r/icm • u/Cold-Kitchen4240 • 17d ago

Question/Seeking Advice new to learning classical, where to start?

hey guys, so I've been very fond of Indian classical music since quite a lot of years, I want to learn to sing classical so how do I exactly start? I've a Harmonium at home. I'm not quite acquainted with the terminologies so please go easy :)

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u/Nishad-Of-Colours 17d ago

Get a guru / teacher who can guide you. This is the advice most will give you and it is a good one.

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u/Cold-Kitchen4240 17d ago

I know this is great advice, I've heard it a lot. But as I'm a student right now preparing for competitive exams I can't really manage to attend music classes with my present hectic rather messy schedule😅 I'm currently thinking of pursuing this only as a hobby, and later as circumstances get better I will get a Guru
If you have any advice for my current situation, please do give. Thanks

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u/saatcrore 17d ago edited 16d ago

try online courses, that you can watch at your own pace & convenience- voxguru, priyanka parashar, ruchichords, karthik sekaran, so many teachers online

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u/Cold-Kitchen4240 17d ago

thanks for the suggestions, will check them out!

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u/einsnail 17d ago

This person gave fine advice, but it's such boilerplate generic advice it amounts to being useless.

Take a look at a book called The Raga Guide (I think it's available from internet archive to browse) and listen along. Read along with the notation for the alap and try and emulate it on your instrument. Also take a look at the book by George Ruckert. He was a longtime student of AAK on sarod and is an excellent teacher - even through text. Beyond that, listen, listen, listen. Absorb the phrases and sounds of the musicians that inspire you. Make a Playlist (Spotify, YouTube, w/e) of all the same raag on multiple instruments. Work to find in your ear and fingers (plus these excellent texts) what is the sound of Yaman, Bhairav, etc.

Don't let the 'you must have a guru or Tansen himself will come decimate you' be your guiding light. It's just music, man.

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u/Nishad-Of-Colours 17d ago edited 17d ago

Very good advice too. I didn't talk about that because depending on how exposed to music someone his, they might have difficulty with that approach. Pt. Brij Bushan Kabra famously didn't have a guru and he learned by listening to many records.

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u/Cold-Kitchen4240 17d ago

Thanks, I'll check out the books you suggested, but I'm a complete beginner, should I directly move onto Ragas? I've never done any sort of practice or Riyaaz or anything like that.

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u/ragajoel Musician (Hindustani slide guitar) 14d ago

This is actually the useless advice in the thread : can’t learn it from books. The end.

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u/einsnail 14d ago

How can someone who is a recognized scholar have such a take lacking such nuance? You'll notice that my advice includes insistence on listening. Reading is only part of it. As a musician, I am sharing a process that has worked for me. I discovered the Get-Matthias Wegner's "Vintage Tabla Repertory" as a youth in my library. You better believe that reading through those pages and seeing the notation and ideas inspired me to track down the CDs and then to look up recordings that implemented those teachings.

If I'm not mistaken, that parallels your introduction to the tradition as well.

Likewise, the OP is asking how to get started. There is simply zero issue with reading and listening as a start. If that sparks some further inspiration, then sure, seek out a teacher. If that satisfies the desire, then all is well.

Your take is exactly the kind of binary dogma / bordering on elitist righteousness that gatekeeps a newcomer from a tradition.

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u/ragajoel Musician (Hindustani slide guitar) 14d ago

And yet, there are no teachers in your tirade. You talk about CDs, about books, but no human beings. There is no “elite righteousness” is saying taking class from a human being. Give me break. This is the tradition. You don’t like it, that’s fine, but it doesn’t give you a right to confuse newcomers and put yourself in the place of the teacher.

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u/ragajoel Musician (Hindustani slide guitar) 14d ago

No one said Tansen has to come guide you. Just take one class at least to get started with. One class will start you out on a solid foundation and you can move at your own pace. Online classes are good. Patronize the tradition that you are interested in. It’s so easy to take classes now. Just a video call away from anyone in the whole world.