Help! In choosing songs!

puru00047 · Post by **puru00047** » 21 Mar 2008, 14:28

I am currently learning guitar in carnatic all by myself and making good progress. I have no guru as not a single teacher wants to spend time teaching me krithis and varnams.
i have learnt abhogi varnam and radha sameta krishna alongwith the basics and geethams.

i am currently learning the kambhoji varnam.
i need suggestions on which krithi i should start with
i have the notations to learn from.

prasanna fan
puru

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 24 Mar 2008, 15:34

Puru, I suggest compositions that would be relatively simple, such as:

sObhillu saptasvara - jaganmOhinI
shrI gaNanAtham bhaja rE - IshamanOharI
mahAgaNapatim manasA smarAmi - nATa

puru00047 · Post by **puru00047** » 31 Mar 2008, 10:00

is sobillu easy?
i feel it is a "power" krithi with chitta swaras and all.
all the more i feel it wud be tougher on the guitar with many swaras being long.
any way i will try.
also abt maha ganapatim mansa swaramee i need the accurate notations
i have done kambhoji varnam but yet to perfect it..

prasanna fan
puru

coolkarni · Post by **coolkarni** » 31 Mar 2008, 10:40

is sobillu easy?

puru
you are getting closer to the type of trainee who stood up in conservatory program and asked the question?
What should I do if I come across an endangered animal eating an endangered plant ?

Some of your questions may be tough to answer- even for someone as seasoned as vainika.

cienu · Post by **cienu** » 31 Mar 2008, 14:14

Coolji,

That was indeed a good one

Puru,

When I read your story about no teacher willing to teach you CM on a Guitar, my thoughts went to a friend of mine, a Hindi Poet from Delhi, aged around 50 years who works in an MNC in Bangalore as an language translator as he is one of the 3 persons in India who knows the Hungarian Language (Magyar).

He is a great lover of the Sarangi instrument, but unfortunately has found no teacher in Bangalore. (Infact he was able to come face to face with a Sarangi Ustad, who was however not willing to take any disciples

)

He is resigned to his fate that he is destined to master the instrument in his next Janma only.(something which I also keep telling him! )

By some strange quirk of fate he bumped into me last year and we became friends (He calls me Guruji). Every Sunday he comes to my house with his Sarangi, a beautiful instrument and spends half an hour. Inspite of me forewarning him that I am no expert in either HM or the Sarangi.

On his own accord, he started with Sarali Varisai and also purchased Ganamritha Bodhini, and a Radel Sruthi Box.

Last week when the Hindi Poet played the pallavi of Mohana Varnam on Sarangi, the effort was commendable. (Probably the only practitioner of CM on a Sarangi!)

So keep up the good work and your practice which is the most important factor.

BTW,
The songs suggested by Vainika are perfect. Long Swaras ,as you say, on gliding stringed instruments sound wonderful and requires practice.

Chittaswarams in Sobbilu are a later addition by Karaikudi Sambasiva Iyer which can be learnt subsequently. Initially just master the song.

mohan · Post by **mohan** » 31 Mar 2008, 14:21

I'd suggest you keep learning more varnams - hamsadhwani, kalyani, sankarabharanam, ... the more the better! The first krithi I normally teach my students (after at least 5 varnams) is Vathapi.

Vocalist · Post by **Vocalist** » 31 Mar 2008, 17:55

It really varies from student-to-student (voice, skill level, ability, experience etc.) and teacher-to-teacher (repertoire, knowledge, style etc.).

Raghunayaka or Karunai Seivai is another good example.

puru00047 · Post by **puru00047** » 01 Apr 2008, 20:52

Vocalist wrote:It really varies from student-to-student (voice, skill level, ability, experience etc.) and teacher-to-teacher (repertoire, knowledge, style etc.).

sorry mate i am an instrument player
i am following the footsteps of prasanna

thanks to cienu for the sarangi story
i am inspired from the man..i feel confident...

also about varnams the Abhogi was easy and gamakams were also quite natural to the guitar....about kambhoji varnam , i learnt the notation first and i find doing gamakas a bit tough starting with the pallavi..tharuneeeeeee...
it is difficult at the moment so i am planning to do a krithi with good basic gamaka

also i am taking in all of your advise with respect and will implement it
and you guys(rasikas.org) are my present gurus

prasanna fan
puru

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 02 Apr 2008, 01:25

puru,

you guys(rasikas.org) are my present gurus

Your generosity has endeared yourself to the forumites..

I also say go with Vainika's advise. I am sure he picked those for a reason and knowing that you are learning CM on the guitar.

What does Prasanna recommend?

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 02 Apr 2008, 03:23

Yes, VK--Prasanna, the true guru. An agreeable artiste. Once, even helped me with my luggage.

puru00047 · Post by **puru00047** » 02 Apr 2008, 10:18

well how do i contact prasanna??
BTW i am in delhi..

mridhangam · Post by **mridhangam** » 02 Apr 2008, 11:14

Hello
My sincere advise would be to go to a vocalist and learn the kritis in the traditional Paataantara way and then try to reproduce or adopt them to paly in the instrument for a better understanding of the kritis. You can find a very good vocal teacher in Delhi.
All said and done it is the vocalist Paani that has been accepted for generations while playing an instrument.

Mannarkoil J.Balaji

ganesh_mourthy · Post by **ganesh_mourthy** » 02 Apr 2008, 14:40

what mirudangam says is right. go learn it from a vocalist first and try to reproduce it. sometimes you may find a fingering very unique to you. that can be even puru bani. all the best.

puru00047 · Post by **puru00047** » 02 Apr 2008, 17:52

yes also one has to consider my position in delhi now as well
i am doing my 3rd year engg.

vainika · Post by **vainika** » 02 Apr 2008, 20:56

Puru, if you think you can learn vocal music and translate it into guitar music,
then go to a vocalist. Otherwise, try going to a veena teacher with your guitar
and learning from her/him. Either way, learning from a guru would be your
best bet.

I had a guitarist learn carnatic music from me for about three years till he
entered graduate school. He had a strong musical sense, and already knew
how to play his instrument, albeit a different kind of music.

I would play on the veena, and he managed to map the veena gamakas
onto the guitar remarkably well. It was only with kampita and AndOlita
gamakas that he had to improvise, which he did in the manner a carnatic
violinist would.

The key to his success was that he was patient and spent nearly a year
(classes once a week) with the basics before advancing to varNas and kRtis.

Best of luck!

arasi · Post by **arasi** » 03 Apr 2008, 01:50

Vainika,
I totally agree with you.
My son who plays jazz on the guitar grew up listening to my singing and all the music that was played in the house. As he grew older, his
interest in CM grew. He wanted to know the rAgAs I was singing, and started playing them on the guitar. As you say, he would play them after adapting them to the guitar mode wherever necessary. Even now when he comes home, we spend a few hours together on our musical journey.
Ramki, and I am not a trained singer or an accomplished musician like you.

Puru,
I was under the wrong impression that you were Prasanna's student, may be because you mentioned him often. As Vainika says, you need a teacher to guide you. SInce you are busy with your studies, plan on learning once a week and practicing over the course of some years until you can spend more time with your music. Above all, listen, listen, listen (to good music!).

arunk · Post by **arunk** » 03 Apr 2008, 02:00

puru - maybe you will find some friends here: http://www.indianguitartabs.com/showthread.php?t=10565 and http://www.indianguitartabs.com/forumdisplay.php?f=30 (or maybe you are already a part of it).

Of course that first thread is old and the advise there is same as one you are getting here - which is of course the correct one

- but still I would think you would find some useful info there.

Arun

kovilpallavi · Post by **kovilpallavi** » 03 Apr 2008, 12:18

hi puru,,
what the other members suggested was good.
i do suggest the same that to learn vocal perfectly atleast till few varnams and then geton to instrument.that will be better..
btw who is prasanna?
all the best..
pallavi

puru00047 · Post by **puru00047** » 03 Apr 2008, 13:21

thx for all the help..
about iguitar tabs i am a member already and seen the thing atunk has posted
it is useful but i will try to get a guru soon
prasanna fan
puru

kovilpallavi · Post by **kovilpallavi** » 04 Apr 2008, 09:11

hello puru,,
it is nice to hear that u will arrange a guru,,all the best,,
btw u didnot answer to my question regarding prasanna...may i know who prasanna is?

vasanthakokilam · Post by **vasanthakokilam** » 04 Apr 2008, 12:34

kovilpallavi: Prasanna plays carnatic music and Jazz on Guitar.

puru: You may be able to contact Prasanna through this email id: [email protected]

His web site is: http://www.guitarprasanna.com/

He used to have a discussion board there (http://www.guitarprasanna.com/Bulletin/phpBB2/ ) which seems to be down when I just checked ( may be temporarily )

kovilpallavi · Post by **kovilpallavi** » 04 Apr 2008, 16:51

thanku for the reply vasanta....

puru00047 · Post by **puru00047** » 09 Aug 2008, 22:26

i have at last arranged for a guru....he is shembai srinivasan of delhi....
i will be learnin CM on violin from him...and map them to the guitar....also im learnin a lot from prasanna's songs by slowing them to hear and improvise on gamakas...
prasanna fan
puru

PS:pl get urselves EGL by prasanna its good