Beginners Guide to Veena
By Ramana Balachandhran
15 video lessons with included resources
Self Paced Course, Learn whenever wherever.
Get lifetime access with one time purchase.
Course Description
Start your musical journey with the Beginners Guide to Veena, an ideal course for aspiring Veena players. Taught by Veena extraordinaire, Ramana Balachandhran, this comprehensive course teaches essential Veena techniques, posture, hand positioning, and rhythm for beginners. Learn how to play the Veena with precision, understanding key concepts like Gamakas, Swaras, and the significance of rhythm in Carnatic music.
With step-by-step lessons and practical exercises, you’ll master basic Veena exercises, improve your finger coordination, and gain a strong foundation in Carnatic music theory.
Whether you’re a total beginner or looking to refine your skills, this course provides a structured and supportive learning path to help you play the Veena with confidence and expression. Ideal for beginners, this course also provides a deep dive into fundamental musicality and rhythm, perfect for those seeking to connect with the rich tradition of Indian classical music. Start playing the Veena today and unlock your musical potential!
Course Options:
- Learn-at-Your-Own-Pace: Go through the course at your convenience, practicing and progressing at your own speed.
- Certification Method: In addition to self-paced learning, gain access to exclusive Q&A sessions with Mahesh Raghvan himself! These sessions offer a chance to clarify doubts, ask questions, and receive personal feedback on your playing with expert guidance.
Course Objectives
- To introduce aspiring Veena players to foundational techniques, including posture, hand positioning, and basic exercises to build control and tonal quality.
- To develop rhythmic precision and coordination through exercises that emphasize Taalam strings, rhythmic accents, and hand independence.
- To enhance left-hand dexterity and musical expression with sequences, Varisais, and advanced note-skipping exercises across various ragas.
- To cultivate an understanding and mastery of Gamakas (oscillations) and their importance in conveying the mood of ragas.
- To guide students in translating melodies to Swaras and developing the ability to recognize intervals and nuances in improvisation and composition.
- To foster a solid grasp of rhythm (Layam) through syllabic pattern exercises, aiming for accuracy, coordination, and speed in complex rhythmic structures.
- To emphasize the value of repetition, focused practice, and balance between technical skill and musicality for continued growth in Veena performance.
Course Prerequisites
- Basic familiarity with music theory, especially understanding of musical scales and rhythm.
- Prior experience with playing a stringed instrument preferred (but not necessary), such as guitar or Sitar, or a foundational understanding of string instrument techniques.
- Basic knowledge of Carnatic music and its structure (helpful, but not mandatory).
- Ability to recognize and understand simple rhythms (e.g., 4/4, 3/4 time signatures).
- Familiarity with the concepts of Swaras (musical notes) and Ragas in Carnatic classical music.
- Commitment to consistent practice and a willingness to explore various styles of playing the Veena.
- Access to a Veena and the ability to tune the instrument properly.
- Patience and focus to work on repetitive exercises to build virtuosity.
Course Content
Chapter 1
The Basics
Lessons:
Introduction
Basic intro to the instrument
Sarali and Jantai Varisai, Mayamalavagowla
Sarali, Jantai varisai continued, Mayamalagowla, Keeravani and Kalyani
Chapter 2
Plucking Dynamics
Lessons:
Taalam strings
Taalam Strings (Continued)
Chapter 3
Fretboard Mastery
Lessons:
Simple sequences
Tristhayee Sequences
Traditional Varisais
Varjyam Varisais
Chapter 4
Gamakas
Lessons:
Basic Gamakas
Gamakas, continued...
Chapter 5
Swaram
Lessons:
Translation of Melody to Swaram
Chapter 6
Layam
Lessons:
Basic exercises for grip over Layam
Chapter 7
Conclusion
Lessons:
Closing thoughts
LivDemy Pro
LivDemy is a next generation music learning platform that provides 250 hours of high-quality music lessons from celebrities to help you become an expert in your favorite genres.
There are over 1000+ video lessons available 24/7. You will also be able to attend live session with these celebrities on a regular basis.
Frequently
asked questions
What are these group classes?
Group classes are proper digital tuition, in a focused learning environment for you, and only a few others. You'll always be live with the teacher, sharing a virtual learning space, in real time.
How do I join this class?
It's simple! Once you register for a group class, you'll be given an option to select a batch. Once you complete the payment, you're in!
What batch should I pick?
We have batches based on the artist's availability. Pick any batch that suits your timing, and the experience will be the same across all batches.
How do I attend the classes?
You'll always have access to the group class from within the 'My Courses' section on your Dashboard. You can also come online on livdemy.com at your chosen batch time, and head to the class page! You can get to the Course Dashboard from there.
What happens when I miss a class?
We'll be recording the content for you in case you are unable to make it to the class. If you miss out on anything, you'll have access to the recording in your Course Dashboard. These class recordings are available upto 6 months from the day the class is over.
Do I get study material?
Your teacher might provide you study material to go along with particular lessons. On your class page, you have a lesson plan which would have the files you need to download.