"How long it take to sing well"?

Many people have this question, how much time it takes to sing good. This question is basically depend on your capability and efforts with calmness because music is a form of art it takes long even I spend 4-5 years to at least sing, but I have seen many singers who didn't learn they sing naturally from childhood and with growing age, they sing well with their mature voice. This happens due to ears concentration, every human being are different from others, each has their own ability and creativity. Some might be born naturally singing skills in grown-up age and humans like me learn through music classes available near. Music takes time to understand when you start to learn. 

                                                                     

                                                    

How much time it takes?

Many things include in the process of learning music, the journey is really long but if you focused seriously to achieve your goal it can take a short period of time. Some people are lucky to have a  musical family, the environment for music is in the family is much needed. The music you can learn in some months or a year, decide one thing that you want to learn, is it singing, playing any instrument or any DAW. Now it depends on you how you are approaching learning that skills. In singing especially many people sing but I m not talking just rough singing, I am a musician I know singing does not just go with the flow type thing. When somebody sings then the notation wants to be perfect with "lay" - "flow" with perfect lyrics not adding 2 lines of one paragraph and rest 2 lines from a different paragraph. Music is a very vast thing so decide what you want to be then it is better to achieve your goal in a certain time period. There are music classes in your city and music colleges also where you can learn music perfectly and you can learn music yourself too but it might get little hard chances of getting bored from it easily,

HOBBIES - PASSION

Music is your hobby or passion, you learn for yourself or want to do professionally is choice. But passion turns into the profession is a good choice. Music is a very personal thing because music takes many feelings and musicality. In music there are many things which we have to learn for performing best, lots of sections where music is been divided into like production, singing, composing, lyrics writing.you have to choose what you want to learn and do. Initial days or year with music is like hobbies what you are doing but depend on your decision that to take this at your profession. Each and everything has his own importance in music wheater it is singing composing or music production as well as lyrics. It is been saying that 

           SINGING - MUSIC - LYRICS

In the creative field, you have to very passionate about what you are doing. You can do many things at one time or a single thing at one time. Today if you want to do singing then you can learn instruments like guitar, keyboard, flute, etc. This will help you to better understand with the instrument, singing is never easy but if you sing and play an instrument together you feel it better. music is about everything which produces melodious sound and lyrics are also a part of a song it takes a lead in song to give a direction. lyricist job is very creative and hardworking because in lyric writing many things are involved like knowledge of flow in music, meter, length, imagination power,
music is a thing which is very vast in this world many people create some great music in the world but only a few musicians are there who are recognizable like  Michael Jackson and some others.
Singing - it can take you 8-9 month to sing well.

Practice - If you seriously want to do music/singing then practice daily. Alankar is the basic thing which you have to practice daily because from this only you can understand the sound of each and every note when they are together. Practice some songs whatever you like Hindi / English. Make you attention to the composition from starting till end becuase composition is main thing in music for which all sound are working or sounding to support the composition.

Start fast as you can, because intrest is very uncertain. Music can be learn by practices not by thinking about it.

" Alankar "for beginner to practice -Indian classical music

hello everyone, today i will tell you about some alankars. Basically the alankars are about beignning process which get continue becuase from this process only you can get better into signing or playing. So today article is helpful for singers and instrument player also.

Alankar

Alankaar, also referred to as palta or alankaram, is a concept in indian classical music and literally means "ornaments, decoration". An alankara is any pattern of music decoration a musicuan or vocalist creates within or across tones, based on ancient musical theries or driven by personal creative choices, in a progression of swaras. The alankara is standard in carnatic music, while the same concept is referred to as palta or alankara in Hindustani music.

Importance of Alankar

In India, Alankar or Alankara means ornaments or adornments. In the context of Indian classical music, the application of an alankar is essentially to embellish or enhance the inherent beauty of the genre. The earliest reference to the term Alankar has been found in Bharata’s Natyashastra written sometime between 200 BC and 200 AD. This treatise on dramaturgy mentions 33 types of Alankars. Subsequent musical treatises like Sharangdev’s Sangeet Ratnakar in the thirteenth century and Ahobal’s Sangeet Parijat in the seventeenth century mention 63 and 68 types of Alankars respectively.

In Indian music and especially in raga sangeet, staccato or straight isolated notes are almost unheard of. In instrumental music too, with the exception of some instruments, the notes are never static either. Each note has some link with its preceding or succeeding note. It is this extra note or grace note that lays the foundation of all alankars. The shrutis or microtones that are so important in raga sangeet demand this ‘mobile’ nature of the swaras in Indian music.

In the Shastras, a grace note has been referred to as alankarik swar. When a group or cluster of notes embellishes another swar, they form the alankarik pad. The alankars in practice today and those that have been earmarked for this page include both types.

The alankars in common use today comprise Meend (varieties of glides linking two or more notes), Kan (grace note), Sparsh and Krintan (both dealing with grace notes - especially as applied in plucked stringed instruments), Andolan (a slow oscillation between adjacent notes and shrutis), Gamak (heavy forceful oscillations between adjacent and distant notes), Kampit (an oscillation or a vibrato on a single note), Gitkari or Khatka (cluster of notes embellishing a single note), Zamzama (addition of notes, with sharp gamaks) and Murki (a swift and subtle taan-like movement).

A word of caution from our gurus, however : the definitions provided are widely accepted but not sacrosanct. Interpretations other than the ones given may also exist and like so much else in Raga Sangeet, definitions and illustrations may also vary from gharana to gharana. Alankars other than the ones featured may exist - we have selected those that are unique and comprehensible and commonly used by practicing musicians. And finally, our gurus advise that many of these alankars are raga and form-specific (to a khayal, thumri, instrumental music etc.) and their wrong or excessive application may mar an entire rendition or performance.

Various alankars

• I will tell you some important alankarkaars for beginner to practice.

1)     सा रे गा म प ध नी स |

                                         सा नि  ध प म गा रे सा |

2)     सा रे स रे ग, रे ग रे ग म, ग म ग म प, म प म प ध , प ध प ध नी, ध नी ध नी सां |
                                           सां नी सां नी ध, नी ध नी ध प, ध प ध प म, प म प म ग, म ग म ग रे, ग रे ग रे सा | 

3)    सा प, रे ध, ग नी, म सां,|
                                           सां म, नी ग, ध रे, प सा |

4)     सा रे ग, रे ग म, ग म प, म प ध,प ध नी, ध नी सां |
                                                                                 सां नी ध, नी ध प, ध प म, प म ग, म ग रे, ग रे सा |

5)     सा रे, सा रे ग म, रे ग, रे ग म प, ग म, ग म प ध,म प, म प ध नी, प ध, प ध नी सां | 

                                      सां नी, सां नी ध प, नी ध, नी ध प म, ध प, ध प म ग, प म , प म ग रे, म ग, म ग रे सा | 

This are some few alankar which you can practice, only remember commas which is very important.

• In music without alankaar you can't make your notes better and if your alankaar is better than when you sing any song it will sound better and you will understand better if you learnt the wave of any alankaar the whole song is made up of many alankaars. Keep practice it will help you to grow everytime.
• Music is about more over a practical thing because it is a performing art which you have to present theory is only a part to understand but once you read the theory its time to perform that theory which exist in the mind form of any sound.
• It never look easy when you start at first but slowly when you relax and ractice in few days some changes might be appear and things look better and curosity is the thing which people say it was already before we start but its not it come later or any specific thing what we do so wait develop interest and after than curosity will come automatically.

The factor which you might be missing is practice only the world is looking like repeating itself but its not they are practice same thing everyday to achive something better.

Alankaar is a piece of music from which music can be incomplete like an women without ornaments.moon without light.

Anybody want to sing better than now then practice these alankaar which i have written and use some keyboard, harmonium or any music instrument, pro singer use tanpura. Singers or any instrument player start with alankar. Alankar get advance on few area when we take some minor scale then the use of alankar is same but get hard if you havent practice that so keep or major scales or on all white buttons or given alankaar

Music degree and course

                               DEGREE AND DIPLOMA

• In Indian classical music, you can pursue some degree and certificate according to your preference.

1.  Ma-( master in arts)
2. Bpa- (bachelor of performing arts) - 4 years
3. Diploma     
4. Prathma - 2 years
5. Madhyma - 2 years
6. Vid - 2 years
7. kovid - 2 years
8.  Junior gitanjali - 1 year
9. Senior gitanjali - 2 year

This course is mainly

for vocals only I m not giving any information about kathak/dance and vadan/instrument - tabla, violin 

This course basically depends on what you are doing along with the music but once you decide what you have to do then just start because it will take time to learn perfectly.

• Music is a very vast thing you can't reach to end because there is no one in the world who complete every portion of music. Ustaad Tansen Ji said that "music is like the ocean and I am few drops of it".

• Anyone can learn music but this course helps you to learn music in a better manner because they make sure that raags are comfortable for students, wheater he/she is in the first year of music the easy raags and alkankar with easy taals are in course. In last the exam held which gives you confidence.

• Music is the field in today generation where you can find scope and make a career 

Here are some degrees and diplomas which can help to take a step towards your music career. Students can choose any of these degrees or diplomas. Students who have completed their 12th class or higher school studies can take admission into a degree and diploma. Degree cover 3 subjects, vocal and 2 instruments. in a degree, you have all kind of knowledge of vocal and rhythm

a diploma is an option for those type of student who wants to do a diploma in music with any degree. these diploma courses are for a specific subject like vocal or in any instrument. The diploma can have many things in detail if you see it because if you learn 3 raags of music in a year in diploma and the same 3 raags in 6 months of degree means per semester. Music is not about learning its more about performing but knowledge of music is important. alankar and practice are the main things in diploma and degree. It's a choice of students who want to learn within a degree or diploma. basically inside of it feels differently. In other music classes and the difference between a degree and diploma us that you get certificates and give exams. practical and theory are two sections in music degree and diploma, because of performing arts certification the main and focused is on practical. 

What is your aim in music?

If you want to learn music professionally through some music college degree or diploma it will be the best thing from where you can learn music correctly by professionals. But deciding your aim to learn your interest in music is on you. Is it singing or instrument playing. In singing or for vocals there are specific diploma courses which train you for vocals, same as with instruments, "vadan"

Vocal or Singing

The vocal is the subject of diploma course in which you learn about vocal techniques and classical raag in the perception of vocals. If you take part in this diploma course it will take the time of 6 years and it was completed as the name of "Visharad". The vocal is best in music because it is the pure form where the soul connects to music. The vocal is the main thing in music and its priority is more than instruments and dance forms. It is very cool singing because there are many things and emotions which you can't just speak to yourself or to others, through singing it is get easy to explain because through poetry and melody you can tell the much more story with emotions.

Scope in music

some of the people go with a degree in music, these type of people is serious about music and music career because with one degree you can't do any other degree courses so it is a very serious thing and diploma student is also serious but not much as degree students because diploma is the type of course in which you can do many diploma at one time and overlay with a degree also. Scope in music just depends on your knowledge because today in Bollywood or any other area where you want to establish your career there is lots of genius are already who is doing great music, so doing music at the level is a most important thing many of music students doing stuff like uploading music on youtube and at own level is not a hard thing. For getting in best levels many times of practice and knowledge. Importantly practice or practical thing which take you in next level because at one time you get bored of doing the same thing or any alankar then you find next thing to practice, and where your knowledge get in use how you know you practice that. In learning of music, many get bored easily because it is a long journey and every achievement 

The better musician is a journey of many experiences and knowledge what you achieve in all course or degree, or by the self-taught process. The main thing is to keep practice consistently and achieve something which takes you to a better level in music is comes from your passion and hard work. There is always a scope in music because it never fails if you have real potential knowledge and have will to go next door. Music can survive till earth get destroy because many conspiracies are there of the sound of silence and that know to be "om". There are many thing you will get aware by music and it is very good thing for human to balance the emotions because sometimes it is hard to express and it get worse as we seen in recent time of our country. Music can express many thing which you cant imagine through lyrics, sound of vocals, composition, music.

Indian classical music " swar " types

Indian classical music is great music when you heard it carefully and perform it.

Today we will understand the types of "swar" in classical music and in music also.

*  Types of "swar"

 Basically, there are three types of "swar" in Indian classical music. 

1) "Shudh swar"

2) " komal swar"

3)" Tiwra swar"

So these are the different types of swar.

 This swar are different from each other but basically, other two swar are originated from one swar which is an original note or "shudh swar" 

So the original seven notes 

" Sa re ga ma pa dha ni " called as an original note or "shudh swar".

So shudh swar is the original note 

2) "komal swar"

This swar is positioned back from original note like the note before the original "Ni" is komal "Ni". Komal swars are creating a different sound when it plays with whole notes or composition. 

3) "Tiwra swar"

This swar is positioned after the original notes like "Ma" is original note then the note after "Ma" And before "Pa" is known as komal "Ma". So notes after original notes are known to be komal swar.

Now many get doubts, is that possibility of having all swar's komal and tiwra. The answer is no 

Sudh swar is all seven notes which are original, but tiwra swar is only on one note which is "Ma" but there is no komal "Ma". Komal swar are of "re", "ga" , "dha", "ni". And " Sa", "pa" are notes which never have komal or tiwra .


The types of swar is very important to learn because when you learn to sing you write and understand what are swars or notes wheater you are performing in the instrument or vocal. once you understand and learn the basic swar sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, sa. The singer used to learn alankaar like a student learns the alphabet and then learn to write a sentence and then a paragraph and so on.

swars are important things because swar means different frequencies which create melodious sound if we see on a scale there are 12 notes but we use only a few notes according to sweetness and melodiousness. swars are the alphabet of music if you want to sing good you have good knowledge of swars. We can get too much into perfection of swars like we tune the guitar before we start to play, same with the vocals also you have to train and use vocals to get good and melodious.

The music is about to sing perform the play and enjoy, but only if they are really melodious, learning in music is very important and swars are the main thing to learn by ears and performing with vocal for singers. there are many scopes in music like singing for many music producers and composers. Indian music knows very fine when it comes to swar because any type of music in the world comes in Hindustani classical which changes according to different beat patterns and improvisation. The komal, Shudh, Tiwra swar is very basic once you getting into it you find to jump over another swar. Murkhi and gamak are the styles of singing notes which add more feeling in listening. this type of singing style is only possible when you have perfection in the basic swars, every singer performs and likes different things in classical music or in Bollywood music so there is a thing "kanth" swar which is mostly added into singing by composer or singer. Sometimes it is an effort by singers on melody to put their own creativity and knowledge to increase the sweetness of overall songs and we get more soother feeling from it by hearing.

In the different genre of music also there is the use of these swars because in music there is only some specific swars or notes so learning music is only a single step of learning any single thing, the main thing about the genre to change some rhythm and cutout or add few notes according to style. in music, there are two ways ascending and descending means aaroh and avroh. Basically, sa, re, ga, ma, pa, dha, ni, are ascending or aaroh and avroh is like SA, ni, dha, pa, ma, ga, re, sa. it is like descending order of notes in these orders you can easily feel in listening and performing. today in 2020 there are many kinds of music are there in Bollywood itself but the main thing in Bollywood is singing so if you want to be in Bollywood music then you have to understand and able to sing many types of the genre at least have an idea of singing like Arijit Singh have an of Arabic feel which helps him to perform songs like binte dil from padmavat movie. Music is like the ocean so there are many drops of music in the ocean of music you cant learn every drop but through ears, you can get many genre knowledge. Rock genre is also a very famous genre that has an impact on Bollywood music so the style of rock music also feels good to the soul because of expressing something harsh things of lyrics.

The swar is just the alphabet of music when you get in to strike perfect notes or swar it will help and sound melodious when you arrange these swars in composition. They are just filling the perfect feel when it gets the perfect notation. Get some inspiration from your favorite artist and try to sing with the song it will improve you but remember when the combination of correct flow, in beats and notations blend then it will be a called perfect singing. If you try singing without flow it will never sound great, the practice of singing is a thing which needs concentration more than practicing hard because if you know the sound of original notes in the head you easily try to reach that note.

Best wishes for your singing career enjoy music, I will keep guiding you through my blogs if you like my blogs comment down

"Saptak" in Indian classical music

"Saptak" is just a part of notes in which they are divided into. There are 3 types of saptak.

1) Mandra saptak 

2) Taar saptak 

3) Madhya saptak 

These 3types of saptak are only saptak in music. Basically, it is known to be a high octave lower octave and mid octave. Saptak known as an octave in music. It makes a very sensual difference between high -mid-low octave because different frequency for different notes, and according to that feeling starts to build up.

• The 1-2-3 octave is meant to be lower octave and 4 known as middle octave nd some times 5 also. But from 5-6 octave known as a higher octave.

• Octave starts from Note "C" to next "C" it should be taken as 1 octave.

Different singers have different capabilities to sing in octaves, some times there would singers like Jagjit Singh usually choose to perform in the lower scale, and in modern days its trend to sing higher octave. We see in different genres different use of pitch differs but sometimes it depends on singer or artist too. 

1.  Mandra saptak  - we can say that mandra saptak means lower octave in music. mandra saptak is lower than "madhya saptak" or middle octave. when we go down the sound-producing is heavier than normal, sound is heavily sounding and giving little intense feel because of its nature. The music and musicality are all about how melodious you can sound some group of notes. the mandra saptak in lower and intense but it is hard in singing for some of them because it needs good practice to perform them. The legendary artist likes Jagjit Singh known for their style of singing, musicians know very well that he used to create and sing their song more on range of mandra saptak to madhya saptak. Jagjit Singh was a melodious singer when he performs some magic happens because they exactly know what he is doing in that era, singers use to sing in higher octaves which were alike trend but Jagjit Singh comes with lower octave.
2. Madhya saptak - Middle octave is known as madhya saptak. The 4th octave known to be the middle octave. MIddle octave start from note c of 4th octave. The madhya saptak is as a common octave where we practice because it is very comfortable are where we easily reach on every note, once you understand and produce sound in middle octave or madhya saptak then it is easy to learn other octaves by practice. Madhya is basic to learn but help in learning, it is the octave from where a common human being produces sound when they speak.
3. Taar saptak - high octave or taar saptak is next octave from madhya saptak. As name taar saptak is a higher range note octave. The note sounds a little thin. singers in India, when they sing high notes it was better in some singer vocal texture, but when you see blues, jazz or western style singer of different countries their vocal texture get thin in high notes and octave, but there range in higher octaves are great. legendary classical singer "Begam Parween Sultana" she is an extraordinary singer, she was known for her singing in the higher octave, she uses to sing in higher octaves only. She has great capability to perform in a higher octave only because it is really hard to perform in a higher octave only.

• Saptak consists of many scales which create different atmosphere and feeling, musician and singer or composer use these different octaves in music, composition and through instrument according to need of a song. 

This concept in music is very useful in the making of any composition/track or in singing also. when you know the saptak you can prepare when you sing any songs because the mind gets alert that this is a high scale note and the next 5th note is a lower scale. In the end, the saptak is just a positioning of the same scale of notes which has different frequencies. So, these are the only saptaks in music or in Hindustani classical music.