As part of the Ekalavya project, I’ll try and upload as many sarod bandishes/gats that I know of. The first post in this category is Raga Kirwani. It’s a popular raag which has the notes: S R g M P d N S (Caps= Shuddha, lowercase = komal, Bold= Upper Octave, Italics= Lower octave). The reason it’s so popular is the melodious nature of the … Continue reading Raga Kirwani
Swept up by the magnificent sound of the instrument, inspired by maestros like Ustad Amjad Ali Khan and feeling elevated by thinking about the deep and rich history of the sarod, we finally get an instrument, a guru and begin to take our first steps. The first few days are spent in agony. The instrument sounds like someone’s scraping their nails against a blackboard and … Continue reading What they don’t tell you in most overseas sarod schools: The agony and ecstasy of “Palta Practice”
Some of the most frequently asked questions about the sarod relates to posture and holding the instrument: how do I sit with the instrument? Should I sit on the floor all the time? Where should I keep my arm? How should I place my nails on the fretboard? This post attempts to answer some of these questions. Firstly, sarod posture and finger positioning are all … Continue reading Sarod Sitting Posture, Finger Positioning and related topics
