Innovative teaching methods for carnatic vocal

[msakella]

Dear b/s-member, Vidya Raja, In general, now-a-days people are more inquisitive in knowing things than doing them with dedication and devotion and I think you are different from them. If you practice all the exercises furnished in my CD available from http://www.sangeethamshare.org/chandra/ ... hods-2007/ along with the video clippings of Laya-exercises getting downloaded from ‘youtube.com/msakella’and practising them along with Metronome increasing the speed once in every 2 weeks in Svaras and also in ‘akaara’ regularly practising in the manner I have just now narrated in the thread ‘Kampitas & Gamakas’ under ‘Sangita Kalalaya’ you can very quickly proceed further in music. amsharma.

[suma]

Dear Vidya Raja Sir,
You are a successful artist and have many fans out of which I am one )). One method would be whatever was adapted to shape u into a well sort after artist.
Basically, as someone who learnt this art form but pursued a different career, but involved with several others, I feel there are some key factors that would contribute to success.
1. Solid Foundation in Basic Exercises in all speeds, vocal and akarams. I feel if one spends quality time in this before rushing to varmas and krithis, that would help.
2. Eventually, the student has to spend some quality time with varnams. So, first 3-4 years should be focussed on getting a solid foundation. The teacher is exteremely important and
3. Consistancy!!! is the key - a class every week. Once the student gets gaps between the classes, the student ends up practcing without a Guru actually correctingthe mistakes. Regular classes are a must and not a occasional pattern. Unfortunately with several established artists that are very good, due to their conflicting schedules for concerts, tours etc, this consistancy and regularity is lost and the student suffers.
So my advise would be to get a good teacher and get solid grounding in the basics and varnams regularly. Once this is in place, everything else will fit in place.
Looking forward to your concerts in the season.

[msakella]

Dear sister-member, suma, All your 3 points are exactly correct and as you wrote ‘consistency’ is the key not only in respect of classes but also in respect of most regular practice. Nice to find you as an exception among all. amsharma.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, Vidya Raja, Being unaware of you as a professional musician I took you as a general aspirant and replied in a casual manner which might have hurt you. I beg your pardon for the same.Only by seeing sister-member, Suma’s post I came to know about you. Sorry for any kind of invenience caused in this connection. amsharma.

[ganesh_mourthy]

I am curious to know who Vidya is . As he has quite many fan followers I am getting more inquisitive. So what is his or her name????

[suma]

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL RASIKAS

http://sanjaysub.blogspot.com/2008/10/h ... avali.html

I thought that is You

[prabharavi79]

Vidya,

I am not sure if you are aware of the book Sangeeta Swara Raga Sudha written by amsharma sir. It is also accompanied with some cassettes with some good material. I think if you go through that book, you will get some innovative methods to teach music.

-
Ravi.

[shridevi]

if u practise only the alankaras in 3 speeds in these foll ragas mayamalavagowla,karaharapriya,sankarabaranam,kalyani,todi,harikamboji
u will be immersed in swanubhava[self enjoyment]this is the first stage rest-------

[msakella]

Dear sister-member, shridevi, Music, the finest of the fine arts, should be started learning between 6 & 8 years of age like Vedas even to get some efficiency. At that age children do this kind of things in a routine manner but not with any ‘svanubhava’ like grown-ups. More over these exercises are not meant to get any ‘svanubhava’ at all but to make some regular drill with all the 12 notes and get some acquaintance with each one of them. So, it is desirable to make this drill of Saralees, Jantas, Datus and Alankaras with the 16 Shuddha-madhyama Melas and their corresponding 16 Prati-madhyama Melas in which Vivadi-notes are avoided.

Unless our music-teachers (-teasers) realize that it is not at all desirable to tax the aspirants with all the 3 degrees of speed right from the preliminary exercises the process of teaching can never be made easy and inspirative to the aspirant. Not only to make the music learning more inspirative to the aspirants but also to instill confidence into the aspirants the preliminary exercises should always be taught in terms of Jatis in rhythmical exercises but not in terms of notes. But, most unfortunately, many of the teachers themselves, having no required efficiency in Laya, cannot render them efficiently leave alone teaching them to the aspirants. Even though the ‘Maatra’ has clearly been defined in our great ‘Sangeeta Ratnakara’ of 13th century to render Chaturashra-jaati of 4-units in the duration a ‘second’ every musician is ready to define it in his/her own way and render it in his/her own speed. In such case we do not have the yardstick even to measure the musical-time properly leave alone the 3 degrees of speed to be taught to the poor aspirant while the Westerners have fixed time-measure in their music. amsharma

[kalyani9]

Dear sister-member, shridevi, Music, the finest of the fine arts, should be started learning between 6 & 8 years of age like Vedas even to get some efficiency. At that age children do this kind of things in a routine manner but not with any ‘svanubhava’ like grown-ups. More over these exercises are not meant to get any ‘svanubhava’ at all but to make some regular drill with all the 12 notes and get some acquaintance with each one of them. So, it is desirable to make this drill of Saralees, Jantas, Datus and Alankaras with the 16 Shuddha-madhyama Melas and their corresponding 16 Prati-madhyama Melas in which Vivadi-notes are avoided.

Unless our music-teachers (-teasers) realize that it is not at all desirable to tax the aspirants with all the 3 degrees of speed right from the preliminary exercises the process of teaching can never be made easy and inspirative to the aspirant. Not only to make the music learning more inspirative to the aspirants but also to instill confidence into the aspirants the preliminary exercises should always be taught in terms of Jatis in rhythmical exercises but not in terms of notes. But, most unfortunately, many of the teachers themselves, having no required efficiency in Laya, cannot render them efficiently leave alone teaching them to the aspirants. Even though the ‘Maatra’ has clearly been defined in our great ‘Sangeeta Ratnakara’ of 13th century to render Chaturashra-jaati of 4-units in the duration a ‘second’ every musician is ready to define it in his/her own way and render it in his/her own speed. In such case we do not have the yardstick even to measure the musical-time properly leave alone the 3 degrees of speed to be taught to the poor aspirant while the Westerners have fixed time-measure in their music. amsharma

A professional speaks from his experiences.. That is the expertise. Sir, Sharmagaru, thanks a ton for your thoughts on the extent of importance to be given to
kaala or speed during the leaning years; especially at an young age.

I have listened to your way of teaching.. superb. I liked it. I have seen some clippings on you tube also.

I am very much interested in the CD made by you. Please let me know whether how I can get it.

prastutam nenu chennai lo unnaanu sir. so, ikkada dorakutunda? I would also like to meet you when I come to Hyderabad.
May I ?

with humble salutations.
Kalyani

[msakella]

Dear sister-member, kalyani9, Thank you for your sincere appreciation. In fact, the teacher’s role is highly responsible in shaping an aspirant independent in all aspects, of course, if at all the teacher feels it. Either the aspirants or their parents are unable to assess the standard of the teacher in the absence of a yardstick to do so. Taking their ignorance as a blessing in disguise most of the music-teachers are able to exploit them. If the aspirants or their parents start demanding their respective teachers to make the process of teaching ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ some of the able teachers, at the least, may justifiably teach their aspirants. Except such demand nothing stops them from this exploitation.
You can as well download my CD from http://sangeethamshare.org/chandra/AMS- "¦ hods-2007/. Ee CD chennailo koodaa dorukutundammaa. You can contact either Shri Kulkarni (M-9840162038) or Smt.Jayashreemohan (M-9941275945) to whom I have given a copy of this CD and request them to make a copy of it and give you. If not, even if you give me your residential address along with your phone numbers I shall send you a copy of it even by courier.
You can come to me whenever you come to Hyderabad. Even in the meantime you can speak to me by contacting my ID ‘msakella2002’ either on Yahoo Messenger or Skype.
With blessings and best wishes,
amsharma

[msakella]

Dear b/s-member, Vidya Raja, Pranams. Glad to know that you got the copy of my book ‘Sangeeta Svararaga Sudha’ along with the 10 pre-recorded cassettes and also my CD ‘AMS Easy Methods-2007’. The ‘A-side’ of the Cassette No.1 consists of some of the rhythmical exercises and Jati-mukthayis furnished in the first-Svara-part of the book and the ‘B-side’ of the 1st cassette and all the other 9 Nos. of cassettes contain the Alapana of 36 Ragas sung by me which are furnished along with symbolized notation in the second-Ragalapana-part of my book. The contents of my CD ‘AMS Easy Methods-2007 are entirely different even though some of the rhythmical exercises and some of the Jati-mukthayis of this book are also included in this CD from the tracks 124th to 176th. Now, the contents of the 10 cassettes have also been brought out in CDs recently @ Rs.100/-. If you want this CD also I shall send it by courier if you give me your residential address along with your phone numbers. You can also contact my ID ‘msakella2002’ either by Yahoo Messenger or Skype for any assistance. amsharma