How do I learn to accompany dhrupad singing on the pakhawaj?

Dhrupad accompaniment on the pakhawaj starts at Foundation, where you hold theka under a partner for three minutes and answer their cues. Intermediate develops it in module 2C: you follow the singer's phrasing, balance and entry cues without imposing a solo sequence. You accompany five continuous minutes with a live partner, including a changed cue and recovery.

Can I learn the pakhawaj to play for kirtan or haveli sangeet?

The KalaSudha pakhawaj course centres on Dhrupad and Dhamar, with devotional accompaniment as an option. A Foundation elective introduces accompaniment of a devotional excerpt your teacher approves. Nathdwara is one of the optional streams from Intermediate. Ask your teacher about devotional repertoire when you choose your electives.

What should I be able to play before Intermediate pakhawaj?

Intermediate pakhawaj starts after Foundation or a placement against its outcomes. You should play the Chautal and Sultal thekas, an uthan, three parans and a simple tihai with clear bols. You also need a six-minute solo, three minutes of Dhrupad accompaniment and four live cue exchanges.

How is the Intermediate level of the pakhawaj course assessed?

The Intermediate level of the pakhawaj course ends with fifteen continuous solo minutes and five minutes each of Dhrupad and Dhamar accompaniment with live partners. Four of the exchanges change a cue, and you show your recovery. Your portfolio counts too, with written or dictated explanations. Each study is continuous, with both hands visible and the partner audible.

PakhawajPrepared by KalaSudha

Intermediate Pakhawaj

Intermediate pakhawaj, prepared by KalaSudha: four thekas, relas and paltas, chakradar and stuti parans, 3:2 layakari and Dhrupad and Dhamar accompaniment.

Talk to an Advisor See the modules

Your path: 9–15 months
Modules: 2A–2C
Lessons: One-to-one or in a group
Ends in: A KalaSudha certificate

A pakhawaj player in a white kurta sits on a patterned rug with the barrel drum resting on a cushion, hands on both heads, a notebook on a low table behind

Vue d'ensemble

About Intermediate

Intermediate pakhawaj develops forms, layakari and two-role performance once you can play a six-minute solo and accompany a Dhrupad partner. You enter after Foundation or a placement against its outcomes. It is the second level of the pakhawaj course prepared by KalaSudha. As a typical guide, Intermediate takes 9–15 months, and you agree the pace with your teacher.

Module 2A adds two cycles, the suggested Tevra and Dhamar, and the forms they accompany. You learn two relas with four paltas each, two uthans and six parans across two developed solo cycles, and tigun and chaugun against a steady base pulse. You also recognise reference swaras in two accompaniment ragas.

Read the full overviewAfficher moins

Module 2B covers a simple chakradar, a stuti paran, three tihai designs, dedh layakari, a 3:2 relationship, and Bhatkhande and Paluskar notation. Module 2C prepares accompaniment: five minutes each of Dhrupad and Dhamar with live partners, comparison of schools and sources, instrument care and a fifteen-minute solo.

Each module has nine electives, including one for each stream. In a cohort, you hear how other learners follow the same Dhrupad and Dhamar partner, and the guided rehearsal becomes a performance for the group. The level leads to a KalaSudha award (see certificates). Ask about Intermediate in the Academy.

What you will be able to do

Recite and play four thekas and explain the Dhrupad and Dhamar contexts with examples.
Play two relas with four paltas each, with audible bols and relaxed coordination.
Calculate a simple chakradar and play three tihais from different starting matras.
Recite, notate and play a 3:2 excerpt with its counted return to sam.
Accompany five continuous minutes each of Dhrupad and Dhamar with live partners.

Before you start

Complete Foundation pakhawaj or show its outcomes in a placement with your teacher.
Be able to play Chautal and Sultal thekas, three parans and a six-minute solo.

Ask about placement

Modules

The three Intermediate modules

Intermediate adds cycles and forms, then layakari and notation, then two-role performance. The last module closes with live Dhrupad and Dhamar accompaniment and a fifteen-minute solo.

2A

Module 2A: Rela and broader tala repertoire

8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 17 topics

Tune without step-by-step prompts and agree a corrective practice plan. Add the suggested Tevra and Dhamar, learn two relas with four paltas each, two uthans and six parans, keep tigun and chaugun steady and recognise swaras in two ragas.
1. Placement, Tuning and Practice DesignCœur
  
  Review Foundation evidence and agree a measurable corrective practice plan.
2. Four Cycles and Their ContextsCœur
  
  Add two cycles and distinguish the forms they accompany.
3. Rela and Palta DevelopmentCœur
  
  Learn two relas with four paltas each at an agreed working pulse.
4. Two Uthans and Six ParansCœur
  
  Extend composition memory across two developed solo cycles.
5. Tigun and ChaugunCœur
  
  Maintain a base pulse while changing the density of a supplied phrase.
6. Reference Swaras in Two RagasCœur
  
  Recognise reference notes and melodic movement in two accompaniment ragas.
7. Guided Rela and Cycle ReviewCœur
  
  Compare recordings at two working speeds and correct one physical habit.
8. Module 2A PresentationCœur
  
  Present expanded thekas, repertoire and melodic listening evidence.
9. Extra Rela PaltaAu choix
  
  Grow a rela further by developing new paltas from its parent phrase.
10. Tuning ClinicAu choix
  
  Train your ear for tuning by finding and correcting changes your teacher makes to the drum, under supervision.
11. Padhant RecallAu choix
  
  Work on hearing a recited phrase once and carrying it straight into padhant and onto the drum.
12. Notation and StructureAu choix
  
  Read the structure of a supplied paran on paper, so you can see how its sections fit the cycle.
13. Indore Sound and Bol EntryAu choix
  
  Start your stream study in the Indore line with supplied phrases, learning how a practitioner wants each bol to sound.
14. Nathdwara Sound and Bol EntryAu choix
  
  Start your stream study in the Nathdwara line with supplied phrases, learning how a practitioner wants each bol to sound.
15. Datia Sound and Bol EntryAu choix
  
  Start your stream study in the Datia line with supplied phrases, learning how a practitioner wants each bol to sound.
16. Awadh/Ayodhya Supplied Bol StudyAu choix
  
  Learn an attributed study from the Awadh/Ayodhya teaching line, supplied by a practitioner, as one strand of pakhawaj teaching.
17. Banaras Supplied Bol StudyAu choix
  
  Learn an attributed study from the Banaras teaching line, supplied by a practitioner, as one strand of pakhawaj teaching.
Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both.
2B

Module 2B: Chakradar, layakari and notation

8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 17 topics

Review your memorised works, learn a simple chakradar and a stuti paran and compare damdar and bedam tihais. Demonstrate a 3:2 relationship, compare Bhatkhande and Paluskar notation and develop a phrase through controlled variation.
1. Composition and Padhant ReviewCœur
  
  Review memorised works and reproduce an unfamiliar heard bol phrase.
2. Chakradar and Stuti ParanCœur
  
  Learn one simple chakradar and one stuti paran with structure and text explained.
3. Three Tihai DesignsCœur
  
  Compare damdar and bedam designs and vary the starting matra.
4. Dedh LayakariCœur
  
  Demonstrate a 3:2 relationship while retaining the underlying tala.
5. Two Notation SystemsCœur
  
  Compare Bhatkhande and Paluskar tala notation through the same composition.
6. Controlled Improvised DevelopmentCœur
  
  Develop a taught bol phrase through variation and purposeful returns.
7. Guided Rhythmic RehearsalCœur
  
  Integrate rela, chakradar and tihai work with a lehra or live partner.
8. Module 2B Rhythm ReviewCœur
  
  Present the rhythmic studies and defend their calculations and notation.
9. Chakradar Calculation ClinicAu choix
  
  Work out further chakradar designs with your teacher and check that each one lands where it should.
10. Paluskar ExtensionAu choix
  
  Learn the Paluskar system of writing music and use it for pakhawaj bols.
11. Dynamic RelaAu choix
  
  Work on dynamics in rela playing, moving between softer and louder levels while the bols stay clear.
12. Improvisation LimitsAu choix
  
  Find out how far a supplied phrase can be varied and which of its features must stay fixed.
13. Indore Attributed CompositionAu choix
  
  Learn an attributed composition from the Indore line with your teacher, from padhant through to the drum.
14. Nathdwara Attributed CompositionAu choix
  
  Learn an attributed composition from the Nathdwara line with your teacher, from padhant through to the drum.
15. Datia Attributed CompositionAu choix
  
  Learn an attributed composition from the Datia line with your teacher, from padhant through to the drum.
16. Awadh/Ayodhya Composition ComparisonAu choix
  
  Set a supplied composition from the Awadh/Ayodhya teaching line beside a core work and listen for what they share and where they part.
17. Banaras Composition ComparisonAu choix
  
  Set a supplied composition from the Banaras teaching line beside a core work and listen for what they share and where they part.
Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both.
2C

Module 2C: Dhrupad, Dhamar and the integrated solo

8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 17 topics

Audit your portfolio, recognise two ragas and transcribe a short passage. Compare schools and sources, accompany Dhrupad and Dhamar live, explain instrument care and resonance, and present a fifteen-minute solo.
1. Intermediate Portfolio AuditCœur
  
  Review four tala records and prepare two developed solo studies.
2. Two-Raga Recognition and ListeningCœur
  
  Compare taught melodic phrases and transcribe a short heard bol passage.
3. Schools, Branches and SourcesCœur
  
  Compare the three principal schools and the two included branch contexts using attributed examples.
4. Responsive Dhrupad AccompanimentCœur
  
  Follow the singer's phrasing, balance and entry cues without imposing a solo sequence.
5. Responsive Dhamar AccompanimentCœur
  
  Adjust theka and variation to a taught Dhamar composition.
6. Instrument Care and Comparative TheoryCœur
  
  Relate sound production, instrument classification and maintenance to played examples.
7. Guided Fifteen-Minute SoloCœur
  
  Rehearse a balanced solo drawing on the two developed cycles.
8. Intermediate Portfolio and VivaCœur
  
  Present the solo, accompaniment and complete sixteen-skill portfolio.
9. Additional Solo CycleAu choix
  
  Prepare repertoire in a further taught cycle to widen your solo playing beyond the core cycles.
10. Source ComparisonAu choix
  
  Read two accounts of the same composition with your teacher and see where they agree and where they do not.
11. Listening LogAu choix
  
  Keep a listening log with timestamps, and check each note you make by replaying the passage.
12. Accompaniment RecoveryAu choix
  
  Practise staying with a partner when entries change while you accompany, without stopping the music.
13. Indore Integrated StudyAu choix
  
  Draw your work in the Indore line together into one longer study, guided by the material a practitioner supplies.
14. Nathdwara Integrated StudyAu choix
  
  Draw your work in the Nathdwara line together into one longer study, guided by the material a practitioner supplies.
15. Datia Integrated StudyAu choix
  
  Draw your work in the Datia line together into one longer study, guided by the material a practitioner supplies.
16. Awadh/Ayodhya Accompaniment ChoicesAu choix
  
  Learn an accompaniment study from the Awadh/Ayodhya teaching line and the choices it teaches about supporting another performer.
17. Banaras Accompaniment ChoicesAu choix
  
  Learn an accompaniment study from the Banaras teaching line and the choices it teaches about supporting another performer.
Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both.

Why Intermediate

What Intermediate builds

Dhrupad and Dhamar partners

Follow a singer's phrasing, balance and entry cues in Dhrupad, then adjust theka and variation to a taught Dhamar composition.
Relas and new cycles

Add the suggested Tevra and Dhamar, and learn two relas with four paltas each at an agreed working pulse.
Choose a stream

Take electives in one stream after Foundation, with attributed material your teacher supplies and documents.

Lessons

Ways to learn

One-to-one

Learn at your own pace. You book online lessons through KalaSudha in your own time zone.

Register interest in 1:1 lessons

In a group

Learn in a group on a timetable.

Ask about group lessons

Questions

Questions about Intermediate

Entry, pace, assessment and what you show to finish the level.

Still have questions?

Our support team can help you find the right answer.

Contacter l'assistance

Étapes suivantes

Prêt à commencer Intermediate ?

Tell us what you want to learn and where you are today. An academy advisor will help you find a good next step.

Talk to an Advisor Retour à Pakhawaj

Next level

Advanced

Explore Advanced

Intermediate Pakhawaj

About Intermediate

The three Intermediate modules

Module 2A: Rela and broader tala repertoire

Module 2B: Chakradar, layakari and notation

Module 2C: Dhrupad, Dhamar and the integrated solo

What Intermediate builds

Dhrupad and Dhamar partners

Relas and new cycles

Choose a stream