DIMENSION 01
Intervals
Antarāla — the space between
Every possible intervallic relationship from unison to octave. Each interval practiced ascending, descending, and in mixed patterns. The foundation of all melodic movement.
A systematic approach to mastering every dimension of melodic movement for Vocal & Sarangi
A Palta (also called Alankar) is a structured pattern of musical notes repeated in ascending order (Aaroha) and descending order (Avaroha) across the musical scale. The word "palta" means "turn around" in Hindi—referring to how a phrase is transposed up and down through the scale.
Think of paltas as the vocabulary of melodic movement. Just as a writer must know words before constructing sentences, a musician must internalize these patterns before creating ragas. Western musicians describe them as "short phrases transposed up and down a scale: 123, 234, 345, 456, etc."
Your core insight: Paltas enforce all the various ways you can hit the notes. They systematically train every possible approach to every note—ascending, descending, by step, by leap, with ornaments, across registers.
"The spaces between the notes are as important as the notes themselves, both in terms of time and of pitch. Much of the emotional impact of this music comes from the many ways of sliding between notes and inflecting the notes—meend, gamak, and kan."
— NICOLAS MAGRIEL, Sarangi.netBasic palta practice (SRG, RGM, GMP...) is just the entry point. True mastery—the kind that allows complete control for both vocal and sarangi—requires systematic coverage of:
This document organizes 108+ core patterns across these dimensions. The goal is not memorization but internalization—making these patterns available instantly, unconsciously, in service of musical expression.
The great sarangi master Ustad Bundu Khan and his family were legendary for their palta practice. His nephew, Ustad Mohammed Ali Khan, inherited "an esoteric and profound collection of 1001 paltas"—described as "maps of tonal space" that are "a key to expanding musical consciousness."
These masters understood that paltas are not mere exercises. Each pattern was constructed with thought and purpose. Different paltas serve different ends: some train speed, some train intonation, some train specific ornamental techniques, some prepare specific raga movements.
"A song without any alankara would be like a night without a moon, a river devoid of water, a vine without any flower, and a woman without any ornament."
— NATYA SHASTRA 29.75, BHARATA MUNI (200 BCE–200 CE)DIMENSION 01
Antarāla — the space between
Every possible intervallic relationship from unison to octave. Each interval practiced ascending, descending, and in mixed patterns. The foundation of all melodic movement.
DIMENSION 02
Alaṅkāra — that which adorns
Meend, gamak, kan, khatka, murki, andolan. The vocabulary of expression that transforms notes into music. Each ornament applied systematically across all intervals.
DIMENSION 03
Saptak — the seven across three
Mandra (low), madhya (middle), taar (high). Seamless movement across all three octaves. Register crossings as a distinct skill requiring special attention.
DIMENSION 04
Layakārī — the art of time
Single, double, triple, quadruple speed relationships. Patterns fitted to taal structures. The integration of melody with time that creates complete musical statements.
DIMENSION 05
Vakra — the crooked path
Not just up and down, but zigzag, spiral, and return patterns. The vocabulary of melodic contour. Breaking linear thinking to access the full space of possible movements.
DIMENSION 06
Sādhana — the practice
Voice: breath control, vowel shaping, consonant attack, throat placement. Sarangi: bow weight, speed, contact point; finger pressure, slide speed, nail angle.
108+
CORE PATTERNS FOR COMPLETE CONTROL
Every possible distance between notes, in every possible configuration
An interval is simply the distance between two notes. In Indian classical music, we work with seven swaras (S R G M P D N), creating intervals from seconds (adjacent notes) through octaves (same note in different register).
The goal of intervallic practice is instant access: the ability to move from any note to any other note with complete control, in any direction, with any ornament, at any speed.
Practice method: Click any pattern below to mark it as practiced. Work through each interval systematically. For each pattern: first practice slowly with attention to intonation, then add speed, then add ornaments.
The techniques that transform notes into living music
In Indian classical music, a note is never just a note. It is always approached, left, inflected, or sustained in specific ways that define the character of the raga and the style of the artist. These inflections are called alankars (ornaments).
The ornaments in common use today include:
Each ornament must be practiced systematically across all intervals and registers. The visual diagrams below show the approximate contour of each ornament—how the pitch moves through time.
"If I had to pick a single ornament that defines Indian classical music, it would be the kan-swar. Without the appropriate kan-swars, the melody no longer sounds Indian. All the other ornaments are optional to some extent—but take away the kan-swars, and the music is stripped of its essential identity."
— RAAG HINDUSTANIThree octaves as one continuous instrument
Indian classical music operates across three octave registers:
True mastery means experiencing these three registers as one continuous space with no seams. The crossings between registers require special attention—they are where many students stumble.
For sarangi: Different strings handle different registers. The heavy third string plays the lower octave (Sa through teevra Ma), the middle-sized second string plays the upper portion of the lower octave, and the thin first string plays the remaining two octaves. Smooth register crossings require coordinating string changes with left-hand position.
Click notes to visualize patterns across registers
Paltas within the framework of taal
Swaralankar should always be practiced in accordance with taal (rhythm). The relationship between melodic pattern and rhythmic cycle creates the complete musical statement. A palta practiced without taal is incomplete—like practicing pronunciation without understanding sentence rhythm.
Key concepts:
Practice principle: Start with vilambit (slow tempo, ~60 BPM). Increase speed by 5 BPM weekly. At each tempo, practice single speed (1 note per beat), then double (2 notes), then triple (3 notes), then quadruple (4 notes).
The instrument that sings with fingers
The sarangi is perhaps the most difficult instrument in Indian classical music to master. Its sound "resembles most the sound of the human voice"—it can imitate vocal ornaments like gamaks and meends so precisely that "sarangi players sing with their fingers."
This vocal quality comes with unique technical demands:
"The sarangi is such a difficult instrument that even many native players find it difficult to stop playing for a second, to take the bow off the strings and let the resonance of the sympathetic strings suffuse the silence."
— NICOLAS MAGRIEL, Sarangi.netBow control is fundamental to sarangi playing, yet often neglected. Many players use only part of the bow, interrupt each stroke with pauses, and show little dynamic variation.
Key principles from the masters:
Slow bow exercise: Practice holding a single note for as long as possible on one bow stroke. Work toward 30 seconds, then 1 minute, then longer. This builds control and reveals weakness in bow distribution.
The left hand slides up and down the neck, stopping strings with the sides of the first three fingernails (index, middle, ring). The little finger is generally too weak for use in the higher register.
Key principles:
Ustad Bundu Khan's family developed an extensive system of palta practice. These patterns are described as "maps of tonal space"—systematic explorations of every possible melodic movement.
The purpose of palta practice for sarangi:
Critical practice principle: "Instrumentalists should be singing these patterns as well as playing them. It is also a very good exercise to sing while fingering them on your instrument (without activating it in any other way). This builds a powerful cognitive link between instrument and voice that pays off in future fluency and expressiveness."
One of the most distinctive features of masterful sarangi playing is the use of silence. The sympathetic strings continue to resonate after the bow is lifted, creating a shimmer that extends the phrase.
Practice lifting the bow and letting the resonance fade naturally. Learn to use these moments of silence as musical statements, not just pauses. "Silence plays a profound role in good Indian music."
A 90-minute systematic practice session
The following routine integrates findings from learning science with traditional riyaaz methods:
"Practice slow. Use the full bow. Let silence suffuse the sympathetic strings. Speed comes from relaxation, not effort."
— COMPOSITE TEACHING FROM MULTIPLE MASTERSBeyond the daily routine, consider organizing your week:
Keep a simple practice log noting:
Review weekly to identify patterns that need more attention and celebrate progress.