Sitar course

Yes. The sitar course prepared by KalaSudha runs online in three levels, Foundation, Intermediate and Advanced, with three modules in each. You learn in live lessons one-to-one or in a cohort, and raga theory runs alongside playing: each raga you study gets a record of its grammar and phrases.

Each level leads to a KalaSudha certificate or diploma. Ask about the course in the Academy.

You do not need to choose a sitar style before you start with KalaSudha. The shared core prescribes no gharana's tuning, compositions or stroke order, and you compare traditions by ear as you go.

From Foundation, electives open the Etawah or Imdadkhani, Maihar and Senia lines, among others, with a teacher who teaches that material. You can complete every award without a specialisation.

Yes. In live online lessons your sitar teacher watches your posture, the fit of your mizrab and both hands, then sets the next correction. Between lessons you practise the task set for the current topic and keep a daily practice record.

You record the practice task with both hands in view and the sitar clearly audible, and your teacher reviews it against the topic's finishing criterion. How long you practise is agreed with your teacher.

One-to-one sitar lessons are always available on the KalaSudha course, and you book as many lessons as a topic needs. Group cohorts open from time to time, depending on teachers and demand.

Register your interest to hear by email or WhatsApp when a batch's dates and times are announced. In a cohort you rehearse and present to the group, and your topics close on your own evidence.

Learning the sitar on the KalaSudha course typically takes 9–12 months for Foundation, 9–15 months for Intermediate and 12–30 months for Advanced.

The months are a guide you agree with your teacher. The pace depends on your practice and on how many lessons each topic needs, and a topic closes only after your teacher reviews your evidence.

Online Indian classical music lessons with KalaSudha cost from £30 / $30 an hour, set by each teacher. Each type of lesson a teacher gives can have its own price. You book and pay through KalaSudha and receive an invoice.

To ask what a teacher charges, visit the Academy, press Talk to an Advisor and tell us what you want to learn.

On KalaSudha's online Indian classical music courses, teachers assess students topic by topic. Each topic credits named skills, and the teacher closes it only after reviewing the student's work. Foundation assessment uses practical work and spoken questions. Intermediate adds written theory, and Advanced adds theory papers and a judged stage performance. A module certificate follows each module, and KalaSudha issues an award at the end of each level.

To find a good sitar teacher, or guru, look for one who can tell you who they learned from. From your first lesson, a good teacher checks your posture and the mizrab, the wire plectrum worn on the right index finger. 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. Our courses include a sitar course in three levels. Ask about sitar lessons in the Academy.