Which Indian classical instrument should a child learn first?

In South Indian classical music, a child begins with the voice: the musicologist Ludwig Pesch writes that all musicians have learned their music through singing. Hindustani vocal students practise sargam, the seven notes sung by name.

Each instrument has its own first stage, such as the tabla's bols, the syllables spoken for each stroke. KalaSudha teaches children as well as adults, so ask us about a starting age and an instrument sized for a younger learner.