# Resources — Where to Learn Eastern Classical Vocal Online

A curated list of free and paid resources. For singing, you want to **hear** the tone and
**follow along**, so video and daily-riyaz channels are your best friends — paired with a
**tanpura/drone** running the whole time.

## Practice tools you'll use every day (tanpura & tabla)

You cannot practice classical vocal well without a **drone**. Options:

- **This guide’s [`practice.html`](practice.html)** — built-in **continuous drone** (shruti-box style), a swara
  player, a **mic pitch meter** (voice vs last harmonium/swara note), and a taal metronome that can play
  **real tabla theka** samples offline.
  Foundations: [`theory.html`](theory.html). Landing: [`index.html`](index.html).
- **Tanpura / drone apps** — set your Sa and let it play continuously. Search your app
  store for **"tanpura"** or **"shruti box"** (e.g. *iTablaPro*, *Tanpura Droid*,
  *Shruti Box*). Many are free.
- **Riyaz app** — https://riyazapp.com — a popular practice app with tanpura, guided
  lessons, alankars, and real-time pitch feedback that scores how in-tune you are.
- **Tabla / lehra apps** — search **"tabla player"** / **"iTablaPro"** to loop a taal
  theka (Teentaal, Keherwa, etc.) to sing against.

## Bundled open audio (this repo)

| What | Where | License / source |
|------|--------|------------------|
| **Harmonium** (swaras / alankars) | [`samples/harmonium/`](samples/harmonium/) | Primary: real reed cuts from [donyaquick](https://freesound.org/people/donyaquick/sounds/330410/) / [cabled_mess](https://freesound.org/people/cabled_mess/packs/29512/) (**CC0**); backup [tonejs-instruments](https://github.com/nbrosowsky/tonejs-instruments) (**CC BY 3.0**) — see `CREDITS.md` |
| Practice drone (shruti-box style) | Bottom bar **▶ Drone** | Continuous Sa + Pa/Ga/Ni — no loop gaps |
| Tabla one-shots | [`samples/tabla/`](samples/tabla/) | From [tabla](https://github.com/Zither-Labs/tabla-site) — Freesound **dio_333** via [Sonic Pi](https://sonic-pi.net/) (see `CREDITS.md`) |

## Free YouTube channels (follow-along riyaz)

YouTube URLs change, so search the **channel name** and pick recent uploads:

- **Riyaz TV** (Varsha Singh Dhanoa) — https://www.gurudhanoa.com/riyaz-tv and on YouTube.
  Excellent 30-minute follow-along riyaz: *Sa ka riyaz* (hum / aakar / ikar / ukar /
  ekar / okar), morning warm-ups, **kharaj** practice, and **Alankar 1–11 in all scales**.
  Ideal for exactly the routine in this guide.
- **Sangeet Vidya (Self Riyaz)** — https://www.selfriyaz.com — daily live 30-minute riyaz
  sessions with harmonium and tabla; sing along, no long lectures.
- **Sangeet Abhyas** (Shripad Limbekar) — https://wayhappi.com/learn — free, structured
  from-scratch lessons focused on "seeing" and singing the 12 notes; good for beginners
  of any genre.

**Search terms that reliably surface good lessons:**

- `Sa ka riyaz` / `Sa practice for beginners`
- `alankar 1 to 10 all notes` / `paltas for beginners`
- `kharaj ka riyaz` (low-note practice)
- `how to find your Sa / scale for singing`
- `eastern classical vocal lesson for beginners`
- `lip trills / straw phonation warm up` (SOVT drills)
- **VoiceScienceWorks — SOVT exercises** — https://www.voicescienceworks.org/sovt-exercises.html
  (clear explanation of SOVT, straw tips, and “can’t find a straw?” alternatives — mirrored in [`sovt.html`](sovt.html) / [`sovt.md`](sovt.md))
- `Teentaal / Keherwa / Dadra theka` (to sing against)
- **Bhupali swarmalika (Teentaal sing-along)** —
  [Bidisha Ghosh — Lesson 4](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5pYkZ1JVho&t=183s)
  (PDF: [class notes](https://bidishaghosh.com/class-notes))
- **Yaman swarmalika (Teentaal; starts on khālī)** —
  [Bidisha Ghosh](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BH960JcUIB8)

## Structured schools & courses

- **Shankar Mahadevan Academy** — https://www.shankarmahadevanacademy.com — a large,
  well-run online academy with graded Eastern classical vocal courses and a practice app ("OM").
- **ITC Sangeet Research Academy (ITC-SRA)** — https://itcsra.org — a premier
  classical academy; deep, authoritative material on swaras, raags, taals, and *tutorials*
  and *music appreciation* sections.

## Reference & reading

- **SwarGanga** — https://www.swarganga.org — a huge free database of Eastern classical music:
  raags, taals, bandish notations, and lessons.
- **Rajan Parrikar Music Archive** — https://www.parrikar.org — beautifully written raag
  essays with audio; excellent once you begin exploring raags.
- **Wikipedia** — solid, free primers on *Swara*, *Saptak*, *Thaat*, and *Tala* (Bhatkhande
  system) for the theory in `01-basics.md`.

## Books / deeper study

- **V. N. Bhatkhande — *Kramik Pustak Malika*** — the classic multi-volume method that
  standardized the notation used in this guide (swaras, thaats, bandishes).
- **V. N. Bhatkhande — *Sangeet Paddhati*** — the theoretical foundation of the
  modern system of thaats and raags.

## A note on finding a teacher

Self-study + follow-along videos will take you a long way, but Eastern classical is
traditionally passed **guru to shishya** for a reason: a trained ear catching your pitch
and technique habits early saves years. Once you're hooked, a few lessons (online or in
person) are worth it.