AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

To teach and learn Indian classical music
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msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

As per my 399th post I have already uploaded 3 videos pertaining to Trisra-gati. But, as some aspirants may find it difficult to get along with them, just now, I have uploaded 3 more videos, SLE-Pre.Ex-04-3 (1)-3 & 4, SLE-Pre.Ex-05-3 (1)-3 & 5, SLE-Pre.Ex-06-3 (1)-3 & 7 to the playlist, AMS-Special Laya exercises of ‘youtube.com/user/msakella’ to make them easier for the aspirants. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

In my serious observation of the learning aspects of music I had to mainly bifurcate the time into two kinds, 1. pre-sound-recording-gadget-period and 2. post-sound-recording-gadget-period.

Long ago, prior to the invention and introduction of these sound-recording-gadgets there was the so called harped on ‘Gurukula-system’ of learning. In this system the aspirant was residing in the house of the ‘Guru’, the teacher along with other co-students and the family members of the teacher. The aspirant was attending to all sorts of the house-hold works of the teacher simultaneously learning music-lessons also when time permits. As the teacher was a highly reputed performing artist he was used to travel much of his time from place to place giving umpteen number of music-concerts. Between the gap of concerts if he returns to his home and stay for a couple of days and if at all he finds some time to teach the disciples God alone knows whether this junior aspirant may get a chance to learn direct from him or not. Or he has to depend upon the senior disciples only and become satisfied with what he had learnt. More over, having professional jealousies, the aspirants are discouraged to listen to the concerts of other teachers or their disciples. By all this, this learning process was elongated for 10 or 15 or 20 years or even more. Many of these ‘Gurus’ are used to teach the students whatever they feel to teach without following any particular syllabus or examinations or certificates to issue. My grand parents and parents were telling interesting stories of many such aspirants studied in ‘Gurukulas’ in those days who ultimately fall prey for all kinds of bad habits only but very little music of no use.

In fact, by constant listening to the same kind of song the aspirants can very easily grasp it and reproduce very successfully basing upon the instinctive level of abilities. In the absence of any sound-recording-gadgets this system was the only way to learn music in those days. Depending upon the repetitive facility of the song by the teacher or the co-students it was taking many years to learn music in this elongated process.

But, pitiably enough, ever after the plentiful availability of the modern-sound-recording-gadgets, these ‘Gurus’ are not willing to make these things easier to the aspirant by properly utilizing them. But some of the kind ’Gurus’ with great heart brought out some books containing notated compositions. Around this time even though Subbarama Dikshitar dared to bring out his Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini along with symbolized notation every musician came out and praised his action profusely but neither of them did either follow or develop it. Even later, some of these ‘Gurus’ are used to bring out some books with notated compositions but only to earn more money by the sales of them. In the same manner every musician took every care not to bring out any CD containing the compositions sung in the same notation. Nowadays, if any musician brings out a book containing notated compositions only but without any Gamaka-symbols or any CDs, it obviously reveals his ulterior motive only without any doubt.

Since time immemorial, in which way all the musicians have always been used to sing or play in their concerts even while teaching also they have always continued the singing or playing themselves asking their students to follow them by singing or playing. Thus, each and everybody have always been used to believe that this is the only way of teaching or learning music.

In fact, to initiate a hungry kid his/her mother herself eats something a little just to show the kid what and how to eat things. Later on, the kid himself/herself eats on his/her own. In the same manner, even in learning music, the teacher has to initiate the student sing or play much on his/her own relying upon the electronic key-board of Casio to continue the same even in the absence of the teacher. Thus, if all the items to be learnt are supplied to the aspirant even in the beginning and if the aspirant is trained to regularly practice relying upon the gadgets like Casio, Metronome, iPod etc., any talented kid progresses very quickly and a less talented kid progresses slowly. One must invariably understand that this happens mainly basing upon the individual abilities of the aspirant only but not on
the teacher’s abilities at all. But, as no music-teacher is ready either to loose his/her importance as ‘Guru’ or the relevant financial benefits he/she will possibly try to elongate the process for many years by singing partly and partly and making the aspirant also sing or play along without giving any audio or video aids even in this technically advanced era.

Since many years, in the absence of any sound-recording-gadgets, all these musicians have very well succeeded in conveniently escaping from the responsibility of transmitting the knowledge of Manodharma Sangita in the aspirant wantonly creating a very strong illusory opinion that it can neither be taught nor learnt. More over, in the absence of any notating methods brought out by these lethargic ‘Gurus’ the aspirants are compelled to depend upon the teacher or the co-students. Taking advantage of this dependency of the aspirants the ‘Gurus’ were used to go on singing a large number of compositions only very conveniently throwing the responsibility of singing Manodharma Sangita upon the aspirant only which the ignorant aspirant is compelled to bear with.

All the more, each and every musician is always used to openly condemn that it is suicidal to notate Manodharma Sangita. In my umpteen experiments I have ultimately found that notating the Manodharma Sangita is the only way to learn it more quickly and efficiently than ever. Even though no musician agrees with me, umpteen experiments, beyond any doubt, proved that it is dead easy to get proper acquaintance with Manodharma Sangita very quickly within a very short period if the kid is initiated to very regularly practice relying upon some aids and modern-gadgets like Metronome, Casio and mp3 player etc. Thus, basing upon the individual abilities many kids are able to sing even Manodharma Sangita within a varying duration between 1 to 5 years. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Yesterday, being Annamacharya Jayanthi, a kids’ music-programme was arranged at Tanuku, East Godavari-District (near Rajahmundry), Andhra Pradesh, in a music-school and the respective videos are uploaded to youtube. These to kids, my great-grand-daughters, Chis. Padmaja (13 yrs.) & Keerthana (9 yrs.) have started learning music from me from 26th Feb., 2014, weekly twice by Skype being the residents of Bangalore. They have given this kids’-mini-concert when they have gone to their grand-parents’ native place for summer vacation. They have completed learning most of all the 28 Special-laya exercises, 8 Saralees, 4 Jantas, 4 Datus, 5 Gitas and one Svarapallavi all @ 1, 2, 3 & 4 –notes per Kriya and the elder started learning even the 1st Varna Natakuranji - all both on Vocal and Casio very strictly along with Metronome hardly within two months. The URLs of the same are furnished hereunder for the benefit of the aspirants. amsharma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZnmpFwKJ484
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L9jRQaUvtH0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ATK_Z3OSjvk

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

In my previous post 403 I have furnished the URLs of the videos in which my great-grand-daughters have rendered some intricate rhythmical exercises and two Gitas @ 1, 2, 3 & 4-notes per each Kriya of Tala.

Since 26th Feb., 2014, learning by Skype for some time and mostly by land-line-phone I have just initiated them to do things mostly relying upon the Metronome and the Transpose of Casio-MA-150. Believe it or not, I did never even sing a single note for even one second while initiating them till now. If the teacher very simply initiates the aspirant properly from the basics up to Varnas in this manner the teacher doesn’t need to teach further. This system amazingly quickens the process of learning along with efficiency. To train the aspirant in cooking the aspirant must only be initiated by the teacher in doing things on his/her own. The teacher should not do anything. Even in learning music also it is the same.

Most unfortunately, all our music-teachers want to maintain the importance of ‘GURU’ and to receive many things accordingly. That is why they always sing or play themselves and ask the aspirants follow them singing or playing. This is our great tradition in teaching/learning music our ancestors have conveniently evolved. Only to earn many things from the ignorant aspirants and their parents this was evolved and nobody is aware that this great system has been evolved only to elongate the process for many years and to very conveniently escape from the responsibilities of transmitting the required musical-knowledge to the aspirants simultaneously making the poor aspirants and their parents scapegoats for the failures. No music-teacher is trying to know how to make the aspirant learn music without singing or playing himself/herself.

All over the globe there are millions of music-teachers, music-institutions and music-departments of several Universities squeezing very heavy amounts from the poor aspirants and their parents very sincerely and efficiently following this useless, worthless and suicidal system in the absence of any proper supervision since many years. Even though I am always ready to prove this lest spilling out his/her own beans no music-teacher is ready to come out and discuss the methods in teaching/learning. That is the pity. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

I feel very sad to write that illogicality and irrationality reign the age old traditional and quantitative system of teaching/learning our music. This suicidal system made all these music-teachers, without any exception, absolutely adamant either in properly recognizing or in getting rid of their own illogicality or irrationality in the absence of any sensitive teacher-training or proper supervision. If any person doesn’t agree with me, brings a music-teacher of his/her choice along with his/her meritorious disciple, I shall, then and there, prove it beyond any doubt.

In my vast teaching-experience having worked in a Government-educational-institutional set up for 35 long years as an unsuccessful teacher and, later, in my extensive research made on the methods in learning our music it has, beyond any doubt, been proved that no ‘Guru’ is needed to learn our music. We all are very well aware that even small kids are able to learn even a complicated cine-song successfully merely by listening to it many a time in the form of a CD or DVD and without the help of any ‘Guru’. If any symbolized notation or even a detailed notation is also given along with the CD it certainly quickens the process of learning a lot. Along with this notation, in respect of classical music, some typical grammar is also required to make the aspirant independent in the process of learning. These are the barest requirements to the poor aspirant to work on his/her own independently in learning music. But, among these music-teachers, how many of them are in favour of this symbolized notation and supplying the CD or DVD containing the song with the same notation and in following it honestly and sincerely? Nobody!!!

Many of the reputed music-teachers are interested in holding several workshops at several places inviting the poor aspirants to learn the so called master-pieces of the great Saints of music face to face for a price to earn more and more very greedily. Even though those Saints were not greedy these music-teachers are very greedy in this respect. More over, no musician feels shameful to do this or even finds fault with other musicians as each and everybody does this in his/her own way. At the same time I do not understand why don’t they bring all those master-pieces in symbolized notation or even in detailed notation and supply along with a pre-recorded CD or DVD for a price? They won’t do it as it doesn’t help for their recurring income.

Even in the syllabus of Diploma or Intermediate or B.A. or M.A. etc., they all dump them with a number of such master-pieces repeating the same ragas in each and every course again and again and increasing the number of them illogically. They all always prefer to teach them face to face but not in making the aspirants learn them on their own independently. None of them ever makes plans to make the aspirants learn on their own reducing the role of the teachers. They never do such things in favour of the kids. Here, in our music-institution, Swarabhangima, we all, as a team, do everything in this direction even from the first day of learning. We always fully encourage our kids to do everything on their own.

All our legends, maestros, experts always cry aloud that there are no short-cut methods at all in learning music. But, in my extensive research it was, beyond any doubt, proved that short-cut methods are available at each and every point but highly efficient teachers only can locate them. All our kids can very well learn music on their own very quickly and efficiently basing upon all these short-cut methods.

None of these legends does even have any idea in making the aspirant work on his/her own in the process of learning music. They all know only how to sing or play themselves and make the aspirants also sing or play along with them. And, accordingly, all of their disciples also have become used to believe that only their Gurus are very great teachers ever born and that this is the only way of learning music on the earth. To send my son to Delhi I need not go along with him to Delhi. But, I have to make him aware how to perform any such journey independently and any sensible father does this. The same thing applies to music also.

As all our teachers do not want to loose the importance of ‘Guru’ the aspirant can never become independent but spend many years to realize this. Even after realizing this he/she cannot reveal this truth as it is against the great “Guru’. But, being a victim, I do not hesitate to reveal this in the interests of our kids. That is why I have made it very clear that, in our system, while the teacher’s role is less than 10% the aspirants role is more than 90% and none of the present music-teachers can’t even imagine this leave alone understanding it.

Having successfully learnt on these lines my disciple, Chi. J.S.Shreeram could sing even a 2-hr. concert with 3 yrs. of learning. Now, the URLs of some of the excerpts of his successful concerts are furnished hereunder for the benefit of the aspirants. amsharma

J.S.Shreeram-Vocal, B.U.Ganesh Prasad-Violin, P.S.Phalgun-Mridangam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AA5_rTJCXVk
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-Ipz1fF-r1k

J.S.Shreeram-Vocal, K.Sai Kumar-Violin, S.Arvind-Mridangam:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hfVdcg2z1hk

J.S.Shreeram-Vocal, B.V.Durga Bhavani-Violin, Ramakrishna-Mridangam, Neyveli ji-Kanjira:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNUVr9ItePo

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

After having faced many failures in my teaching life and after umpteen extensive experiments held in last past 40 years on the modern easy methods in learning our music more quickly and more efficiently I found some unbelievable facts which help a lot to the aspirants in learning our music unlike in the past.

One very important fact of them is that mainly due to the regional egoistic and conservative temperaments of the persons concerned no experiments have ever been held in finding a logical and rational based method in stardardising the methods in learning our music. Even though this fact was also found nearly 15 years back along with some other facts I did not reveal it out as I have become fully and busily engaged in finding a solution in this respect as helping our kids took the foremost preference to attend immediately. Ultimately, only by the grace of the Almighty like in respect of Talaprastara, I was also blessed with a modern qualitative method in learning our music. Since last 5 or 6 years this is being implemented successfully with the help of a team of dedicated workers, teachers, parents and students getting amazing end-results. By the grace of the Almighty, now, I am able to truly and truthfully serve our people even in the small locality of Secunderabad and I am very well satisfied by this having finally arrived at the much desired destination after many kinds of failures.

Even though I need not at all try to convince all others in any manner in respect of these proven facts I shall, however, try to do so only in respect of the music-teachers who come out to serve our people honestly and sincerely basing upon these logical and rational methods in learning our music. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasik.org,
I would like to share and put forward the information what I could gather by listening to the AMS easy methods one part of Kampitas and Gamakas, for the benefit and information to my good friends, who would like strengthen their music concepts.
When I heard the audio of “AMS easy methods one part of Kampitas and Gamakas” I felt it is really excellent, for an ambitious learner sitting at home, with a good imagination for the music, one can easily understand, visualize, imagine - the place of different notes, how they have to rendered, how to connect the notes, how to bring the modulations and inter relations between the notes, how to visualize the “Vayyaram” present in the notes is well rendered by the great guru shri Aakella Mallikharjuna Sharma garu, about sixty varieties- thanking a lot to him for the wonderful work done by him for our benefit.
I think- if we can exactly feel and experience the places of the “Dwadasa Swara Sthanams “ and able to connect them with the required modulations, definitely the rendering part of Varnams to the higher stage, one can easily progress.
The other beautiful part is the rendering the “Kaishiki Nishada” in around 27 forms, from Da-2 to Ni-1, then Da-1 to Ni-1, then back the return rendering, and together both the D2 and D1 with Ni-1 is well rendered, definitely both the exercises are of great help for the ambitious music learners and those who wish to make their music concepts strong. Thanks again again to Shri Sarma garu, for the wonderful methods. Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

In my extensive research running since last more than 40 years on the novel methods of teaching our music and the followers of them I have found that most of the music teachers are mostly of performer’s perspective and partly of the teacher’s perspective. Each and everybody who learns music wishes to prosper as a very high level performer only but due to so many other reasons many of them are compelled to settle as music-teachers only even though none of them has the aptitude. No music teacher can properly understand what I am talking about unless he/she is mostly of teacher’s perspective and partly of performer’s perspective. Till now, I did not come across even a single music-teacher who could understand even the basic definition of my qualitative system of learning our music and follow them except the teachers working in our institution, Swarabhangima at Secunderabad and in other local branches.

For most of the problems in learning our music the sole cause is the illogicality and irrationality of the system and, in turn, the root cause for this sole cause is the dogmatic egoism and conservative temperaments of the individuals which have never allowed to standardize the system in the past. However, some of the legends or maestros or experts are used to claim that they have already standardized the system unlike others. But, in my research, it was proved that this claim is not true at all as neither the dependency of the aspirant upon the teacher has never been minimized nor the process of learning has never been made ‘time-bound or result-oriented’.

Since last 5 or 6 years a novel and qualitative system in learning our music has been evolved and implemented here in our institution, Swarabhangima, at Secunderabad for the first time in the history making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’. By this the talented kids are able to render even intricate mathematical Swarakalpana along with brief Ragalapana hardly within a short span of one year even before learning the first Kriti on their own.

In this system, right from the first day of the music lesson the aspirant is initiated to mostly rely upon the metronome and notes of Casio-MA-150, work hard learning things on his/her own very quickly and efficiently unlike in the past. In this novel system all the items of the syllabus are provided in terms of pdf or audio or video-files and the aspirant is basically initiated to learn the intricacies of rhythm and different oscillations of notes which instill confidence into the aspirant paving way to work hard and proceed further quickly in his/her own pace efficiently.

In this novel system of learning while the teacher’s role is reduced to less than 10% the aspirant’s role is increased to more than 90% unbelievably. In fact, by following this novel system of learning our music the teacher needs to sing or play very little but mostly initiates the aspirant in making him/her do things on his/her own working hard even in the absence the teacher relying mostly upon the rhythm and the note of the Casio-machine, pdf, audio and video aids. In this system basing upon the talent of the aspirant the pace in learning could be made very fast with the help of the different aids of all the items of the syllabus.

In following this novel system we need not be surprised if the teachers working either in the Govt. Music Institutions or music-departments of Universities blatantly refuse to follow on one plea or the other as they have to take the responsibility of vigilantly inculcating the knowledge of Manodharma Sangita in the aspirant through the aids furnished. Freelance teachers also refuse to follow this system as this quickens the process of learning ultimately culminating into financial loss. Only honest and sincere teachers who are more interested in the welfare of the aspirants may follow this system. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

To tell the truth, I am not an educated person like many of our brother or sister-members of this forum. I cannot even write a post effectively like them. However, as a well-experienced and truthful teacher, as I know many heart-rending problems of our music aspirants I try to bring them all in my own language to the notice of others in a phased manner. I sincerely hope that even some of the sensible members of our forum discuss things and help our aspirants properly in this respect.

Mainly one of them is that Guru is not needed at all to learn music quickly and efficiently but an efficient, honest, sincere and vigilant guide supported by a flawless and standardized system fully equipped with all the needed aids. The guide must be so efficient that he/she must be able to, then and there, formulate the needed aid to rely upon to the aspirant. Only to equip the aspirant to rely upon even in the absence of the teacher more than 700 videos are already kept in ‘youtube.com/user/msakella’ for free utilisation of the aspirants all over the globe.

My main aim is only to make the aspirant work on his/her own independently. For example, if a father wants to send his son to Mumbai from Hyderabad, if he is intelligent enough, he, even without accompanying him in person, makes a flawless plan to properly equip his son in each and every manner to overcome any kind of obstacles in his journey. By doing so, on one hand, the father need not accompany his son and, on the other, he makes his son independent in all respects in making such journeys in future. This is the basic logic very strictly followed in formulating the novel qualitative method in learning our music which paved way for the thumping success. Only after finding many cases in which even the Guru also has become the hindrance unknowingly slowing down the pace of the talented aspirants in learning music.

In the same manner even in music-journey if the teacher makes proper plans accordingly the aspirant becomes independent even in learning music. In the absence of any sound-recording or reproducing gadgets in the olden days the aspirant was compelled to depend upon the teacher or somebody else to listen to their music. Nowadays such gadgets are available plentifully and logical plans to properly utilize them efficiently certainly make the aspirant independent in all respects. This is very efficiently done in our novel and qualitative methods in learning our music in our music-institution, Swarabhangima at Secunderabad for the first time in the history.

In this process we properly initiate the aspirant work on his/her own mostly relying upon certain audio and visual aids. In this process of learning items like Varnas or Kritis we, at the first instance, initiate the spirant to get proper acquaintance with the intricacies of rhythm and inter-relation of notes depending on the different kinds of oscillations. Only to make this possible the 60 kinds of symbolized oscillations and 27 facets of Kashiki-nishada which you have gone through are brought out. In this kind of approach the aspirant works on his/her own and proceeds very quickly, confidently and independently. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

Naturally any evolution takes its own pace to evolve a flawless and standardized process of doing things. In the same manner, even in my case, after more than 40 years of extensive research and experimentation I could arrive at a logical and flawless plan to select Varnas and to properly initiate the aspirants to learn them quickly and efficiently within a very short time. By all this I have arrived at a conclusion that the efficiency in learning these select Varnas only makes the aspirant proceed further in learning Kritis on his/her own. Even after learning these select Varnas if the aspirant is unable to learn Kritis on his/her own or to sing intricate mathematical Swarakalpana along with even brief Ragalapana that obviously reveals the defective initiation of the teacher. But, the great teacher readily throws the defect upon the aspirant only. Thus, a great number of aspirants all over the globe are facing innumerable sufferings due to the illogical and irrational teachings of the great teachers. Each and every teacher on the globe harps on traditional teaching only but not logical or rational teaching.

Many musicians openly curse that practicing muktayis in Swarakalpana and written phrases of Raga is always suicidal to the aspirant. Many a time it has been proved beyond any doubt by many of the aspirants singing their own creative Swarakalpana after regularly practicing intricate muktayis that this statement is absolutely wrong. In the same manner, even in respect of Ragalapana also, it has been proved beyond any doubt that written-raga-phrases always helps the aspirant a lot to sing his/her own creative raga later. Even many professional musicians are used to look down the aspirants singing intricate mathematical muktayis to odd starting points of Kritis. Also each and every musician talks very high of ‘Sarva-laghu-swara’ but mostly sings only ‘Sarva-sama-swara’. No musician is ready to observe that professional speech could only be given after going to the professional level pf study only. As a professional-violin-accompanist many a time I have struggled a lot even with many professional musicians while rendering Tala to my Swara-accompaniment. They can somehow manage to render their Tala while singing some of their muktayis which they have practiced for months together at their residences but they were unable to manage with their Tala even with a single muktayi I render in Chaturashra-gati of the same Tala. This is the state of affairs (as I am already retired long back even from my artistic life I can tell this openly).

Without scaffolding no building could be constructed. Had this basic logic been taken into consideration by our knowledgeable elders our aspirants would have saved many things of their valuable lives. Many are not at all aware that as all our legends, maestros and experts are mostly of teacher’s perspective and only partly of teachers’ perspective and in spite of their life spent as a music-teacher also none of them have the aptitude as a music-teacher. That is why, even though they all claim long list of things, none of them could formulate any standardized system of learning music either in making plans to the aspirant work on his/her own independently or in making the process of learning quick and efficient by proper utilizing the modern gadgets.

More over, all our experts talk very high about Manodharma Sangita and master-pieces sung by stalwarts and start teaching these master-pieces through various special classes and workshops on Manodharma Sangita attracting the poor aspirants. In fact, if the aspirants are properly initiated in their learning process right from the first day of their music lesson relying upon certain written, audio and video aids they themselves can become able to sing Manodharma Sangita efficiently and to learn any master-piece on their own if it is provided with proper notation and respective audio-file. But, as the method of teaching or learning or initiation are not that effective they are compelled to attend these workshops also to learn things for a price. While these workshops are also not fully helpful they are suffering a lot both by not getting the needed information and not being able even to reveal the truth openly. Presently this is the state of affairs of many of the aspirants about which many are not at all aware. Recently a workshop was held by a stalwart on Manodharma Sangita as usual for nearly 3 hours. Ultimately I could enjoy his fluency in English language only and the students didn’t get anything constructive to proceed on their own. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

In our Karnataka music, at each and every point, there is every scope for both logicality and illogicality if we carefully analise. But, due to so many reasons, everywhere illogicality is being followed by one and all and many years of time, energy and money are being wasted by the poor and ignorant aspirants and their parents in the process of learning our music.

As any kind of discussion in respect of the methods in teaching may eventually spill out their own beans all these teachers, without entering into any discussions, are used to profusely praise and support each other in any meetings but, without following the methods of others as it may effect their individual image, openly tell that they all have their own individual methods in teaching. Without any exception, as they all are sincerely following the illogical methods only that explanation supports them well. But, logically, there must be only one method and in such ease their explanation certainly becomes deceitful. In this respect, in my extensive research and experimentation I have found that there is only one logical method arriving at the destination of inculcating the knowledge of Manodharma Sangita in the aspirants.

For example, logically, which one is better to start with Saralee-swaras or Janta-swaras? In my experiments I have found that Janta-swaras give good base to the aspirant than Saralee-swaras as only one note is sung in the 1st Saralee-swara, s r g m p d n s - s n d p m g r s, in the 1st Janta-swara each note is sung twice - ss rr gg mm pp dd nn ss - ss nn dd pp mm gg rr ss - giving good scope for heavy practice and sustenance.

This is only a petty but eye-opening example to think seriously if the person is more of teacher’s perspective. In this manner if the true teacher strives hard searching for a logical base there is every scope of getting an easy affective way always and every time.

Only by the grace of the Almighty, I have been able to find umpteen logical easy methods in learning our music unbelievably making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’. Here, at Secunderabad, though in a very limited locality, we all have been able to properly initiate nearly 100 school-going kids in our institute obtaining amazing results. Basing upon this training they themselves develop their abilities in singing advanced Manodharma and master-pieces working hard on their own within a very short time unbelievably.

Only by following this logical path, the 11 year old Chi.Shreenidhi, grand-daughter of Sri S,Nageshwaran, could sing a 45 mts., concert efficiently in 2010 within a span of hardly one-year and 7 year old kid Chi. Rishabh Ranganathan within 3 years’ training could play a Violin-concert in Chennai on 27-12-2013 efficiently in Sri Parthasarathy Swamy Sabha and recently became even Carnatac-Idol in Vocal of his age group in USA at his 9th year. Not only these kids but many other kids also can do the same if they are trained properly in this logical method. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to Members, Rasika.org,
For the aspiring and dedicated music learners, this forum should definitely help in discovering the required answers for which they have been searching, since this forum mainly brings out the dedicated thoughts of the great guru Sri Akella Mallikharjuna Sharma garu, for the benefit of the serious music learners.

I understand the pain of many people, those who are in pursuit of music, but not received the correct teachings from the teachers.

Once you are in some professional occupation and simultaneously working hard for the music, confining to the guideline drawn by the concerned teacher, with the strong belief that you would pick up good music and finally you discover yourself you have not learnt anything other than byhearting few Krithis, by then you would have spent a decade or so.

I know the people those who have been in music for 2 to 3 decades, despite the fact that they started at a very young age, but under the prevailing conditions, they could not reach any point of confidence, which was exactly expressed by Sri Sharma garu.

I also came through the above expressed phases and got awakened by the influence of sri Sharma garu, and for the past one year, I have been able to do some good work and Iam confindant I would progress, with the blessings of the great guru.

I fully agree with what Sri Sharma garu, what he expressed in the above postings, and my sincere wish that all the serious aspirants of the traditional music should awaken themselves for the proper path of music, before it is still late.

My request to sri Sharma garu, how best these dedicated aspirants, who spent long time in music, and looking for help, to repair themselves for their safe landing.
Quite a few even with B-grade not able to progress further, and losing that also after some time due to the official answers, very painful sir. Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

I cannot tell that I am fully aware of all the problems relating to the music learning/teaching but I can certainly tell that I am very well aware of many problems more than any other person on the earth having worked as a teacher for 35 long years in Govt. Music institutions regularly teaching the kids right from the alphabets and having successfully learnt umpteen affective methods in teaching music from many of my failures in this field.

Many may not appreciate me if I bring out all the facts I came across in respect of teaching/learning our music in my extensive research and experimentation. In this respect many of my true well-wishers have even warned me that such things will certainly affect my image very badly. However, as I never feel that I have an image at all to get affected, I have decided to reveal even some of them keeping the high interests of the aspirants only in view.

One of the barest facts of them is that I hate an inefficient, dishonest and insincere teacher to the maximum as he/she unmindfully contaminates the entire scenario of our music right from the root level. Since many years I have vigorously been searching to find a true ‘Guru’ but in vain. Ultimately, by the grace of the almighty, I could formulate a novel and qualitative method in learning music possibly avoiding the dependency upon the teacher and also making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ for the first time in the history.

In fact, if we try to see the other side of the coin also of this teaching aspect we arrive at a three-level machinery, 1.well-standardised, flawless. logical and most reliable system of learning music formulated basing upon the successful end-results only making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ which is very important like the main-power-supply of the electricity 2.the guide or teacher like the cable-wire carrying the power between the power-station and the residence of the consumer 3. the aspirant or like the consumer at the receiving end. By all this we ultimately arrive at the conclusion that the main defect lies only in not having a well-standardised, flawless, logical and reliable system of learning music but not with the teacher. In the absence of such a reliable system, very sadly, the aspirant becomes the scape-goat.

To tell the fact, all over the globe, there are millions of such sufferers in learning our music and it is high time to have an independent institution, a non-profit organization run by the like minded persons striving hard for the noble cause of properly protecting our music in each and every possible manner. All the music-educational-institutions on the globe must give an undertaking that they all very strictly follow the logicality and rationality of their syllabi in their institutions and allow the members of this organization for periodical supervision.

Even though some of their fans may not like it, but in the wake of my post to ‘acharyanet’ under reference http://rasikas.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=23726 I, only in safeguarding the interests of the poor and ignorant aspirants and their parents, sincerely feel that it will be nice on the part of the organizers of this website to reveal the logicality of the items of the syllabus mentioned in the above reference. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam back here to express some of my feelings and findings about the learning part of karnatic music - from the learner point of view, that too for the information to my serious music friends, those who have not discovered a good landing in music, despite their good effort for quite long time.

Definitely the AMS easy methods, what I understood is the appropriate for the ambitious learners, to stabilize and put themselves in the proper path of music.
All we need is the good /proper guidance – so that, we can quickly move ahead in the right path of music- in a limited time, since we cannot afford to lose any further, as we have already lost quite a good length of time in the learning process.

The important stage of making our LAYA exercises mainly the 3-4-5 in chaturasra and4-5-7 in thisra gati. Then with the defined muktais by AMS easy methods, we should be able to render the swara kalpana fluently ending with the mukatai swaras. Once we start making the swara avruttas from half to few avruttas, then we get stabilized when combined our Prastara with Krithi rendering.

We all may be good aspirants for the music, but that is not sufficient, once we find a method that is really of great help to put us in proper track and stabilize our music, then definitely the learner’s responsibility increases by many folds.
Our practice for the laya excersises, with a good thinking and good imagination will definitely help us to quickly progress in right path.
Practice and imagination combined with good thinking for our benefit under the guidance of AMS easy methods, sure have safe landing the pursuit of good music.
Thanks to AMS easy methods – for motivating the ambitious music learners.- Sastry Devarakonda

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

As a learner what you honestly and sincerely wrote is absolutely true. But, in this affair as some other aspects are also included they also must be analysed to have a proper understanding of this topic.

No doubt, there are many sincere learners to learn music. But, how many efficient, honest, sincere and reliable teachers are there is the million dollar question as each and every musician thinks himself/herself a great teacher irrespective of the end-result. Even in your case you have spent more than 10 years in learning whatever the teacher taught and ultimately arrived at a point with umpteen unsolved questions and problems. The sole cause for this is only the inefficient and ineffective teaching of the teachers. While every care is taken in well-standardising the methods in teaching the western music, unfortunately such measures have never been taken for the benefit of the learners by our lethargic legends or maestros or experts in the past. But, they won’t agree with me but claim that they did a lot in this respect. On one side, while it was undoubtedly proved that they all are of more performers’ perspective and far less of teacher’s perspective, on the other, each and everybody resorted to teaching openly claiming ‘I have my own method in teaching’. Illogically there may be so many methods but logically there must be only one method to teach Natakuranji-Adi-Varna for example. Thus, the question is between the logicality and the illogicality of the method in teaching but not of the item as it has a specific form with all the required qualities to arrive at the end.

While teaching, all the teachers are used to sing or play themselves and ask the aspirants to follow them singing or playing thinking that this is the only method of teaching. But, surprisingly, no music-teacher did ever think of arranging some thing to the aspirant to rely upon at the time of his/her own practice even in the absence of the teacher. This is one of the main defects of the age-long system which wastefully elongates the process of learning for many years. More over, in this system a number of items are taught serially but no provision is made to stabilize the rhythmical abilities or make the inter-relation of different notes very clear with all the respective oscillations. All these music-teachers are used to think that the aspirant himself/herself learns all such things by learning all these items which is absolutely incorrect. As I elsewhere wrote, due to the egoistic and conservative temperaments and consequent jaundice-eyed-view they are unable to understand the logicality of others even though it is beneficial to the kids but only like the own illogicality even though it is very harmful to the aspirants. Ultimately, by all this, our poor and ignorant kids are put to heavy loss of their time, energy and money due to the foolishness of these teachers.

At this juncture, adding fuel to the fire, lack of proper supervision is still another main defect for the deterioration of the standards in all the music-institutions and music-departments of Universities. Since last more than 50 years there was not even a single academic inspection in our Music colleges in our State and everywhere it is like that. More over, everywhere logicality and rationality is lacking in the methods in teaching music and no music teacher is ready to discuss this problem as no syllabus on the earth is prepared strictly basing upon the logicality and rationality. Many may not believe me if I write that even the great Kalakshetra, Adyar, Chennai is also not an exception in this respect. There is no exaggeration if I write that all these music-teachers are teaching what they know but none of them is teaching what an aspirant needs. Unfortunately, all these music teachers follow only the traditional method even though it helps only to tax the aspirant. None of them is realising that logical and rational thinking in the methods in teaching only helps the aspirant a lot.

For example, in respect of the Alankaras in the seven Talas, by analyzing them logically, I have brought out the Jati-alankaras and modified the seriatim as Eka, Rupaka, Mathya, Dhruva, Jhampa, Ata and Triputa. By properly initiating the kids learn them in a logical manner along with some other vital rhythmical exercises and easy and intricate muktayis brought out by the Mullapudi School of Mridangam they all are becoming able even to manage with both Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis not only rendering each and every Varna @ 4-6-8 notes per each beat very efficiently immediately after learning it.

Even in respect of Gitas, while most of all the teachers are illogically taxing the aspirants by teaching them 20 or even 30 Gitas which, in fact, are not at all allowed even to sing in any concert, we have logically restricted to learn only six numbers of them for the purpose of getting proper acquaintance with all the 12 notes only.

In the same manner, even in respect of Varnas, while most of the teachers are used to illogically start with the Varnas in Mohana, Hamsadhavani (becomes Himsadhvani if it is taught in the beginning), Vasantha and teach 20 or 30 of them we have logically selected only 9 Varnas in the Ragas Natakuranji, Kambhoji, Darbar, Shankarabharana, Kalyani, Begada, Todi, Saveri and Bhairavi giving more importance to the combinations of Kaishiki-nishada with both Chatushruti-dhavata and Shuddha-dhaivata and Sadharana-gandhara with both Chatushruti-rishabha and Shuddha-rishabha
ultimately covering most of the complicated oscillations. By all this, at the end of learning these Varnas, all our kids are becoming able even to learn Kritis on their own and sing even intricate Swarakalpana with muktayis even before learning the first Kriti. Thus, by very strictly following the logical and rational ideas, all our school-going kids are becoming able to sing even mini-concerts of 30 mts., 45 mts., 60 mts., 90 mts., 2 hrs., and 2 ½ hrs., hardly within a span of 3 or 4 years.

Even though I am already stamped as ‘controversial’ I very much relish it as I, unlike all other musicians doing more harm than help to the poor and ignorant aspirants by being un-controversial, am able to help them a lot by being ‘truly controversial’ for the first time in the history. Unfortunately nobody is aware of in which way all these illogical and irrational methods in teaching have become slow-poisonous and gradually suicidal in the long run to our kids. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam back here to express some of my feelings and findings about the learning part of Carnatic music - from the learner point of view, that too for the information to my serious music friends, those who have not discovered a good landing in music, despite their best effort for quite long time.

Here I would like to express some aspects of learning, what I understood, and I think if I share my thoughts can benefit some of the readers/members, those who are also strong aspirants to imbibe carnatic music.

During the good span of time I spent, the teachings from the earlier music institute/teachers, taught me how do I remain dependant on that music school/system – rather than making me, independent in pursuit of music. The final truth is that, I learnt to remain dependant without any progress.
But when I discovered to attach myself with the system provided by AMS easy methods, 2007, the system made me to think more and more about the music and paved way for me - so that how quickly I get to the thinking to music stream, and land in good results.

As far as my understanding- the method mainly focuses on –First part make your LAYA stream strong, starting from Alankaras- rendered in 1,2,3,4,6,8 letter per beat per second.
The Second part says –learn muktais from small version to big version (that is from jati 5 to 10), besides making perfect in 3-5-7 in Chaturasra and 4-5-7 in Thisra gati.
By the time these exercises are well tuned and become handy – we start making small length swara kalpanas closing with good muktai swaras.
During this process, we are making ourselves habituated to render swara kalpana to any TALA (Adi, Thisra, Khanda, Rupaka), and definitely we gain good confidence that – YES we can do something in music.

The other side of the method focuses on the rendering part of the Dwadasa swara Sthanas, with their inter relations and intricacies, so that the inherent/embedded, music vibrations are well understood. The main landing used for this is the rendering of important Adi Tala Varnas ( these are defined in the system).
If we understand properly, think properly and practice properly, associated with heavy home work – definitely the major part of the music will digest into our system.
When all these exercises are executed simultaneously with good imagination for good music, then the krithi part becomes easier.
Thanks to AMS easy method, only thing we have to promise ourselves that we will be able to do hard work for our music progress. sastry

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam back here to express some of my feelings and findings about the learning part of Carnatic music - from the learner point of view, that too for the information to my serious music friends, those who have not discovered a good landing in music, despite their best effort for quite long time.

Here I would like to express some aspects of learning, what I understood, and I think if I share my thoughts can benefit some of the readers/members, those who are also strong aspirants to imbibe carnatic music.

During the good span of time I spent, the teachings from the earlier music institute/teachers, taught me how do I remain dependant on that music school/system – rather than making me, independent in pursuit of music. The final truth is that, I learnt to remain dependant without any progress.
But when I discovered to attach myself with the system provided by AMS easy methods, 2007, the system made me to think more and more about the music and paved way for me - so that how quickly I get to the thinking to music stream, and land in good results.

As far as my understanding- the method mainly focuses on –First part make your LAYA stream strong, starting from Alankaras- rendered in 1,2,3,4,6,8 letter per beat per second.
The Second part says –learn muktais from small version to big version (that is from jati 5 to 10), besides making perfect in 3-5-7 in Chaturasra and 4-5-7 in Thisra gati.
By the time these exercises are well tuned and become handy – we start making small length swara kalpanas closing with good muktai swaras.
During this process, we are making ourselves habituated to render swara kalpana to any TALA (Adi, Thisra, Khanda, Rupaka), and definitely we gain good confidence that – YES we can do something in music.

The other side of the method focuses on the rendering part of the Dwadasa swara Sthanas, with their inter relations and intricacies, so that the inherent/embedded, music vibrations are well understood. The main landing used for this is the rendering of important Adi Tala Varnas ( these are defined in the system).
If we understand properly, think properly and practice properly, associated with heavy home work – definitely the major part of the music will digest into our system.
When all these exercises are executed simultaneously with good imagination for good music, then the krithi part becomes easier.
Thanks to AMS easy method, only thing we have to promise ourselves that we will be able to do hard work for our music progress. sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

As an inquisitive aspirant what you wrote about the ‘DEPENDENCY OF THE ASPIRANT’ is absolutely true. As a victim of this problem learning music from several years from different teachers you felt it yourself and wrote. However, you are the first person to, particularly; look into this main problem of the poor aspirants and to highlight it boldly. This is the natural draw-back of any aspirant. In many other fields while many professionals have been working hard since many years and finding new ways to possibly minimise this draw-back for the benefit of the aspirants of those fields, most unfortunately, in respect of learning our music, many are claiming long list of items in helping the poor aspirants but no music-teacher had ever thought of this problem and did the needful for their benefit. Had any music-teacher in the past honestly tried for it he/she would have then and there made the process of learning music very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ for the first time in the history even before I did it now. When many of my disciples could not rise even up to the average level I, only by the grace of the Almighty, could realise and only from then onwards I have made umpteen experiments on the new methods in teaching/learning our music. As this is an evolution in learning our music independently it has been taking its own pace of time to get a full shape of it.

Each and every aspirant inevitably depends upon the teacher ignorantly. Since many centuries taking this as an advantage, the entire community of music-teachers all over the globe has been following the same old quantitative method by which, as you truly wrote, the aspirant learns how to always remain dependent upon the teacher. In this old system no music-teacher honestly plans to instill the mostly needed confidence in the aspirant paving way to the independency.

The main cause of this dependency of the poor aspirant was he/she, in the absence of any modern sound recording/reproducing equipment, had to depend upon others to listen to their music sung or played many a time to grasp it fully and reproduce it efficiently. But, as the person who sings or plays also has his/her own conveniences or inconveniences in singing or playing the items for much number of times, thus, in this process the aspirants were compelled to learn the music for many elongated years of time to fulfill their task. But, even after the invention and introduction of the modern gadgets like CDs, DVDs, ipods, mp3 players etc., our music-teachers are reluctant to bring out notated books along with the pre-recorded CDs for the benefit of the aspirants.

Even while learning the primary exercises the teacher may teach for some time along with the Shruti-box where only Shadja and Panchama are provided but not any other notes. Even after the class of the teacher is over the aspirant is compelled to practice with the same Shruti-box without having any confidence in singing or playing the notes. In my extensive research by thinking all these related negative points I have arrived at the conclusion that relying upon the casio-Ma-150, having the facilities of both Metronome and Transpose, is the only solution for the aspirant to make him/her work hard independently even in the absence of the teacher. Later, when I found that this helped the aspirant in getting bumper results gradually I have proceeded further in producing suitable aids of written or audio or video files also to help the aspirant work hard on his/her own independently. These files have already been uploaded to ‘sangeethamshare’ and ‘youtube’ for the free usage of the aspirants all over the globe for the first time in the history.

In fact, any composition with symbolized notation along with the pre-recorded audio CD for any Vocalist and preferably with the video CD for any Instrumentalist is the first preference for any aspirant in fully helping and making him/her independent in many respects. Even with the general notation but along with a pre-recorded audio or video CD is the 2nd preference. Along with the general notation but without any CD at all is the 3rd preference. Only with the lyric of the composition but without any notation or CD is the 4th last and the least preference. By God’s grace, even though I never feel it proud enough as my body is made by the Almighty to do all these needed things, I feel extremely happy to become the first person on earth to provide the relevant material of this first preference for the free usage of all the aspirants all over the globe for the first time in the history. Even though many modern gadgets for sound recording/reproducing are plentifully available no musician came forward in helping our poor kids following even the 2nd preference and many are very conveniently following the 3rd preference only. In the olden days when no modern gadgets for sound recording/reproducing are available all our lethargic and selfish musicians were used to follow the last preference only elongating the learning process for many years. Each and every musician comes forward to very conveniently elongate the process of teaching/learning for many years. Even the final findings of the panel discussion on Manodharma Sangita held on 21-12-2013 at the Music Academy, Chennai are favourable only to the 15-years’-elongation of the learning process but not to the minimized duration and, very sadly, none of the audience even opposed this wasteful elongation. This obviously reveals the disinterest of the teaching community in quickening the process of learning music to the poor kids.

Even in this modern age and even though we all have umpteen facilities to learn music very quickly and efficiently all our legends or maestros or experts prefer to teach music to the aspirants in the same old method only with all its illogicality or irrationality keeping always the poor and ignorant aspirant as dependent for many years. I do not understand with what name we have to call this suicidal act except ‘cheating’? If they are truly genuine and are not at all cheating the aspirants and their parents they can very well prove their logicality or rationality in teaching and I shall certainly bow down to all those noble men.

The main problem with all our music-teachers is they are always used to go on singing or playing themselves a part of an item and ask the aspirant also follow them doing in the same manner. Since many centuries this is the method followed in teaching and each one of them thinks that this is the only way of teaching/learning music like the father who daily takes his son to his school in the morning and again brings him home back in the evening but never even thinks of to train him to go there and come home on his own. Even in their profession they all are always used to sing or play and even in teaching/learning music also they have been thinking that this is the only way of teaching/learning our music to the aspirants. I also did in the same manner in my Govt. service for 35 years. But, only after 5 years after my retirement and only by the grace of the Almighty, I could realize that this method helps only to make the aspirant dependent upon the teacher and found a unique method which truly makes the aspirant absolutely independent in learning our music very quickly by hard work hardly in less than one or two years only unbelievably. To make the aspirants independent basically the teachers must minimize their singing or playing to less than 5 minutes in any class and properly arrange for their self-practice even in the absence of the teacher. In this process the teacher doesn’t need to sing or play at all for more than a couple of minutes in any class. This is entirely a different concept in learning our music.

For a glaring example, once in my Govt. service, while there are 16 students in my Violin-class, among them, only two have passed the examination with 50 marks and became able to play accompaniment for Harikatha and Dance programmes, 8 have just passed the examination with the minimum of 35 marks but cannot accompany any body and the remaining 6 have successfully failed. In my later analysis, I have found that I could successfully spoil the last 6 students, could partly spoil the next 8 students and the first two students, somehow, got out of my tentacles.

If we properly analyse we shall arrive at an interesting episode behind this keeping of the aspirant dependent perennially. If all the compositions are given in a bulk in the beginning itself along with the notation and the pre-recorded CD to the aspirant it helps to learn them as quickly as possible on their own. But, unfortunately, our noble teachers never prefer to do so but to feed the aspirant partly and partly in many installments to conveniently elongate the process for many years and to squeeze more money from the aspirants and their parents. If the notated compositions along with the pre-recorded CDs are supplied the teachers think that they all will loose not only their importance but also their grip over the aspirants along with the recurring income through the regular classes or periodical exciting work-shops.

By eating only the person feels the taste of it and in the same manner, even in respect of music, by listening or singing or playing only the person feels the taste of it. That is why it is said that music can neither be taught nor learnt but only initiated to learn or listen. In our music, while Shruti is of Rakthi the Laya is of Shakthi and the Shakthi is the vehicle to move on. Unless the vehicle is in proper condition we cannot proceed further. More over, among the five Gatis, Trisra (3), Chaturashra (4), Khanda (5), Mishra (7) and Sankeerna (9) only one, Chaturashra is of even-number and four, Tisra, Khanda, Mishra and Sankeerna are of odd-number, thus, indicating the four-time importance of the odd-gatis. But, all our so called Gurus, are always used to start with Saralee-swaras without stabilizing our rhythmical abilities at the first instance. This is the fundamental blunder of the traditional quantitative system of teaching/learning music which none of the music-teachers ever realize. Unless the rhythmical abilities of the aspirant are properly stabilized by initiating him/her in getting acquaintance both with even and odd-gatis the aspirant cannot proceed on the vehicle which has two wheels, even and odd-gatis. In my umpteen experiments it was proved beyond any doubt that no aspirant can learn music unless the rhythmical abilities are properly stabilized to deal with both Chaturashra and Tisra-gatis. That is why I have formulated Jati-alankaras for the first time in the history and we initiate the kids render them @ 1-2-3-4-6-8-units per each beat at the first instance and stabilize. Thus, only after stabilizing their rhythmical abilities they start with playing and singing the Sarala-swaras (not Saralee-swaras) on Casio efficiently and very quickly on their own under the vigilant supervision of the teacher. Even later, our kids are efficiently initiated by the teacher to play select Varnas and sing along with them @ only one note per each second properly magnifying all the oscillations to learn them efficiently. In our efficient system of learning music we very strongly believe that the teacher as a guide has to initiate the aspirant in learning the rhythmical and musical intricacies which facilitate the aspirant to move further and further on his/her own. Thus, this learning will mostly be fulfilled even before the completion of select Varnas which enables the aspirant move further and further on his/her own. Even before the completion of these select Varnas the aspirant becomes able even to deal with the Swarakalpana and Ragalapana very efficiently and quickly.

In fact, each and every professional musician very well knows that the inter-relation of different notes only makes the difference in Ragas but not the name merely. But, each and every music-teacher goes on teaching a number of items to the aspirants without defining the different oscillations of notes. Even though some of the musicians come out to define the 10 or 15 old Gamakas they cannot bring out the relevancy of them with the present day needs. In the process of helping the poor and ignorant aspirant Subbarama Dikshitar, with great heart, brought out his ‘Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini’ even around 1900 along with hundreds of compositions with symbolized notation paving way to the symbolised notation. But, all our lethargic and selfish musicians are used to openly praise him but never to follow or develop them for the benefit of the aspirants. Thus, since then, even though all these symbols have been thrown into cold-storage they have very conveniently been utilized even to get some Doctorates. For the benefit of the students community I have worked extensively and developed these symbols up to 60 numbers among which the Kaishiki-nishada itself occupied 27 facets. More over, I have brought out one book with the symbolized notation, three more books with general notation and all these books are supplied with pre-recorded CDs of the compositions unlike any other music-teacher on the globe for the benefit of our aspirants. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam back here to express some of my feelings and findings about the learning part of Carnatic music - from the learner point of view, that too for the information to my serious music friends, those who have not discovered a good landing in music, despite their best effort for quite long time.

First of all I respect the feelings of sri Sharma garu, for his dedicated approach to see how best and how quickly, the strong aspirants of carnatic music, get benefited by his communications, and thanking you very much sir, for your urge to make learners to know the true path and land in quick answers.

From the learner point of view, I would request all the learners, those who are with a strong ambition for music, before much time goes into past, let us awaken ourselves and put us in proper path of learning.

Now I would like to express some aspects of learning, of carnatic VEENA what I understood about this instrument and how should we follow it up to play it will. I think if I share my thoughts can benefit some of the readers/members, those who are also strong aspirants to play VEENA.

Let me pay my respects to this beautiful, true Indian, classical music instrument.

What I understood, is that many of our traditional veena schools start teaching the instrument, without making us to know that - getting the proper knowledge of music into our system is a priority before touching the instrument . Whether we want to learn veena/violin/flute/or any other instrument, the basic requirement is that- we all should be vocalists, though we do not have a good voice on par with a good vocalist.
That means definitely we all should have learnt the vocal part, and when the mind starts guiding us, what should we play, then the hands can follow the path easily. This part is mostly skipped for whatever the reason, the answer is that, only we would have spent time, without picking up anything.
As far as vocal part is concerned, all that required is well described by sri Sharma garu in his earlier postings in this column. If we understand that and follow properly, then definitely, we all will be able do good progress within a short time.

I will be expressing about my thoughts in my further write-ups, about veena learning, but before I conclude here, I would like to express, what we have to play is not that there, what is seen on the bridge, what we have to play is what is hidden in the form of Gamaka.
Thanks to AMS easy methods, as it proved- this method not only meant for the vocalists but also for the instrumentalists.Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda, Like your previous post what you wrote again ‘What I understood, is that many of our traditional Veena schools start teaching the instrument, without making us to know that - getting the proper knowledge of music into our system is a priority before touching the instrument . Whether we want to learn Veena/Violin/Flute/or any other instrument, the basic requirement is that- we all should be vocalists, though we do not have a good voice on par with a good vocalist. That means definitely we all should have learnt the vocal part, and when the mind starts guiding us, what should we play, then the hands can follow the path easily. This part is mostly skipped for whatever the reason, the answer is that, only we would have spent time, without picking up anything. As far as vocal part is concerned, all that required is well described by Sri Sharma garu in his earlier postings in this column. If we understand that and follow properly, then definitely, we all will be able do good progress within a short time’ is the absolute truth in music which no musician had ever even observed or followed. Each and every music-teacher has always been thinking that singing or playing himself/herself and making the aspirant also sing or play along with him/her is the only way of teaching which is absolutely a blunder. Had any sensible music-teacher ever tried honestly and sincerely to know the basic needs of the aspirants and worked hard to fulfill them for the benefit of the aspirants he/she could have then and there found this new method of teaching/learning through which the aspirant only has to be initiated in doing things independently, very quickly and efficiently on his/her own. But, as nobody did it, only by the grace of the Almighty I could do it now for the benefit of our kids.

Thus, having found this way out, I have already trained the 11 year old kid, Chi. Shreenidhi, grand daughter of Sri S.Nageshwaran @ two classes per week by Skype in this qualitative system who could sing even a mini-concert of 50 mts., in December, 2010 in Chennai with the intricate Svarakalpana and brief Ragalapana within the span of hardly one year.

Now, again in the same manner, 13 years old kid, Chi. Padmaja, my great-grand-daughter from Bangalore started learning from me from 26-02-2014 attending the classes twice a week by telephone (as I have only to properly initiate her sing but need not sing at all myself) became able to render 3 Varnas in the Ragas, Natakuranji, Kambhoji and Darbar @ 4-6-8 notes per each second efficiently hardly within 6 months (the respective links of the audio-files are furnished below). There may be many lapses in her singing. However, she proved that flawless and reliable system in training certainly helps even kids in getting amazing results within a very short-time.

By personally observing this quick progress of the kids in learning music in this new system many parents are admitting their kids in our music-institute, Svarabhangima and its local branches at Secunderabad. Having been attracted by these amazing and quick results in learning music some of the music-teachers even from Chennai, Bangalore and other cities are also approaching us to follow this qualitative system. amsharma

https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/natak ... am-akaaram
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/natak ... am-akaaram
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/kambh ... am-akaaram
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/kambh ... am-akaaram
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/darba ... am-akaaram
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/darba ... am-akaaram

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam back here to express some of my feelings and findings about the learning part of Carnatic music - from the learner point of view, for the information to my serious music friends, those who have not discovered a good landing in music, despite their best effort for quite long time.
As I started sharing my thoughts about the learning part of VEENA from my previous post, about the points, where the learner has to focus himself/herself to go in proper path, so that one can progress with the instrument, and keep his/her interest alive, and feel the comfort and happiness of playing VEENA in a good defined time.
I think sharing of my thoughts with my experience ( experience- I mean, after spending good time in the learning process, finally understood properly what I should have done for good landing of the subject) can benefit some of the readers/members, those who are also strong aspirants to play VEENA.
Iam sure that, many of our traditional veena schools start teaching the instrument, without making us, know that – what we should play on VEENA, whether we do have any thing in our mind about the music to reproduce on VEENA.
I really feel that playing of the instrument is nothing but re-producing the vocal part of the music in the form of a good sound in good shruti with a balanced laya. So for producing/reproducing a melodious compositions in the form of a sound waves – we definitely have set in our mind that, the full length of that, what we have to play/or produce in the form of sound. Because only mind should guide, what we should play, and the hands should follow what is guided by the mind.
Here the points raises, how the mind will guide us unless we train and store the information in the mind, for this we have to learn the vocal part with as much accuracy as a vocalist learns, the other way, we have to practice still more, because our hands are locked in playing the instrument to guide the laya balance.
So to play the veena, the basic requirement is that- we all should be vocalists, though we do not have a good voice on par with a good vocalist.
That means definitely we all should have learnt the vocal part, and then only the mind starts guiding us, what should we play, then the hands can follow the path easily.
As far as vocal part is concerned, all that required is well described by AMS methods 2007, if we understand that and follow properly, then definitely, we all will be able do good progress within a short time.
What I understood is that Playing of VEENA is not properly explained to us in any school,

On a broad sense of the two parts of the Veena bridge, the two parts are, Poorvangam and Uttarangam, I think only two notes are mostly to be the base lines notes, and those are the depending notes on VEENA, they are PA in Poorvangam and SA in Uttarangam. If we can learn to play “PA” on these notes, that means from SA/R2 to MA-2(prati madhyamam) in poorvangam and “SA*” in uttarangam, from PA to NI-2(kaakali nishadam) this gives the required Bhavam of any note played on the instrument.

That means R1 has to be played in SA, from R2 to M2, the underlying note is 'PA', because if we aim at producing PA in R2 to G1- in the process M1 can be comfortably played, that serves the purpose, but for G2 to M2 , ' PA' sound has to come to provide the required BHAVAM , similarly in Uttarangam- the underlying note is 'SA' , SA is the base line note, that has to produced while plucking the notes from D1 to N2. Thanking all the members, I will post some more experiences in my next postings.
Thanks to AMS easy methods, as it proved- this method not only meant for the vocalists but also for the instrumentalists. Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Where there is a will there is a way - thus, if we have the needed bent of mind to work hard for the welfare of our kids we shall certainly find a way to solve it removing all the illogicalities and irrationalities of our old system. Thus, I have interest only in solving the problems of the poor and innocent aspirants but not in any other things and this made me do things in a positive approach while analyzing and solving the umpteen problems the aspirants are facing in learning our music? The details of some of them I shall give hereunder to open their eyes of the music-teachers, if at all they have, not for my personal aggrandizement at all but for the benefit of the aspirants and their parents (I very well know that no other music-teacher on earth is ready to come out for any open discussion with me in this respect as it, no doubt, effects his/her own image).

01. If the vehicle is in proper condition then the person can travel without any hitch. Thus, even in music, as the vehicle is ‘Laya’ for music, by stabilising the instinctive rhythmical abilities in dealing with both the Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis and properly instilling self-confidence into the aspirant he/she can be initiated to move further and further quickly and efficiently in the travel of music. As most of the teachers themselves cannot manage with these two Gatis they all mostly teach Chaturashra-gati only conveniently leaving away the Trisra-gati. But, later on, due to the lack of ability in dealing with this Trisra-gati the aspirant has to suffer a lot until his/her life time. I have come across many such A-grade and even Top-rank artists with this kind of defect. In my umpteen experiments upon the aspirants it was proved beyond any doubt that any well-wishing-music-teacher certainly trains his/her aspirants both in Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis. Thus, all our students learning in this novel method in our institute, Svarabhangima at Secunderabad can very well sing both the Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis very efficiently.

02. Even though the teacher remains with the aspirant for half-an-hour or one hour at the most in the regular class, the aspirant remains out of the teacher for nearly 23 hours a day. If proper arrangements are made to the aspirant to rely upon something confidently while practicing on his/her own without going off-track. For this purpose only the Casio having the most reliable facility of metronome and transpose is brought into picture to rely upon and practice even in the absence of the teacher. This made the entire process unbelievably very quick and successful to the aspirant unlike in the past. Right from the pre-Saralee exercises up to Varnas this Casio always keeps the aspirant on track and helps a lot even far more than the teacher.

03. By providing the notated items, respective audio-files and possibly video-files also to refer, see and listen to them many a time of his/her own convenience and swallow how much he/she can at his/her own pace even up to Varnas things moved very fast and the Vocal-aspirants are becoming able to sing even intricate Svarakalpana and brief Ragalapana hardly within a span of one year even before learning the first Kriti on their own. Even the Violin-aspirants are also able to do this hardly within a span of 2 or 3 years unbelievably.

As you are initiated in this novel system you are able to work on your own independently and learn many things on your own very quickly and efficiently even though I, being a Violinist, did not teach you any of the Veena-insturmental-techniques at all. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Today I have uploaded 3-Videos of Laya-exercises (SLE-Pre.Ex-10,11 & 12) and 6-Videos of Vocal-exercises (AMS-Vocal-exercises-01 to 06) to ‘youtube.com/user/msakella’ for the benefit of the interested aspirants.

These 12 Laya-exercises are meant for the regular practice of the aspirants and also to test the instinctive abilities of the aspirants at the basic level in managing with both the Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis.

In several experiments held by me in respect of selecting the Vocal-exercises for the kids from the basic level I have found that the Gamaka of the downward-glide occupies the prominent part of our music. However, one must understand that one upward-glide is also included in between two downward-glides and vice versa. As per umpteen experiments as I sincerely feel that the machine, Casio is far more reliable in respect of precise rhythm or note than even the teacher I have videoed four numbers of them playing Casio and singing Akara along @ 60 bpm of Metronome speed and later, two numbers along with only the Shruti of Casio and in two speeds @ 60 and 90 bpm of Metronome speeds respectively. In these last two videos the Arohana & Avarohana of Shankarabharana-raga along with the five Swara-alankaras having short notes only are sung in Akara. Some of the details are furnished hereunder.

01. srsrsrsg rgrgrgrm gmgmgmgp mpmpmpmd pdpdpdpn dndndnd snsnsns
sdndndnd npdpdpdp dmpmpmpm pgmgmgmg mrgrgrgr gsrsrsrs

can be practiced as:
(s)rsrsrs grgrgrgr mgmgmgmg pmpmpmpm dpdpdpdp ndndndnd snsnsnsns
sdndndnd npdpdpdp dmpmpmpm pgmgmgmg mrgrgrgr gsrsrsrs

02. rs grgr mgmg pmpm dpdp ndnd nsnsns
sdnd npdp dmpm pgmg mrgr gsrs

03. sg rm gp md pn ds sd np dm pg mr gs

can be practiced as: (s)gr mg pm dp nds---sd np dm pg mr gs

04. s r g m p d n s – r s n d p m g r ---
each and every note must be brought down from the upper note.

The aspirants can regularly practice these exercises periodically increasing the speed as per their requirement and ability in all the 32 Avivadi-melas to get proper acquaintance with all the 12 notes.

All the points I write in respect of the novel methods in teaching are experimented umpteen times upon the aspirants and are the proven facts which many of the musicians cannot and will not agree with me as they all are more of performer’s perspective and far less of teacher’s perspective. However, I am writing them here for the benefit of the interested aspirants only. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam back here to express some of my feelings and findings about the learning part of Carnatic music - from the learner point of view, for the information to my serious music friends,

As I started sharing my thoughts about the learning part of VEENA from my previous post, about the points, where the learner has to focus himself/herself to go in proper path, so that one can progress with the instrument.
So to play the veena, the basic requirement is that- we all should have learnt the vocal part of music like any other ambitious vocalists, that will help us in having good idea about what we are to going to play on the instrument and
all that required is well described by AMS methods 2007, if we understand that and follow properly, then definitely, we all will be able do good progress within a short time.
As I expressed in my previous post that in poorvangam ‘PA’ is the base note and SA is the base note in Uttarangam, that means, we should at aim at producing PA in poorvangam, starting from R2 to M2,similarly the other side in Uttarangam from D1 to N2, we should look for producing the sound ‘SA’. In the above post, what is described by sri Sharma garu would be very much helpful for any learner.

To reach this point, as AMS method says, we should be thorough in playing the Varnas described by AMS 2007, because by the time we become fluent in playing these varnas, which covers all the 12 notes on the instrument added to this, we learn to play the varnas in good speed, that mean four letters per second that amounts to 120 speed, Iam sure all the veena learners become fluent in handling the instrument and acquire the capability to play any note on Veena. This is what the great Guru shri Akella garu always says. To my understanding and with little of my knowledge, no traditional Veena Schools impart this training for the ambitious veena learner, rather they directly jump on to teaching on veena all the Gitams to Varnams to krithis. We all would have spent good time by then, and we would be sure, we would not have not picked up anything, other than by hearting some krithis.
I do not know why the traditional veena schools do not prefer to teach these important basics.
I think sharing of my thoughts with my experience can benefit some of the readers/members, those who are also strong aspirants to play Thanking the members. Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

If the teacher truly tries to understand the problems of the aspirant and sincerely arrange to solve them in his/her favour he/she certainly works hard and progresses very quickly and efficiently. Unfortunately, by looking very deep into this aspect with high-level of teacher’s perspective one can very well understand that none of our musicians had ever tried to do so and to make the aspirant learn music working hard on his/her own with minimum dependence upon the teacher. None of them even believes that it is only the true process of learning to progress quickly and efficiently without any kind of hindrance. All these musicians are more of performer’s perspective and far less of teacher’s perspective but, pitiably enough, each one of them thinks himself /herself a very great talented teacher. In my extensive experiments on these methods in teaching/learning I have arrived at the conclusion that the person who efficiently, honestly and sincerely makes proper arrangements for this kind of learning is only the true and truthful teacher. The true music-teacher teaches the minimum but makes the aspirant learn the maximum in the minimum duration.

When I have started my career as Lecturer in Violin in 1961 and when I have taught my students in which way I was taught by all my teachers very few of them learned a little and many failed to learn even that little. This failure made me think seriously about the system of learning. By experimenting many things upon my students gradually I could pick up some new methods in teaching Vocal and Violin techniques. By the time I retired I was recognized as one of the best Violin-teachers in our State. However, only after 5 years after my retirement one incident glaringly brought out the lacuna in my teaching. That made me fully resign from the active artistic field and seriously introspect myself. While the Almighty blessed me with umpteen unbelievable easy methods in teaching from then onwards I have taken the teaching as my mission of my remaining life which I have since been carrying out honestly and sincerely.

In which way the process of getting the ghee out of the milk can very easily be made using hardly half-litre of milk, it was also proved beyond any doubt that not even a single Kriti is needed to learn to ably sing Svarakapana or Ragalapana but the intricacies of rhythm and note. Thus, now, even without singing or playing Violin myself for more than 5% of the class-time I was able to initiate all my students sing or play Violin for more than 90% of the class-time and they all could finish of learning up to select Varnas hardly within a span of only one year for Vocal and 3 years for Violin respectively. However, in which way the person who suffers from money spends it lavishly and the person who suffers for money spends it very sparingly, in the same manner even in learning music, the aspirant who has plenty of time, energy and money can very leisurely learn music for 15 or more years and others like our Andhras living in a desert of music can learn it very quickly in this novel method of learning and finish it in a time-bound process.

(In fact, with a noble thought to give music to all the kids in our State and make them giants in music our leaders of those days (not now) have established 12 Music & Dance Institutions in our State unlike any other State of our country. Having no knowledge of music and being unable to make any difference between the performer and the teacher all the official authorities are used to bring great performers and appoint them as Lecturers or Heads of the Music-departments or Principals or pro-Chancellors or Vice-Chancellors etc., etc., in these educational institutions thinking that they all can very well transform all the kids in our State as giants in performing music. Had they truly had any previous experience of working in any educational institution as true teachers and did the needful with constructive ideas all these public-institutions would have certainly flourished well. Instead, ultimately, they all have gradually deteriorated in many aspects and this State remained only as a desert in music. Having delivered all kinds of duties in all capacities right from the Principal to the menial in these institutions and being the founder President of the Teaching staff Association (registered and recognized by the Government) as I, right from the beginning, being the spectator to all these unhappy things, had to feel very had. More over, having taken one or two of these Principals as my ideals, I too could justify for 60 % only and failed in attaining the other 40 %.)

While sending his son to his school without accompanying him a true father makes plans accordingly and suitably trains his son to go to his school on his own independently without depending upon any other person. In general, all the parents are always used to initiate their kids in this manner in training them in attending their needs. I honestly and very sincerely followed this idea, made plans and initiated my students in learning our music and succeeded. By this each and every student works hard on his/her own independently relying upon the symbolised or detailed notations, audio and video-files up to select Varnas and becomes able to sing intricate mathematical Svarakalpana and brief Ragalapana even before learning the first Kriti unbelievably. This obviously proved that any aspirant needs the required acquaintance with the intricacies of rhythm and note but doesn’t need to learn 25 Varnas or 50 Kritis, at the least, to get the knowledge of Manodharma Sangita as insisted by Sangita Kalanidhi Dr. Shripada Pinakapani in his book Manodharma Sangita which is absolutely incorrect and suicidal.

In this process, at the first instance, I have strived hard in suitably symbolizing our notational system to be understandable and followable even to a common man. Later, I have also formulated umpteen exercises for Vocal or Violin and brought out hundreds of audio and video-files to rely upon and be helpful to the aspirant even in the absence of the teacher. In this novel process of learning while the aspirant’s role increases to more than 90% the teacher’s role decreases to less than 10% and the aspirant learns himself at his/her own pace doing things on his/her own independently.

By very strictly implementing this logical and rational system of learning music I have found that all the hard working aspirants can very well save their invaluable time, energy and money and independently become efficient in singing Manodharma sangita within a very short time unbelievably unlike in the past. With the whole-hearted support of the local music-loving-public and the parents here in the area of Malkajgiri, Secunderabad we, as a team, are able to efficiently run our music-institution, Svarabhangima with far higher standards and amazing results in music.

To tell the fact, I have also visited umpteen music-institutions and music-departments of several universities and, to my utter dismay and disgust, found illogicalities and irrationalities, which are harmful to the poor aspirants, are reigning every where helping to produce degree-holders but impotents. Having myself worked for 35 long years in the Govt. Colleges of Music & Dance of Andhra Pradesh (retired in 1996) and having felt very bad of the situation I, on the request of then Director, Shri Arja Shreekanth, very honestly tried to rectify it by periodically holding Lec-dems and work-shops in all the 12 institutions of the State to both the students and teachers as well from 2005 to 2007. But, ultimately, in the absence of any academic supervision in these institutions since last 50 years, no teacher is following them except one or two of my disciples. Some of the music-teachers have even gone to the extent of lodging complaints against the inclusion of certain Laya-exercises formulated by me in the syllabus as one of the member of the Board of Studies. Even though many of the music-teachers are very well aware of the illogicalities or the irrationalities of the quantitative and monotonous old system of teaching music they are unable either to get out of the addiction of the old system and to follow this new system or to face even any open discussion in this respect as it very badly effects their own image. I very well know that due to so many reasons no music-teacher comes out in favour of this novel system of learning. I sincerely feel that, in this country, in any educational institution, the Governmental interference will certainly deteriorates all the conditions very badly and very rapidly. This is KALIYUGA and it was proved beyond any doubt that it is not possible at all to set them all right. That is why I am striving hard to maintain higher standards in our institution, Svarabhangima at Secunderabad at my own level only.

By the scant participation of our members in the discussions of the main thread ‘Music-school’ of our forum, we can very well understand the least interest most of our members have in solving the problems of our poor aspirants in learning their music. As it is of no use to harp on a deaf ear I also hereafter prefer to cut short my articles unless it is necessary.

Even though the playing of the instruments only differs and as the music remains the same, I was able to properly initiate you, a Veena player in learning the intricacies of our music and you have succeeded in your task in proceeding further. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam back here to express some of my feelings and findings about the learning part of Carnatic music - from the learner point of view, for the information to my serious music friends,

In continuation of my previous post, about the learning part of VEENA, my feeling is getting strong about the basic requirement is that- we all should have learnt the vocal part of music like any other ambitious vocalists, without which I definitely feel it is difficult to expect any progress, in any given time. Whether it percolates from any Veena school or not, but the truth remains the same, for the learner, that he/she should have learnt vocal part.
Because the creativity can come only if we store any thing in mind and it start working on it repeatedly, and getting ideas and that leads to a good understanding of the subject.
Another beautiful aspect of the great Guru shri Akella garu always says, as far as veena learning is concerned, playing the Varnas at 120speed per kriya, is a must. That means eight letters per second, will amount to 120 speed and this will enhance the playing fluency over the instrument. This will help us in rendering the Ragalapana in a smooth way and also adds beauty to the swarakalapana when played. Happy Dussehra to all members and thanking all the members. Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

Even though the rhythmical element is one and the same to music, dance and percussion instruments I have never come across even a singe teacher of them who properly stabilizes the rhythmical abilities of the aspirants right from the first day of their lesson.

In the extensive experiments on the methods of learning our music it was proved beyond any doubt that the acquaintance with both the Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis only paves way to the efficiency of the aspirants. That is why I, basing upon my acquaintance with Mridangam in my younger days, have formulated some intricate rhythmical exercises to be taught right from the first day of the music lesson. Unless the aspirant is able to reproduce all these rhythmical exercises successfully I do not start the music lesson at all. Many may not believe me if I write that this the vital point to my thumping success in making the process of learning music very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’.

Basing upon this success I have brought out some more videos to be helpful to the kids of 2 or 3 years of age in stabilizing their rhythmical abilities right from their tender age. Today two such videos are uploaded to ‘youtube’ under the play-list ‘AMS-Kids’ rhythmical initiative to instrumental music’ for the benefit of the kids and their parents. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

11.10.2014
Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam here to express some of my feelings about the learning part of Carnatic music - for the information to my serious music friends,
I continue to express about the learning part of VEENA- as I expressed earlier,
In the first place - about 3-5-7 & 4-5-7 in Chaturasra andThisra gati vocal exercises , as explained by AMS easy methods 2007, making our self perfect, as we keep doing these, regularly with the help of a matrinomo, and following up this exercise with the self rendering of Swara kalpana for - one and two avruttas, ending with small muktai, paves the basic tuning to become more independent for the creative part of music.

Second place – playing of the defined varnas by AMS easy methods 2007, at 120 speed ( eight letter per second)- definitely this is the toughest exercise for any person, who has been in long learning stream- but slowly one can pick by reaching to 100 to 11o speed, once we become fluent up to 110 then we can easily go up to 120.

The main advantage of this exercise is, it provides the - free hand movement on the instrument, and this enables the hand to automatically produce any sound without any effort.

Iam sure, most of our veena teaching schools, not guiding us to do this exercise in the first place of instrument playing. Because of this gap, we all are failing to raise to the required expectations to become a good veena artist/ rather tough to become.
This exercise has to become a part of regular instrument learning process, then, when we start playing the ragalapana, the outuput will be so good, definitely it comes with the sufficient gamakas embedded with the required vibrations.
Iam sure this only brings the smooth handling and neat playing of Veena.

My feeling should benefit the aspirants of veena playing. Thankig AMS easy methods 2007 for providing the real path for the real aspirants. Thanking all the members. - sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Having learnt music for many years very regularly singing or playing instruments along with their teachers, both the teacher and the aspirants have all become used to think that this is the only way either to teach or learn music and there is no other way at all for this. Thus, this has become the hereditary system of teaching/learning our music since many centuries. After working for 35 long years as a regular music-teacher in the Govt. Music Institutions and after 5 years after my retirement only I could realise that this traditional system of singing and making the aspirant also sing along for many years in the process of learning is nothing but suicidal. Particularly this method helped only to keep the aspirant always dependent upon the teacher elongating the process of learning for many years. Till date this old system of teaching has never been standardized and, in this system, there are umpteen illogicalities and irrationalities to which all the teachers have become addicted.

Who has to standardize this system of teaching? Not the performers at all but the teachers having vast experience in teaching who very regularly teach the aspirants right from their younger age working in a well-disciplined educational set-up of Govt. Music Institutions. In all the Govt. Institutions of Music & Dance of former Andhra Pradesh, since last more than 50 years, all the teachers are used to teach the students right from the age of 10 years right from he basics of the art. Such experienced teachers only must make plans to standardise the system of teaching/learning.

But, while teaching the aspirants, due to the conservative and egoistic temperaments, even the veteran performers become like jaundice-eyed patients and cannot become aware of their own harmful acts or of others. For example, in the absence of any academic supervision the Teachers or Lecturers or Principals or Readers or Professors have absolutely been ignoramus of the illogicalities or irrationalities of the syllabus or of their own methods in teaching and been producing only impotents but with higher degrees.

Unless the methods in teaching are also modernized and standardised properly removing the
dependency of the aspirant under the vigilant supervision of true teachers (not performers) we cannot pass on the flawless art form to the posterity properly. Thus, very strictly basing upon the logical and rational ideas, this novel system of learning music with the minimum guidance of the teacher has been formulated making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ for the first time in the history for the benefit of the kids and their parents.

In this process of learning the kids right from their age of 2nd or 3rd year could also be initiated. At the first instance the kid must be exposed to the 5 video-files of Chaturashra-gati and another 5 of Trisra-gai which are available in the play-list ‘AMS-Inspiring instrumental music for kids’ on alternative days for one or two weeks. Later, giving two cane-sticks the kid must be initiated to follow the videos of Chaturashra-gati and Trisra-gati which are furnished under the play-list ‘AMS-Kids’ rhythmical initiative to instrumental music’ on alternative days for another one or two weeks. Later the kid should be initiated to follow the 38 Nos. of videos furnished under the play-list ‘AMS-Kids’ Rhythms’ starting from the videos pertaining to Charurashra-gati, Trisra-gati and Khanda-gati serially. Finally the kid should be initiated to follow the first 12 videos furnished under the play-list ‘AMS-Special Laya exercises’. All this is most essential to shape any kid to efficiently, confidently and independently manage with both the even (Chaturashra-gati) and odd (Trisra-gati) gatis in our music. It certainly helps a lot if the parents who are deeply interested in giving our music to their kids even before the age of 12 years follow this scrupulously. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

None of my music-teachers had ever taught me singing even the Alankaras both in Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis. Even in the oldest Music College at Vizianagaram, where I have studied for 3 months in 1957, none of the music-teachers were used to teach the Trisra-gati to any of the students. Again in 1977, even when I worked as the Lecturer in Violin, I too didn’t teach this to the students, as this was neither prescribed in the syllabus nor was in the tradition of teaching. Later, having realized the importance of Trisra-gati, I, as one of the members of the Board of Studies, have included the singing of Varnas in Trisra-gati also in some of the syllabi for the betterment of the standards. But, while some of the impotent teachers have gone even to the extent of lodging a written complaint against this some others are even skipping to teaching them in the absence of any supervision.

Many think that the legends or maestros are experts both in singing and teaching also. But, in my extensive research I have found that they all are well in performing only and they are also not used to teach Trisra-gati to their students as they all are very poor in teaching. Mostly all their methods in teaching are full of umpteen illogicalities and irrationalities and help only to make the aspirant dependent upon the teachers simultaneously elongating the process of learning music for many years. Even though some of them are well aware of these lapses they are more bothered about their image than the benefit of the aspirants. Unfortunately, they all are used to resort even to teaching also thinking themselves very efficient not only in performing but also in teaching.

To tell the fact, here lies a very crucial point to think very seriously. What is mostly needed to be taught to the aspirant to shape him/her as an independent person making him/her proceed further on his/her own in his/her voyage? To fulfill this the teacher must inculcate the knowledge of writing and following the notation, singing Swarakalpana and Ragalapana even at the basic level. But, all our music-teachers start the teaching with Saralee-swaras and go on teaching a number of items mostly without giving any notation or audio-files which mostly help not only to elongate the process for many years but also to squeeze more money and to always keep the aspirant dependent upon the teacher. Even though it has, beyond any doubt, been proved that the notations, audio and video files fairly quicken the process a lot simultaneously making the aspirant independent in working hard on his/her own most of these music-teachers turn a deaf ear and prefer only to elongate the process for many years as finalized in the panel discussion held in the Great Music Academy, Chennai on 21-12 2013. Surprisingly, even none from the audience raised any objection in this respect which obviously reveals that there is not even a single efficient and honest music-teacher in that gathering.

Presently, everywhere, each and every syllabi of music is full of illogicalities and irrationalities. As each and every aspirant of music aims to become a veteran performer he/she always thinks or woks hard predominantly with performer’s perspective only. But, due to so many reasons, even though he becomes compelled to settle as a teacher he/she doesn’t have the aptitude or attitude to work as a teacher. That is why all these syllabi in music, which have been formulated by these maestros or legends or experts in the music have become full of illogicalities and irrationalities doing more harm than help to the aspirants wastefully elongating the process of learning music for many years.

Since last 30 or 40 years, on one side, while all the ethical values are being deteriorated by majority of the people, adding fuel to the fire on the other, the reservations are being misused in every possible manner very rapidly deteriorating the standards of all the educational institutions. Particularly, in respect of the music-syllabi of various educational institutions and the respective music-teachers there is no exception of illogicalities or irrationalities, ultimately and very badly affecting the aspirants produced with higher degrees.

For example, in respect of the music-institutions, while nearly 60 to 70 compositions are dumped to learn along with singing Varnas in Trisra-gati, singing Swarakalpana and Ragalapana for more than 20 Kritis and RTPs for M.A. Music not even 1/3 of the compositions are properly taught leave alone all other things. However, all the teachers certainly get their full salaries every month without fail even without teaching the full syllabus.

Many may allege that I always make adverse remarks upon all the music-teachers and their defective methods in teaching. But, they all must remember that I was also a piece of the same cloth but, later fully realized, came out with a novel system of teaching music and truly and truthfully serving our aspirants all over the globe contributing hundreds of videos and audios for free usage and making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ unlike in the past. More over, while all these music-teachers always avoid any discussions pertaining to the methods in teaching lest they very badly affect their own image I always welcome that kind of criticism for the betterment of the methods and standards which ultimately help our aspirants a lot. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of rasika.org,
I have been posting in this column for the past few months, with the interest that, my experiences should benefit the real aspirants those who are spending time, in learning music without reaching the goals with perfection and quality and wasting time only by running after the music schools.
In response to that, the great Guru Shri Akella garu with a sincere effort, he is bringing out all his expertise, and knowledge, with useful suggestions to benefit the true aspirant, with a sole aim, that he/she should not suffer for want of good teaching.
So my humble request, is that the members of this forum, if they have their friends/or their own people, those we are looking forward for a perfect music guidance, make them follow the suggestions provided by the great guru and get benefitted, much before the time passes without our knowledge.
If members start interacting and expressing the feelings about the postings in these columns, then only, it is conveyed that, the message is going to the true aspirant.
So please do acknowledge your responses, to covey that, posting are read by the members and the message is going to the true aspirant. We cannot afford to miss the guidance of ‘AMS 2007 easy methods’, and my sincere respects to the great guru for his untiring service to the music learning community. Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

By God’s grace, even at the fag end of my life, I am able to realize my inefficiencies and mistakes which helped to bring out a novel system of learning music. The efficiency of any system must be adjudged by the end-result only. The criteria in learning music is to gain the knowledge of singing the written notation, writing the song in notation and singing Swarakalpana along with brief Alapana of the Raga but not learning a number of compositions. By learning in this novel system many of our kids are able to get this very quickly and efficiently hardly within a span of one or two years. That is the thumping success of this novel system.

My father had performed ‘Tapas’ for three months in Varanasi to get a male-child and I was born in 1938. Later, several incidents of my life and the protection I have received from the Almighty proved that I am a ‘Varaprasadi’.

Nearly 30 years back Shri Shiridi Saibaba very kindly gave me Darshan in my dream and directed me to recite HIS name. From then onwards I have been able to recite HIS ‘Namasmaranam’ at all times which is regulating my life at all times. With HIS blessings only I could solve ‘Talaprastara’ and bring out even this novel system in learning music for the first time in the history. Besides this, HE gave me local contacts also to carry out this system efficiently and successfully and I am able to truthfully and truly serve our people.

When I am unable even to repair myself how can I repair others? Moreover, in this Kaliyuga (the period of destruction) it is not at all possible to repair each and every body. Many a time it was also proved that my body acts according to the will of the Almighty but not on my own. Moreover, irrespective of others response I must fultill my duties and responsibilities. That is why I write all these articles only to pass on the information as my duty.

However, few people have become ignited by these ideas and got benefited. In the same manner you have also been ignited and getting the benefits.

Your articles also ignite several people who may not respond but get benefited. So, continue to write these articles bringing out your experiences. But, don’t expect that everybody gets benefited and responds as you expect. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

In general, anywhere, the parents are used to carefully initiate their kids in doing things on their own in attending their needs independently like in washing their face, taking their bath, eating their food, wearing their dress, wearing their shoes, going and coming to and from their school etc., etc. Thus, the parents are used to take the responsibility of inculcating this knowledge in their kids in doing their things on their own possibly without depending upon anybody. In fact, it is the duty not only of the parents but of the elders and teachers also in shaping the kids in leading their life independently.

Even in learning our music it is the duty of the teachers to bring out a flawless, logical and reliable system to help the aspirants and their parents also. But, since a very long time, as such standardized system has never been brought out by our musicians; all the aspirants are compelled to solely depend upon the so-called music-teachers which is helping only to elongate the process for many years ultimately having no guarantee of the successful music-career.

I, having myself also brought up in the same suicidal system filled with umpteen illogicalities and irrationalities and, accordingly, following the same, having already ruined the lives of many aspirants in my Govt. service of 35 long years as an inefficient teacher (and also as a parasitical performer side by side) I have realized all my blunders only 5 years after my retirement and, only by the grace of the Almighty, could bring out a flawless, logical and reliable system of learning our music.

In formulating this novel system all the needs of an aspirant are thoroughly thought of. In my umpteen experiments in this respect, I have found that it is preferable to regularly practice along with precise rhythm and note of a machine. Hence, a proper plan has been made to initiate the aspirant work on his/her own, right from the first day of the music-lesson, to rely the maximum only upon the Metronome and Transpose facilities of the Casio key-board which never go wrong and the minimum upon the teacher/guide. This also has been experimented upon hundreds of aspirants over the years and found most reliably ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ to the kids. In this novel system, hardly within one year, a school-going kid attending the music-classes twice a week either in person or Skype, can certainly become able to sing the notation, write the notation, sing four kinds of the intricate mathematical Swarakalpana in 6 popular Talas along with brief Ragalapana even before learning the first Kriti on his/her own. Even later, if he/she wants to continue the music as the main-career he/she can do so by relying the maximum upon the respective notated books, audio and video files. If not he/she can even shift to any other main-career and continue the process of music also as a second preference.

In this period the kid is mostly initiated to learn the knowledge of the intricacies of the notation, rhythm and the different oscillations of notes working on his/her own but not a number of compositions like in the suicidal old system.

In this novel process of learning music 9 select Varnas sung @ one note per each second (Matra-kala) are crucial in getting the proper acquaintance with most of the important oscillations of notes. For this purpose learning 6 Varnas in the Ragas utilizing Kaishiki-nishada is very important and, now, the re-modified version of the detailed notation of these Varnas, including another Varna in Begada also, is brought out and the respective pdf files are uploaded for Sangeethamshare for the benefit of the interested aspirants. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of rasika.org,
I have been posting in this column for the past many months, with the interest that, my experiences should benefit the real aspirants.
I was also a strong aspirant of the music, after acquiring Diploma in Veena, I tried to find, what really I learnt, and found nothing. Then I ran after the popular schools for proper learning, and ended up in nowhere, other than spending time. After getting into the system of AMS 2007, I started analyzing, myself, and felt that, this is what, should have been done by me, for quite long time to bring myself in proper track. As I have been with the system for the past one year, and I am building the confidence that, my pursuance with sincerity can definitely take me to the good results.
To my understanding good number of quality performers come from Chennai, but I do not know, how far the real aspirants of the music are really getting benefited by the knowledge of the expert musicians. How many of the aspirants are really getting the knowhow of the true schools, where one can grow as a good musician to fulfill his/her ambition.
It is really the path, which is important to learn properly the music, without losing much time in the learning process. Since learning of music is really connected with our mindset and body tuning. If we are sure of the path, we can be sure of the goals, for which, we should be aware of the path, and the path can not be easily explained by any good performing musician. Only a dedicated teacher can guide for proper path, and as it is now many are quite aware that, AMS 2007 easy methods, has been a very useful and productive method for producing a good musician. Since the system has been embedded with the required Laya exercises, rendering of swaras, understanding the depth of each swara, phrasing of the swaras and framing of avruttas, knowing the depth of sadharana gandhara and kaisiki nishada. So my request to the members to see that, good system should reach the needy aspirant, for that all have to volunteer to generate bright musicians. Sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

The mother just eats a little to initiate her kid in eating. The true mother sits beside in a chair and initiates her daughter in cooking things. The teacher, sitting on the pillion, initiates the aspirant in learning the driving of a motor-cycle.

In the same manner even in learning music the teacher has to sing the minimum and initiate the aspirant sing the maximum independently relying upon the notated, audio and video aids and the Casio-keyboard. This is the only reliable way of initiating the aspirant in learning music but not singing or playing the teacher himself/herself all along and making the aspirant also sing or play along with him/her.

Only after many failures in my teaching life for more than 40 years, I have been blessed by the Almighty with this novel system of learning music making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’ for the first time in the history. In this process I never sing or play Violin even for more than a minute in any class. Mostly relying upon the notated, audio and video aids and on the Casio-MA-150 and working hard on his/her own the aspirant very quickly acquires the knowledge of writing the notation and its singing and singing intricate mathematical Swarakalpana in 6 popular Talas along with brief Ragalapana, hardly within one year only. How many of the present music-teachers can do this? None, as they all are mainly with performer’s perspective and with very little teacher’s perspective but compelled to live on teaching only. While all these maestros or legends or experts do each and everything in their life for their self-aggrandizement only the true teacher always strives hard in making the aspirants knowledgeable. That is why while none of them can do this an efficient, honest and reliable teacher only can do this.

As the traditional system of teaching/learning is highly illogical, irrational, defective and time consuming, only very few aspirants, that too basing upon their individual talents and hard work only, are becoming maestros or legends just like in the case of Dronacharya and his three foremost disciples, son Aswatthama, indirect disciple Ekalavya and direct disciple Arjuna. Even in Chennai, the aspirants mostly rely upon the local concerts only to become more knowledgeable. In my umpteen experiments I have found out all these unbelievable facts on my own.

In this novel process of learning music the aspirant works hard even in the absence of the teacher/guide and progresses very quickly and efficiently. To follow this novel system of learning music the teacher must also be able to sing all the Varnas in full @ 4-6-8 notes per each Kriya. Many of the music-teachers cannot do this as they are not taught even by their teachers in this manner.

Now, by God’s grace, this system is gradually spreading all over the globe and many aspirants are getting benefited by these amazing results within a very short span of time for the first time in the history. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Each and every aspirant learning music aspires mostly to become a professional performer and, by that, to earn every thing to the maximum. But, due to so many other reasons many of them are compelled to remain as teachers only. I have come across many such teachers posing as the saviors of music but doing more harm than help even without having the aptitude or attitude but lot of reputation.

To tell the fact, the persons having conservative, egoistic, hypocritical and selfish temperaments are very harmful to the society in many aspects and music is not an exception at all in this respect. Besides, the illogicalities and irrationalities intruded into the system of learning music is another threat to the poor aspirants and their parents.

Among many, for example, I shall hereunder give a couple of glaring illogicalities very sincerely followed even by the maestros and legends while teaching music to the poor aspirants.

01. For example, in general mathematics, while teaching the numerals to the kids, the teacher writes 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 & 0 on the black-board and initiates the kids copy them in their books. The kids, in turn, copy them all successfully.

Similarly, in our music also, if the music-teacher brings the Casio, plays the seven fixed notes along with the fixed rhythm of Metronome, himself/herself sings along with them and initiates the kid also follow singing along with him/her, it is perfectly logical and easy to the aspirant to properly understand both the rhythm and the note and proceed further with confidence even in the absence of the teacher.

But, even the highly knowledgeable maestros or legends, being very busily engaged in their self-aggrandisement, are never used to even look into such problems of the aspirants and do things logically. They all readily use the foreign-made pitch-pipe happily but not the foreign-made Metronome very sadly. All our music-teachers, at the first instance, hate the Casio, start singing all the seven notes along with a Shruti-box or Tambura having only two notes, Shadja and Panchama and ask the kid also follow them singing along. The aspirant also may, somehow, be able to follow in singing all the seven notes along with the teacher. But, in the absence of the teacher, the aspirant doesn’t know on what he should rely upon and sing all the seven notes efficiently. This may be the traditional way of teaching music to the conservatives, but, how far this is logical and helpful to the aspirant in respect of both rhythm and note.

02. Irrespective of the maestro or legend, each and every music-teacher teaches the Alankaras in the 7 Talas sincerely following the tradition by starting with Dhruva-tala.

In fact, almost all our composers, except Muttuswamy Dikshitar, very conveniently avoided composing even a single composition in this confusing Tala. Even Dikshitar did not compose more than a handful of compositions altogether in this Great Tala.

More over, no performer ever prefers to sing or play elaborately in this Tala.

Then, how far this is logical to start these Alankaras with this Tala to a small kid?

All such illogicalities must immediately be removed to make things easier to the poor aspirant.
But, nowadays, in our great country, most of the people are gradually running away from fulfilling their duties and responsibilities and becoming more non-ethical. At this juncture, I don’t think that our music-teachers bother about such problems of our aspirants and do the needful in the absence of any supervision or punishment at any level. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of rasika.org,
This is in continuation of my previous postings in this column.
It is really the path, which is important to learn properly the music, without wasting the time .
Logical thinking is the very much necessity for the ambitious learner to progress in music. We have to be sure about, what we should learn, then we can save so much of time in the learning process.
This is not that easy to develop the opinion about, what and how we should learn, for this only good guidance by a dedicated and a sincere teacher with the sole aim that, the student should really progress, when he/she is learning from him/her. This is to tell and feel is ok, but finding a sincere guru is not an easy task.
Looking into these aspects of learning from the learner point of view, using all his experiences, the great guru, Sri Akella Mallikharjuna Sarma garu designed a very good method, AMS easy methods, 2007.
The procedure laid down by him is very much learner friendly, with the aim that, the learner should not suffer for years together in running around the music teachers’ for learning music. If we practice well and follow this, within 2-3 years we can definitely reach a good stage.
My sincere wish all the ambitious learners follow this method and become a sincere musicians. sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

As you wrote ‘logical thinking is the very much necessity for the ambitious learner to progress in music’ is absolutely true. But, who bells the cat?

In general, each and every person learning music aspires to become a professional performer and, accordingly, to earn many things to the maximum in his life time. But, in this process, only a talented person can become a professional performer by his/her own individual abilities and hard work like the three disciples, the son Ashwatthama, the indirect disciple Ekalavya and the direct disciple Arjuna of Dronacharya of Mahabharata.

After attaining that high level and becoming as a maestro or legend, they will become busier in attending their regular concerts at many places. Even the aspirants prefer to learn from such maestros or legends and flock together. Even these maestros or legends encourage such aspirants as this facilitates them to earn more money even in the lean-time when they do not have concerts. But, in the process of self-aggrandisement, as mostly they all are used to sing or play in their regular concerts, they brought out a system of teaching music in which they can always remain singing or playing. Simultaneously they are also used to discourage even writing the music-compositions in notation which helped not only to elongate the process to many years but also to keep the aspirants dependents upon them. Besides, this process not only helped them to sing or play a great number of compositions regularly but also to escape from the responsibility of inculcating the knowledge of Manodharma Sangita among the aspirants. Thus, this system of singing and playing and making the aspirants also follow them in singing or playing came into vogue long ago and treated as teaching music to the aspirants.

In the meantime, even though Subbarama Dikshitar (1900) brought out his great work, Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini along with hundreds of compositions written in symbolized notation for the first time in the history to sincerely help the poor aspirants every musician overtly praised profusely but covertly did nothing either to follow or develop the symbolized notation. Thus, wantonly this symbolized notation has successfully been sabotaged by all these lethargic and negligent maestros and legends.

Even after the later invention and introduction of the sound-recording gadgets like cassettes or CDs or DVDs no musician came out to provide the music-compositions even with simple notation and pre-recorded cassettes or CDs or DVDs containing the same compositions which can very well be utilized independently by all the aspirants in getting their progress.

In all my extensive experiments in finding logical methods in learning our music many such secrets came out into light and, accordingly, only by the grace of the Almighty, I could formulate a logical and reliable method in learning our music right back in 1992 with the minimum dependency upon the teacher/guide. In this process I have even uploaded two audio CDS to ‘Sangeethamshare’, nearly 800 videos to ‘youtube’ and brought out four books with notated compositions and pre-recorded CDs.

Even now, if all these maestros and legends come out, discuss things at length and do the needful in finding a logical and reliable method in learning our music it certainly helps to make the aspirants work hard independently on their own and progress very quickly and efficiently. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

There is nothing wrong in following the traditional method in teaching/learning our music. But, while properly utilizing the modern technology in efficiently quickening the process of learning if some of the traditional methods are found to hinder the progress of the aspirants, they must certainly and properly be modified in the high interests of our aspirants.

Leave alone the maestros and legends as they all, naturally, are mostly of performer’s perspective and they always do every thing for their self-aggrandisement only to be on top of their profession. But, I sincerely feel that it is the duty and responsibility of the so called Gurus not to let any illogicality or irrationality creep into their teachings contrary to the interests of the aspirants and the sacred art. While working as a teacher, unknowingly, I also did such harmful deeds but later, only by the grace of the almighty, feeling a cheater, I have realized myself and been all along striving hard to help the poor aspirants. In the process of learning not to make the aspirants an easy prey I have been bringing out all these details through my posts in this thread, even reiterating many times, to make the music-teachers aware of them and rectify themselves in the high interests of our aspirants. I shall be very thankful if the music-teachers modify their methods in teaching/learning accordingly to be more reliable and helpful to the aspirants.

To make the aspirant learn cooking the teacher, without cooking things himself/herself, must explain things and initiate the aspirant make the process of cooking. Even to make the aspirant learn the driving of a motor-cycle the teacher, without driving himself/herself/, must explain things and initiate the aspirant make the process of driving. As both these cooking and driving are practical-oriented subjects the process of learning must also be made practical-oriented to learn them quickly and efficiently. This is the only right logical approach of learning them in the high interests of the aspirants.

In respect of learning music also it is most essential to make the process of learning also practical-oriented by explaining things and initiating the aspirant do and learn things on his/her own. This is the right, strict, logical and proven approach in learning music making the process very strictly ‘time-bound and result-oriented’. But, an efficient teacher (not performer at all) only must make a proper plan not to sing or play himself/herself but only to initiate the aspirant in doing and learning things on his/her own.

But, while a true-teacher in tailoring truthfully initiates the aspirant in properly taking out the physical measurements of the body, in properly cutting the cloth without making any waste of it and in properly stitching it, a cheater-teacher initiates the aspirant in stitching only always keeping the aspirant dependent upon the teacher in learning other crucial details. In the same manner, even in music, while a true-teacher truthfully initiates the aspirant in doing and learning things like rhythmical intricacies, singing the notation, writing the notation and singing intricate mathematical Swarakalpana along with brief Ragalapana on his/her own, a cheater-teacher goes on singing or playing himself/herself a large number of items and makes the aspirant also sing or play along with him/her repeating the lesson like a parrot but without giving him/her the relevant grammar. A true teacher sings or plays the minimum and honestly initiates the aspirant sing or play the maximum in making him/her knowledgeable and independent. God alone knows how many are true teachers truly helping the aspirants.

In the same manner, while the aspirant learning music needs to get the basic knowledge of singing the notation, writing the notation and singing the intricate mathematical Swarakalpana along with brief Ragalapana, if the teacher wantonly avoids to give them but goes on singing or playing a large number of items and makes the aspirant also follow him/her in singing or playing them along with him/her for many years of his/her life what is wrong if he/she is called a cheater-teacher. Since a very long time, without any exception, all the music-teachers, irrespective of their own stature, have been doing the same harmful act making the aspirant an easy prey. But, now, if I logically made it possible to learn all those things hardly within a span of a couple of years none of them is able to bare with it or to do it more quickly or efficiently than me (none of them is able to come forward either to find fault with this novel system or to do the same more quickly and efficiently than me).

In this process of learning the barest minimum items are to be prescribed selecting them very strictly on logical basis and the respective notated, audio and video-aids must certainly be provided to the aspirant for his/her regular practice mostly to rely upon them even in the absence of the teacher.

Always, even before serving the meal, at the first instance, the plate must properly be cleaned and, in many of my extensive experiments, it has logically been proved that, in this manner, even before starting the music-lesson, the rhythmical abilities of the aspirant must be stabilized to manage with both the Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis efficiently.

In this novel system, very strictly basing upon logic, the aspirant is properly initiated in learning 6 or 8 Saralee-swaras, 3 or 4 Janta-swaras, 3 Datu-swaras, 7 Alankaras, 5 select Gitas, 8 select Adi-tala-varnas, 1 Ata-tala-varna and 1 Swarajati of Shyamashastry in Bhairavi-raga only hardly in the span of only one year.

In this process of learning if the aspirant works hard @ 2 hrs., daily for a couple of months in the beginning and later, from the learning of Varnas, @ 4 hrs., daily for the remaining period the aspirant can certainly become able to sing notated composition, write notation, sing intricate mathematical Swarakalpana along with brief Ragalapana hardly within a span of one year even before learning the first Kriti on his/her own.

It is the duty and responsibility of the teacher to assess the instinctive talents of the aspirant and also to bring them out and stabilize. The aspirant should never be taxed to learn unnecessary number of items. In the wake of the aspirants’ and parents’ ignorance many teachers are used to teach a large number of preliminary exercises, Gitas etc. For example, many of the teachers prefer to teach Alankaras in 35 Suladi-talas illogically all in Chaturashra-gati only. But, they don’t teach singing them in Trisra-gati as the teachers themselves cannot sing them in Trisra-gati. If properly planned and taught singing Alankaras in 7 Talas are more than enough. In the same manner many teachers are used to teach 20 or 30 Gitas when none of them has ever been allowed to sing in any concert. All these music-teachers illogically teach them all only to elongate the process of learning for many years but, very sadly, not to make the aspirant more knowledgeable.

In this modern speedy-age, while everything is being speeded up properly utilizing all the modern technology, all our music-teachers come forward to utilize this technology for their self-benefit only but not to help the poor aspirant. While music-books with proper notation and pre-recorded CDs help a lot to the poor aspirants how many musicians did this till now? While text-books are invariably supplied to all the subjects on the earth why no such text-books are supplied to the aspirants both for theory and practicals in our music. Such text-books are sold in Distance Education in Music only to squeeze money from the aspirants.

In our institution, Swarabhangima at Secunderabad, we are used to provide detailed notation to sing the Varnas @ one-note-per-second and they could even be downloaded from http://www.sangeethamshare.org/chandra/ ... hods-2007/. How many of the present music-teachers are doing this to help the poor aspirants?

In continuation to the 420th post of this thread, now, I have hereunder furnished the respective URLs of her singing of some of the other Varnas also for the benefit of the aspirants. amsharma

https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/20141 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/20141 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/20141 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/msakella-1/20141 ... aram-4-6-8

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

In my extensive research upon the methods in teaching/learning our music I have been finding many interesting and intriguing facts in the process of my observations and analysis and been trying to bring them to the notice of the aspirants. Now, some of them are furnished hereunder.

In general, any cook prefers to supply the needed items to the customer and to earn more accordingly and, in the same manner, even a tailor prefers to supply the needed dresses to the customer and to earn more accordingly. Thus, they prefer to make the customers dependents upon them for ever. From time immemorial, in the same manner, even while teaching music, all the musicians formulated a system in which they could always remain singing or playing the instruments themselves and also make the aspirants sing or play along with them which facilitates not only for their regular practice but also for singing or playing in their regular concerts efficiently. Thus, they all are used to do anything for their self-aggrandisement only.

While properly notated compositions followed by pre-recorded cassettes or CDs or DVDs help a lot to the aspirants in learning music our lethargic and parasitical performers never preferred to give even the simply notated compositions to the aspirants. More over, they have even prohibited not only writing the notation of the compositions but also notating either the Swarakalpana or Ragalapana. By all this, the process of listening or learning music has been elongated for many years mostly making the aspirants dependents upon their teachers or their senior aspirants. But, surprisingly, in my extensive experiments it was proved, beyond any doubt, that notated compositions, Swarakalapna and Ragalapana help the aspirants a lot like the mathematical tables learnt by the kids in the primary level even without knowing their implication.

Probably keeping all these problems in view, even in 1900, Subbarama Dikshitar, grand-son of Mutthuswamy Dikshitar, brought out his monumental work, Sanigita Sampradaya Pradarshini, with hundreds of compositions along with highly sophisticated and symbolized notation. But, even then, most unfortunately, all our lethargic and parasitical performers did nothing either to follow or develop it to make it helpful to the aspirants but overtly praised him profusely. Thus, till date, none of the maestros or legends or experts had ever brought out any notated books along with pre-recorded CDs even though such modern gadgets are plentifully available and accessible to each and every common man nowadays. Even though many of them have readily been utilizing all the modern facilities to earn more and more money none of them had ever uploaded either audio-files or video-files to any of the websites for the free usage of the aspirants? Even if a very few of them did even a little they did it only to earn money. Did any of the maestros or legends or experts or local organizations ever even discuss the problems of the poor aspirants in learning music while they are the backbone of our music? No. Why none of them ever did? Nowadays, if any notated music-book is published even without a pre-recorded CD what is wrong with it if it is presumed that it is nothing but to cheat or tease the aspirants. In the same manner, while text books are invariably supplied to each and every subject in all the educational institutions why no such text books are supplied for theory or practicals along with pre-recorded CDs in respect of our music? All this obviously reveals their ulterior motive to always keep the aspirants dependents upon the so-called Gurus/teachers (cheaters or teasers) and to squeeze money but not in providing the barest minimum needs. Even in the music-institutions or music-departments no syllabus of Karnataka music is ever formulated on a logical basis by any of these maestros or legends or experts. I am very well aware of all these facts and I can prove them all at any time and place keeping the welfare of the aspirants’ community only in view.

Mostly keeping all this in view and to make it more helpful and reliable to the aspirants I have developed this symbolized notation with 60 symbols and respective audio-files for the first time in the history and uploaded two CDs of AMS Easy Methods-2007 to ‘sangeethamshare’ for the benefit of the aspirants. More over, in properly initiating the aspirant learn the intricacies of the different oscillations of notes I have brought out 9 select Varnas and one Swarajathi in Bhairavi-raga both with detailed notation and symbolized notation along with the pre-recorded audio CDs to truly and truthfully help the aspirants. Besides, I have also brought out one book, Sangita Swararaga Sudha with notated Swarakalpana and Ragalapana and another two books, Sangita Vidyabodhini and Sangita Vidyalochani with notated compositions and all these books followed by pre-recorded CDs to help the aspirants. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam here to express some of my feelings about the learning part of Carnatic music.Thanks to Shri Sarma garu for sharing his vast experiences through these columns, for the benefit of learners. I would request the learners to please read the postings of AMS and get benefited by his vast knowledge.

Whatever may be the feeling of the musicians across, about the teaching part of music, to my understanding the real benefit for the aspirant perspective, lies only in the AMS easy methods 2007, as this method was designed by the great guru, Shri Akella Mallikharjuna Sarma garu, out of all his vast experience and after so much of synthesis just to benefit the real learner, he encapsulated all the cream in short form. If the learner understands that and follows properly, then definitely, he/she will be able do good progress within a short time.

since I also came across one music college and three music schools, finally when I landed in this system, then only I could stream line myself and was able to achieve some progress and I continue to do so. I am sure no other system will strive that hard for the benefit of the learner as this system does and all the sincere respects to the great guru Sri AMS garu for his untiring effort.
As far as learning veena is concerned, I would like to share two important points,
1. Playing the defined varnas by AMS 2007 method at 120 speed is a must to get the fluency over the instrument.
2. Practice vocal the 3-5-7 and 4-5-7 in Chaturasra & Thisra gati’s resepectively and extract out the Swara Kalpana in all the four Talas and add small muktais.
These two things are made perfect, with this experience and knowledge, one can learn Krithis easily. All this cannot just come like that, we have to put up sincere practice and spend good time, then only slowly we become fluent for ragalapana and swarakalpana- which are the two important angas to become a good musician.

Experiences are shared for the benefit of the learners that to from highly experienced gurus, so that one can minimize the learning delay, and once again my request to the member community to acknowledge the postings of the great gurus, to show that we respect our sincere gurus. sastry

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Dear brother-member, sastrydevarakonda,

All are well aware that there are three levels of education, primary, secondary and higher levels. Among them the primary level is the basic. Unless proper care is taken in laying strong foundation to the kids at the primary level we cannot and should not expect quick and better results from the upper two levels.

Since a very long time, one kind of monotonous system of going on singing or playing several items and making the aspirant also follow in singing or playing is being followed by all the music-teachers as this is helping the teacher much keeping him/her always singing or playing which is more helpful to his/her performer-career. But, in this process, as the aspirant has to invariably depend upon the teacher or any other senior aspirant to listen to his/her singing or playing this is mostly helping only to elongate the process of learning for many years but not to quicken it at all.

More over, to tell the fact, many are not at all aware that the Karnataka-music-education has been in a chaotic condition mostly depending upon the teachers who are most lethargic and inefficient following a monotonous and illogical system of teaching elongating for many years and willfully wasting the prime time of the kids. Even in Tamilnadu, where musical awareness is said to be far higher than the other three States, Andhra, Karnataka and Kerala, right from the beginning in the Govt. Music Colleges, the importance is given to the higher education of Vidwan courses only but not to the primary level. Even in Karnataka, while no independent music-institution has ever even been established by the Government, in Andhra Pradesh, even though 12 Govt. Music-institutions have long ago been established to teach right from the primary level, average results only could be yielded by the Principals as most of them are mainly professional performers being more of performer’s perspective but not teachers having any experience with the institutionalised system of teaching. Thus, many are not aware that mostly we all successfully failed in laying a strong primary-level-foundation in music which fairly quickens the process of learning music along with higher quality to our kids. Even in Tamilnadu, even though some music-institutions are started some time back by the Government to give the primary education in music they are not that successful as they all are following the same monotonous system of teaching music which helps to learn more items of music only but not the knowledge of music at all.

Even among these four southern States mainly following the Karnataka-music, even though the public have their own different languages to deal with their daily routine, all our musicians are used to very lovely sing the sacred compositions of all the languages without any regional differences. They all are very affectionate also with each other. Then, why don’t they all sit together, discuss things at length, arrive at a common consensus and do the needful to the welfare of our kids in this respect. Living together in the same country, having the same culture and music, even though we have separate languages and States, can’t we come together and remain more united having a common type of music-learning system, syllabi, courses, examinations, supervision etc., better than our western counter-part? Is this not the high time to think to become more united and do the needful for the sake of our kids? I very sincerely and honestly hope that this is not at all difficult if we all come out of any conservative and egoistic temperaments. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

All our kids are our invaluable treasure in continuing our cultural heritage perennially. I need not reiterate this as each and every sensible person is aware of this. While giving them anything we give them the best always sincerely and honestly feeling the responsibility in taking each and every care of them in each and every respect.

But, since a very long time, unfortunately, in respect of giving the knowledge of music to our kids, taking the advantage of the ignorance of the aspirants and their parents in this subject, all the musicians, mainly being professional performers, in the absence of the right teacher’s perspective, are used to follow a monotonous and defective system which is filled with most harmful illogicalities and irrationalities elongating the process of learning music for many years.

We also have many authors publishing music books with notated compositions. But, nowadays, even though the modern gadgets like CDs are also very easily accessible and available to one and all to rely upon, no author is coming out to provide any pre-recorded CDs also in which the same notated compositions are readily sung.

Even in the panel discussion on Manodharma Sangita, held in Dec., 2013 in the Music Academy, Chennai it was finalized that the minimum duration of 15 years is a must to become a ‘full-fledged-musician’. Even though the word ‘full-fledged-musician’ has not been defined clearly, everybody is well aware that the Almighty is the only ‘full-fledged-musician’ but not any other person at all.

At this juncture one question arises - what is the barest minimum requirement to become an average musician and how much time it takes to acquire this requirement? In this respect I have been making extensive research and, ultimately, found the logical answers. Accordingly, the barest minimum requirement to become an average musician is the ability to properly sing a notated composition, to write the required composition in proper notation and to sing the intricate mathematical Swarakalpana along with brief Ragalapana in the minimum period of a couple of years but not learning 20 Gitas, 30 Varnas and 300 or more Kritis in a period of 10 years or more.

Basing on many experiments a suitable and logical syllabus, without unnecessarily taxing the aspirants but carrying the barest minimum items, is formulated to acquire this requirement. Accordingly, along with some very important rhythmical exercises the kids are initiated to learn 8-Sarala-swaras, 4-Janta-swaras, 3-Datu-swaras, 7-Alankaras, 5-Gitas, 1-Swarapallavi, 9-select-Varnas and 1-Swarajati only. While learning Varnas, simultaneously some important patterns of Jatis and Swaras are also learnt in all the six popular Talas to enable them sing Kalpanaswaras and brief Ragalapana. By the completion of learning the Varnas and Swarajati and even before learning the first Kriti on their own even an average aspirant, mostly working independently on his/her own, is becoming able to sing Kalpanaswaras and brief Ragalapana hardly within the span of one year.

In the previous posts Nos. 420 & 439 I have already furnished the links of some audio-files of my great-grand-daughter, Chi. Padmaja, 13 years old from Bangalore, an average school-going-kid, mainly initiated by me without singing either Sa or Pa even once in any of the classes, twice a week by Skype since last March, 2014. I shall be thankful if any of the experts of the Music academy, Chennai also do the same in a beneficial way to the kids and their parents in Chennai and furnish the links of their audio-files also in this thread for the benefit of our kids. amsharma

sastrydevarakonda
Posts: 35
Joined: 20 Jun 2014, 12:19

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by sastrydevarakonda »

Namaste to members of Rasika.org
Iam here to express some of my feelings about the learning part of Carnatic music.
My main interest is to perfect myself about playing veena, as I had spent good time in learning of Veena, and all my efforts have along been in that pursuit. In the process what I understood is that, what one should know about the prerequisites to become good player of the instrument and understand what one has to learn to play and how to play the instrument.
If the path is known to the learner or told by the schools, then music journey becomes productive.
My sincere feeling towards the learning aspect of veena/any other instrument, it mainly consists of two parts,
1. Learn properly the vocal part following AMS easy methods 2007 irrespective of being good/bad vocalist .
2. Playing veena/any instruement, is based on only, how fluent with the instrument, and it comes only when the Varanas played @120 speed.

So the Vocal part is perfect in the mind then the guidance of the mind goes to the hands, and the hands automatically go with the fluency over the strings of the instrument and there we get to produce what exactly required.
This is not tough to learn, if guided in time, and rather easy, but it is really tough in delayed process, then one has to have more maturity and determination to acquire the subject in a time bound schedule.

We cannot say how many times a Varnam one has to play, each line of 8-kriyas to be played a number of times to reach the balance of laya at 120 speed with a good balance for each kriya. This requires so much of determination, despite the tough life schedules, as they demand more towards the other responsibilities and nobody is going to appreciate your effort, only the perfection with the subject is the answer. Once it is perfected, then one need not look back, life becomes really enjoyable with the divine music and the divine instruments.
Sincere thanks to AMS2007 easy methods by the great guru Sri Akella Mallikharjuna Sharma garu, for his untiring effort to put it in easiest form. We should really understand and practice with sincerity to become good musician and get the divine bless. Sastry.

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

In continuation to the posts 420th & 439th, in respect of my 13 years old great-grand-daughter, Chi. Padmaja of Bangalore, I here under furnish the urls of the audio-files of her singing of two Varnas and some intricate muktayis in respect of Swarakalpana for the benefit of the interested aspirants and teachers. Amsharma

https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... handachapu
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... ishrachapu

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

The project, ‘Swaccha-Bharat’, which is now proposed by our beloved Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi and which, in respect of our music I sincerely feel, is cleaning the dirt of the illogical methods in teaching our music, I have started it even in 1992 when I was working as the Principal, Govt. College of Music & Dance, Secunderabad. But, as this is an evolution and any evolution takes its own pace, now, after 22 years, this arrived at the momentum and finalized. By this, now, it is proved hereunder that even an average aspirant learning music could very quickly and efficiently learns the items of music along with the required grammar on his/her own independently hardly within the span of only one year.

Basing upon this, now, it is the time to all our musicians to properly realize and do the needful at the earliest in respect of our poor aspirants and their parents. Please proceed:

In continuation to the 420th, 439th & 445th posts of this thread, now, the urls of some more audio-files in which my 13 years old great-grand-daughter, Chi. Padmaja, a school-going kid studying 10th class from Bangalore sang the items learned in the duration of 10 months are furnished hereunder.

She doesn’t have any musical background or musical environment. She started learning Karnataka Vocal from me from 26-02-2014. Within these 10 months by regularly attending the classes twice a week by land-phone and working hard for 2 to 3 hours daily she could learn up to 9 select Varnas and one Kriti and sing intricate Swarakalpana in all the 6 popular Talas. Being a 10 months’ old baby in music there may be some lapses of Shruti but more confident in rhythm along with Metronome (as per this system I did never sing even for more than one minute in any of the classes but initiated her to sing the maximum). Now, she almost arrived at the conclusive level of the syllabus in these 10 months’ duration.

Unlike in the age old traditional and quantitative system, in this qualitative system, the aspirant is mostly initiated to work on his/her own and learn the items mainly basing upon the notated pdf files, audio-files, video-files and Casio-key-board in the span of one year. According to the prescribed logical syllabus, along with some intricate rhythmical exercises and select primary exercises, the aspirant learns 5 select Gitas, 9 select Varnas and 1 Swarajathi in Bhairavi-raga and becomes able to sing both the Purvanga and Uttaranga of all the Varnas @ 4, 6 & 8-notes per Kriya efficiently. In the mean time the aspirant learns every item on /his/her own and also becomes able to follow the written notation, to write the notation and to sing three kinds of intricate Kalpanaswaras in 6 popular Talas along with brief Ragalapana to proceed further in learning Kritis on his/her own.

Now, by this, she proves that it is possible to learn our music along with the mostly needed grammar of our Karnataka music within the span of only one year thus saving the invaluable time, energy and money of the aspirant. Basing upon this acquired knowledge, if desired, the aspirant can continue the same for further studies in music or shift to any other desirable subject later without waiting for 10 or more years like in the traditional system.

While even I, as an ordinary music-teacher, am able to minimize the duration of learning music along with the mostly needed grammar of our Karnataka music within the span of only one year I sincerely hope that these maestros or legends or experts can certainly minimize it further in helping our poor aspirants and furnish the urls of the respective audio-files in this thread for the benefit of the aspirants and teachers. amsharma

https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... aram-4-6-8
https://soundcloud.com/saraswathi-vvs/2 ... paka-kriti

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

In my extensive research running since last many years in respect of the poor aspirants learning music I have been finding many interesting, intriguing and important facts which are hitherto unknown either to a common man or even to a musician and I have been used to scribble them here and there. Thinking that these important facts, though bitter, certainly help not only the aspirants but also the art in one way or the other I hereby start to furnish them in these posts and continue them whenever it is needed under the same head for the benefit of the aspirants and their parents. amsharma

IMPORTANT-FACTS:

-----If we never think ourselves great in any aspect or respect and if we always keep our ears and eyes open to learn things we can, no doubt, do miracles in serving others. But, at the same time our main aim must be to serve our brothers and sisters truly and truthfully but not in merely doing miracles. Very fortunately, I am blessed by the Almighty and HE only has been keeping me always on the right track even in this KALIYUGA. Without any egoistic temperaments if we very strictly base on logic we will never fail in doing things very quickly and efficiently.

-----Many of our musicians following the traditional methods in teaching music and having the conservative and egoistic temperaments may not agree with me but it is well and good if they all keep in mind that I, at this old age of 76 years, do not or need not have any thing against anybody but the illogical and harmful methods followed in teaching our music to the poor and ignorant aspirants.

-----Since time immemorial all our musicians have always been used to sing or play themselves in terms of their regular practice or to sing in their regular concerts. Thus, to facilitate their regular singing or playing either for their regular practice or for their regular concerts they have formulated the present system of singing or playing themselves and making the aspirants also sing or play along with them like the father who always goes along with his son to take him to his school and bring him back daily along with him but never initiates his son go to school on his own. As the maestros and legends are very busily engaged mostly with their regular practice and in attending their frequent concerts at different places the time they were spending was very little either with their family members or with their disciples which facilitated only to elongate the process of learning for many years. While the notated compositions are very helpful and reliable to the aspirants in learning music on their own the performers turned music-teachers , to suit their own needs and deeds, are always used to create hatred towards writing notation to any of the compositions or for Swarakalpana or Ragalapana which invariably helps to elongate the process of learning. Since time immemorial this kind of monotonous strategy has been formulated and implemented by all these performers turned music-teachers to maintain their lean time in teaching the aspirants. Later, in 1900, with great heart, wisdom and honesty Subbarama Dikshitar, looking into the barest needs of the poor aspirants, brought out his monumental work, Sangita Sampradaya Pradarshini along with hundreds of compositions furnishing with symbolized notation for the first time in the history which mostly helps the aspirants to independently work on their own in learning music. But, even though all these musicians have overtly praised Subbarama Dikshitar for bringing out his monumental work, covertly none of them did follow or developed it. Except for getting their doctorates, very sadly, none of our musicians had ever cared either to follow or develop the symbolized notation for the benefit of our aspirants.

-----Even after the invention and introduction of the modern sound-recording gadgets like spool-tape-recorders, cassette-recorders, ipods, CDs and DVDs, even though these teachers have very well been utilizing them plenty for their own purposes and even though they all are very well aware that they help the aspirants a lot, very sadly, none of them ever even tried to write music books with notation and supply them along with pre-recorded cassettes or CDs carrying the same songs sung in the same notation.

-----If the different taxes imposed by the Government are removed the prices of the things like petrol become affordable even to a common man. But, as the Government needs to extract huge amounts from the public in terms of various taxes, all these taxes are included in these prices escalating them very high going beyond the reach of a common man. In the same manner, even though many are not even aware of, even in our music, since time immemorial, a suicidal system in teaching has been formulated by all these performers which helps to always keep them singing or playing a great number of items and simultaneously making the aspirants also sing or play along with them by which aspirants are compelled to become solely dependents upon these teachers. To make this process successful these lethargic performers created an illusion that notation should not be written to the compositions or for Swarakalpana or Ragtalapana. Besides, they also created hatred towards the listening to the recorded music. Thus, to elongate the process for many years they have successfully included umpteen illogicalities and irrationalities too. But, in my extensive research it was proved beyond any doubt that a logical plan with a suitable syllabus certainly quickens the process of learning. By very strictly following this, even an average aspirant can certainly sing even intricate Swarakalpana and Ragalapana even before learning the first Kriti on his/her own hardly within the span of only one year by working hard for 3 to 4 hours daily on his/her own. Basing upon the individual intelligence and hard work this duration may differ from person to person.

-----To tell the fact, instead of giving the ability to deal with the notation, intricacies of different Gatis of Laya and intricacies of the oscillations of notes to the aspirants all these lethargic and selfish musicians have formulated a useless system of singing and making the aspirants also sing along while merely learning a number of compositions helps the musicians only to always keep them on the track of singing or playing for their performances. That is why, with this ulterior motive only, they have always been used to discourage the aspirants in writing the compositions or Ragalapana or Swarakalpana in notation or even to record them for listening purpose. More over they have always been used to discourage even the usage of the Metronome. In my extensive research all these bitter facts came into light and the things which have all along been discouraged by these teachers have, in turn, been found as the most useful things to make the aspirants independents in many respects.

-----For example, any person needs to know the process of taking the physical measurements of the body, properly cutting the cloth and stitching the pant or shirt are needed to make him/her a successful tailor but not by merely stitching hundreds of pants or shirts. In the same manner, any aspirant of music needs to know the intricacies of writing or singing the notation, different Gatis of Laya and the oscillations of notes to manage with in the process of learning on his/her own but not merely learning hundreds of compositions by listening them from the teacher. Unless and until our so called music-teachers realize and do the needful in this respect all our kids and their parents must remain as dependents upon these parasitical music-teachers wasting their time, energy and money for many years to come.

-----Not only a common man but also even a musician himself/herself has not been aware of how contrarily a music-teacher has been acting to the interests of the aspirants learning music. However, the common men like the higher authorities, being ignorant of the true knowledge of music and thinking that the performers are naturally efficient both in performing and teaching too, are used to appoint them as music-teachers in the teaching institutions which gradually led to the deterioration of the standards in music.

-----In my extensive research I have come across several musicians who are compelled to lead their lives as inefficient-music-teachers due to the self-inefficiencies successfully extended by their teachers themselves. I am also no exception of this. From then onwards I have started to search ways and means in the methods of learning music with minimum dependency upon the teacher. Ultimately, only by the grace of the Almighty, I could formulate a novel method of learning our music, experimented over years upon umpteen aspirants and obtained amazing end-results by which the aspirants, basing mainly upon their individual talents, are able to get the knowledge in writing and following the notation and singing intricate mathematical Swarakalpana in 6 popular Talas along with brief Ragalapana hardly within a span of only one year even before learning the first Kriti on their own. Having been attracted by these successful end-results even some of the music-teachers from different places of Andhra, Karnataka, Tamilnadu and Kerala States have already started following these novel methods and are getting amazing end-results themselves.

-----Even a fool prefers to do anything very fast and to purchase anything very cheap thus saving the time and money much. Even though our great-music-teachers also prefer to do everything in that manner and save their time, energy and money I do not understand in which way they are helpful to the society and justify their living by merely teaching a number of compositions for many years without giving the knowledge of notation or Swarakalpana or Ragalapana to the aspirant.

-----Even the performers or music-lovers living in Chennai are always used to look the entire music-field on par with Vocal only without making any difference between Vocalists and Instrument-players. That is why even the Music Academy, Chennai, which is mostly dominated by the persons having conservative and egoistic temperaments has been used to run either the Teachers’ Training Course or Advanced Diploma Courses for Vocal only but not for any instruments. They did never try even to make videos of Instrumental-players for educational purpose and preserve them for the posterity. Thus, we all have miserably lost the invaluable treasure of the great instrumentalists by the sheer negligence and ignorance of our own people.

-----In general, by close observation we can become aware of the music-lesson being taught. But, unless we are properly equipped with the proper knowledge and analyse we cannot ascertain what is not taught. All this is not to merely point out the mistakes at all but to save the poor aspirants and their parents from the criminal waste of time, energy and money in learning music. Unfortunately, all these performers turned music-teachers formulated a monotonous way of merely singing or playing and making the aspirant also remains singing or playing along under the guise of music-teaching which helps mainly the performers perspective only than the teachers’ perspective; More over, not only to be helpful to their performing profession but also to perennially keep the aspirants and their parents dependents upon them they have wantonly prohibited not only the writing the compositions or Swarakalpana or Ragalapana in notation but also listening to any pre-recorded music. Thus, very sadly, all these performers turned music-teachers wantonly prohibited using the most useful and reliable things in making them solely dependents upon them.

-----When even Dr. Pappu, unlike all others, honestly feeling his duties and responsibilities towards the welfare of the music-society as the Secretary of the prestigious organization, the Music Academy, Chennai, wantonly brought out my controversial reference in respect of the quickening methods in learning our music on 23-12-2013 and also on 26-12-2014, none of the persons in the great gathering could even suggest to invite me to for a Lec-dem in this respect which obviously reveals that there is not even a single honest teacher in this entire gathering. None of them could honestly help the poor aspirants himself/herself or even allow others help them honestly. They all certainly feel very bad of me to read this bitter truth.

-----To tell the truth, unless the vehicle is in proper condition the person cannot proceed efficiently. That is why, the rhythmical abilities of the aspirant must properly, at the first instance, be stabilised to enable him/her move fast. This is the key for the thumping success of this novel qualitative method in learning music. That is why in this system of training the teachers who can efficiently manage with both the Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis only are allowed to teach the aspirants. In this system, unless the aspirant becomes able to deal with both the Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis he/she will not be allowed to move further to deal with notes. It is very important to note that while rhythm could be stabilized very fast notes need much time to get stabilized. This has undoubtedly been proved in umpteen experiments made on several aspirants. Even in my Violin-accompanist-life I have come across many performers who cannot manage even with intricate Chaturashra-gati, leave alone Trisra-gati, but becomes highly reputed performers and teachers too. In general, most of the music-teachers do not have the ability to deal with both even and odd-gatis, Chaturashra and Trisra-gatis. That is why they all sing Alankaras or Varnas in Chaturashra-gati only but never attempt either to sing or teach Trisra-gati to the aspirants.

-----Even all the syllabi of all the music-examinations also are framed by these performers turned music-teachers and they have given preference mostly to include a large number of compositions and little preference to Manodharma Sangita. Thus, in all the music examinations learning more compositions or more theory has been given preference than singing the more important Swarakalpana and Ragalapana very sadly. Recently, even though singing the Varna in Trisra-gati also included in some of these syllabi as a eyewash to the critics like me many are not at all aware that most of these teachers are not teaching this item to the aspirants.

-----I am neither a maestro nor a legend nor an expert but I am able to do miracles in the methods of teaching by quickening the process unlike any other music-teacher on earth. Due to their conservative and egoistic temperaments many of other musicians are unable either to follow them or even to condemn them. Due to lack of logical view, very sadly, all our music teachers are used to always elongate the process of learning our music for many years which, in fact, could very easily be finished within the duration of one year.

-----In our music-institute, Swarabhangima, at Secunderabad, presently we have more than 60 school-going-kids who can very efficiently sing all the 7-alankaras @ 1, 2, 3, 4, 6 & 8 notes per each second and both the Purvanga and Uttaranga of all the 9 Varnas @ 4, 6 & 8 notes per each Kriya. They can also sing intricate mathematical Swarakalapana in the six popular Talas along with brief Ragalapana even before learning the first Kriti on their own within a span of two years. I shall remain thankful if any musician on the globe can show me a music-institution on par with our institution.

-----I am neither a maestro nor a legend nor an expert in music but an ordinary music-teacher with many failures. However, while even I am able to minimize the duration of learning music to less then one year can’t these maestros or legends or experts do so and help our poor aspirants and their parents. If they won’t do so but continue their elongated process of teaching music criminally wasting the invaluable time, energy and money of the poor aspirants why can’t they be called parasites I do not understand.
Last edited by msakella on 07 Jan 2015, 05:26, edited 1 time in total.

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

Very recently from our music-institution, Swarabhangima, Secunderabad, seven batches of our products have participated in Bhanjan Samrat-International competition held in our country at different centres like Hyderabad, Chennai, Coimbatore etc., along with several other batches. Among them one batch, Sankeerthana Tarangini had arrived up to the Final competitions held at Coimbatore in December, 2014 and given the Fourth-prize of Rs.50,000/-. Their performance was the first one on that day and listening to their wonderful performance in the Final round the organizers became spell-bound and, at the end of these finals, requested them to repeat their performance at the earliest convenience at Coimbatore. But, as they all are kids regularly studying in schools and they all have several monthly tests and the annual examinations being the end of the academic year they could not accept it.

They all are trained by our most efficient, honest and reliable teachers of our institution in the AMS Easy Methods. The respective url of their videos is furnished hereunder for the benefit of the aspirants and their parents. Please enjoy. amsharma
https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=P ... Oz3-wEu-n5

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

IMPORTANT-FACTS:

Unfortunately, many are not aware that there is more of learning than teaching in music. But, to always keep themselves singing or playing in their profession this performing teachers formulated the present system of teaching music to the aspirant.

In fact, while their duty and responsibility is to inculcate the knowledge of singing and writing the notation of the items or compositions or Swarakalpana or Ragalapana in the aspirant these selfish and parasitical performers brought out this system of singing or playing and, deceitfully, while overtly they, thus, have thrown the responsibility of getting the knowledge of this grammar upon the aspirant himself/herself covertly, have wantonly prohibited the poor aspirant writing the highly beneficial notation of the compositions or Swarakalpana or Ragalapana. Thus, all the doors are very tightly closed and the poor aspirants and their parents are compelled to perennially depend upon these performer-teachers.

In the beginning to make her kid eat any mother eats a little to show her kid what and how to eat. She doesn’t remain eating all along with her kid. In the same manner, even the teacher initiates the kid in driving a motor-cycle or in cooking etc., etc. Even in music, being a performing art, it is the same. I got all these details in my extensive research only and I, ultimately, only by the grace of the Almighty , could come out with a very logical and effective plan helping to get amazing end-results. According to this logical plan I need to sing or play for less than 1% in any class but have to initiate the aspirant sing or play for more than 99%. This is the strategy for my success.

As even the aims are entirely different our musicians are unable even to understand what I speak leave alone doing. Not only to our musicians but also to all our people ‘Gurukulavasam’ is more important but not learning music very quickly and efficiently. That is the pity.

As all these maestros or legends or experts are more of performer’s perspective and very less of teacher’s perspective they can do nothing but turning a deaf ear towards these radical developments. If at all they come out and sit for discussions they can also help the aspirants more efficiently than me being maestros and legends and experts. amsharma

msakella
Posts: 2127
Joined: 30 Sep 2006, 21:16

Re: AMS Easy Methods 2007 CD - Teaching and Learning Methods

Post by msakella »

IMPORTANT-FACTS:

To suit their needs the performer-teachers have wantonly created an illusion that Manodharma Sangita can neither be taught nor learnt. But, in my extensive research, be yond any doubt, it was proved that Manodharma Sangita cannot be taught but could be learnt by the aspirant.

As imitation is the first level of learning and in which way any kid observes others in doing things and starts doing, in the same way, it was proved that the same thing happens even in respect of acquiring the knowledge of Manodharma Sangita also.

Even though both the cook and the server work in the same hotel there is a lot of difference in the execution of their duties and responsibilities. In the same way, even in music, there is lot of difference in the way of executing their duties and responsibilities of the performer and teacher and, thus, a well experienced teacher only, but not a performer, can initiate the aspirant properly very strictly basing upon a logical plan in this respect. I don’t think that any maestro or legend or expert in performing readily agrees with me but this is the bitter truth which has been proved many a time beyond any doubt.

Presently, basing upon such a logical plan only our students are being initiated by all our efficient, honest and reliable teachers in our music-institute, Swarabhangima at Secunderabad, to work on their own and learn things to proceed further in singing or writing the notation or singing Swarakalpana or Ragalapana very quickly and efficiently. The audio or video-files of our students furnished in this thread prove this beyond any doubt. amsharma

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