software, e.g. CoolEdit Pro, SoundForge or the likes. 3. You may require Musicmatch Jukebox [freeware] 4. You will require Microsoft Word 5. You will require ADOBE Acrobat Reader [freeware] 6. It is good if you have a video camera and that gets attached to your computer [optional]. You can record your practice sessions this way. 7. For live teaching you require a Web Camera.

*Q7.*	How are the lessons?
*A7.*	You will receive text, audio and video [wherever required] files containing the lesson details.

*Q8.*	How do I submit my work?
*A8.*	You will submit your work only through audio file. (low sampled MP3 format-small sized files)

*Q9.*	How shall I get the lessons?
*A9.*	You will have to download your lesson from some site. You will get the site address when you start taking lessons. OR u will get email attachments.

*Q10.*	What is the required Internet speed for this?
*A10.*	You should be able to download around 1 MB files. So, moderate Internet throughput speed should do.

*Q11.*	Do I require to send the payments through Western Union compulsorily?
*A11.*	· Before sending any payment you require to send a mail to us . · We prefer that you send the payment through www.westernunion.com . · But, if for some reason you want to avoid this payment system you may write to us. For a different mode of payment you will have to add US $10 with the payment to cover the bank charges etc.

*Q12.*	What are the fees ?
*A12.*	1. For registration for the First Semester you have to pay US $290 [12-lesson fees @ $20 + $50 one time registration fees]. - 3 months 2. For following semesters you will require to US $240. (for 3 months) The fees structure for Live IBMT is different.

GENERAL CURRICULA LAYOUT

First year: [4 units of 12 lessons each]

Unit 1: One raga[1][6] with at least two drut compositions in Trital with tana-s and jhala.

Additional [as required]

Practicing tips for developing better handling of the instrument.
General laya training.

Unit 2: One raga[2][7] with at least two drut compositions in Trital with tana-s and jhala.

Additional [as required]

practicing tips for developing better handling of the instrument.
General laya training.

Unit 3: Same as unit 2 but with advanced tips and on different raga.

Unit 4: Same as unit 3 but with advanced tips and on different raga.

Second year [4 units of 12 lessons each]

Unit: 5: One raga-s with Maseetkhani - "Vilambeet" (slow) gat [with "Aalaap" and a few types of tana-s]; and Drut gats with tana-s.

Additional guidance on requirement:

¨ Introduction to Maseetkhani gat.

¨ Discussion on some types of tana-s.

¨ Discussion on better handling of the instrument [as and when required].

Unit 6: One raga-s with Maseetkhani gat [with Bant and a few types of tana-s]; and Drut gats with tana-s.

Additional guidance as in Unit: 5

Unit 7: Same as Unit: 6 on a based on different raga.

Unit 8: Same as Unit: 6 on a based on different raga.

Third year [4 units of 12 lessons each]

Unit: 9 to 12 will cover the following areas:

Introduction to improvisations as adapted in Hindustani Music
Introduction to Alap, Jor and Jhala [associated with alap-jor].
3 raga-s with alap, jor, Jhala, Maseetkhani gat with its general development, Rezakhani gat with its development.
1 to 2 gats set to tala-s other than Teentala.
Discussion on better handling of the instrument [as and when required].

Fourth year [4 units of 12 lessons each]

Unit 13 to 16 will cover the following areas.

1. Introduction to layakari.

2. 3 raga-s with alap, jor, Jhala, Maseetkhani/popular style of Vilambit gat with its general development, Rezakhani gat/popular gayaki-ang gat with its development and general application of layakari in the gat part.

Fifth year [4 units of 12 lessons each]

The unit 17 to 20 will cover the following areas.

Actual performance: The discussion on preparations, psychological and musical aspects.
Detailed training on 2-ragas.
Discussion on better handling of the instrument [as and when required].
Any discussion relevant under specific context.
Additional counseling on requirement.

SPECIAL NOTE FOR THE STUDENTS THOSE WILL BE USING MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS OTHER THAN SITAR FOR THEIR MUSIC EXPRESSIONS.

The students those will be using musical instruments other than sitar will be provided with suitable music making materials and general guidance on practicing. The technical guidance will be restricted to general advices. For advanced level techniques the students must seek live guidance of the professional touring musicians those might be reachable by the student.