--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical/piano' title: 'Piano: Hindustani raga on the piano' author: name: Anonymous updated: '2026-11-06T00:01:06+00:00' type: website summary: 'The piano in Hindustani classical music is a small niche, its fixed keys unable to glide between notes. Recitals follow alap, jod and jhala, then a gat.' tags: - 'Hindustani Classical' image: 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:secure_url': 'https://kalasudha.com/themes/custom/music_agency/assets/icon/logo.svg' 'image:type': image/svg+xml 'image:alt': KalaSudha --- Specific Discipline # Piano पियानो Hindustani ragas on fixed keys that cannot glide between notes Western Adaptation No glide between notes Hindustani ragas on the piano, a keyboard that cannot glide between notes, played since the 2000s by a small niche of pianists such as Utsav Lal and Sonali Ray. [ Explore Courses ](/en-ca/courses?discipline=119) [ Show interest ](/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical/piano/show-interest) [Sign in to follow](/en-ca/user/login?flag_anon=follow_term-119&destination=/en-ca/markdownify/taxonomy/term/119) [ Share ](/en-ca/share/term/119) ## Know the instrument Explore its sound, construction and care in the instrument guide. - [ Piano ](/en-ca/instrument/piano) ## Overview The **piano** in Hindustani classical music is the European keyboard used to perform ragas, a very small niche that Outlook India sees reviving since the 2000s. Hindustani melody leans on **meend**, a glide from one note into the next, and the piano's notes cannot bend or flow into one another. **Utsav Lal**, a New York-based pianist often billed as the Raga Pianist, trained first in Western classical piano. He studied with the [dhrupad](/en-ca/vocal/hindustani-classical/dhrupad) singer F. Wasifuddin Dagar and took guidance from Sharat Srivastava, a violinist of the Senia gharana. His degrees are in jazz and in contemporary improvisation. His debut album, **Piano Moods of Indian Ragas**, appeared in 2008. In Toronto, Sonali Ray performs ragas on the grand piano, drawing on training in Hindustani vocal music and Western classical piano. Lal's July 2025 programme followed [Hindustani instrumental](/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical) form: he played alap, jod and jhala alone, then a fixed composition (gat) with **tabla**. One microtonal design, the Fluid Piano, gives each note a slider that can retune it during a performance. Part of **Hindustani Classical**: Hindustani classical instrumental music is North Indian raga music played on instruments such as sitar, sarod, sarangi, bansuri and tabla, each with its own technique. ### Quick Facts Exponent Utsav Lal ("The Raga Pianist") Challenge Fixed pitch cannot produce meend Related Instrument Fluid Piano by Geoff Smith (microtonal retuning) Debut Recording Utsav Lal, Piano Moods of Indian Ragas (2008) ## History & Evolution European keyboards reached India through colonial Calcutta. Ian Woodfield traces a Calcutta piano trade in the late eighteenth century, when London dealers treated India as a market for European instruments. The earliest known keyboard setting of Hindustani song is William Hamilton Bird's **The Oriental Miscellany** of 1789, a set of airs adapted for harpsichord. Some came from Sophia Plowden, who collected songs at courtly gatherings in Lucknow. By the early twentieth century the piano stood in elite Bengali homes, where Jyotirindranath Tagore played it, for Western and light music above all. Raga playing stayed rare. Outlook India (2017) names the film composer **Vanraj Bhatia**, who played ragas on the piano when young, and Kantibhai Sonchhatra, who spent six decades exploring Hindustani music on it. The same article dates a small revival to the 2000s. Utsav Lal has released raga albums since 2008, and his biography records him as the first to present the piano at the Harivallabh Sangeet Sammelan in Jalandhar, in 2012. Outlook also names the [Carnatic](/instrumental/carnatic-classical) pianist Anil Srinivasan. 1789 ### Hindustani airs for harpsichord William Hamilton Bird publishes **The Oriental Miscellany** in Calcutta, Hindustani airs adapted for the harpsichord and harmonised for European taste. It is the earliest documented setting of Hindustani melody for a European keyboard. 20th Century ### Early raga pianists A documentary director recalls a 1975 Delhi recital by Abhijit Patranobis, who played the piano in an Indian classical manner. Such attempts stayed isolated before the 2000s. 2008 ### Utsav Lal's debut album **Utsav Lal** releases his debut, Piano Moods of Indian Ragas, on Times Music. Further raga albums follow, including Indian Classical Music on the Piano (2018) with Nitin Mitta on tabla. 2016 ### The Fluid Piano album In 2015 Lal records Raga Todi and Raga Bageshri on Geoff Smith's **Fluid Piano**. The album The Fluid Piano appears in July 2016; Smith and Lal present it as the first album made on the instrument. ## Technical Aspects ### Fixed pitch and retuning A piano key sounds one fixed pitch, which the player cannot bend or slide while it rings. Christopher Barlow, who built the Fluid Piano prototype, explains why such fixed pitches fit Indian scales poorly. A pianist can retune strings before a concert, not during it: Utsav Lal has said he retunes a few notes in advance, such as the **gandhar** (third degree) he wants for Raga Yaman. The closest parallel is the [harmonium](/instrumental/hindustani-classical/harmonium). Its critics said it could not glide and that its tempered tuning was wrong for Indian music, and All India Radio banned it from 1940 to 1971. Yet the scholar Matt Rahaim notes that almost every major twentieth-century [khayal](/vocal/hindustani-classical/khayal) singer performed with one. ### The Fluid Piano The **Fluid Piano** is a microtonal keyboard conceived and patented by the British composer and dulcimer player Geoff Smith. Christopher Barlow, a maker of early keyboards, built the prototype on Smith's commission, and it was public by November 2009. Each note has its own **slider** in place of the usual wrestplank bridge. A slider shifts its note by up to a semitone sharp or flat, so a pianist can preset any scale and change notes mid-performance. Strings can also be bent by finger. Barlow describes the prototype as closer to a tangent piano than a modern grand: a wooden frame, two strings per note, just over five octaves and less power. Smith's site offers it handcrafted to order. In 2020 Lal said a single one existed, making it more a research subject than a working instrument, though it reaches the shrutis a raga needs with ease. ### Drone, Sustain and Retuned Pianos The American composer Michael Harrison, a disciple of the singer Pran Nath, played a **harmonic piano**, a grand that sounds 24 notes to the octave, and described his work as **just intonation**, a tuning built on pure harmonic proportions. ## Journey to Mastery Follow this structured journey to master this discipline 1. 1 ### Piano Fundamentals Start with secure keyboard technique: even tone and controlled volume in every register. Train the ear alongside it. Sing the notes of a raga and find them on the keys, and listen for where the piano's fixed pitches sit against your voice. Utsav Lal's private teaching pairs advanced piano technique with ear training for Indian classical music. 2. 2 ### Raga Grammar Learn to recognise ragas with a Hindustani teacher before you play them: listen for the phrases that mark each one and the notes it dwells on, and sing them back. Lal's own teaching lists raga delineation and Indian rhythmic concepts, and his playing draws on dhrupad, the tradition of his main guru. 3. 3 ### Suggesting Meend Lal describes his aim on the standard piano as creating the illusion of meend, the glide between notes, and Outlook India calls flowing from note to note a basic requirement of Indian music. Reviewers disagree on how far he succeeds. Study how singers and string players shape their glides, then decide how your phrasing on fixed keys can point towards them. 4. 4 ### Alap and Composition Hindustani instrumental performance opens with alap, an unmetered exposition of the raga. Jod follows, where a steady pulse enters, then jhala, a fast rhythmic close. A fixed composition (gat or bandish) comes next with tabla, set in a taal, a repeating rhythmic cycle such as Teental of 16 beats. Lal's 2025 piano concert followed this order. 5. 5 ### Performance Practice Raga pianists perform solo, with tabla and in duet. Lal has recorded with tabla player Nitin Mitta and was billed in a vocal and piano jugalbandi (duet) with the singer Anurag Harsh at Carnegie Hall in 2015. A recital can close lighter: Sonali Ray was billed to play Raga Bhimpalasi in Teental, then a dhun, a melody drawn from folk or devotional song. ## Media Gallery Audio and video performances [ Live Performance 5:10 ### Raag Bhairav \| Rekesh Chauhan & Shahbaz Hussain \| Live \| The Duke’s Hall 7 months ago ](/en-ca/video/raag-bhairav-rekesh-chauhan-shahbaz-hussain-live-the-dukes-hall) [ Live Performance 15:02 ### Raag Kirwani \| Deepak Shah \| Piano \| Reading \| Kala Festival 2025 7 months ago ](/en-ca/video/raag-kirwani-deepak-shah-piano-reading-kala-festival-2025) [ Live Performance 12:32 ### Yaad Piya Ki Aaye \| Ajay Prasanna \| London Raga Fusion \| Flute, Piano, Tabla & Ghatam \| KalaSudha 8 months ago ](/en-ca/video/yaad-piya-ki-aaye-ajay-prasanna-london-raga-fusion-flute-piano-tabla-ghatam-kalasudha) [ Live Performance 13:35 ### Raag Yaman – Alaap on Piano \| Deepak Shah \| Kala Festival 2025, Norwich 8 months ago ](/en-ca/video/raag-yaman-alaap-on-piano-deepak-shah-kala-festival-2025-norwich) [ Live Performance 10:24 ### Raag Bhairavi \| Trinity Trio \| Live at Kala Festival 2025, Cambridge 8 months ago ](/en-ca/video/raag-bhairavi-trinity-trio-live-at-kala-festival-2025-cambridge) [ Live Performance 10:02 ### Raag Desh \| Music for Harmony & Peace \| Kala Festival 2023 \| KalaSudha \| The Bhavan London 1 year ago ](/en-ca/video/raag-desh-music-for-harmony-peace-kala-festival-2023-kalasudha-the-bhavan-london) ## Featured Artists Renowned performers of this discipline ## [Rekesh Chauhan ](/en-ca/artist/rekesh-chauhan) Rekesh Chauhan is a multi‑award‑winning British Indian pianist and composer, known for his groundbreaking fusion of Eastern and Western classical traditions. With early grounding in Indian classical Piano [ ](https://www.facebook.com/rekeshchauhan "Facebook") [ ](https://x.com/rekeshchauhan "Twitter") [ ](https://www.instagram.com/rekeshchauhan "Instagram") ## [Deepak Shah ](/en-ca/artist/deepak-shah) Deepak Shah is an Indian pianist and composer who plays Indian classical ragas on the grand piano. His music blends Indian and Western styles in a smooth, natural way. For over twenty-five years, he Piano [ ](https://www.facebook.com/deeppak.shah "Facebook") [ ](https://www.instagram.com/raagapianist/ "Instagram") [ ](https://x.com/pianist_deepak "Twitter") ## Frequently Asked Questions How long does it take to learn Indian classical music on the piano? Your ear sets the pace when you learn Indian classical music on the [piano](/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical/piano), and regular practice trains it alongside your hands. At **Foundation**, you sing the notes of a raga, find them on the keys and hear where the piano's fixed pitches sit against your voice. Later stages study how singers shape **meend**, the glide between notes, so your phrasing on fixed keys can point towards it. You climb KalaSudha's levels in order, and each award states your learning hours. Our [online academy](/en-ca/academy) teaches the piano live and one-to-one, with workshops and summer camps where enough learners sign up. Can a Western guitarist, violinist or pianist learn to play Indian classical music? Yes, a Western guitarist, violinist or pianist can learn Indian classical music; KalaSudha teaches it online in live one-to-one lessons from **Foundation**. We add workshops and summer camps where enough learners sign up. The new part is the **raga**, a melodic framework of set notes, stressed notes and characteristic phrases. On the [Hindustani violin](/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical/violin), fingering and bowing join the notes. On [Indian slide guitar](/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical/indian-slide-guitar), a bar glides between them. The [piano](/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical/piano) cannot glide, so pianists learn to suggest **meend**, the glide between notes. In South Indian music, Ludwig Pesch writes, each note's ornament, its gamaka, depends on its melodic context. How can a beginner, a child or a pianist returning after a long break start learning Indian classical music on the piano? You can learn Indian classical music on the [piano](/en-ca/instrumental/hindustani-classical/piano) with KalaSudha online and in workshops, and beginners start at **Foundation** level. That stage covers hand position and the layout of the 88 keys. Children learn with us as well as adults, so ask us about a starting age and about an instrument size for a younger learner. Pianists coming back after a long break can start again where they left off, because our [courses](/en-ca/courses) run in levels. Your teacher reviews where you stand first. Can I take piano lessons with Deepak Shah, online or in person? [**Deepak Shah**](/en-ca/artist/deepak-shah) teaches piano through KalaSudha's [online academy](/en-ca/courses). The academy offers classes in every discipline of Indian classical music and keeps adding specialised courses and teachers. The courses are hybrid: KalaSudha brings physical workshops and summer camps where enough learners sign up, so you can learn online and in person. He wants students to feel the raga, and guides them to listen for emotion, silence and the space between notes. How do I find a good Indian classical piano teacher? To find a good Indian classical piano teacher, or guru, look for one who can tell you who they learned from. From your first lesson, a good teacher checks your hand position at the keys. On KalaSudha, each teacher's lineage is on their profile. Pick one yourself, or ask us to match you. Lessons are live and online, from £30 / $30 an hour, set by each teacher. If you have played before, your teacher first reviews where you stand. Where enough learners sign up, we also bring workshops and summer camps near them. [Ask about Indian classical piano lessons in the Academy](/en-ca/academy). How much do Indian classical piano lessons cost? Indian classical piano lessons with KalaSudha are from **£30 / $30 an hour, set by each teacher**, and shown in your currency on the teacher's booking page. Every lesson is live and one-to-one, online, booked in your own time zone. Each teacher's lineage is on their profile: pick a teacher, or ask KalaSudha to match you, then choose a length and a time and pay at checkout. Have more questions? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help! ## Past Performances [ ](/en-ca/event/london-ragas-fusion-flute-piano-tabla-ghatam-in-dialogue) ### [ London Ragas Fusion: Flute, Piano, Tabla & Ghatam in Dialogue ](/en-ca/event/london-ragas-fusion-flute-piano-tabla-ghatam-in-dialogue) Date SAT, NOV 15 Time 7:30 PM - AP [Ajay Prasanna](/en-ca/artist/ajay-prasanna) • - R [Rekesh Chauhan](/en-ca/artist/rekesh-chauhan) • - SH [Shahbaz Hussain](/en-ca/artist/shahbaz-hussain) • - RN [R. N. Prakash](/en-ca/artist/r-n-prakash) • - GM [Giuliano Modarelli](/en-ca/artist/giuliano-modarelli) **The Duke's Hall** Early Bird [ View Details ](/en-ca/event/london-ragas-fusion-flute-piano-tabla-ghatam-in-dialogue) [ ](/en-ca/event/dartington-ragas-festival-strings-voices-rhythms) ### [ Dartington Ragas Festival: Strings, Voices & Rhythms ](/en-ca/event/dartington-ragas-festival-strings-voices-rhythms) Date SAT, SEP 27 Time 11:00 AM - AK [Akram Khan](/en-ca/artist/akram-khan) • - DC [Debasis Chakroborty](/en-ca/artist/debasis-chakroborty) • - DS [Deepak Shah](/en-ca/artist/deepak-shah) • - JM [Jonathan Mayer](/en-ca/artist/jonathan-mayer) • - ID Ishtar Dobler • - SP [Satwinder Pal Singh](/en-ca/artist/satwinder-pal-singh) **Dartington Trust Hall** Early Bird [ View Details ](/en-ca/event/dartington-ragas-festival-strings-voices-rhythms) [ ](/en-ca/event/eternal-echoes-from-ancient-voice-to-modern-strings-in-cambridge) ### [ Eternal Echoes: From Ancient Voice to Modern Strings in Cambridge ](/en-ca/event/eternal-echoes-from-ancient-voice-to-modern-strings-in-cambridge) Date SUN, SEP 21 Time 6:30 PM - DC [Debasis Chakroborty](/en-ca/artist/debasis-chakroborty) • - AK [Akram Khan](/en-ca/artist/akram-khan) • - DS [Deepak Shah](/en-ca/artist/deepak-shah) • - ID Ishtar Dobler **Lee Seng Tee Hall** Early Bird [ View Details ](/en-ca/event/eternal-echoes-from-ancient-voice-to-modern-strings-in-cambridge) [ ](/en-ca/event/discover-the-magic-of-indian-raagas-on-piano-workshop) ### [ Discover the Magic of Indian Raagas on Piano - Workshop ](/en-ca/event/discover-the-magic-of-indian-raagas-on-piano-workshop) Date SUN, SEP 21 Time 10:30 AM - DS [Deepak Shah](/en-ca/artist/deepak-shah) **Lee Seng Tee Hall** Early Bird [ View Details ](/en-ca/event/discover-the-magic-of-indian-raagas-on-piano-workshop) Stay close ## Keep KalaSudha close. Receive news of concerts, learning opportunities, recordings and the work taking shape at KalaSudha. - Concert news - ·Learning opportunities - ·Recordings and stories We respect your privacy. Unsubscribe at any time.