7 Tips to Practice Hindustani Classical Music for Beginners

6th May, 2022

Indians are artistic people, and Hindustani classical music is proof of that. It is a fundamental part of the cultural spirit in India. The music style is not effortless, and you need years of practice to ace it. You should also practice Hindustani classical music at home, apart from attending classes. Some tips for beginners to practice Hindustani classical music are as follows:

Indian Classical Vocal Music for Beginners

1. Listen to Popular Artists

You should listen to famous Hindustani classical music artists to become good at it. Don’t just listen but feel the music to understand all the technicalities. You should try to point out the good things about the voice of every Hindustani classical music artist and include them in your voice. Their passion for the form of music should influence you to improve your techniques.

2. Focus on Your Scale

Scale is an essential factor to consider while training yourself as a Hindustani classical music artist. Before singing, you should decide the scale that works best for you. Sing at a scale where your voice finds great range both ways, including below “Sa” in kharaj and over “Sa” in taara. A scale from Lower Madhyam to Taara Madhyam is considered to have a good range.

3. Practice Palta or Alankar

A Hindustani classical singer should always focus on alankars for practice. Alankars mean ornaments, and they can add more grace to your singing. You should follow eight different speeds while focusing on alankars for practice. The different levels of alankaras will help you understand swaras better. The moment you develop a good understanding of alankars, you will be able to notice fast improvements in your singing. Don’t refrain from asking questions about alankars to your instructor.

Palta implies “turn arounds,” and it refers to the combination of musical notes to form patterns. Students are required to practice palta at different levels, from easy to complicated structures of note combinations and permutations. One should practice palta slowly and steadily while focusing on notes and how they are placed within a scale.

Sometimes you might face difficulty in memorizing one palta while singing. If that happens, you should take as much time as required to memorize it. Do not proceed with the next one as long as you haven’t confidently memorized one palta. One should also focus on maintaining a rhythm while practicing palta. You need to gradually increase the rhythm to gain better control of your voice.

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4. Develop a Specific Practice Routine

You should develop a particular practice routine to improve your Hindustani classical singing skills. Sticking to a routine helps you to stay consistent with your practice and ensures that you do not end up missing practices. Chalking out a schedule also helps you to balance your singing practice with other things in life.

The best time to do your riyaz or practice is the morning hours. While the morning hours are good for practicing kharaj, the evening hours should be utilized for practicing Taara. The duration of your practice is a personal choice. You can also ask your instructor for how long you should practice, and they will be able to give specific suggestions according to your need for improvement.

5. Concentrate on Personalized Vocal Training

Vocal training should never be ignored when you want to become a good Hindustani classical singer. But the vocal training techniques are never the same for all Hindustani classical singers. You should follow a customized plan for vocal training to ensure that adequate attention is provided to your plus points and shortcomings. Take suggestions from your instructor to understand how to manage the operations of your vocal cord. A personalized vocal training session can help in solving issues like nasal tones, singing off-pitch, and voice cracking.

6. Record Yourself While Singing

Hindustani classical singers should record themselves during the practice sessions. Listen to yourself later and see if you can identify your mistakes. It is also an easy way to track your progress after attending singing classes. You can also send the recordings to other classical musical experts and gain their insights into your voice.

7. Value the Importance of Breathing Exercises

Whether you want to learn Hindustani classical music or western music, breathing exercises are extremely helpful. They ensure that the right amount of air is passing through your vocal folds. Breathing exercises enable you to control your voice and improve your pitch to a great extent. While practicing the breathing exercises, you should also work on your posture.

Closing Thoughts

Becoming a Hindustani classical singer is not easy but getting trained at a good musical academy is the first step to success. Check out our site https://kafqa.com/ and learn from the best instructors.

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