# Drills — Building Control & Timing These are progressive. Don't rush ahead — a drill is "done" when you can play it **relaxed, even, and in time** for ~1 minute without a mistake. Say the bols out loud as you play; this locks the pattern into your memory far faster than silent practice. **Set a metronome** (any free phone app). Start slow — 50–60 BPM — where each click = one count. Only speed up once the pattern is clean. Suggested target tempos are listed per drill. Reference for the strokes: see [`01-basics.md`](01-basics.md). `R` = right hand (bhale), `L` = left hand (pothi). ![Hand positions for the core madal strokes](images/madal-strokes.png) --- ## Level 0 — Single-stroke tone drills (Day 1–3) Goal: make each of the 5 sounds *consistent*. One click = one stroke. **Drill 0a — Right open (Taang):** ``` Count: 1 2 3 4 Taang Taang Taang Taang (R index, let it ring) ``` **Drill 0b — Right closed (Taak):** ``` Taak Taak Taak Taak (R middle+ring+little, muted) ``` **Drill 0c — Left open (Ghin):** ``` Ghin Ghin Ghin Ghin (L open, deep and ringing) ``` **Drill 0d — Left closed (Kha):** ``` Kha Kha Kha Kha (L muted) ``` **Drill 0e — The Dha:** ``` Dha Dha Dha Dha (R Taang + L Ghin landing together) ``` > The #1 beginner mistake is a "flam" — the two hands landing slightly apart on > Dha. Slow down until they're perfectly simultaneous. Target: 60 BPM, tone identical every stroke. --- ## Level 1 — Alternation & open/closed switching (Day 3–7) Goal: independence between the hands (1a, 1d) and control over open vs. closed strokes within one hand (1b = right, 1c = left). **Drill 1a — Ghin / Taang alternation:** ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Ghin Taang Ghin Taang Ghin Taang Ghin Taang L R L R L R L R ``` **Drill 1b — Open/closed switching (right hand):** ``` Taang Taak Taang Taak Taang Taak Taang Taak R-open R-mute ... ``` **Drill 1c — Open/closed switching (left hand):** ``` Ghin Kha Ghin Kha Ghin Kha Ghin Kha ``` **Drill 1d — Full alternation (L R L R):** ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Ghin Taak Kha Taang Ghin Taak Kha Taang L R L R L R L R ``` Target: 70–80 BPM for 1a–1d. --- ### Optional — permutations of 1d (1e–1j) **1e–1j** are optional exercises. They reorder the same four strokes from **1d** (`Ghin` = L open, `Kha` = L closed, `Taang` = R open, `Taak` = R closed) so your hands don’t settle into one habit. Extra limb-independence work — not required to move on. Skip them until 1d is solid; come back when you want a harder workout. **Drill 1e — Right-lead alternation (R L R L):** ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Taang Kha Taak Ghin Taang Kha Taak Ghin R L R L R L R L ``` **Drill 1f — Articulations swapped (L R L R):** ``` Kha Taang Ghin Taak Kha Taang Ghin Taak L R L R L R L R ``` **Drill 1g — Both opens, then both closes (L R L R):** ``` Ghin Taang Kha Taak Ghin Taang Kha Taak L R L R L R L R ``` **Drill 1h — Left double → right double (L L R R):** ``` Ghin Kha Taang Taak Ghin Kha Taang Taak L L R R L L R R ``` **Drill 1i — Right double → left double (R R L L):** ``` Taang Taak Ghin Kha Taang Taak Ghin Kha R R L L R R L L ``` **Drill 1j — Broken grouping (L R R L):** ``` Ghin Taang Taak Kha Ghin Taang Taak Kha L R R L L R R L ``` Target for the optional set: 70–80 BPM for 1e–1g; start the same-hand doubles (1h, 1i) and the broken group (1j) slower at 50–60 BPM — keep the left hand as even as the right. --- ## Level 2 — Accents, doubles & the signature roll (Week 2) Goal: control loud vs. soft (accents), play doubles, and lock in the signature roll. **Drill 2a — Accent the downbeat.** Play Taang on every `&` quietly, and Dha on every number loudly: ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & DHA taang DHA taang DHA taang DHA taang (loud)(soft)... ``` **Drill 2b — Doubles (two strokes per count):** ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Ghin Ghin Taang Taang Ghin Ghin Taang Taang ``` **Drill 2c — The classic "Ghin Ghin Taang" roll** (the signature madal sound): ``` Count: 1 & a 2 & a Ghin Ghin Taang Ghin Ghin Taang L L R L L R ``` This 3-note cell is a **compound (6/8) feel counted in 2** — "1 & a, 2 & a" — with all six notes evenly spaced (no rest) and the pulse on each Ghin. This is the Jhyaure lilt, the heartbeat of tons of Nepali folk. Loop it until it's automatic. Target: 80–90 BPM. --- ## Level 3 — Coordination, independence & fills (Week 3–4) Combine everything. Play each slowly, then push the tempo. **Drill 3a — Four-count coordination phrase** — a flowing bar using all five bols. Trains smooth hand-to-hand transitions. ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Bol: Dha Taang Kha Taang Taak Ghin Ghin Taang ``` **Drill 3b — Speed pyramid** *(method)* — take the 2c roll (or 3a) and play it 4× slow, 4× medium, 4× fast, then back down. Trains tempo flexibility while keeping the pattern locked. **Drill 3c — Call & response** — play the Call bar, then answer with the Response bar; loop the pair. Trains musical phrasing. ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Call: Dha - Ghin Taang Taak - Ghin Taang Resp: Taak Taak Taang Taang Ghin Ghin Dha - ``` **Drill 3d — Bass ostinato + right-hand independence** — LEFT hand keeps a steady Ghin on every beat (1,2,3,4) while the RIGHT fills each & with Taang/Taak. The cornerstone of two-hand independence. ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Bol: Ghin Taang Ghin Taak Ghin Taang Ghin Taak Hand: L R L R L R L R ``` **Drill 3e — Accent displacement** — play a steady stream of Taang, but move the accent: loud on beat 1 for one loop, then beat 2, then 3, then 4. Frees your accents from the downbeat. ``` Count: 1 & 2 & 3 & 4 & Bol: Taang Taang Taang Taang Taang Taang Taang Taang ``` **Drill 3f — Tihai (a fill that lands on "1")** — a *tihai* is a short phrase repeated three times so its final stroke lands right back on beat 1 (sam). Play this 3-stroke phrase 3× in a row, then land a big Dha on the next "1". ``` Phrase (play x3): Ghin Taang Taak then on next "1": Dha ``` Target: 90–110 BPM. --- ## Daily warm-up routine (10 minutes) 1. 2 min — Level 0 single-tone drills (all five sounds). 2. 3 min — Level 1 alternations with metronome. 3. 3 min — Drill 2c (Ghin-Ghin-Taang) building speed. 4. 2 min — one beat from [`beats.md`](beats.md). Consistency beats marathon sessions. 15 focused minutes a day > 2 hours once a week.