How do I move from beginner to intermediate Hindustani vocal?

You move to Intermediate Hindustani vocal when you have closed the Foundation topics or shown the same skills in a placement session. Your teacher checks that you hold Sa, sing alankars to a cycle and sing a chhota khayal with a short alap. Intermediate then adds ornament, new talas and singing with accompanists.

How do I learn to sing with tabla and harmonium?

Singing with tabla and harmonium comes in module 2C of Intermediate Hindustani vocal. You sing a bandish with both accompanists, keep tempo and balance, give the ending cue and finish together on sam. Before 2C a theka track stands in for the tabla, and a 2B elective lets you sing with a tabla player earlier.

What are bol-alap and bol-bant?

Bol-alap and bol-bant are two ways of developing a bandish through its words, and Intermediate Hindustani vocal teaches them in module 2B. Bol-alap develops the words melodically; bol-bant develops them rhythmically. The topic closes when you sing one passage of each and both return to the mukhda on sam.

How is the Intermediate level of the Hindustani Vocal course assessed?

The Intermediate level of the Hindustani Vocal course ends with a 12-minute set with tabla and harmonium. You sing without losing the cycle, explain one choice and recover from any slip, and you submit a written notation and theory portfolio. Completion needs all 16 Intermediate skills, not only the presentation.

Hindustani VocalPrepared by KalaSudha

Intermediate Hindustani Vocal

Intermediate Hindustani vocal, prepared by KalaSudha: meend and murki, raga development, Ektal and Jhaptal, bol-alap and bol-bant, and singing with accompanists.

Talk to an Advisor See the modules

Moduli: 2A–2C
Lessons: One-to-one or in a group
Ends in: A KalaSudha certificate

A khayal singer sits on a patterned rug singing, with a tanpura behind, in a white room with a curved window

Panoramica

About Intermediate

Intermediate Hindustani vocal adds ornament and accompanied singing, once you can hold Sa and sing a first chhota khayal. You enter after Foundation or a placement session that shows the same skills. It is the second level of the Hindustani Vocal course prepared by KalaSudha.

Module 2A brings meend, the glide between two swaras, then kan, murki and khatka, and the chalan of a third raga. You sing a 3-minute alap that stays in the raga and work on pitch in the upper octave. Module 2B adds the suggested Ektal and Jhaptal and a bandish in medium tempo. You develop its words in bol-alap and bol-bant and notate the full bandish.

Read the full overviewMostra meno

Module 2C is about singing with accompanists. You sing a bandish with tabla and harmonium, give the ending cue and finish together on sam. You compare the six gharanas through examples, such as Agra, and learn voice care under performance load. Electives add dhrupad, thumri and bhajan.

Each module has 14 topics, eight core and six electives, and your path is 12 topics per module. As a typical guide, Intermediate takes 9–15 months, and you agree the pace with your teacher. In a cohort, learners hear how each one sings the same bandish with the accompanists. The level ends with a 12-minute set with tabla and harmonium and leads to a KalaSudha award (see certificates). Ask about Intermediate in the Academy.

What you will be able to do

Sing four meends between named swaras of the raga, each arriving in tune.
Sing a 3-minute alap that stays in the raga and returns to Sa.
Keep the suggested Ektal and Jhaptal without confusing beat counts or khali positions.
Sing bol-alap and bol-bant passages that each return to the mukhda on sam.
Sing six cycles with tabla and harmonium, give the ending cue and finish on sam.

Before you start

Complete Foundation Hindustani vocal or show the same skills in a placement session with your teacher.
Be able to hold Sa, sing alankars to a cycle and sing a chhota khayal with a short alap.

Ask about placement

Moduli

The three Intermediate modules

Intermediate adds ornament and singing with accompanists. The first two modules develop ragas and the bandish, and the third applies them in accompanied singing and the 12-minute review.

2A

Module 2A: Ornament and raga development

8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 14 topics

Agree a practice plan and review the voice. Sing meend between two swaras, then kan, murki and khatka. Learn the chalan of a third raga, sing an alap in the middle octave and work on pitch in the upper octave.
1. Review the voice and agree a practice planCore
  
  Review your Foundation recordings with your teacher and agree a practice plan for the module.
2. Meend between two swarasCore
  
  Glide from one swara to another without breaking the voice or losing the arrival note.
3. Kan, murki and khatkaCore
  
  Sing kan, murki and khatka in raga phrases, each ornament clean and light.
4. Chalan of a third ragaCore
  
  Learn the chalan, the characteristic movement, of a third raga (suggested: Bhimpalasi).
5. Alap in the middle octaveCore
  
  Develop the raga swara by swara in a slow alap, resting on its important notes.
6. Pitch in the upper octaveCore
  
  Extend the raga into the upper octave with the same pitch control as the middle octave.
7. Guided rehearsal: ornament and raga developmentCore
  
  Rehearse your ornament and alap set and correct one fault using teacher feedback.
8. Review and presentation: ornament and raga developmentCore
  
  Present your ornament and alap set and discuss your preparation and corrections with the assessor.
9. Gamak in a raga phraseA scelta
  
  Sing a gamak, the oscillating ornament, on two swaras of the raga.
10. A fourth ragaA scelta
  
  Learn the chalan and a drut bandish in a fourth raga (suggested: Bihag).
11. Sight-sing a sargam lineA scelta
  
  Sing an unfamiliar line of sargam notation after a short preparation.
12. Andolan on a held swaraA scelta
  
  Sing a slow andolan, the measured oscillation, on a swara that a taught raga treats this way.
13. Voice range and comfortA scelta
  
  Map your comfortable range with your teacher and choose phrases that sit inside it.
14. Ornament listening studyA scelta
  
  Compare how two attributed recordings use meend and murki in the same raga.
Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both.
2B

Module 2B: Bandish, laya and layakari

8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 14 topics

Keep the suggested Ektal and Jhaptal and learn a bandish in medium tempo. Develop its words in bol-alap and bol-bant, sing sargam and a tihai from the text, and notate the full bandish.
1. Review the bandish and the cycleCore
  
  Sing your Foundation bandish with hand-count and correct one rhythmic fault from a recording.
2. Ektal and JhaptalCore
  
  Recite and keep the suggested Ektal and Jhaptal, then sing a sargam passage in each.
3. A madhya laya bandishCore
  
  Learn a bandish in medium tempo in Ektal or Jhaptal, sthayi and antara.
4. Bol-alap and bol-bantCore
  
  Develop the bandish's words melodically in bol-alap, then rhythmically in bol-bant.
5. Sargam and a tihai from the textCore
  
  Sing a sargam passage, then a tihai made from a phrase of the text that lands on sam.
6. Notate a full bandishCore
  
  Write the bandish in sargam notation with beats, text and divisions.
7. Guided rehearsal: bandish, laya and layakariCore
  
  Rehearse your bandish and layakari set and correct one fault using teacher feedback.
8. Review and presentation: bandish, laya and layakariCore
  
  Present your bandish and layakari set and discuss your preparation and corrections with the assessor.
9. Rupak with a khali openingA scelta
  
  Keep the suggested Rupak, which opens on khali, and sing a bandish phrase in it.
10. Dugun and chaugunA scelta
  
  Sing a phrase at single, double and four-fold density over a steady hand-count.
11. A taranaA scelta
  
  Learn a short teacher-selected tarana and keep its syllables clear at drut tempo.
12. Bol taanA scelta
  
  Sing taans on the words of the bandish rather than on akar.
13. Tilwada by handA scelta
  
  Recite and keep the suggested Tilwada at a slow tempo.
14. Sing with a tabla playerA scelta
  
  Sing your bandish with a live or online tabla player and agree tempo and ending.
Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both.
2C

Module 2C: Accompanied singing and gharana comparison

8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 14 topics

Sing a bandish with tabla and harmonium, and a second chhota khayal with taans. Recognise the taught ragas, compare gharanas through examples and practise voice care under performance load.
1. Plan practice for accompanied singingCore
  
  Plan a week of practice that includes tempo, ending and cue rehearsal with accompanists.
2. Sing with tabla and harmoniumCore
  
  Sing a bandish with tabla and harmonium accompanists, keeping tempo, cues and balance.
3. A second chhota khayal with taansCore
  
  Learn a drut bandish in a new raga and develop it with alap, sargam and akar taans.
4. Recognise the taught ragasCore
  
  Identify each taught raga from short phrases sung or played by your teacher.
5. Compare gharanas through examplesCore
  
  Compare attributed excerpts from the six gharanas in how they treat alap, taan and the words.
6. Voice care under performance loadCore
  
  Plan warm-up, rest and recovery for a twelve-minute set and recognise strain early.
7. Guided rehearsal: accompanied singing and gharana comparisonCore
  
  Rehearse your twelve-minute Intermediate set and correct one fault using teacher feedback.
8. Review and presentation: accompanied singing and gharana comparisonCore
  
  Present your twelve-minute Intermediate set and discuss your preparation and corrections with the assessor.
9. Dhrupad alap in nom-tomA scelta
  
  Sing a short dhrupad-style alap on syllables, without drum, from the middle into the low register.
10. A dhrupad in ChautalA scelta
  
  Learn the sthayi and antara of a teacher-selected dhrupad in the suggested Chautal.
11. A thumri in DeepchandiA scelta
  
  Learn the sthayi and antara of a teacher-selected thumri in the suggested Deepchandi.
12. Bol banaoA scelta
  
  Sing one line of the thumri several times, giving each repetition a new melodic shape and meaning.
13. A bhajan in a ragaA scelta
  
  Learn a raga-based bhajan and shape its tek and lines within the tala.
14. A nirgun bhajan of KabirA scelta
  
  Learn a Kabir bhajan and present its words with clear diction and a steady refrain.
Your teacher fills 4 slots from the electives, their own topics or both.

Why Intermediate

What Intermediate builds

Ornament on a secure voice

Meend, kan, murki and khatka come once your Sa and swaras are secure. Each meend is checked for arriving in tune on the named swara.
Words and rhythm in a bandish

Develop a bandish melodically in bol-alap and rhythmically in bol-bant, then build a tihai from its text that lands on sam.
Singing with accompanists

Sing a bandish with tabla and harmonium players. Keep tempo and balance, give the ending cue and finish together on sam.

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

Teachers

Teachers for Intermediate

Mr Tejaswini Digamber Vernekar
Tejaswini Vernekar è una stimata interprete del canto classico hindustani, Medaglia d'Oro della BHU e artista Graded di All India Radio.
Teaches
Hindustani Vocal
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Domande

Questions about Intermediate

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

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Passaggi successivi

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Talk to an Advisor Torna a Hindustani Vocal

Next level

Advanced

Explore Advanced

Intermediate Hindustani Vocal

About Intermediate

The three Intermediate modules

Module 2A: Ornament and raga development

Module 2B: Bandish, laya and layakari

Module 2C: Accompanied singing and gharana comparison

What Intermediate builds

Ornament on a secure voice

Words and rhythm in a bandish

Singing with accompanists