Hindustani VocalPrepared by KalaSudha

Foundation Hindustani Vocal

Foundation Hindustani vocal, prepared by KalaSudha: breath, a steady Sa, swaras and alankars, sargam notation, two ragas and a first chhota khayal.

Talk to an Advisor See the modules
Modules
1A–1C
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

आढावा

About Foundation

Foundation Hindustani vocal takes you from finding Sa to a 4-minute prepared set, with no music or singing background needed. It is the first level of the Hindustani Vocal course prepared by KalaSudha, taught in live online lessons. You hear each phrase and sing it back before you read it in notation.

Module 1A covers posture, breath and holding Sa on akar, the open vowel aa, against the drone. You then sing Sa, Pa and upper Sa and the seven shuddha, or natural, swaras. Module 1B adds alankars, swara patterns sung up and down, and the komal and tivra swaras, the flat and sharp forms. You learn sargam notation and mark the cycle by hand: sam, the first beat, the clapped tali, the waved khali and the vibhag sections. Then you keep Keherwa and Dadra.

Read the full overviewकमी दाखवा

Module 1C turns swaras into ragas, starting with the aroh, avaroh and pakad, the ascent, descent and catch phrase, of two ragas such as the suggested Yaman and Bhupali. You learn a chhota khayal, a fast bandish in Teentaal, with its antara and a short alap. You also hear six khayal gharanas, such as Kirana, through labelled excerpts. Meend, murki and slow vilambit singing come later.

Each module has 14 topics, eight core and six electives, and your path is 12 of them. As a typical guide, Foundation takes 9–12 months, and you agree the pace with your teacher. In a cohort, you hear other learners sing the same phrases, and each guided rehearsal and review becomes a short performance for the group. Foundation leads to a KalaSudha award (see certificates). Ask about Foundation in the Academy.

Modules

The three Foundation modules

Foundation starts with breath and Sa, then swaras and the cycle, then your first ragas. Each module ends with a guided rehearsal and a review, and the last one closes with a 4-minute prepared set.

  1. 1A

    Voice, breath and Sa

    8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 14 topics

    Set up your practice and keep a record. Find Sa from the drone and hold it on akar, then sing Sa, Pa and upper Sa and the seven shuddha swaras. Hear a phrase and sing it back, then present your held notes without losing Sa.

    1. Seating, posture and a practice recordमूळ

      Sit for singing without strain, set up the drone reference and start a practice log.

    2. Find and hold Saमूळ

      Match your voice to Sa from the drone and hold it steady on akar, the open vowel aa.

    3. Breath for a sustained noteमूळ

      Take a low, quiet breath and spend it evenly across a long held note.

    4. Sa, Pa and upper Saमूळ

      Sing Sa, Pa and upper Sa against the drone and hear where each one sits.

  2. 1B

    Swaras, alankars and the cycle

    8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 14 topics

    Sing alankars in ascent and descent at a logged tempo. Add komal Re, Ga, Dha and Ni and tivra Ma beside their shuddha forms. Mark sam, tali, khali and vibhag, keep Keherwa and Dadra by hand, and read and write sargam notation.

    1. Review Sa and set a tempoमूळ

      Check your held notes from the practice log and choose a pulse you can hold for alankars.

    2. Alankars in ascent and descentमूळ

      Sing the first teacher-selected alankars, patterned swara exercises, across one octave at a steady pulse.

    3. Komal and tivra swarasमूळ

      Hear and sing komal Re, Ga, Dha and Ni and tivra Ma beside their shuddha forms.

    4. Sam, tali, khali and vibhagमूळ

      Mark a cycle with hand gestures and explain matra, avartan, sam, tali, khali and vibhag.

  3. 1C

    First ragas and a chhota khayal

    8 core + 4 teacher-setfrom 14 topics

    Learn the aroh, avaroh and pakad of a first raga and a contrasting second raga. Sing a chhota khayal sthayi and antara and a short alap. Hear six khayal gharanas through labelled excerpts, then present a 4-minute set.

    1. Review swaras and cyclesमूळ

      Use your log to fix one weak alankar or cycle before starting raga work.

    2. Aroh, avaroh and pakad of a first ragaमूळ

      Learn the ascent, descent and catch phrase of the first raga (suggested: Yaman).

    3. A second raga and its contrastमूळ

      Learn a second raga (suggested: Bhupali) and hear how its five swaras change the phrase shapes.

    4. A chhota khayal sthayiमूळ

      Learn the sthayi of a teacher-selected drut bandish in Teentaal, words and swaras together.

Why Foundation

What Foundation builds

  • Listen, then sing

    Hear each phrase and sing it back before you read it. Your teacher hears whether your pitch is secure before working on the line.

  • A steady Sa first

    Breath and held notes come before ornament. The checks listen for a Sa held without drift and every swara in tune.

  • A first chhota khayal

    Learn the sthayi and antara of a fast bandish with a theka track, and add a short alap. Land the mukhda, its opening phrase, on sam.

Lessons

Ways to learn

Teachers

Teachers for Foundation

Questions

Questions about Foundation

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

Still have questions?

Our support team can help you find the right answer.

सपोर्ट टीमशी संपर्क साधा

पुढील पायऱ्या

Foundation सुरू करायला तयार आहात?

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 Hindustani Vocal वर परत जा

Next level

Intermediate

Explore Intermediate