The Art of Classical Slide Guitar – A Workshop by Pt. Debasis Chakraborty
- #London
- #In-Person
- SEP 24, 2025
- Wednesday
- 1:00 PM
- 3 hours, 30 minutes
- The Bhavan
- London, United Kingdom
Get Your Tickets
Event Summary
Performing Artists
Performing Artists
-
Debasis Chakroborty
Event Details
Pundit Debasis Chakroborty is an internationally renowned Indian Classical Slide Guitarist, deeply rooted in the Senia-Maihar Gharana and trained under the legendary Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra. He has mastered both the Gayaki (vocal-inspired) and Tantrakari (instrumental) styles. An A-grade artist of all India Radio and Doordarshan, he has performed extensively. He continues across India, USA, UK, Australia, Europe, China, Malaysia, and Singapore, captivating global audiences with his unique blend of melody and rhythm.
Apart from his international performances, His collaborations with Western jazz musicians have led to groundbreaking projects. Pandit Chakroborty is an Artist-in-Residence at leading institutions, including Monash University (Australia) and California State University, Fresno (USA). He has conducted masterclasses and research in world music, inspiring musicians worldwide.
He has received prestigious awards, including the Gaurav Ratna Award (2023), the National Artist Award (2018), and the Gandharv Samman (2017). His contributions to music and academia are unparalleled. He has published extensively and continues to shape the future of Indian classical music through his research, mentorship, and spellbinding performances.
About the Workshop
This workshop provides a structured journey from fundamentals to advanced artistry, revealing hidden secrets like synchronisation techniques. Through live Q&A and interactive sessions, participants can engage directly with the maestro. Open to all passionate learners, it welcomes guitarists (acoustic/electric), slide guitar enthusiasts, sitar and violin players to explore slide techniques. Even music lovers curious about the fusion of ragas and slide guitar will find it enriching. (Intermediate skill recommended, but not mandatory.)
Workshop Highlights: A Journey Through Slide Guitar Mastery
- Foundations of Indian Classical Slide Guitar – Explore how this instrument bridges ancient traditions and modern innovation in Hindustani music.
- Exploring Slide Guitar Variants – Understand styles, from lap-style to modified acoustics, and their distinct tonal approaches.
- Tradition Meets Innovation – Master traditional tools like metal slides, chikari strings, and modern enhancements such as pickups and hybrid setups for optimal sound.
- Secret Techniques of the Maestros – Perfect fluid left-hand glides, unlock synchronisation between slides and picking, and master expressive ornamentation like meend (glissando), gamak (oscillations), and shruti (microtones).
- Tradition vs. Creativity – Learn to balance classical compositions (bandish) with improvisational freedom and understand when to follow or transcend the rules.
- The Architecture of Raga Development – Build a raga’s journey through alap (unmetered exploration), jod (rhythmic pulse), and jhala (climactic interplay).Rhythmic Dialogue with Tabla – Experience the thrill of jugalbandi and rhythmic interplay through tihai (rhythmic cycles) and layakari (tempo play).
- Interactive Q&A Session – Resolve technical challenges, witness live demonstrations of requested techniques, and play alongside the maestro in an interactive finale.
* A short performance demo will be held at the end of the workshop, along with some advanced-level participants.
Venue information
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I get to The Bhavan?
The nearest tube to The Bhavan in West Kensington, London, is West Kensington on the District line, three minutes' walk away. Barons Court, on the District and Piccadilly lines, is seven minutes' walk. Buses 28 and 306 stop on North End Road, three minutes away.
Enter on Challoner Street. The postal address is 4a Castletown Road, London W14 9HE.
Driving? See where to park at The Bhavan. For lifts and wheelchair spaces, see whether The Bhavan is accessible.
Is The Bhavan accessible?
Yes. The building is fully wheelchair accessible with lifts to all floors, and an induction loop serves the main auditorium.
The auditorium holds two wheelchair spaces, both in the Front zone. Write to [email protected] to book one.
Where can I hear live Indian classical music in London, and which venues does KalaSudha use?
You can hear Hindustani (North Indian) classical music live in London at London Ragas, KalaSudha's concert series in London. Its evenings are baithaks: the audience sits close to the musicians. London Ragas can take place at different venues across London, and KalaSudha plans to add more baithaks in other parts of London. KalaSudha is based in London, so every concert tour it organises also plays London once.
See how to book tickets for a London concert and how to get to the venues.
Who is the Indian slide guitarist Pandit Debasis Chakroborty, the senior-most disciple of Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra?
Pandit Debasis Chakroborty is a Hindustani slide guitarist and the senior-most disciple of Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra, and his playing reflects Kabra's style. His name is also written Debasis Chakraborty. He plays in the Senia-Maihar gharana and has taught since 1992.
He has been part of the Department of Performing Arts at Mangalayatan University since its inception, and returns to universities in Australia and the USA as a conductor-performer and artist-in-residence. He helped carry out a joint music research project between Mangalayatan University and Monash University, and has published 10 research papers.
What is an Indian slide guitar, how is it played, and where can I learn it?
The Indian slide guitar is a guitar laid flat across the lap and stopped with a steel bar instead of fingers on frets. It is an instrument of Hindustani classical music, the classical music of North India. Sympathetic strings ring underneath the melody unstruck, and the player plucks extra drone (chikari) strings.
The bar never leaves the string, so one note travels into the next without a break. For its history and players, see the Indian slide guitar page. You can learn it with KalaSudha in the online academy.
What is the Senia-Maihar gharana, who founded it, and which KalaSudha artist plays in it?
The Senia-Maihar gharana is the sarod lineage that Allauddin Khan founded at Maihar, a former princely state, in the early 20th century. Most sources treat it and the Maihar gharana as one school spanning several instruments. "Senia" names the Tansen line, which Allauddin Khan joined as a disciple of Wazir Khan of Rampur. He brought a dhrupad approach to the sarod, sitar, violin and bansuri. Among KalaSudha's artists, Pandit Debasis Chakroborty plays in the gharana.
Have more questions? Contact our support team and we'll be happy to help!