Learn Violin or Mridangam at around 40 yrs of age?

[arasi]

pATTiRku nIrAm rasanai--
adillAdu paTTup pOgumAm PATTum...

Appreciation is like water unto a plant--
Without which music will wither...

[vganesh]

Dear GArumugam,

There is no specific learning curve. I have been playing for last two years weekly two classes. My Guruji is a disciple of Shri Guruvayoor Dorai. Very focused and chides you if you are not attending the classes (whether you are in Class I or 43 years old ; same treatment). Everyday practice is must. It was 30 minutes previously. Now he says to play the whole lessons taught which runs in quite long. He encourages practice more than 1 hour which is too much as after office hours you are dead like a log.You are out roughly 14 hours( inclusive of 3 hrs traveling in Mumbai)

He directly focus on performing on stage as a group and says it would take about 7 to 10 years to reach a level where in you can have some command. He already taught us a few regular Nadai, Korvai etc., which is generally played by vidhwans on the stage during Thani. So I am able decipher few micro portions of Thani when vidhawans play. The other advise is keep listening more and more and when ever you are free keep repeating the lesson with in yourself.

End of the day just do not worry. Join the class and start practice. Keep listening. There is no end to learn and there is no learning curve (on a lighter side). This is the very reason we need to put children at tender age so that they are flexible, can sit continuously for long hours, there are no mental blocks and they listen to masters more rapt than us. I have not learned anything formal till I joined this class.

[Garumugam]

Thanks Vganesh and other. All the inputs are really valuable.
And my special wishes to Vganesh for his strong determination for learning at the later age. That too being in Mubai with busy schedule and stressful travel in the heavy traffic.

Last 3 weeks I spent very intensly with one CD(Learning mrindangam) and lot of reading material.
Now by Theory I know
Talangas,Nadai,Jaati, Kanakku,Kala, Akshara,Matharai,variuos Yatis and a bit in talaprastara. I got some concepts clarified with J.Balaji Sir as well. I am struggling with Korvai when I study Utranga table and purvanga table from JB.

And I am eagerly waiting for the book "korvai made easy " from one of my friend coming from India.

I have been reading for the last 3 weeks.....and going mad nowadays.I will continue as far as I can grasp.

I have been listening music attentively from my 10yrs; Inspired by Dr.Balamurlaikrishna.

Once again thanks to all for the inputs.
G Arumugam

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, garumugam, My relation with music started from my age of 3 as a Mridangist without learning anything from anybody but observing the play of my father and many other Mridangists. I have also followed my father’s teaching of music along with his play of harmonium to some of the students. From my 8th year, even without learning anything, I have started singing all those lessons and also started playing harmonium too. Until then I hardly attended the general school but learnt reading and writing my mother tongue, Telugu along with English from my father who knows very little of English. In fact, he himself started learning English to, in turn, teach me later. At my 10th year, after giving me some training, my father compelled me to appear for the 7th-standard-examination and, somehow, made me passed with his influence as a renowned Astrologer and Ayurvedic Doctor. Thus, I was induced into 8th standard direct and with his influence passed 8th, 9th & 10th standards but successfully failed twice in the SSLC Examinations in 1951 & 52, being a public examination where influence will not work much. Later, studied Elementary-grade-teacher-training-course for two years, 1953 to 55 and successfully failed that also.
Later, in my 17th year, in 1955, on one day, on my request, my father, being also a Violinist, has shown me how to play the Violin and immediately I have successfully played the notes of Udayaravichandrika-raga then and there. Thus, I have started learning Violin from my father for 3 or 4 months, another 3 months from Shri P.P.Somayajulu (my boyhood friend and a Diploma holder in Violin) at the end of which I have appeared for the Lower-grade examination in Violin and, most surprisingly, passed the examination with distinction in Practicals and First-class in Theory (the first examination I have ever passed on my own as a lifetime-achievement), another 6 months again from Shri Somayajulu at the end of which I have appeared for the Higher-grade-examination and, again surprisingly, passed with distinction in Practicals and first class in Theory, and learnt for 3 months in the Maharajah Govt. College of Music & Dance, Vizianagaram as a private student after 1 year of which I have appeared for the Diploma-examination and, again surprisingly, passed this also 1959. Then, having listened to the radio programmes of the Violin Maestro Shri M.S.Gopalakrishnan, I came under his influence and started practicing his style of music but not his finger-techniques as I have not seen him play in person. In 1960 I happened to see his finger-techniques in one of his concerts and started practicing them very heavily and regularly. In 1961 I have appeared for an interview and successfully got the appointment as Lecturer-in-Violin in the Govt. College of Music Dance, Hyderabad. Till then, all my teachers taught me what they know but they did not tap my talents out or teach me what I need. From 1964 to 65 when I have worked in the Govt. College of Music & Dance, Vijayawada came under the influence of the music veteran Shri Nedunuri Krishna Murthy who had worked as the Principal. Irrespective of the place or time or his state he has always been used to sing and that only, as a boon, helped me quite a lot to listen to his music, practice and imbibe the true qualities of our Karnataka-music. Almost for the first 12 or 15 years of my service I was teaching my students what I know by which mostly impotent students are produced. Later on, only by introspection and self-analisation of my teaching-methods I could improve my teaching abilities gradually by which production of potent students has been started. Thus I retired from my service in 1996.

To tell the truth, having become retired, from then only the true introspection into the teaching methods, in general, had started and I have many experiments upon many students of Vocal or Violin. In this process I have found very successful results and unlike any other music-teacher on the globe, now, basing upon certain easy and short-cut methods, I am able to tap the talents of any aspirant and made this music-teaching time-bound and result oriented as I have taken this as a passion and mission. But, as this is not a traditional method of teaching and more over they too have to work hard to acquire some special knowledge in this connection, people are unable to work hard or believe or implement them as their main aim is only on earning money. Always the dependent-aspirants only remain with the teacher indefinitely learning from him and paying him the money. As I never charge my students any thing I always try to make them independent in all aspects. The learner of cycling should only be made cycling and the teacher should only catch hold of the cycle not to let him fall down. The learner learns the true balancing of the cycle only when the teacher leaves the cycle and lets the learner learn the balancing on his own. If the teacher himself cycles letting the learner sit behind on the cycle the learner will never learn cycling in his lifetime. The same thing applies to any kind of teaching or learning. I may look meticulous in certain points but I am highly successful in cutting this hard nut of music-teaching.

But, unlike Violin, Mridangam could be learnt even at a later age. amsharma.

[ganesh_mourthy]

pATTiRku nIrAm rasanai--
adillAdu paTTup pOgumAm PATTum...

Appreciation is like water unto a plant--
Without which music will wither...

well put arasi. Alas no one understands this nowadays. People want great musicians but fail to understand that without quality rasikas quality music cannot survive. Nurturing talents is one thing but quality listeners should accrue too.

[Garumugam]

Thanks a lot Sharma Ji for sparing your time and thoughts over this.

when the cricket legend Sachin plays; I can understand and enjoy! clap!

When the tennis legend Petesampros plays: I can understand and enjoy! clap!

But when I sit in a music concert; I can enjoy! clap!! but I am an illitrate!

It is absolutely like watching Vishwanathan Anand or Garry Kasparov playing chess!!!

Cherrs
G Arumugam

[Garumugam]

Just a thought
---------------------
There are 3 groups in the audience for any carnatic concert:

1. Carnatic music performers.
2. The Listeners with knowledge(Music teacher, Another performer and anyone with knowledge)
3. Listeners without knowledge.(like me)

If the numbers in 3rd group is decreased!!!! Wow I cant imagine! then every carnatic music cocert will be in a big stadium not in auditorium. But how? it is a billion dollar question??

Bye for now,
G Arumugam

[arasi]

The third group you speak of is really part of the second! If you are there, it means you like to be there where there is music--which makes you a rasikA. rasikAs come at different levels. Knowledge helps. Yet, as listening to music becomes a habit, your knowledge grows too-- you don't have to go about it in the way of preparing for an examination!
Being a rasikA is a pleasure. All it means is that you 'enjoy' music. As in an exam where you need to know your subject well in order to answer the questions set in the paper, you don't need to know all the rAgAs that are sung, to know the janya and janaka rAgAs and the intricacies of tALAs.
If there were restrictions about letting in a lay rasikA into the concert hall, I would not have attended so many concerts in my life!
The only criterion is that you are able to enjoy the music. If there are musical snobs in your circle of friends, avoid sitting next to them!

[ragam-talam]

Rarumugam:

Watch this video (a favorite of mine), and hopefully it will give you a more positive perspective: http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/benj ... ssion.html

As Benjamin Zander says, there's no-one who is musically illiterate!

[arasi]

ragam-talam,
Super stuff! It says it all! Thanks!

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, garumudam, Becoming ready to learn music entirely differs with listening to music. In learning music there is a responsible involvement of both the teacher and student and in listening to music there will not be any responsibility of either the listener or singer. Anybody of them can do as he likes in a music concert. In teaching, I feel, that while the teacher’s responsibility is more than 85% the student’s responsibility is less than 15%. Unless the teacher feels that kind of responsibility he cannot shape a student in a proper manner. Particularly in our Classical Karnataka music the depth of knowledge is much deeper in which the responsibility of the teacher makes him always vigilant upon his student not to let him commit even a single mistake which ultimately leads to his disaster. In fact, who cannot successfully render the 127th and 131st exercises of my ‘AMS Easy Methods-2007’ both in the medium and slow tempi is not at all fit to be a teacher or a performer. In general, always and everywhere the ‘in-efficients’ want every kind of exceptions or amendments or reservations to safe-guard their ‘in-efficiencies’. Thus, unless the ‘brilliants’ work hard to maintain the standards mostly the ‘in-efficients’ who are far more in number always contribute their might only to deteriorate the standards in the society. That’s why one must be very careful in selecting his teacher irrespective of his own age.
I feel, a person, though illiterate, enjoys music well than in watching a chess-match.
amsharma.

[sagars]

Hello Every body. Very interesting topic. Since I statrted learning music when touching 50, I would like to share my experiece. All the posts are quiet encouraging. I have been learning CM in key board from 2001. My classes got often disturbed due to frequent transfers. I got the inspiration from a grandson of my sister aged 7/8 years playing th e key board. Started learning in Hyd then shifted to Bangalore Chennai and now in Delhi. Though I had no problems in finding a CM teacher in Hyd and Bangalore it took sometime to find a carnatic teacher for key board in chennai,as I heard the usual stuff, Oh keyboard no ghamakas, mottai swarams etc.,. Though I finaaly managed get into Sashikiran's Carnatica and found a teacher there. But In delhi I have to depend on Internet teaching.

But the most importanat thing as pointed out by others is the practice and not the age. Every teacher says that you need to practice atleast 3/4 hours daily. After atttending to office work if you can practice 4/5 hours per week it is great. so the the progress is bound to be slow. Further with the age not on your side you definetley take longer to grasp thing than the youngsters. Wherever I attended the classes I had the privelage of being the oldest student, sometimes older than the teacher himself.
Furhter one discouraging aspect is that when you fail to practice and donot play lessons taught in previous classes correctly not withstanding your age the teachers clearly show their faces/disappointment and you get upset. In such cases the teacher in Banglore mercilessly used to ask me to practice the previous lessons in the class instead of going forward. When you return home the people at home can easily makeout from your face that you had a bad classs and start teasing you. If your sense of humour is high you enjoy all these!!!!.

Apart from all these the positive side is that if you have an interest in CM by systematically learning CM you get a solid base and enjoy any music better. In my 7 years of learning I have learnt to play apart from basics about 9 varnams and about 25 keerthanas apart from few thukkadas. But when I have free tiem I play my favourite songs and it is a good way of unwinding the pressure.

I am also eager to increase my level to make a stage performance one day. I will never give up learning and God willing and encouraging words from fellow rasikas, one day I will reach that height, though I know that the kind of practice it requires I will be able to do that only after retirement.

My regret to this day is that in spite of learning for 7 years I am yet to acquire swaragnana. I think more of practice would help the cause.

[arasi]

Sagars,
Nice to hear from you. Individual experiences add more weight than generalities in a discussion.
Good luck and fun in your learning!

[vasanthakokilam]

But when I have free tiem I play my favourite songs and it is a good way of unwinding the pressure.

That is one of the biggest and main motivations for learning.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, sagars, As once told by the Violin Maestro Shri M.S.Gopalakrishnan himself 'knowledgeable practice' only helps you more at any age and stage than routine practice. amsharma.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, sagars, Even with a long experience if I tell some facts about the teaching and learning music people are ready to mistake me that I always try to tell some thing or other only to discourage people. But, irrespective of their views, I, as an elderly person, feel it as my duty to bring out the facts and do the same always.
In the last paragraph of your post you yourself wrote that in spite of learning for 7 years you have yet to acquire Svarajnana. There lies the importance of Manodharma Sangita than simply playing a number of Varnas or Keerthanas. There are thousands of music(magic)-teachers readily available everywhere on the globe who go on teaching as many Varnas or Keerthanas as they can but cannot give the knowledge to play Svarakalpana or Ragalapana just like a cook who goes on cooking anything you want to eat but never teach you how to cook something. The ability to sing or play either Svarakalpana or Ragalapana should always be taught through the vigilant and proper teaching of Varnas and Keerthanas only. Even at the end of learning 9 Varnas and 25 Keerthanas if you are unable to play Svarakalpana, leave alone Ragalapana, does this not obviously prove the defective plan of teaching music? Even though the same thing has been happening since many years all over the globe people are not ready to realize but put the blemish upon the truth-speaking people like me. Unless the aspirants and the parents realize and demand for the time-bound and resulted oriented teaching of music from these music(magic)-teachers nobody can put an end to their treacherous activity. amsharma

[Garumugam]

Hi ALL,

Excellent contributions from each one in expressing their view. My sincere and special tons of thanks for sparing your time on the same.
Wishing Vinayrahul many many happy returns of the day and good luck.

Best regards
G Arumugam

[rbharath]

correct me if i am wrong.
i distinctly remember my guru, making a comment that "Age is never an issue to learn music as long as you have the drive." She often says that Patnam Subramaniya Iyer started formal music lessons only in his late 30s and i dont think we have any standing to comment on him and his compositions.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, rb bharath, Not being an elderly music-teacher, you are not at all wrong my dear. There may be some exceptional relaxation in respect of a very few highly talented candidates only, that too vocalists as there will never be any involvement of finger-techniques or investment of nervous strain in it. As far as the singing is in Shruti and Laya is also reasonable Vocal is the easiest to learn. If the limbs are fair enough and the rhythmical sense is also high enough, learning the rhythmical instruments is still easier than vocal. Learning the harmonium-play is the easiest one among all as there is no scope of playing off-shruti unless the player commits a mistake. Among the learning of instrumental-music wind and stringed instruments are more difficult. Even among the stringed instruments learning the Violin and Sarangi is more difficult than any other instrument as they always have to dance to others music as accompanists.
While learning music both the processes of learning and practicing of music of more than 75% must become over even before 15 yrs. of age just like learning of Vedas and ‘abacus’ even before 12 years of age.. Then only the aspirant can make a mark in the field. Just like some gents who are ready to marry even at the age of 90 years everybody is highly interested in learning music irrespective of his age. More over, adding fule to the fire, no music(magic)-teacher ever refuses to teach any aspirant irrespective of his/her instinctive talents of Shruti and Laya lest he looses his earning. Teaching a number of preliminary exercises or Gitas or Svarajatis or Varnas or Kritis etc., etc., to the aspirants and making them participate in some music competitions or radio programmes or TV programmes is far easier than teaching Svarakalpana or Ragalapana. That is why almost all the music(magic)-teachers are mostly interested in teaching quantitative items only than qualitative items. Not only age counts while getting into Svarakalpana or Ragalapana of Manodharma-sangita but also all these music(magic)-teachers, being unaware of any easy methods in teaching Svarakalpana and Ragalapana, always think that Manodharma-sangita must only be acquired by the aspirants themselves but not be taught. They will never teach their aspirants even in which way they can learn the required composition on their own. Still many of the music(magic)-teachers bluntly refuse to give notation to their students leave alone any pre-recorded music along with the same notatioin. That is the pity.
Of course, if there is any evidence of any pre-recorded music of any candidate like in respect of Sharabhanandana-tala of Shyama Shastry we can make a comment or otherwise. amsharma

[sagars]

Thanks Arasiji,Vasanthakokilamji and Sharmaji for all the encouraging words.
Sorry for the delay in the response which is due to a tight schedule in the office.

I think we should thank G Arumugam for initiating this topics, which has resulted in valuable inputs to learners.

Now one thing is clear. Only practice can make you perfect and the tools suggested by Sharmaji will only speedup the process.

Sharmaji I had talked in you in May/June 2004 when I was posted to Hyd. You were to go to Bangalore. However after 15 days I was suddenly shifted to Chennai. Otherwise I would have been lucky to be your student now for 4 years.

As mentioned Rbharath I think if you have drive and the time you can achieve things.

VinayRahul is the example for success through dedicated hard work. All the best to him.

Shrmaji Can I have your email id pl.


Thanks and

regards.

[msakella]

Dear brother-member, sagars, My email ID is ‘msakella2002@yahoo.co.in’ and my ID is ‘msakella2002’ either on Yahoo Messenger or Skype to talk to me. If possible I prefer to speak either on Yahoo Messenger or Skype than chatting. In general, I shall remain online around 8 am or pm on all days to be accessible to any aspirant. amsharma

[siva_vilangudi]

I am Vilangudi V.Sivakumar Mridagam Artiste and i run an instute for art of learning Percussion in the name style "guruguhalaya. Conducting Mridangam classes directly and via internet. Age is not critera.But should have interest to learn. I prefer Mridangam instead violin. It is not bacause i am Mrigangam artiste i am telling violin is not easy learn and complete with in 5 to 6 years but it for in mridangam. For any thing you should have time to practice daily.For reference pl visit www.guruguhalaya.weebly.com

[siva_vilangudi]

I am Vilangudi V.Sivakumar Mridagam Artiste and i run an institute for art of learning Percussion in the name style "guruguhalaya. Conducting Mridangam classes directly and via internet. Age is not criteria.But should have interest to learn. I prefer Mridangam instead violin. It is not bacause i am Mrigangam artiste i am telling violin is not easy to learn and complete within 5 to 6 years but it for in mridangam. For any thing you should have time to practice daily.For reference pl visit http://www.guruguhalaya.weebly.com

[srinivasanmail]

I an a new comer to this site. I just saw someone raising a question on learning violin or mridhangam after 40 yrs age.

I am a Mridhangam player living in Los Angeles area and have been teaching mridhangam for the past 25 years. One of my students is 40+
and has grasped the subject very well and also plays well.

Teaching the art to 40+ must involve careful methods of communication. For children you can be real pushy. But for adults a little bit of psychology is needed.

Examples of 40+ learning

In the 1970s the mridhangam maestro Palghat Mani Iyer had a desciple Sri Nerur Vishvanatha Sharma (40+) from the Nerur village in Namkkal Taluk in Salem District. In Fact PMI has taught many above 40

In recent years, Umayalpuram Sivaraman taught a person 70+ at the Chennai Music Academy School

Thank you!

[Ramamoorthy]

Hi, Pranamam to Elders and Gurus.

Was searching something in internet and this topic came up. This thread is dead for a while, but I couldn't help post my experience. I request the seniors to forgive me, if you find my write up blasphemous.

But I am compelled to write, because I am sure, there are many who have the same thoughts as I have on music. Most who are in the verge of midlife crisis with ‘music-virus’ haunting them or even a casual listener might find this useful.

Background:
I was born and brought up in an Agraharam which reverberated with Carnatic music, yet I chose to stay away till adulthood. Chance listening to good music some 20 years ago and everything about my childhood came back to me with a bang. I was hooked and wanted to learn, vocal or an instrument. Again mundane life took me elsewhere. But I was fortunate to listen to carnatic music all along. In Oct 2012, my friend and colleague gave me her son’s old violin and told me to learn. I summed up courage and joined a school where my classmates were of my son’s age. After couple of months I stopped. A chance transfer to Calicut in June 2013 and an accidental introduction, I found a divine guru in Shri. Vijayan who is a brilliant violinist as well as a vocalist. I have been learning from him from June 2013 till June 2016, when I shifted back to Cochin. After fiddling around, I am now learning from a Guru in Ernakuam.

Here is what I found about myself:
Classes for young children and for adults should be different. For young students it’s easy with their fingers and they can easily make out varisais in fourth speed whereas adults will find it tough to make even ‘sa-ri-ga-ma’ to third or even second speed. My old classmates were small kids and I found it difficult to follow them. My first guru in Cochin was adamant that I be able to make out sa-ri-ga-ma to fourth speed before starting Sarali Varisai. I found that either bowing will be good or left hand finger placement; never both at the same time. My interest faded and I stopped after couple of months of torturing my neighbors.

In Calicut, most of my classmates were adults; all started as adults. Classes once a week. My guru starts next lesson, when I am able to finish the current lesson by at least 50%. So if I could achieve one sarali varisai in second speed, he introduced me to next varisai. By the time I finish this lesson by 50%, or second speed, I am able to produce the first lesson by third speed. I could play in Fourth speed in Sarali Varisai only after completing Janda Varisai.

Most of the adult students stop playing at Janda varisai or Thara Sthayi Varisai. These are, in my opinion, the most difficult of all structured lessons. My Guru knew this and he was a bit easy with Janda varisai as well as Vakrajanda and troublesome Datu varisais. I somehow managed to complete it at that time. But now, it appears immensely easier. Many a times, the urge to throw away the violin gripped me; but somehow I survived. I keep the violin in bed. Full credits to my wife, without uttering a word, will move it from the bed in night and tolerating the industrial sounds I made during the initial months. Practice for at least an hour daily is a must and I followed it up till geetham. During Swarajathi the practice increased by one and half hours daily. While studying Varnam, I practiced three hours daily, divided equally in the morning and evening with more time on Saturdays and Sundays.

In the three years I was in Caliut, I learned 10 adi thala varnams and 12 keerthanams, though half the keerthaams were learned for the sake of it, as I know my time with my Guru is going to end. After a month's rest and aimless practice, I started learning from another Guru in Cochin. This time, I went back to Varnams. I am trying to refresh what I have learned so far.

I have no dreams of performing a Kucheri. No exam to pass. No one to impress, except myself. I know my limitations. My bowing and thalam keeping are far from satisfactory. I have only one speed. It's neither first or second, but somewhere in between. Despite my attempts, I can't slow down, and that affects my bowing. i can't keep the thalam, though I tend to fairly keep a constant speed. May be it will take 10 more years before I reach a level wherein my guru would be comfortable to have me as accompanist.

So here is the sum up, to those who think like what I thought years ago about learning as adult.

1. Forget the shame and find out a good guru. Learn in all earnest. Think that this is the last thing you do in life. Start with minimum one hour practice daily and slowly increase as you progress. Fingers will not obey our command at first. It will not make the ‘square shape’. It will be difficult to find ma after sa-ni-da-pa during descent. The thumb will move instead of being fixed in one position. But don’t bother. As your lessons progress, you’ll find fingers keeping the correct shape and in correct position.

2. Start with an old violin; if possible, there are numerous ads in OLX from those who stopped midway. Also, get a tuner. Even an android tuner like gStrings will do. Check the tuning once in a while. Maintain one pitch for Sa. I tune sa to “D”. Quality of finger placements improves during Sarali varisai, if the violin is tuned at the same pitch all the time. After janda varisai, it is easy to tune all strings without the help of tuner, once “A” string is tuned correctly.

3. The little finger is a tricky. Even now am not fully using little finger to find Pa in “A” string. I manage with middle finger. After starting varnam, I started all varisais and alankaras with little finger Pa and I find it easier. Bowing with full bow is another headache. My guru is absolutely not at all happy with my bowing. I am persisting as best as I can.

4. Resist the urge to stop during janda varisai. I know saying this is easy. But resist the temptation. I am sure that once you listen to yourself playing ‘Vara veena’, you’ll never stop playing. Beg your guru to go a bit easy. My guru in Calicut Shri. Vijayan should get Nobel Prize for patience, for tolerating students like me.

5. After janda varisai, the urge to stop will come back during difficult Geethams. I struggled with my bowing while playing ‘Re Re Sri Ramachandra in Arabhi and during Swarajathi; especially Kamas. Never even think about Syama Shastri Swarajathis. The struggle to find upper-Pa was successful only after Hamsadwani varnam anupallavi. The Kamboji geetham sounds exceedingly refreshing after Kamboji Ata Thala Varnam.

6. Again the next time the urge to stop come back while attempting gamakam while playing varnam. My guru was insistent that Gamakam should be introduced only during Varnam. Resist the urge to ‘experiment’ during geetham and swarajathi. For Sruthi-sudham, plain notes during varisai, alankaras, geetham and swarajathi are must. I still remember the thrill when I successfully attempted “sa-ri-ga-pa-ga-ri-sa-ri” in Mohanavarnam in single bow with gamakam after three hours of continuous practice and it sounded wonderful (to me).

7. Listen to Carnatic music, especially veena. My Sankarabharanam varnam has just started to sound like Sankarabharanam, after two years of learning Varnam. Listening to music has immensely helped me in learning fast.

8. Explore as you go up. Playing Chathusruthi Dha in A-String became a habit after Vasantha Varnam and it was thrilling when my fingers traced Ni in A-String attempting pa-ma-ga-ni in Kalyani varnam anupallavi.

So fiddle away. There are no one to stop you, but yourself.

[Nick H]

A wonderful post, which I am sure will give hope to others

[TheListener]

Nick,

Just curious. Is your Mridangam teacher at BVB Sri Madurai K.Rangarajan?

[Nick H]

No... Sri M Balachandar.

[ganesh_mourthy]

So fiddle away. There are no one to stop you, but yourself.

This can become a famous quote in the future doing its rounds in the webspace.

[S.NAGESWARAN]

DEAR RASIKAS,
AFTER LISTENING TO THE CARNATIC MUSIC AT THE AGE OF 20, WITH LIKE MINDED FRIENDS, I WAS ALSO TEMPTED TO LEARNING CARNATIC AND JIONED A MUSIC SCHOOL.
I WAS ALSO FELT EMBRASSED TO BE WITH STUDENTS IN THE IN THE AGE GROUP OF 5 TO 10 YEARS OF AGE
AND DISCONTINUED LEARNING CM PROPERLY.

BUT THIS HAD MOTIVATED ME TO IMPART MUSIC TO MY CHILDREN AT THE YOUNG AGE.

MY ELDEST SON KARTHIK LEARNED TO PLAY VIOLIN AND MY DAUGHTER AND SECOND SON ANAND VOCAL
MUSIC TILL THEY WERE ABLE TO LISTEN TO MY ADVICE.
THEY REFUSED TO LEARN FURTHER AFTER 3 YEARS.

BUT ONCE THEY GOT MARRIED AND HAD CHILDREN,
THEY ALSO WANTED TO IMPART MUSIC TO THEIR CHILDREN LIKE ANY FATHER WOULD DO.

NOW YOU ALSO KNOW THAT MY GRAND DAUGHTER
SRINIDHI IS A GOOD SINGER ( COURTESY SRI SHARMAJI) AND MY GRAND DAUGHTERS SRUTHI AND
HARSHA LEARNING MUSIC FOR THE PAST 2 YEARS.

ONCE YOU START LISTENING TO CARNATIC MUSIC,
YOU ARE ADDICTED AND THE THE HAPPINESS AND PEASE OF MIND YOU FEEL WILL SUSTAIN TO THE WHOLE OF YOUR LIFE.

S.NAGESWARAN.
07.09
2016.

[ganesh_mourthy]

Hello Thelistener , I will write more of my experience similar to you while I was in my 20's.. watch this space.

[Ramamoorthy]

In the three years I was in Calicut, I learned 10 adi thala varnams and 12 keerthanams, though half the keerthaams were learned for the sake of it, as I know my time with my Guru is going to end. After a month's rest and aimless practice, I started learning from another Guru in Cochin. This time, I went back to Varnams. I am trying to refresh what I have learned so far.

Hi

Updating about my violin studies. Work pressure and lack of suitable time made me stop learning from the Guru in Cochin. I had learned Navaragamalika Varnam and Kamboji Ata Thala Varnam from him. My attempt at learning Natta Adi Thala varnam ended in failure as i struggled with Charana swaras.

So, from November, 2016 till Jan, 2017, I practiced what I had learned so far. Practicing Varnam was easier; but keerthanams gave me enough headaches all along. Hence I stuck to varnams.

February, 2017, I went back to my old guru Sri.Viyayan Sir in Calicut. As weekend travels facilitated a suitable time slot at Calicut. Guru evaluated my practice so far. he said that the bowing came to within acceptable levels and left hand finger movements have improved. Some forms and shapes of Raga seems to appear when I draw the bow for alapana. Yet timing and tala are still headaches. Speed is not coming down.

He taught me a keerthana too; Ninnu nera nammi in Pantuvarali. I had requested him to teach me a keerthanam in a raga in which i had learned Varnam.

Unfortunately, classes had to discontinued as I am expecting transfer within a month and relocation. As per my guru's suggestion, I have started practicing initial lessons from Sarali Varisai in only first speed so as to drill the timing in my brain.

I had made one promise to Guru. I will continue to play till I am disabled or dead. I will try to improve myself till I reach the level I intend to reach. I am a perfectionist. As I wrote before, I have no exams to pass.

Lets see what life has in store for me.

regards

Ramamoorthy

[Nick H]

Glad to hear your ongoing story, and glad that it is ongoing/continuing.

[melam72]

In Singapore, there is a teacher named Lazar who teaches Keyboard and Violin to mature students.

He avoids the pitfall of putting adult and young students in the same goshti, and splits them up so the former aren't emasculated by the latter. Even in performances, he puts older and younger students of the same skill levels together, instead of grouping according to age, etc.

But I think his main success is that he engages the adult students in small talk after giving the lesson, and treats them more as adults. Because of that, most of his adult students stay up to Varnam levels at least, except in extenuating circumstances. IIRC, his oldest student ever was around 70!

[Nick H]

He avoids the pitfall of putting adult and young students in the same goshti, and splits them up so the former aren't emasculated by the latter.

Phew, maybe I had a narrow escape. My class mates at London BVB never emasculated me!

On the contrary, they helped me musically, and never age-discriminated against me when we played together. It was an enriching experience, and some of them, now young professional adults, are still friends.

[melam72]

He avoids the pitfall of putting adult and young students in the same goshti, and splits them up so the former aren't emasculated by the latter.

Phew, maybe I had a narrow escape. My class mates at London BVB never emasculated me!

What I mean by emasculation is bullying because of your age.

Watchers of Vijay TV's classic, evergreen, Deivam Thanda Veedu will remember the experiences of Seetha when she goes to get 'educated' in the nursery alongside younger kids.

Since most forumites listen to Karnataka sangeetham, they are spared of the histrionics of the Chakravathy family whose idea of a diet seems to be Pooris and pulao

If not, why?

[Nick H]

What I mean by emasculation is bullying because of your age.

Well, I didn't think you meant it literally!

But I emphasise that I cannot speak too highly of the experience. Even though I might sometimes have acted like a grown-up (the mridangam boys could be very unruly sometimes) they generally never treated me like one. I was one of the crowd, both in fun and in learning.

I can understand that watching young minds and young fingers racing ahead of our own can be intimidating, but one just has to accept the difference in physical and mental dexterity. The really amazing skill that I saw in the teacher was not handling children of different ages, but handling a roomful of children of widely differing ability. And for each student there is often something that they happen to grasp that others find difficult, and therefore something that they can help others with.

[Ramamoorthy]

February, 2017, I went back to my old guru Sri.Viyayan Sir in Calicut. As weekend travels facilitated a suitable time slot at Calicut. Guru evaluated my practice so far. he said that the bowing came to within acceptable levels and left hand finger movements have improved. Some forms and shapes of Raga seems to appear when I draw the bow for alapana. Yet timing and tala are still headaches. Speed is not coming down.

He taught me a keerthana too; Ninnu nera nammi in Pantuvarali. I had requested him to teach me a keerthanam in a raga in which i had learned Varnam.

Hi

Posting updates. In Calicut, I learned Himadri Suthe apart from Ninnunera Nammi from Vijayan sir.

But job took took me to Karaikal, where I will be spending next three years.
I am now practicing two hours daily whatever I've learned so far. Still much more go to reach even pass mark. Age, it seems is catching up with me. But then, as I said above, I will continue to play till I am able to.

Can anyone help me find a violin guru in Karaikal or anywhere nearby.
If no gurus are found nearbyl, I can travel up to Thiruvarur, 45 km away, twice a month.

Regards and thanks in advance

Ramamoorthy.