I want to break free

Its one of those days when I don't want to think. I want to sing. I want to tap my fingers. I want to just feel the fresh air, the light and the flesh inside of me. I want be free of my ties, my thoughts, my mails, my texts, my books, my computer and wander about. I want to just be one with those notes that I sing! I want to be lost in those beats that I hear even when nothing is playing. I want to possibly just empty myself of everything inside of me and fill myself with possibly what matters the most – peace??freedom? or nothing?

Guitaring - Key-Tarring and Sore Fingers

Got myself a guitar and decided to practice like never before. I have to admit I get the whole theory around it, trying it is something else. Unfortunately, the pain in my fingers just gets worse and yet I am determined to continue to play against all odds.

So here is my tip - Pick an electric guitar if you want to make this journey easy. Second of all, hope that the winter cold does not show up, just when you think you have conditioned your fingers and lastly keep up the morale even if things are going slow.

The journey starts with understanding the fret board! Then playing the basic notes over and over again. Your fingers will initially never stretch or press against the string to make the sound clear, but keep trying and you will soon find things working.

If you have an iPad or even a PC download a guitar tuning application. Learn the basic chords - C, G , D, Am, E, Dm and finally move onto F. If you can play the F you have moved up the chain suddenly (Hoorah!). There are heaps of videos out there that can teach you how to play these. Pick up a song that you can try these on and fortunately for me since I drum, the strumming pattern just happens. Given than I have a keen ear, I am overly critical of my playing when it sounds even a little off. Your fingers will turn from soft hurting fingers to hardened hurting fingers. Your shoulders may begin to ache even and finally you will have Aha moments where you can play your first chord, then you learn to change chords and finally you may actually play a song. Its been  1 week of active work for me to play a few solos and  3 songs on my guitar. However, I do know that I have a  long way to go before the sound are clear and I am not covering up for the mistakes I make.

You will find heaps of advise on the internet but here is what worked for me: Focus on freeing up your fingers, making them stretch, playing with the tips of your fingers and by pressing hard against the fret board. Focus on movements of chords. Watch how your fingers move from a chord to the other. Ask yourself, is this logically the easiest way to do it or is there a better approach to changing chords. Finally, celebrating moments of success is very important.

Besides my guitar, I have my key board opened up and have spent a lot of time working on my fingering and getting the left side more co-ordinated. Its the first week I have realized how playing is easy but mastering very very tough! I have learnt that hours are spent in a day strumming or playing and yet I have not made much of a breakthrough. However, the good thing is that this has opened up my world suddenly with a zillion more possibilities. I imagine mastering the most complex pieces of guitaring and playing away on an electric guitar soon. I fancy myself playing a symphony on a piano and despite my sore fingers, I have a refreshed soul!

Delights of Rag Kalavati and Rag Des

Had ample time today for a change. Had time to sit back and practice and understand structures of Rags on my key board.

How do you begin this journey of appreciating classical music even?

Tip from a learned one (not me) - 

1.     Listen Listen and Listen. There is no substitute to that.

2.     Replace your music library with a whole lot of good music. Wipe out the Bollywood Masala, the Hip-Hop and load in as much of Classical Music you can.  Of course listen to your regular stuff when your mind is switched off;-)

3.     Create playlist's based on Rags (helps big time)

4.     Identify one movie song with each Rag to identify with a Rag

5.     Spend time, be patient and sing out every new Rag you learn.

6.     If you are not good at signing, then use a key board to understand the Rag. Play it out and see the play of keys

7.     Do not try learning everything. Focus on a few you love and go deep.

8.     Fail fail till you succeed. You will get frustrated in the journey but once you get past that, it will be fun.

9.     Understand the following terms - That, Aroho, Avaroha, Samvadi, Pakad (All simple concepts just sound complicated and dont bother about the terms as much as what they mean)

10.   Music is like Math - time however is a dominant axis! That was my way of looking at it.

I focused on Rag Kalavati to begin with. Why? This rag has lured me from the time I started to be drawn back into the world of 'Hindustani':-)  There is a rendition from Dr Prabha Atre which is beautiful. I heard it and wanted to listen to end endlessly. The most fascinating thing about this Rag is the parts where the notes NSG. SGP  brings in a kind of beauty I cannot explain. This Rag is based on the Khamaj 'That'. 'That' is a structure of notes which defines the permissible notes resulting in different beautiful Rags based on the usage of those notes. Khamaj has the following notes:

S R G m P D n S'

Rag Kalavati essentially has the following Aroha and Avaroha (you can find a whole lot of literature about this Rag around the net)

S G P D n S' and S' n D P G S respectively.

Now if you listen to the song from the hindi movie - Hai Agar Dushman Zamana Kam Nahin - You can see a resemblance to this Rag. However there are a lot of places where the rules are violated.  

When you listen carefully to the rendition mentioned above starting in the 5:57 minute going onto 7:10 minutes you will appreciate the various aspects of this Rag and probably understand the notes used better.

The next Rag tried and tested today is the Rag Des. Most of you would immediately relate to this one thanks to 'Vande Mataram' a song you immediately sing as soon as you dabble with this Rag. However on closer look and playing it was so easy to confuse this to Khamaaj and Tilak Kamod. As I played the Rag I realized that the song - 'Aaoge Jab Tum from Jab We met' is hovering around this Rag and that got me to understand Khamaaj.

The structures of all of these Rags are mentioned here for your reference

Rag Desh Aroha and Avarohana

S R m P N S

S’ R’ n D P m G R G ‘N S

See how G is absent when ascending and how the N changes when descending with an addition of D and G

Khamaaj:

'N S G m P N S'. (R of Des is absent)

S' n D P m P D G m R S 

I am yet to learn a whole lot in these Rags but the start was exciting and being able to play it and try out some of my own stuff was even better. 

Sorry to bore my non-musical readers. But well I was excited and wanted to write down notes to myself. Hopefully the next few days are about a journey through various Rags and music. 

Today was a definite 'win' day - Dad and Mum also played on my Keyboard and picked up a few basics very easily. 

My favorite songs of the month

I guess I have been listening to some amazing music. Not promising any of it is really new but just wanted to share my list nevertheless.

Race with the devil on a spanish highway (One the best jazz numbers)

Drumming is awesome, guitaring even better. It is sheer joy! Jazz in many ways is a game of maths, timing and numbers. Once you get the hang of it, it takes percussion to a different level and makes it an enjoyable experience.

A piece of Hindustani classical that is just too captivating to common man and otherwise. It is not too complex a piece but the benaras gharana tabla is just too appealing. Also the variety of notes and pitches the singer is able to touch at points is not easy to reproduce at all.

Jagjit singh at his best: Trying to get my hands on a recording I have on my disk. Love this one for the lyrics especially and there is a version where Jagjit sign shows the difference in the words Janaab and Huzur via his singing in the last stanza. That is the part that appeals the most to me.

Some amazing classical by a lady becoming my favourite: Malini Rajurkar:

Veena tai for I have a special affinity to her voice. Sounds like someone I know very much.

Heard her live in Bangalore and was a concert I will not forget.

Hope you all enjoy these as well.

Ode to my drums!

Today was an intense day. Somehow, I had only one thing that was constant - Music. I got to listen to 10 hours of play time almost. Listened to Classical, Jazz, Ghazals mostly.  I got back tired and yet when I sat on my drums, I just felt alive and in another world. I mixed modes in the most bizzare ways, but I know there was some magic. For my wrists felt so lose and yet in control. My feet effortlessly joined along. It felt amazing and effortless today. After long!
 
My fingers just begin to sway...
Kathy's waltz was it?
Keys high and sometimes away
Faiz's poetry strung it?

I sat and felt compelled to beat
Swing on rocky torrents and rain!
Bongos tried to jazzy feats!
Malhars mixed with modern disdain!

Maybe its my angst at times,
Maybe its how I really feel
Maybe its peace that did chime
Maybe its its what makes me real!

You stand there I know like a rock, beaten and yet so musical!
You stand there like you silently know, what I never said but played on you!

My Favs

Anyone who knows me....knows the fact that I have the most bizarre and extreme tastes when it comes to music. I also tend to be super obsessed about a song for a phase of my life. I can listen to the same song endlessly on repeat mode for over a month. So I decided it is worthwhile to write down some of my fav songs and also figure out why I did like them when I did


My Top Songs for lyrics:

• Tujhse Naraaz Nahin Zindagi : What a realistic song. It always reminds me of moments when I am angry about life but not really because I have no one to blame! Beautifully crafted and makes so much sense for the context of the movie
• Dashte- Tanhai (Thanks Rads for it): What a piece of Poetry and sung so well by iqbal bano!
• Hothon Se choo lo tum: Love and longing so beautifully expressed
• Koi yeah kaise bataye ki woh tanha kyun hai: I mean sheer poetry!
• Dil Cheez Kya Hai aap meri Jaan Lejiye: Is there a better way to express self renunciation?
• Guncha koi tere naam kar diya: The voice, the situation and the moment just make this a charm
• Save the best for last: I can relate to this at various moments of my life. Maybe my stories are so similar
• Winner takes it all: Have I never felt like a loser?

Phases and Songs:

There are songs associated to phases, people and places in my life.

• Tumse Yun Milenge: Literally reminds me of how I had never expected to meet someone randomly and bond over a song
• All Compositions of Devdas/Dil Chahta hai/Chalte Chalte: My life in mumbai
• Jaadu hai nasha hai: S's car, a bad theater in mumbai!
• Peeloon: Dedicated to the mom and daughter in my  life and several trips where people were subjected to it
• Teri Justajoo: Aah the lunch and screeching in my car with 3 of us singing!
• Crying (Don McLean): A certain someone who introduced me to most passions in my life
• Piya tose naina lage re: The song I was famous for in school!
• Resham Ka (Ila Arun): My sister who thought I sounded like her. The only time she ever complimented my skills in singing.
• Reason (hoobstank): Chicago
• Believe (Cher): My detriot trip
• Take Five: Can always listen to it and drum along

The list is actually endless....

Songs and music always fill my life and I am known to like the crazy "Sadnaal karle party" type songs to Jazz to Indian and western classical. I know I am kicked and most happy with my iPOD when running, cycling, walking or just driving to work in my car! I always wondered, if I was to lose one of my senses which one would kill me...I am yet to figure who wins between my ears (For I love music), My sense of smell (I cannot not smell) or my speech! (it is so hard to not speak!). There are a thousand more which have not got a mention today. But someday I will compose a list of 100 fav songs! Someday I will!