--- url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-int/course/indian-slide-guitar/intermediate' title: 'Indian Slide Guitar Intermediate Lessons Online' author: name: rajeevk url: 'https://kalasudha.com/en-int/user/fdfe7927a034173f' date: '2026-10-30T04:21:08+00:00' type: website summary: 'A three-level Indian Slide Guitar programme with nine modules across Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced. Any of our slide guitar teachers can teach it…' tags: - Intermediate - 'Indian Slide Guitar' image: 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/2025-12/Indian-Slide-Guitar-Foundation-1A-Debasis-Chakroborty-Cohort.png?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f1115cb3b5ac578c7_d20261026_m123912_c003_v0312025_t0033_u01793018352323&h=efdc9679&itok=rEukG56F' published: true og: site_name: KalaSudha 'image:url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/2025-12/Indian-Slide-Guitar-Foundation-1A-Debasis-Chakroborty-Cohort.png?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f1115cb3b5ac578c7_d20261026_m123912_c003_v0312025_t0033_u01793018352323&h=efdc9679&itok=rEukG56F' 'image:secure_url': 'https://files.kalasudha.com/styles/d12_standard/public/2025-12/Indian-Slide-Guitar-Foundation-1A-Debasis-Chakroborty-Cohort.png?VersionId=4_zf58621fa0f456059ae110919_f1115cb3b5ac578c7_d20261026_m123912_c003_v0312025_t0033_u01793018352323&h=efdc9679&itok=rEukG56F' 'image:type': image/png 'image:width': '1200' 'image:height': '675' 'image:alt': Indian-Slide-Guitar-Foundation-1A-Debasis-Chakroborty-Cohort --- [ Indian Slide Guitar ](/en-int/course/indian-slide-guitar) Intermediate Level 1. [ Home ](/en-int) 2. 3. [ Academy ](academy) 4. 5. [ Indian Slide Guitar ](/en-int/course/indian-slide-guitar) 6. 7. Intermediate Level Intermediate Level — Indian Slide Guitar Intermediate Levels 2A–2C Indian Slide Guitar · Indian Slide Guitar # Intermediate Level A three-level Indian Slide Guitar programme with nine modules across Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced. Any of our slide guitar teachers can teach it. - 3 modules - 36 topics [ View curriculum ](#curriculum) Your learning journey ## Curriculum 36 topics Antara · 2A Meend, Gamak and the Singing Line Antara · 2B Bols, Jod and the First Gat Antara · 2C Ornament and Stroke in One Raga ### Antara 2A · Meend, Gamak and the Singing Line 12 topics: 8 core + 4 of 6 electives #### Core topics Every learner takes these 8 1. Topic 01 #### Review of Foundation and Bar Reset Check posture, bar contact and the right hand after the break between levels. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher sees no posture or contact fault in a run of Foundation material. **Resources:** Your Foundation presentation recording · Checklist: posture and hand 2. Topic 02 #### Longer Meend and Controlled Arrival Glide across two and three swaras and arrive exactly, with no overshoot. **Ready to move on when:** You can play five meends across two swaras and land each one in tune. **Resources:** Demo video, close on the bar · Tanpura track 3. Topic 03 #### Gamak on the Slide Shake the bar around a swara so it oscillates and the centre stays clear. **Ready to move on when:** You can play gamak on three swaras with the centre swara still audible. **Resources:** Demo video · Reference recording 4. Topic 04 #### The First Raga at Depth: Chalan and Two Lines Learn the first raga's chalan and phrase families, then hear it played in two slide lines and name what differs. **Ready to move on when:** You can play the chalan from memory and say one way the two recordings treat the raga differently. **Resources:** Demo video · Notation: the chalan · Listening: the raga in two slide lines (suggested) 5. Topic 05 #### Alaap in Three Registers Extend the alaap into the lower and upper octaves, keeping the raga's movement in each. **Ready to move on when:** You can play a four-minute alaap that visits all three registers and stays in the raga. **Resources:** Demo video · Tanpura track · Reference alaap recording 6. Topic 06 #### Rupak: the Seven-Beat Cycle Count Rupak, starting on khali, and play phrases inside it. **Ready to move on when:** You can play phrases over a Rupak lehra for four cycles and land on sam. **Resources:** Rupak lehra track · Notes: Rupak theka 7. Topic 07 #### Guided Raga Study, Meend-Led A guided rehearsal: alaap in the first raga with meend and gamak, corrected live. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher hears meend and gamak used in place, with no flat arrivals. **Resources:** Your recordings from this module · Tanpura track 8. Topic 08 #### Module 2A Review Present alaap in three registers with meend and gamak, and phrases in Rupak. **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 #### Meend Across Three Swaras One meend that passes through three swaras with each one heard on the way. **Ready to move on when:** You can play three such meends with each passing swara audible on the recording. **Resources:** Demo video · Tanpura track - Elective #### Phrase Memory and Recall Hear a phrase of the raga once, then play it back. **Ready to move on when:** You can play back five phrases your teacher plays, each after one hearing. **Resources:** Phrase recordings for call and response - Elective #### Notating Ornamented Phrases Write meend and gamak into notation so another player could read them. **Ready to move on when:** You can notate three ornamented phrases and your teacher can play them from your sheet. **Resources:** Notes: ornament signs · Notation exercises - Elective #### Style: Allauddin Khan Paltas Through Vikrit Swaras The Maihar palta drills carried through komal and tivra swaras. **Ready to move on when:** You can play three paltas through the vikrit swaras at medium laya, all in tune. **Resources:** Demo video · Notation: the paltas (needs making) - Elective #### Style: Sitar-Ang Meend Shapes The meend shapes of the sitar line, as the Hansa veena plays them: pulled phrases rather than straight glides. **Ready to move on when:** You can play three sitar-ang meend phrases with the shape your teacher sets. **Resources:** Demo video · Listening: a Hansa veena alaap (suggested) - Elective #### Style: Vocal Alaap Phrasing Alaap built the way a singer builds it, breath-length phrases sung first and then played. **Ready to move on when:** You can play a two-minute alaap whose phrases match what you sang first. **Resources:** Demo video · Listening: a vocal alaap in the same raga (suggested) ### Antara 2B · Bols, Jod and the First Gat 12 topics: 8 core + 4 of 6 electives #### Core topics Every learner takes these 8 1. Topic 01 #### Review of 2A and Ornament Stability Check that meend and gamak hold their pitch after a week away from them. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher hears meend and gamak arrive in tune at the start of the session, cold. **Resources:** Your 2A presentation recording 2. Topic 02 #### Bol Patterns: Da Ra Dir Dir Right-hand bol patterns built from Da, Ra and Dir, played evenly. **Ready to move on when:** You can play four bol patterns at medium laya with every stroke even. **Resources:** Demo video, close on the right hand · Notation: bol patterns 3. Topic 03 #### The Second Raga: Chalan and Its Neighbour Learn the second raga (suggested: Bhupali) and the raga it is most often confused with. **Ready to move on when:** You can play the chalan and two phrases that tell it from its neighbour. **Resources:** Demo video · Tanpura track · Notation: chalan 4. Topic 04 #### A Razakhani Gat in Teentaal, from Notation Learn a drut gat in Teentaal (the gat is the teacher's choice) from its written notation. **Ready to move on when:** You can play the gat from the sheet, then from memory, over a Teentaal lehra. **Resources:** Notation: the gat · Teentaal lehra track · Demo video 5. Topic 05 #### Gat Handling: Mukhda and Return Leave the gat for a phrase and come back to its mukhda on sam. **Ready to move on when:** You can return to the mukhda on sam after four different phrases. **Resources:** Teentaal tabla track · Demo video 6. Topic 06 #### Jod: Pulse Under the Alaap Add a steady pulse to the alaap so it becomes jod. **Ready to move on when:** You can play two minutes of jod with the pulse steady throughout. **Resources:** Demo video · Tanpura track 7. Topic 07 #### Guided Gat Study A guided rehearsal of jod, gat and mukhda returns with the teacher correcting live. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher hears the gat played through with clean returns. **Resources:** Your recordings from this module · Teentaal tabla track 8. Topic 08 #### Module 2B Review Present the bol patterns, jod and the gat with returns. **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 #### First Jhala Alternate the main string with the chikari in a fast, even pattern. **Ready to move on when:** You can play one minute of slow jhala with the chikari strokes even. **Resources:** Demo video · Notation: jhala pattern - Elective #### Dadra and a Light Phrase Count Dadra and play a light phrase or short dhun inside it. **Ready to move on when:** You can play the phrase over a Dadra lehra for four cycles, landing on sam. **Resources:** Dadra lehra track · Notation: the phrase - Elective #### Reading a Gat at Sight Play an unseen short gat from notation. **Ready to move on when:** You can play an eight-beat gat line you have not seen before at slow laya. **Resources:** Notation: sight-reading lines - Elective #### Style: Listening: Ali Akbar Khan and the Sarod Line Ustad Ali Akbar Khan's sarod, the source of the right-hand vocabulary in the Kabra and Maihar slide lines. **Ready to move on when:** You can name two right-hand patterns in the recording that you now play yourself. **Resources:** Listening: an Ali Akbar Khan gat (suggested, teacher to confirm) - Elective #### Style: A Masitkhani Gat Played Slow A vilambit gat in the sitar manner, as taught in the Mohan veena line. **Ready to move on when:** You can play the gat's sthayi at vilambit laya over a lehra, landing on sam. **Resources:** Notation: the gat (teacher's choice) · Vilambit Teentaal lehra track - Elective #### Style: Chikari Patterns of the Kabra Instrument The chikari strokes that fill and mark the cycle on Pandit Kabra's instrument. **Ready to move on when:** You can play the gat with chikari strokes placed where your teacher marks them. **Resources:** Demo video · Notation: chikari placement (needs making) ### Antara 2C · Ornament and Stroke in One Raga 12 topics: 8 core + 4 of 6 electives #### Core topics Every learner takes these 8 1. Topic 01 #### Review of 2B and Weak Links Find the weakest item from 2A and 2B and spend the session on it. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher hears the weak item fixed in a cold run. **Resources:** Your 2B presentation recording 2. Topic 02 #### The Third Raga by Ear and by Rule Learn the third raga (suggested: Durga) and tell it by ear from the two you already play. **Ready to move on when:** You can play its chalan and name each of the three ragas from short recorded phrases. **Resources:** Demo video · Tanpura track · Phrase recordings of all three ragas 3. Topic 03 #### Vistar: Developing the Gat Grow the gat by adding phrases that start from it and return to it, cycle by cycle. **Ready to move on when:** You can play four cycles of vistar on the gat, each returning to the mukhda. **Resources:** Teentaal tabla track · Reference recording 4. Topic 04 #### Taan Logic Without Speed Build taans as patterns from the raga's swaras and play them slowly before any speed. **Ready to move on when:** You can design and play four taans that stay in the raga and land on sam. **Resources:** Notation: taan patterns · Teentaal lehra track 5. Topic 05 #### Time Theory and the That System Place the three ragas in their thats and their times of day. **Ready to move on when:** You can name each raga's that and time and explain one rule that places it. **Resources:** Notes: the ten thats and time theory 6. Topic 06 #### Playing with Tabla: Trading Phrases Take turns with the tabla player: you play a phrase, they answer, both land on sam. **Ready to move on when:** You can trade phrases with tabla for eight cycles without losing sam. **Resources:** Teentaal tabla track with gaps for answers · Demo video 7. Topic 07 #### Guided Intermediate Presentation Rehearse the Intermediate set with your teacher: alaap, jod, gat with vistar and taans. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher hears the set once through without a stop. **Resources:** Checklist: the Intermediate presentation 8. Topic 08 #### Intermediate Completion and Review Present a ten- to fifteen-minute set in one raga. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher closes Intermediate after reviewing your presentation recording. **Resources:** Checklist: the Intermediate presentation #### Electives Your teacher picks 4 of these 6 with you - Elective #### Meend Inside the Gat Place meend inside the gat without losing the beat. **Ready to move on when:** You can play the gat with three meends in place and land on sam each cycle. **Resources:** Teentaal lehra track · Demo video - Elective #### Layakari: Dugun Phrases Inside Teentaal Play phrases at double speed inside the gat's cycle and return to single speed. **Ready to move on when:** You can switch between single and double speed twice in one cycle and land on sam. **Resources:** Teentaal lehra track · Notation: dugun phrases - Elective #### Allied Ragas by Ear Hear ragas that share swaras with the three you play and tell them apart. **Ready to move on when:** You can name four allied ragas from recorded phrases. **Resources:** Phrase recordings of allied ragas - Elective #### Self-Directed Practice Design Write your own week of practice from the module's material and keep to it. **Ready to move on when:** Your teacher accepts your practice plan and your log of one week. **Resources:** Template: practice plan and log - Elective #### Style: Gayaki and Tantrakari Side by Side The singing line and the sarod right hand in one raga, played as two angs and then joined. **Ready to move on when:** You can play one phrase in gayaki ang and the same phrase in tantrakari ang, then a passage that joins them. **Resources:** Demo video · Notation: the paired phrases - Elective #### Style: Sympathetic Strings in Vistar Letting the sympathetic strings ring through vistar, as the chaturangui line uses them. **Ready to move on when:** You can play two cycles of vistar where the sympathetic strings support and never blur the phrase. **Resources:** Demo video · Listening: a chaturangui gat (suggested) Intermediate pathway ## How this level progresses 3 structured modules, taken in order. Modules are taken in sequence 1. 2ALevel 2A ### Antara 2A · Meend, Gamak and the Singing Line Topics 12 topics 2. 2BLevel 2B ### Antara 2B · Bols, Jod and the First Gat Topics 12 topics 3. 2CLevel 2C ### Antara 2C · Ornament and Stroke in One Raga Topics 12 topics Your teachers ## Choose your teacher These teachers teach this level. ### Debasis Chakroborty Indian slide guitarist, Senia-Maihar gharana Pandit Debasis Chakroborty, an Indian slide guitarist of the Senia-Maihar gharana, is the senior-most disciple of Pandit Brij Bhushan Kabra, and his playing reflects Kabra's style. - Indian Slide Guitar - Senia-Maihar Gharana Experience 34+ years of teaching Students taught 3000+ [ Learn with this teacher ](/en-int/course/indian-slide-guitar/intermediate/debasis-chakroborty) Next steps ## Ready to begin Intermediate? Begin Intermediate Level. [Explore Advanced Level](/en-int/course/indian-slide-guitar/advanced) [Back to Indian Slide Guitar](/en-int/course/indian-slide-guitar)