Foundation Level

Core topics Every learner takes these 8

1. Topic 01

   The Instrument, Seating and Setup

   Meet the slide guitar your teacher plays, sit with it flat on the lap, and learn its string groups: main strings, chikari and tarab where the instrument has them.

   Ready to move on when: You can set the instrument on the lap and name each string group and what it does.

   Resources: Demo video · Notes: the instrument and its string groups · Recording of your teacher playing a short piece

2. Topic 02

   Tuning the String Groups

   Tune the main strings to the tuning your teacher sets for your instrument, set the chikari to Sa, and hear what the tarab add.

   Ready to move on when: You can tune every string group to the reference within a few passes and hear a string that has drifted.

   Resources: Demo video · Reference note track · Notes: your teacher's tuning, string by string (needs making per teacher)

3. Topic 03

   Bar Hold and Clean Contact

   Hold the bar so it touches the strings with no buzz and no pressure past the point of clarity.

   Ready to move on when: You can sound one clean note eight times with the bar still and no buzz.

   Resources: Demo video, close on the left hand · Reference recording of a clean note

4. Topic 04

   The Right Hand and the Two Strokes, Da and Ra

   Set the right hand on the strings, then play the inward stroke Da and the outward stroke Ra at equal volume.

   Ready to move on when: You can play sixteen alternating Da and Ra strokes on one string with no difference in volume you can hear.

   Resources: Demo video, close on the right hand · Notation: Da and Ra marked

5. Topic 05

   Finding Sa and Pa

   Find Sa and Pa on the main string by ear against the tanpura, then confirm them with the tuner.

   Ready to move on when: You can land Sa and Pa from a cold start, in tune with the tanpura, five times in a row.

   Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track

6. Topic 06

   Mapping the First Saptak

   Play the seven shuddha swaras of the middle octave up and down, landing each one rather than sliding into it.

   Ready to move on when: You can play the saptak up and down twice in slow laya with every swara in tune.

   Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track · Notation: the saptak

7. Topic 07

   Intonation Under Guided Correction

   A guided rehearsal: play the module's material to your teacher and fix the swaras that drift, one at a time.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher hears no swara drift in a slow run of the saptak and Sa-Pa.

   Resources: Your recordings from this module · Tanpura track

8. Topic 08

   Module 1A Review and Presentation

   Present setup, tuning, clean notes, Da and Ra and the saptak in one short sitting.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher closes the module after reviewing your presentation recording.

   Resources: Checklist: what the presentation covers

Electives Your teacher picks 4 of these 6 with you

• Elective

  Straight Bar Movement Between Notes

  Move the bar from one swara to the next and stop it there, with no slide heard between them.

  Ready to move on when: You can move between any two neighbouring swaras eight times with no audible glide.

  Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track

• Elective

  Tone Across Repeated Notes

  Play one swara many times and keep its tone, length and volume the same each time.

  Ready to move on when: You can play twelve repeats of one swara that sound alike on the recording.

  Resources: Demo video · Reference recording

• Elective

  First Paltas in Slow Laya

  Play the first three paltas (alankar patterns) your teacher sets, in slow laya, up and down the octave.

  Ready to move on when: You can play three paltas up and down at slow laya with no stopped or missed swara.

  Resources: Demo video · Notation: the paltas · Tanpura track

• Elective

  Style: the Kabra Instrument and Hand

  The instrument as Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra set it for raga, with chikari and tarab, and his hand: the thumb on the chikari, index and middle on the main strings.

  Ready to move on when: You can hold the hand position through a slow saptak and strike the chikari without losing the main string.

  Resources: Demo video · Notes: the Kabra setup and hand (needs making)

• Elective

  Style: the Mohan veena setup

  The Mohan veena: its string groups, how it sits, and how its tuning differs from other slide instruments.

  Ready to move on when: You can name the Mohan veena's string groups and tune the main strings to your teacher's reference.

  Resources: Demo video · Notes: the Mohan veena and its strings (needs making)

• Elective

  Sing Sa to Pa Before Playing It

  Sing Sa, Re, Ga, Ma, Pa against the tanpura, then play what you sang, so the ear leads the bar.

  Ready to move on when: You can sing and then play Sa to Pa with the played swaras matching the sung ones.

  Resources: Tanpura track · Demo video

Core topics Every learner takes these 8

1. Topic 01

   Review of 1A and Hand Reset

   Check the seating, bar and right hand set in 1A and correct what has slipped since.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher sees no posture or contact fault in a short run of 1A material.

   Resources: Your 1A presentation recording · Checklist: posture and hand

2. Topic 02

   Paltas Across the Full Range

   Carry the paltas from 1A into the lower and upper octaves.

   Ready to move on when: You can play five paltas across the instrument's range at slow laya with every swara in tune.

   Resources: Demo video · Notation: the paltas across octaves · Tanpura track

3. Topic 03

   Da-Ra Evenness at Speed

   Raise the Da-Ra pair from slow to medium laya without the Ra stroke going weak.

   Ready to move on when: You can play Da-Ra at medium laya for one minute with both strokes equal on the recording.

   Resources: Demo video · Metronome or lehra track

4. Topic 04

   Teentaal: Theka, Sam and Counting

   Count the sixteen-beat cycle with claps and waves, find sam and khali, and follow a lehra.

   Ready to move on when: You can count Teentaal against a lehra for four cycles and land on sam each time.

   Resources: Teentaal lehra track · Notes: theka, tali and khali

5. Topic 05

   Reading and Writing Swara and Tala Notation

   Read and write sargam and tala in the notation the course uses, with Da and Ra marked.

   Ready to move on when: You can write a palta you play in notation and play one you are given from notation.

   Resources: Notes: the notation system · Notation exercises

6. Topic 06

   Listening: how the slide guitar came to raga

   Hear short recordings from the Kabra and Barun Kumar Pal slide lines and from a Maihar sarod. Describe differences in tone, ornament and stroke.

   Ready to move on when: You can say, for two recordings, one thing each player does that the other does not.

   Resources: Listening list: one short track per line (suggested, teacher to confirm) · Notes: the instruments of the slide lines

7. Topic 07

   Guided Rehearsal: Paltas Against the Cycle

   Play the module's paltas over a Teentaal lehra with your teacher correcting laya and landing.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher hears every palta start and end on sam over the lehra.

   Resources: Teentaal lehra track · Your recordings from this module

8. Topic 08

   Module 1B Review and Rhythm Studies

   Present the paltas across the range, Da-Ra at medium laya and the counted cycle.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher closes the module after reviewing your presentation recording.

   Resources: Checklist: what the presentation covers · Teentaal lehra track

Electives Your teacher picks 4 of these 6 with you

• Elective

  Keherwa and the Eight-Beat Cycle

  Count Keherwa and play a palta inside it.

  Ready to move on when: You can play a palta over a Keherwa lehra for four cycles, landing on sam.

  Resources: Keherwa lehra track · Notes: Keherwa theka

• Elective

  Crossing Strings Without Noise

  Move between main strings with the bar and right hand so no open string or bar noise sounds.

  Ready to move on when: You can play a phrase across two strings four times with no stray sound.

  Resources: Demo video, both hands in view

• Elective

  Position Recall on the Fretless Board

  Find any swara your teacher names, from a cold start, without sliding to search for it.

  Ready to move on when: You can land eight named swaras in a row, each in tune at the first touch.

  Resources: Tanpura track · Notes: board markers you may use

• Elective

  Paltas in Dugun

  Play paltas at double speed against the same lehra, two swaras to each beat.

  Ready to move on when: You can switch a palta from single to double speed on sam without losing the cycle.

  Resources: Teentaal lehra track · Notation: the paltas in dugun

• Elective

  Style: Maihar Paltas and the Chikari Between Phrases

  The alankar and palta drills of Ustad Allauddin Khan's Maihar teaching, with the chikari struck between phrases the sarod way.

  Ready to move on when: You can play two Maihar paltas with chikari strokes placed where your teacher marks them.

  Resources: Demo video · Notation: Maihar paltas with chikari marked (needs making)

• Elective

  Style: Sitar-Ang Phrasing on the Slide

  Phrasing from the sitar line, as Pandit Barun Kumar Pal carried it from Pandit Ravi Shankar onto the Hansa veena: how a phrase is struck and shaped.

  Ready to move on when: You can play two sitar-ang phrases your teacher sets with the strokes and shape they ask for.

  Resources: Demo video · Notation: the phrases · Listening: a Hansa veena recording (suggested)

Core topics Every learner takes these 8

1. Topic 01

   Foundation Review and Intonation Fixes

   Play back the 1A and 1B material and fix the swaras and strokes that still slip.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher hears no drifting swara in the saptak or paltas.

   Resources: Your 1B presentation recording · Tanpura track

2. Topic 02

   The First Raga: Aroha, Avaroha, Pakad, Vadi and Samvadi

   Learn the ascent, descent and catch phrase of the first raga (suggested: Yaman), and which two swaras carry its weight.

   Ready to move on when: You can play aroha, avaroha and pakad in tune and name the vadi and samvadi.

   Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track · Notation: aroha, avaroha, pakad · Notes: vadi and samvadi

3. Topic 03

   Phrase Shapes and Their Contour

   Play three phrases of the raga and keep their contour under repetition.

   Ready to move on when: You can play the three phrases six times each without the shape flattening.

   Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track · Notation: the three phrases

4. Topic 04

   Early Alaap: Expanding from Sa

   Open the raga slowly from Sa, adding one swara at a time and returning to Sa.

   Ready to move on when: You can play two minutes of alaap that stays inside the raga and returns to Sa.

   Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track · Reference alaap recording

5. Topic 05

   Meend as Pitch Discipline: Short Glides

   Glide between two neighbouring swaras and arrive exactly on the second.

   Ready to move on when: You can play five short meends that arrive in tune, checked against the tanpura.

   Resources: Demo video, close on the bar · Tanpura track

6. Topic 06

   Playing with Tabla

   Play the raga's phrases over live or recorded tabla and keep them landing on sam.

   Ready to move on when: You can play your phrase set with tabla for four cycles, landing every phrase on sam.

   Resources: Teentaal tabla track · Notation: the phrase set

7. Topic 07

   Guided Mock Presentation

   Rehearse the Foundation presentation with your teacher: alaap, phrases, and phrases with tabla.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher hears the whole set once through without a stop.

   Resources: Checklist: the Foundation presentation

8. Topic 08

   Foundation Completion and Review

   Present alaap and phrases in the first raga in one sitting.

   Ready to move on when: Your teacher closes Foundation after reviewing your presentation recording.

   Resources: Checklist: the Foundation presentation

Electives Your teacher picks 4 of these 6 with you

• Elective

  The Raga's Altered Swara and Where It Sits

  Place the raga's altered swara (tivra Ma, if the first raga is Yaman) and hear the moment it drifts.

  Ready to move on when: You can play the altered swara and its shuddha neighbour as two distinct pitches on request.

  Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track

• Elective

  Pauses and Phrase Endings

  End a phrase on a resting swara and let it ring before the next one starts.

  Ready to move on when: You can play the phrase set with a clear rest after each phrase.

  Resources: Demo video · Tanpura track

• Elective

  Keeping a Phrase Set on Sam with a Lehra

  Fit a short fixed set of the raga's phrases into the cycle so it starts and ends on sam.

  Ready to move on when: You can play the set over a lehra for four cycles with every ending on sam.

  Resources: Teentaal lehra track · Notation: the phrase set

• Elective

  Style: Listening to Call of the Valley

  Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra's 1967 recording with Shivkumar Sharma and Hariprasad Chaurasia: how the guitar first carried raga phrases.

  Ready to move on when: You can point to two phrases on the recording and say how the bar shapes them.

  Resources: Listening: Call of the Valley, tracks chosen by your teacher

• Elective

  Style: gayaki phrasing on the Mohan veena

  How a phrase sings on the Mohan veena: long held swaras and soft entries.

  Ready to move on when: You can play two phrases of the raga with the held swaras and entries your teacher sets.

  Resources: Demo video · Listening: a recording your teacher chooses

• Elective

  Gayaki: the voice behind the slide

  Sing each phrase of the raga first, then play it so the slide follows the voice.

  Ready to move on when: You can sing and then play three phrases with the played contour matching the sung one.

  Resources: Demo video · Listening: a vocal recording in the same raga (suggested)