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Searching for fresh inspiration? Looking to unlock the unique secrets of North Indian music? Intensify your sonic imagination with Hindustani raga lessons…

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Online • How I teach • Contact

Learn raga, whatever your musical background! I can teach you the fundamentals of Hindustani classical music – drawing on my study of sitar, santoor, guitar, and tabla, my Raga Index resources and musicology for Darbar, and my time as a disciple of Pt. Shivnath Mishra in Benares.

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• Raga basics (beginner’s course) •

• Raga for Western instrumentalists •

• Raga concepts for jazz musicians •

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Maybe you want to pick up a Hindustani instrument for the first time, or maybe you seek to imbue your jazz imagination with the idiosyncratic melodic ideas of raga – or perhaps you just want to get some informal advice on where to begin. Either way, get in touch to get started with raga…

• Online Raga Lessons •

Today, learning raga online is far more effective – and enjoyable – than ever. Recent tech advances have made the experience clearer, more reliable, and more human than even just a few years ago. Try it!

• Tech-optimised setup: for Zoom, Skype, FaceTime, WhatsApp, etc (HD camera, mic, external soundcard, fast internet)
• Easy scheduling: Flexible with days, timezones, and desired regularity (and you can WhatsApp me with questions anytime)
• Personalised resources: Includes a private ‘learning zone’ on this site, with notes & multimedia demos (click to enlarge):

• Raga basics: beginner’s course •

A tailored set of lessons covering the core foundations of Hindustani classical music, designed for those early in their raga journey. This will give a broader and more accelerated understanding of raga basics than traditional instruction, and can supplement ongoing instrumental training. Suitable for players of all instruments:

• Melodic fundamentals: e.g. aroha/avroh, pakad/chalan, swara hierarchies, alap-jor-jhalla, gats
• Essential ragas: e.g. Yaman, Bhupali, Jog, Malkauns, Bageshri, Darbari, Todi, Malhars
• Hindustani rhythm: detailed exercises for all core talas (tintal, ektal, jhaptal, rupak, etc)
• Idiosyncratic concepts: e.g. alankar ornaments, raganga families, thaat scales, murchana, tihai
• Musical context: all interwoven with vital info from raga history, mythology, evolution, etc

For more advanced students: don’t hesitate to contact me for bespoke sessions on topics such as rare ragas, sruti tunings, and experimental methods of swara analysis (e.g. see Glossary entries for ‘detached’, ‘maximal’, ‘atritonal’, ‘palindromic’, & ‘self-shadowing’) – as well as anything related to the santoor, sitar, or tabla.

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—Get in touch!—

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(Ragmalas: historic miniature paintings depicting the sentiments of ragas)

• Raga for Western instrumentalists •

Looking to absorb raga ideas into your existing instrumental practice? Sign up for a short-course of lessons, tailored to your specific instrument and sonic aims – in the past I’ve taught this course to guitarists, bassists, singers, horn players, and more. Includes fully-scored examples for all lesson content, covering topics such as:

• Melodic ornaments: replicate raga’s intricate slides, glides, bends, and vibratos
• Rhythm cycles: expand your arsenal of odd-time grooves (& learn bol syllables)
• Strange scales: oddball sequences & how raga musicians make the most of them

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—Get in touch!—

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• Raga for jazz musicians •

Jazz and Hindustani raga are probably the world’s foremost traditions of melodic improvisation. Go deeper into the music which has captivated countless jazzers over the past half-century: John & Alice Coltrane, John McLaughlin, Miles Davis, and many more. I draw on my parallel experience as a jazz guitarist to bridge these worlds coherently – tailoring all lessons to your specific aims:

• Raga harmonisation: gain new perspectives on chords and their functions
• Syllabic grooves: supercharge your rhythmic understanding with tala & bol
• Unique scales: humanise your harmonic vocab with unique chord-scale matches
• Modal jazz-raga: create your own modal flavours in the manner of Trane et al

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—Get in touch!—

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• Ethos: How I teach •

As a lifelong sonic learner, teaching is a natural passion. I love helping others find joy in the sounds that have given me so much: and firmly believe that ‘talent’ mostly equates to ‘enjoying the feeling of improvement’: after all, if learning energises you, nothing is a struggle. My own approach is based around the ear-led methods of the Hindustani gurukul, as imparted to me by my guru-ji Pandit Shivnath Mishra, as well as drawing on my background as a professional guitarist. We learn best when we love what we do – so the process should be:

• Empowering: Attitude outweighs talent – I aim to ‘teach you to teach yourself’ in a collaborative, fun environment
• Personalised: We’ll focus on your goals, and cover new concepts too – helping you take charge of your musical path
• Efficient: Every student can feel exhilarated by the sheer pace of progress – we‘ll unlock the methods that work best

I draw on my own broad experiences as a performer and musicologist, as well as having access to a fantastic network of top-tier raga artists – my mission is to spread the joys of musical learning as best I can. Here are a few core ‘guiding principles’:

• Train the ear: this gives you the ‘toolbox’ to teach yourself any style
• Listen widely: feed the brain with quality, variety, and new sounds
• ‘Sing inside’ as you play: music is about emotions, not muscles
• Experiment freely: constantly create your own melodic patterns
• Enjoy it: if you find joy in improvement, mastery is no struggle…

—Raga Experience—

I’ve spent the past decade-plus immersed into a varied spread of raga activities, both as a student and teacher:

• Sitar & tabla in Benares: as a disciple of Pt. Shivnath Mishra
• Hindustani Raga Index: my compendium of the ragascape
• Musicologist for Darbar: see my Living Traditions collection
• Raga demos & workshops: demystifying sitar, santoor, & tabla
• ‘World of Tuning’ research: my project on guitar tunings

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