Introduction
Indian classical music is a beautiful yet demanding art form. With its intricate ragas and complex rhythms, it requires both technical and emotional depth to master it. Whether you’re a seasoned performer or a beginner, continuous practice sessions and constant honing of your singing skills are the way forward when you learn classical music.
Below are 7 tips that’ll elevate your singing and deepen your connection with the rich tradition:
Master the Basics: Indian classical music is foundational around solid techniques. It’s important to invest time in perfecting your pitch (sur), beat (taal) and rhythm (laya). Give close attention to your improvisational introduction (alap) and your composed pieces (bandish). A strong grasp of these fundamentals will give you the confidence to explore more complex aspects of singing.
Embrace the Raga Completely: Understanding a raga is more than simply memorising its notes. Dive deeper into listening to maestro-led performances and then try to feel and incorporate the raga’s essence while practising. This will enhance your ability to convey its spirit through your voice when learning to master Hindustani classical music.
Warm-Up Exercises: Just as physical workouts are beneficial to the body, vocal workouts or riyaaz help when you learn classical music. Start with humming to get you in the mood to sing. Then, shift to the hakaar technique wherein when you say ‘ha’, the voice comes naturally from the abdomen area. Eventually, you can remove the ‘ha’ element from it and then move on to the aakar riyaaz where you’ll get to understand the natural texture and tone of your voice.
Focus on Breath Control: Breath control plays an important role when you begin to learn Indian classical music. Breathing exercises such as pranayam improve your lung capacity and control, which further allows for sustained notes, dynamic expression, and intricate ornamentation.
Develop your Notes (Swar) Practises: Note exercises (swar-alaps) and scales (sargams) should be practised regularly as they help in developing a clear and resonant voice and an accurate pitch. They also enhance your ability to navigate the microtones and intricate patterns of ragas. First, start off by focusing on accuracy and eventually increase your spread once you gain confidence.
Seek Guidance From A Guru: A supportive and knowledgeable mentor or guru can help you when you begin to take Indian classical music lessons. The guidance that they provide, along with personalised feedback is something that books and online resources cannot. Music academies such as Artium Academy have teachers and subject matter experts who offer invaluable insights that'll help you in correcting mistakes and learning from them, refining your techniques and understanding the nuances of ragas and compositions. Under reliable mentorship, your learning journey will accelerate to the next level.
Record and Analyse Your Singing: To objectively evaluate your performance, you must record all your practice sessions and revisit them. This helps in understanding your areas of improvement, such as pitch accuracy, rhythm adherence and emotional expression. A closer look from a third person’s perspective will give you the feedback you may need to do better during your Indian classical music lessons.
Conclusion
Mastering the art form of Indian classical music requires much dedication, consistency, patience and willingness to embrace the technical, as well as the emotional aspects of this genre. By following the aforementioned tips and under the steady mentorship of Artium Academy, you’ll be well on your way to achieving great artistry in your singing journey.
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